TRAFFIC SAFETY IN REVIEW
pg. 20 DEATH OF DISTRICT 9 PUPIL PROMPTS FULL REVIEW OF SCHOOL-ZONE TRAFFIC INSIDE
Medical guide
pg.15 Bringing you the most recent news and latest trends in health care
Stone oak
Vol. 1, Issue 5
encino PARK
FAR NORTH
COMMUNITY NEWS 78258 78259 78260 78261
OCTOBER 2014
What's
INSIDE your community
pg.25 Stone Oak
seeing green with waterconservation strategy Officials report a 54 percent reduction in water usage for traffic islands, medians
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. 31 www.salocallowdown.com
Welcome to
‘Sonterrey’ PG. 22
Changing social conditions in Mexico, business climate, security and schools make the Stone Oak neighborhood attractive
pg.19 Johnson High
adds safety measures after false kidnapping story Routines of student athletes changed to protect kids
EAT LOCAL
KNEADERS CAFE & BAKERY pg.28 Hardy Oak destination offers European baked delights served American style
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From the editor tedwards@salocallowdown.com
President Harold J. Lees Publisher Gregg Rosenfield Assoc. Publisher Rick Upton Editorial Executive Editor Thomas Edwards News Staff Collette Orquiz, Bain Serna and Will Wright Contributing Writers Jacque Crouse, J.E. Jordan, Carole Miller, Eric Moreno, Eileen Pace, Travis E. Poling, Arthur Schechter and Susan Yerkes ART Creative Director Florence D. Edwards Production Designer Pete Morales Contributing Photographers Rudy B. Ornelas Contributing Illustrator Jeremiah Teutsch
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Advertising Inquiries jluna@salocallowdown.com Story Ideas: tips@salocallowdown.com Website: www.salocallowdown.com LOCAL Community News publications Zone 1: 78204, 78205, 78209, 78210, 78212, 78215 Zone 2: 78213, 78230, 78231, 78248, 78249 Zone 3: 78216, 78232, 78247 Zone 4: 78109, 78148, 78233, 78239 Zone 5: 78108, 78132, 78154, 78266 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.
14-CPS-0472 ES Ad_Local Community News_V2.indd 1
6/20/14 11:22 AM
It's OK to share good news
S
ometimes the most important news comes from the most unlikely sources. And some of the most quiet. I’m talking about homeowners and property owners associations. It surprises me that we don’t hear more often from all the associations in the neighborhoods covered by LOCAL Community News. While many of these associations rely on Facebook, newsletters and websites to get their message out, it is still doubtful in this onthe-go age their communications about events and developments reach all their members. These associations should consider designating a public relations person to submit newsworthy events to LOCAL. Think of us as another way to bridge the gap between association leadership and the homeowners or property owners. The entertainment media enjoys portraying these associations as control freaks obsessing over the width of a driveway or the color of paving stones — ever see “Over the Hedge” or “The Simpsons”? — but the truth is, these people are also doing good work in their communities by coordinating activities that improve the quality of life. We’d love to hear about those developments. We want to tell those stories and dispel the stereotypes. It’s as easy as sending a note to tedwards@salocallowdown. com or to our tips file at tips@ salocallowdown.com. Silence is deafening. If these associations have a success story, we urge them to share it with the rest of the world.
Thomas Edwards executive Editor facebook.com/salocalcommunitynews
5
salocallowdown.com
local commentary
Blessed to give? Or just illegal? by susan yerkes
I
t may well be more blessed to give than to receive. But if San Antonio’s top cop has his way, either act could get you in trouble. Police Chief William McManus will retire from the force to take a $200,000plus job at CPS Energy in December. But before he goes, he’s pushing a pet project that would penalize both panhandlers and folks who give them money, food or “anything of value.” It’s hard for me to imagine why McManus, who is generally well-liked and widely respected, would feel strongly enough about his proposed antigiving ordinance to promise to pitch it
aggressively to the City Council’s Public Safety Committee later this month. I can see how police can get frustrated with panhandlers. From the wild-haired guy waving an “ANYTHING HELPS” placard in the median of a busy street to the downtown sidewalk loungers trolling for spare change, beggars can range from irritating to downright dangerous. That was McManus’ argument back in 2011, when he helped push, and pass, a city ordinance making it illegal to ask for money within 50 feet of crosswalks, ATMs, bank doors, bus stops, checkcashing businesses, restaurants, parking meters and other favorite panhandling posts. There are also ordinances that ban asking for money on city streets. Those measures may well have curbed some public panhandling, but it still persists. The poor will always be with us. And some of the poor will always be more aggressive than others about asking “them who have” for handouts. McManus’ tough anti-panhandling stance is not new. In his prior posts in Dayton and Minneapolis, he proposed laws both to prohibit panhandling, and if that wasn’t doable, (there’s this pesky constitutional-rights argument about freedom of speech) to force panhandlers to obtain official licenses to beg. It’s
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hard to imagine the wild-haired guy with the sign or the sidewalk loungers going through the governmental red tape to get a begging license. Finding ways to discourage people from asking for money, food or shelter can be tricky. Just making rules defining who has a “good” reason to ask is a challenge. Does the wild-haired newspaper hawker standing in the median collecting cash for his corporate employer have a more legally acceptable right to be there than the wildhaired guy flying a hand-scrawled sign? It would be great if we all could know in advance exactly how our donations will be used, so we support only behavior we approve. But even the biggest, most respectable charities can’t always guarantee what we give them will be spent on what we value. Of course, it ought to be against the law to solicit other people’s money on false pretenses. Oh, wait — it already is! We already have ordinances prohibiting panhandling, being a public nuisance, buying illegal drugs, public drunkenness and just about every
single behavior this new ordinance purportedly aims to help stop. But targeting the givers is a new twist. In politics, “popular” counts. So it’s highly unlikely City Council will pass an anti-giving ordinance. The potential for blowback, ranging from the inevitable court challenges to the possibility of a miserly national image for the city, is too great. Perhaps the one good thing McManus’ quixotic quest can do is make us all think more constructively about how to deal with the dispossessed, and how to give to those in need in more truly helpful ways. Perhaps it will create new and positive public dialogue about the poor who are mentally ill, or rampant drug and alcohol addiction. Or who knows? Perhaps, now that the flood of undocumented immigrants across the Texas border has reportedly slowed down, those gun-toting, antigovernment militia folks who went down to “help” the Border Patrol will find a new mission — coming to San Antonio to help our cops stop the panhandling, and the giving, for good.
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OUR TURN Views and opinions about your community
Drivers, hang up
D
istracted drivers are the No. 1 menace on the road right now.
For that reason, San Antonio is moving in the right direction with a total ban on cellphone use while driving, including texting, unless a hands-free device is used. The San Antonio proposal is in addition to a new state law that makes it illegal to dial, text or otherwise use a cellphone in a school zone unless there is an emergency or the driver has pulled over. Outgoing San Antonio Police Chief William McManus has argued the last few years for a full ban on mobile devices. In 2010, the city prohibited using a hand-held mobile device (except for dialing telephone numbers or talking to another person) while driving a vehicle, with a fine not to exceed $200 per violation. In the time since the ban was approved by the City Council, police report there have been more than 1,900 accidents attributed to distracted motorists using handheld mobile devices. Six of those involved fatalities
and 28 resulted in serious injuries. Meanwhile, officers since 2009 have also issued 7,038 citations to drivers using handheld mobile devices. Some argue that existing distracteddriver laws are adequate, but police say they are virtually unenforceable. District 10 Councilman Mike Gallagher is pushing for the total prohibition on cellphone use. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that a driver conversing on a cellphone is 30 percent more likely to be involved in a wreck. According to Gallagher, 23 cities in Texas, including San Antonio, have some sort of texting ban. It’s already well known that driving and texting take a driver’s attention away from the road, decreasing handeye coordination and response time. Best advice? Two hands on the wheel and two eyes on the road. Gallagher’s call to toughen the distracted-driver law is not about too much government control. Instead, it is a means to keep everyone safer on area roadways. -the Local Community News editorial board includes Harry Lees, Gregg Rosenfield and Thomas Edwards.
Happening LOCAL
Plan your month with our calendar of upcoming events in the community.
OUR GUIDE TO YOUR MONTH
happenin g k e y
fitness
ART
DISTRICT 26 DIVISION 6A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL – PART I Johnson continues its 2014 season with away and home games at Comalander Stadium, 12002 Jones Maltsberger Road, at 7 p.m. Oct. 4, and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10, versus Reagan and Roosevelt, respectively. After a bye week, the Jaguars resume play by visiting Madison at Heroes Stadium, 4799 Thousand Oaks Drive, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24. For a complete list of this year’s North East Independent School District’s high school football schedule, visit http://www.neisd.net/ athletics/documents/2014VarsityFB.pdf.
OCTOBER
DISTRICT 26 DIVISION 6A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL – PART II OCTOBER Reagan continues its 2014 season with four October contests, three at Comalander Stadium, 12002 Jones Maltsberger Road, including 7 p.m. Oct.
TALK
outdoor
Music
FOOD
4 and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17, when the Rattlers host Johnson and Churchill, respectively. Sandwiched in-between is a 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 road game versus Madison at Heroes Stadium, 4799 Thousand Oaks Drive. Reagan caps off the month by returning to Comalander 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24, with a road contest against MacArthur. For a complete list of this year’s North East Independent School District’s high school football schedule, visit http://www.neisd.net/ athletics/documents/2014VarsityFB.pdf. DISCOVERY TIME Hosted by the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak St., in Meeting Room A, this one-hour session starts at 4:15 p.m. every Wednesday. Presented by Amy Miller and recommended for children ages 4-6, kids develop awareness
WEEKLY
Happening continues on pg. 08
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Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Homeowners coverage is written through non-affiliated insurance companies and is secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Boat and PWC coverages are written through Seaworthy Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and through other non-affiliated insurance companies, and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency. Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2014. © 2014 GEICO.
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OCTOBER 2014
HAPPENING continues from pg. 07 of science and math concepts through stories and hands-on experiences. For more, contact the library staff at 207-2703 or visit www.mysapl.org. DOG-EARED BOOKS Come to WEEKLY the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak St., every Wednesday 3-4 p.m., and read to a dog. Bring your favorite animal story or choose one off the shelves. Even children who aren’t yet reading can come and narrate a story from one of the library’s wordless books. Recommended for ages 3 and up. For more, contact the library staff at 207-2703 or visit www.mysapl.org. HELP PETS, FILL TUMMY From 4-9 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month Trilogy Pizza & Wine Bistro, 19141 Stone Oak Parkway, Suite 113, donates 15 percent of every purchase to Pets Alive! For more, visit www.sanantoniopetsalive.org.
OCT 1
WALK WITH A DOC Come to the parking lot at Stone Oak Hospital Medical Offices, 1139 E. Sonterra Blvd., at 9 a.m. the first Saturday of each month for a fun,
OCT 4
educational and healthy exercise. Supported by the Texas Medical Association and powered by Stone Oak Women’s Center, Wellness Division, the community walk is for everyone interested in taking steps for a better lifestyle. While strolling at your own pace, have questions answered by local physicians. For more, call 6142229 or visit www.walkwithadoc.org. BE A CHEERLEADER FOR A DAY The Reagan High School cheerleaders are holding a cheer clinic 9-11:30 a.m. in the gym, 19000 Ronald Reagan Drive. Girls ages 5-15 are encouraged to attend; future Rattlers may have a chance to cheer at 7 p.m. the same day in the Reagan vs. Johnson game at Comalander Stadium. Cost is $35. For more, call 632-2531 or email rhscheerclinic@yahoo.com.
OCT 4
DO YOU HAVE A STORY? Learn how to turn your experiences into compelling, fact-based writing. Bring a notebook and a sense of adventure to the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak St., at 10 a.m. Taught by nonfiction-writing teacher at Trinity University, Kelly Grey Carlisle. Registration is required. For more, contact the library staff at 207-2703 or visit www.mysapl.org.
OCT 4
MARKET DAYS AT ENCINO PARK Previously known as the Encino Park Craft Fair, this annual two-day event will begin 9 a.m. both days at the Encino Park Community Center, 1923 Encino Rio St. Expanded vendor offerings this year include homemade food and items from farmers markets. For information about the market’s wares, visit http://texascottagefoodlaw.com. For applications, contact Gail Swain at 4973829 or email epmarketdays@gmail.com.
OCT 4-5
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT OCT The annual event held 7 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. KIDS, PARENTS AND ENVIRONMENT Learn the benefits of helping your child play and learn in nature, 6:30-8 p.m., at the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak St. Presented by Megan Gilsdorf, this class will also discuss the skills needed to raise eco-conscious children. Registration is required. For more, contact the library staff at 207-2703 or visit www.mysapl.org.
OCT 9
ENCINO PARK HOA The annual meeting of the Encino Park Homeowners Association, 1923 Encino Rio St., will take place at 7 p.m. For more, call the HOA office at 497-3022.
OCT 9
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.
OCT 13
ANGRY BIRDS? NO, JUST HUNGRY Come to the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak St., at 6 p.m., with a teacup and saucer. In two hours, Christina Hess will teach you how you to make a birdfeeder. All other materials will be provided. Registration is required. For more, contact the library staff at 207-2703 or visit www.mysapl.org.
OCT 14
PUTTING THE “HEAL” IN “HEALTH” Realize your own healing potential, 6:30-8 p.m., at the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak St. Master balancing your body’s energy and keeping it flowing smoothly. Learn helpful information and practice Spring Forest Qigong exercises in a supportive environment. No
OCT 16
HAPPENING continues on pg. 10
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RUNNING EVENT: PAINT THE PARKWAY PINK Support breast-cancer research by coming to North Central Baptist Hospital, 520 Madison Oak Drive, 9 a.m., for a run/ walk. Entry fees vary, but the 5K-run is $25; one-mile walk is $20. Strollers, kids and pets are all welcome. Race-day registration begins at 7 a.m. with different happenings and drawings during the morning. Every participant receives a T-shirt. For more, visit www.athleteguild.com.
OCT 18
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SCRAPBOOKING 101 Visit the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak St., 6-8 p.m., when Eva Banda will help you complete a simple mini fall-festival card or a 6-by-6 inch or an 8-by-8 inch layout of your choice. All equipment and materials supplied; you only need to bring two to eight pictures. Registration is required. For more, contact the library staff at 207-2703 or visit www.mysapl.org.
OCT 23
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LEARNING FOR LIFE There’s no reason grown-ups can’t be back in class, too, with fun, interesting or challenging seminars and courses offered by North East Independent School District Community Education. This fall, the program has a dizzying selection of classes – financial subjects, arts, music, crafts, gardening/ landscaping, cooking, computing, genealogy, dancing and much more. Many of the tutorials are held at the Community Learning Center, 8750 Tesoro Drive. To check out the offerings and register for a class, go to https://communityed. neisd.net/ComEdWeb/root/default.aspx.
ONGOING
experience necessary. Dress comfortably in nonrestrictive clothes. Exercises can be modified for standing, sitting or lying down. For more, contact the library staff at 207-2703 or visit www.mysapl.org.
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OCTOBER 2014
NORTH EAST COLLEGE NIGHT In an effort to help students prepare for a college education, the North East Independent School District will hold a college night from 6 to 8 p.m. to “assist students and parents in making informed decisions regarding post-secondary educational opportunities.” The event is at the Blossom Athletic Center/ Piper Bass Student Center, 12002 Jones Maltsberger Road. For more, call 407-0348.
NOV 5
SUBMITTING EVENTS: Email all
the details along with your contact information two months in advance to tips@salocallowdown.com.
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MORE CHOICES. LESS CONGESTION. The proposed 281 North Improvement Project will accommodate today’s congestion and tomorrow’s growth. It will add interchange ramps at Loop 1604 and double the number of lanes on US 281, from Loop 1604 all the way to Borgfeld Drive. It will be faster and safer to get everywhere.
TODAY’S PROBLEM…
…TOMORROW’S SOLUTION
PROPOSED: Redland Road to Stone Oak Parkway
Learn more at AlamoRMA.org
12
OCTOBER 2014
LOCAL LOWDOWN Take a quick look at what’s new in the community from opening and closings to news tidbits.
Open and Opening Soon
3
Customized Tutoring for College Bound Students
4 2 1
Address of local business
6 5
Name of local business
+ Math + Reading + Sciences + Study Skills + ACT/SAT/PSAT Prep + Homework Help – All Subjects + AP Classes
Learning Center Now Open! 20079 Stone Oak Parkway | Ste 1104 210.202.0303 collegenanniesandtutors.com/stoneoaktx
1. NOAH’S ARK STORAGE, 19130 Stone Oak Parkway, recently opened and offers state-of-the-art, climatemaintained units in different sizes with computer-controlled entries and surveillance systems. Hours for the leasing office are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more, call 767-3138 (new customers) or 529-1476 (current customers) or
check out www.noahsarkselfstorage. com/. (See story on page 26)
2. BELLA SMILES FAMILY DENTISTRY,
19298 Stone Oak Parkway, Suite 1105, debuted this spring offering a variety of services while trying to make patients feel as comfortable as possible with amenities
LOWDOWN continues on pg. 13
PERSONALIZED DEBIT CARDS Your card, your look.
Visit one of our local branches or online at www.mysbank.com to order your personalized debit card at no charge!
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13
salocallowdown.com LOWDOWN continues from pg. 12 including soothing waterfall sounds, Wi-Fi availability, massage chairs and aromatherapy candles. According to its website, “Highly advanced technology is one of the key features of the practice. Intra-oral cameras, syringe-free anesthetic delivery via The Wand, laser diagnostic equipment and the leading-edge materials will make your dental-health experience less stressful.” Hours are 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, noon-5 p.m. Thursday and 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday. For more, call 247-5162 or visit www. bellasmiles4all.com. (See story on page 27)
3. WHATABURGER, 23522 Wilderness
Oak St., Suite 115, just put the finishing touches on this latest location of the San Antonio-based fast-food chain. The menu features garden salads, shakes, grilled chicken, chicken-strip salad, Whataburger, Whataburger double meat, grilled chicken sandwich, breakfast tacos and other delights. Open 24 hours a day all week. For more, call 481-9104. (See story on page 29)
4. KNEADERS BAKERY & CAFE, 21639
Hardy Oak Blvd., intermingles “Europeanstyle baking” with an American flair at its new Stone Oak location. Fare includes an
assortment of breakfast staples, smoothies, sandwiches on fresh bread, soups and salads, assorted brownies, muffins, cinnamon rolls, cookies, tarts and even pumpkin cake. Catering is available. Hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more, call 495-1000 or visit https:// kneaders.com/. (See story on page 28)
FREE Basic Home Inspection Call for Details
5. GOLDEN CHICK, 22002 U.S. 281 North,
opened in mid-July, joining more than 130 restaurants in the chain. The fried chicken restaurant, started in Central Texas in the 1960s, offers Golden Combos, family meals, tenders, salads, sides and drinks. San Antonio has five Golden Chick eateries, with a sixth slated for 8534 Interstate 35 South. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For more, call 497-5025 or visit www.goldenchick.com.
6. PETCO, 23014 U.S. 281 North, Suite 107, held a grand opening Sept. 13-14. During the celebration, visitors who adopted a pet received a Think Adoption First Care & Savings Booklet, with up to 50 percent off supplies and services. Employees said the new store offers everyday necessities for pets and a wide variety of high-quality nutrition, including natural, organic and raw-food selections. Staffers also plan
LOWDOWN continues on pg. 14
The Holidays Are Around The Corner!
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Kneaders Bakery & Cafe offers a tasty assortment of treats such as these tarts and baked goods, in addition to sandwiches, soups and salads. Photo by Collette Orquiz
LOWDOWN continues from pg. 13 on hosting monthly companion-animal sessions, which are complimentary, and interactive educational forums for families such as “Reptile Rally.” In addition, there will be many adoption events during the year to help local rescue organizations find homes for animals. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. For more, call 481-9517.
IN OTHER NEWS
ENCINO PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COMMEMORATED ITS 25th ANNIVERSARY with a ribbon cutting during an open house on Aug. 22. School staff, students and families attended the event, which included several food trucks. Pupils and parents met teachers and received information on cafeteria meals, transportation, PTA and special programs. The Johnson High School drumline greeted visitors, along with Encino Park’s mascot, Eddie the Eagle. About 20 community partners set up tables in the library to give Encino Park families information and materials about available resources, according to school officials. WILDERNESS OAK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HELD A GRANDPARENTS DAY celebration on Sept. 5 to highlight the role older relatives play in a child’s life, officials said. Grandparents attended a reception co-hosted by the PTA and participated in classroom activities. President Jimmy Carter established National Grandparents Day in 1978. THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AT STONE OAK ELEMENTARY began with the fourth annual Leadership Pep Rally led by the student leadership team. The Reagan High School drumline headed the procession to the blacktop, rallying the Bobcat crowd, campus officials said. THE 2014-15 TAX RATE FOR THE NORTH EAST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, $1.4406 per $100 valuation, is unchanged from last year, officials said after a Sept. 8 board
meeting. According to a district news release, “The Maintenance and Operation (general operating fund) tax rate of $1.04 will be used for maintenance and operations and the Interest & Sinking (debt-service fund) tax rate of $0.4006 will be used to pay principal and interest on outstanding bonds.” Officials said the rate means no property-tax increase on a home valued at $100,000. With more than 70 schools and magnet programs, as well as a fall enrollment of 70,000 students, NEISD is the second largest school district in San Antonio. A “WALL-BREAKING CEREMONY” KICKED OFF CONSTRUCTION OF THE ENCINO BRANCH LIBRARY at 2515 E. Evans Road, housed inside the former Adobe Cafe, on Sept. 9 with dignitaries including District 9 Councilman Joe Krier, San Antonio Public Library Director Ramiro S. Salazar and City Engineer Mike Frisbie of Transportation & Capital Improvements. “Literacy and community involvement go hand in hand, making a resource like our public libraries vital to our neighborhoods,” Krier said. “The Encino Branch Library will be a beautiful and essential addition for District 9 residents.” According to the city, the project will transform the former restaurant into a 10,000-squarefoot library serving children, teens, adults and seniors. The majority of the work will focus on the interior of the building, with some minor landscaping work. “We are excited to be serving this community by bringing these long-awaited library services to this growing area,” Salazar said. The project will also include a public art piece designed by the team of Joe O’Connell and Blessing Hancock. The piece is inspired by the craft of storytelling and will include literary phrases provided by residents. The project is funded with $7.1 million from the voter-approved 2012-17 bond program. The library project is managed by Transportation & Capital Improvements on behalf of the library system, officials said. The design by Alvidrez Architecture is being constructed by Davila Construction Inc.
OCTOBER 2014
pg.15
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Call to schedule your appointment Felipe Garcia-Ghinis was awarded his Medical Degree from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies, Ignacio A. Santos School of Medicine (ITESM/EMIS). After an internship at Yale University of Medicine, Dr. Garcia-Ghinis completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Case Western Reserve Medical School.
Llámenos para hacer su cita Felipe Garcia-Ghinis recibió el título de Medico Cirujano del Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina Ignacio A. Santos (EMIS/ITESM). Después de completar su internado en la Universidad de Yale, el Dr. Garcia-Ghinis completo su residencia como especialista en ginecoobstetricia y recibió su título de la Escuela de Medicina de Case Western Reserve.
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Local specialists report several successful weight-loss programs by J.E. jordan
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osing weight – it’s on everyone’s mind. New and improved solutions appear on the covers of nearly every magazine next to the supermarket checkout counter.
For every need there’s a diet, an exercise plan, a medical procedure or a device guaranteed to work. Locally, there are many options available to those who want to go beyond the traditional, self-orchestrated caloriecounting and gym-membership approach. Wellness coach Jeff Carrell runs the Functional Fitness Center at Alamo Heights Chiropractic Health Center, 4501 McCullough Ave., Suite 107. Carrell said the center's healthy weight-loss program works because it’s customized to the individual. “I always tell people they are not a cookie and therefore a cookie-
cutter (approach) doesn’t necessarily work for them,” Carrell said. Participants take supplements which cause rapid weight loss when combined, Carrell said. Exercise plays a part as well. “We’re big believers in most people don’t move enough, and even those who move a lot might not do it in a way that’s most effective for them, so we encourage exercise,” he said. Carrell said the supplement program alone can achieve weight loss without exercise. However, exercise makes weight loss more sustainable, he added. Dr. Felipe Garcia-Ghinis is a boardcertified obstetrician gynecologist and the founder of Healthy Woman, an OB-GYN clinic at 2632 Broadway. After his brother lost more than 100 pounds in six months, Garcia-Ghinis wanted to know how he did it.
WEIGHT LOSS continues on pg. 17
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OCTOBER 2014 WEIGHT LOSS continues from pg. 16 “I decided to try it myself before I offered it to my patients,” he said. After losing more than 20 pounds by going high protein, Garcia-Ghinis offers a medically supervised diet utilizing foods sold through his office. Simply Slender, 18730 Stone Oak Parkway, Suite 106, offers an alternative to liposuction for body reshaping called i-lipo. The company’s website says it is medically tested and approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Megan Coleman, a certified nutritional consultant, said, “There are no needles, no downtime. You come in, you lie down underneath our (laser) paddles. They don’t hurt, they don’t zap, you’re just lying there comfortably for 35-45 minutes.” Afterwards, she said, the patient needs to do “about 20 minutes” of exercise “to work off calories released with the fat.” Kurt Jacquin at SuperSlow Zone, with locations at 11825 Interstate 10 West and 700 E. Sonterra Blvd., said the program he offers is all about strength training. However, he added, it does contribute to weight loss. Programs are set up for individuals according to whatever muscles and body parts they want to improve. “We don’t do a typical rep as you would see in a normal gym or fitness
center,” Jacquin said. “What we do is a 10-second positive (contracting the muscle, as in curling a weight up) and
a 10-second negative (extending the muscle, as in lowering the weight).” Each curl takes 20 seconds. “So we really don’t care about the number of reps you do, we time the muscle for how much work it actually does,” he added. For some, surgery brings about a change for the better. Gerald Townsend, 70, a professor at Texas A&M UniversitySan Antonio, found a new lease on life. “My gastric sleeve improved my life immeasurably,” he said. At 90 pounds lighter, his diabetes disappeared, and with it the need for expensive drugs. “I believe I have added 20 years of quality life with the surgery. My wife, Barbara, had the same surgery. We now eat less than half what we did three years ago. The benefit comes in quality of life and in the pocketbook.” With so many options to choose from, it’s easy to get confused. However, there are some basic truths to remember. The website for the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (www. fitness.gov) offers guidelines. There are other approaches to weight loss as well. Yacon syrup, promoted by television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, contains a substance the taste buds recognize as sweet. But supposedly, 40 to 50
17 percent of the syrup is made up of fructooligosaccharide – sugar molecules connected in a way that renders them unrecognizable by the digestive system, making it a low-calorie alternative to sugar. The real magic happens in the large intestine, where the saccharides “feed the friendly bacteria in the digestive system,” leading to weight loss. Science Daily wrote on Sept. 3 that scientists at The University of Manchester in England theorize resetting a cluster of nerves in the center of the brain known as the “body clock” could lead to banishing excess pounds and inches without surgery. The study is using “clock logic” to treat diabetes. Patients eat, sleep and take medication at times that fit with their body clock in a bid to control the disease. Then there are the drugs – some already on the market, some still in trials. Contrave, also known as NB32, is the name of the latest weight-loss drug seeking FDA approval. Trial participants said Contrave improved their moods as well as their looks. Maybe that’s because one of its main components is widely used as an antidepressant. There are other weight-loss drugs already on the market, but most carry dire warnings regarding side effects.
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salocallowdown.com JOHNSON continues from pg. 01
Principal, coaches sent out letters to parents by EILEEN PACE
A
lthough a Johnson High School student’s claim she narrowly escaped a kidnapping attempt proved false later, the campus is sticking to new safety procedures implemented as a result of the hoax.
The girl's story at the time put a community on edge and led to increased police patrols, a warning from the school to parents and heightened fears in surrounding neighborhoods, officials said. Officials with the North East Independent School District said they still don’t know why the teen fabricated a story about some men in a van following her at Bulverde and Evans roads this summer, and added the athlete faces disciplinary measures. Just less than two weeks after making the false report Aug. 13, the teenager came forward and recanted her story, said Aubrey
Chancellor, an NEISD spokeswoman. “She and her father came to see the principal and she said that it never happened,” Chancellor said. Still, the school has added precautions to protect athletes — even after learning the story was bogus, officials said. Coaches directed athletes to alter routes on a regular basis; when a student jogs, they mustn’t establish a pattern. “Additionally, any time exercise and practice took place after this incident, most of it was done either on campus or in a controlled setting. Most running is done on campus now. But if they were going to be running off campus, the coaches are running alongside them now,” Chancellor said. “That was done as a result of this incident, so that something like this may not happen again,” she added. Even after the retraction, the district wanted to enhance student safety. “Changes initiated because of this incident remain in place,” Chancellor said. In her original account, the girl claimed the chain of events began while running with a group of students. “She was an athlete,” Chancellor said. “Running that morning was part of her workout.” When the girl stopped to tie her shoe, several men in a van chased her
We’re the final step ...
into a ditch, she told investigators. One got out and began pursuing her on foot, but she hid until the van left. When she returned to school, the girl reported the incident to her athletics instructors. Chancellor said the principal immediately sent an email notice to parents, relating the incident and asking guardians to talk to their kids about safety. She said the district has existing procedures in place for such events. “The North East Police Department is going to be informed. They’re going to go out and interview the student and patrol the area,” she said. “In this particular case, we did increase patrols for several days after the fact, looking for the van that the student had described.” NEISD Police Chief Wally McCampbell said, “Once the student made the allegation, (the San Antonio Police Department) and NEPD were contacted. We sent an officer to go speak with the student up at the school. We gathered the information about what happened and sent additional officers to check the area where the incident occurred.” San Antonio police responded because the girl originally said the incident happened on public property. “Anytime an allegation like this is made, it is taken very seriously,” Chancellor said, “and there will be appropriate
disciplinary actions taken for students that make up these kinds of stories.” Chancellor said police did not find discrepancies in the story and the case remained open until the student admitted it was untrue. In his original letter warning parents, Johnson Principal John Mehlbrech described details of the girl’s story: “The van is described as a white, windowless van that looks ‘old and beat up’ with paint chips and rust. The door windows have dark tint as well. This student reported that one of the men, wearing sunglasses, black jeans, black shoes and a black hoodie, jumped out of the sliding door and chased her to the ditch.” Chancellor said Mehlbrech’s letter was sent via automated email to all Johnson parents. “The high school principals know that our number one thing is communicating with the communities and being transparent. It’s our protocol that when we get a report like this, automatically a letter’s going to go home,” she said. Chancellor said the principal then spoke with all coaches and had them talk to their student-athletes, reinforcing safety and providing additional precautions. “Coaches followed up with their own letters to their studentathletes’ parents,” she said.
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Several steps suggested to make school zones safer by BAIN SERNA
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he hit-and-run death of a student in District 9 has prompted Councilman Joe Krier and his City Hall colleagues to call for a review of all school zones to make it safer for kids traveling to and from campus. Krier, who represents District 9, and the other council members are directing city staff to conduct a comprehensive report on school-zone traffic safety, and take a full inventory of traffic and pedestrian features including sidewalks, signage, crosswalks and flashing beacons. “I wanted to know what we could do to make school zones across the entire city safer,” Krier said. “I know that we can never be perfect, but there is always room for improvement. We need to make them safer than they currently are.”
OCTOBER 2014 The review, conducted by Transportation & Capital Improvements, will also suggest improvements when it is completed. The case Jan. 15 of Larkspur Elementary School fourth-grader Tatyana Babineaux, 9, who was struck by a pickup while she crossed Braesview Street on her way to school, motivated Krier to issue the call to make school zones safer, he said. Babineaux, who was not in a school crosswalk when she was injured, later died at University Hospital. The pickup drove off, but an arrest soon followed. “There’s nothing more difficult than going to a funeral home to visit the mother of a little girl who has been killed,” Krier said. “I don’t ever want to do that again. It was a heart-wrenching experience.
That made it (school-zone traffic safety) an issue for me for the long term.” A difficult childhood incident of his own is also a catalyst for change, Krier said. At age 4, he ran from behind a parked car to cross the street and was accidentally hit by a motorist, suffering a broken leg and several other injuries. Krier and his colleagues recently signed the memo asking for a report on schoolzone traffic issues in all 10 council districts. “I wanted to make sure that we were trying to make all school zones in the city safer, not just one school in one councilman’s district,” he said. Newly appointed District 2 Councilman Keith A. Toney said he supports the initiative led by Krier.
I wanted to make sure that we were trying to make all school zones in the city safer, not just one school in one councilman’s district. JO KRIER, DISTRICT 9 COUNCILMAN
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“I thank District 9 Councilman Joe Krier for his initial memo, which provided the impetus for this significant report,” Toney said. “All San Antonio residents have the right to safe travel to and from their destinations. This extends to our youngest residents as they make their way to school every morning and back home again in the afternoon.” Other council members who joined the call include Mike Gallagher, Shirley Gonzales, Rebecca Viagran and Ray Lopez. No deadline has been announced yet for the report. There are several ways to improve safety, Krier said: n Educate schoolchildren more about safely crossing streets and using proper, designated school crosswalks. n Having highly reflective signage and blinking lights in school zones. n Remind drivers to stay off their cellphones when driving through a school zone, which is now state law, and to maintain slower speeds. Krier wants the review to indicate how many school zones are in need of safety improvements and enhancements. “What I’d like to see is which school
DEATH continues on pg. 21
21
Changing Lives One Smile At A Time!
DEATH continues from pg. 20 zones we are lacking those in, what would it cost to get them, and over what period of time could we do all that, because we may not have the money to do that immediately,” Krier said. Positive changes are already being made in District 9, including at Larkspur and Coker elementary schools. A couple of weeks after the death of Tatyana, Krier convened a public-input meeting that included North East Independent School District Superintendent Brian Gottardy, Police Chief William McManus and other officials. They wanted suggestions on how to modernize, replace and improve traffic-safety features at Larkspur. The list of improvements carried an estimated cost of about $90,000, and Krier drew half of that amount from his own District 9 discretionary fund, with the other half provided by the city. “We had one school zone (Larkspur Elementary) that was needing safety improvements and to fix that was not inconsequential in cost and would take time. Fortunately, we got all of that done in time for the opening of this school year,” Krier said.
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THE TEX HILL
OCTOBER 2014
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.
A veteran real estate agent says many affluent arrivals from Mexico looking for a home ask about the neighborhoods of Sonterra on the far North Side. Photo by Rudy B. Ornelas
Visit sa-academy.org OR call 210.733.7331 for details.
SONTERREY continues from pg. 01
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irroring an exodus in the 1900s when social upheaval in Mexico pushed a powerful wave of educated professionals and business folks across the border, a new generation of affluent settlers is arriving in San Antonio and calling Sonterra home.
While national media trumpet stories of impoverished, undocumented Latinos pouring across the border, San Antonio’s far North Side is quietly swelling with a wave of upscale immigrants. According to Mexican nationals starting new lives in in San Antonio, Sonterra has become one of the most popular housing choices for many of the arrivals, even earning the affectionate nickname “Sonterrey.” Spanish is widely spoken here, in the upscale Shops at La Cantera, elegant restaurants – even in the North East Independent School District’s public schools, where accelerated bilingual programs accommodate new arrivals. San Antonio’s proximity to the border and Hispanic-accented culture have always made the city a popular destination for shopping, medical care and extended family get-togethers for upper- and middle-class Mexican citizens, many of whom have second homes or condos here. But in the past decade, as cartel violence and kidnappings have exploded south of the border, more and more have chosen to relocate with their families. At the same time, the North American Free Trade Agreement and a strong
international market have opened new opportunities for business. “They come with capital to invest,” said Eduardo Bravo, chairman of the Asociácion de Empresarios Mexicanos en Estados Unidos, a rapidly expanding binational group dedicated to helping its members succeed in business in the U.S. Many of those who come to invest are on business-related visas. In the last few years, the numbers have jumped from less than 700 in 2002 to more than 7,500 in 2013. The number of private jet flights between San Antonio and Mexico City, another key indicator, has nearly doubled. The Stone Oak/Sonterra area, which has seen the greatest influx of new residents from Mexico, fits the bill for many of these new arrivals. “It’s been great for real estate,” said Jon Hess, a real estate agent with the Phyllis Browning Co. “The clients we deal with from Mexico like gated communities and relatively new, hassle-free homes. We almost always show them around Sonterra. A huge majority of them join the Club at Sonterra.” Juan Manuel Fernández, who moved his family to Sonterra from Mexico City a few years ago, first came to town to work on a real estate project, and is now involved in construction of infill and “green” housing. “I had friends who lived in Sonterra and liked it very much,” he said. “My kids are in school here, and the schools are good. Now I find old friends from Mexico that I did not even know had moved to the U.S.” Fernando Pasini, who heads a company manufacturing beauty products, came to San Antonio with his family two years ago. “Texas is well-located between California and Florida, and we like the small-town feel of San Antonio compared to Houston or Dallas,” he said. “And the North Side is a good place for my family.” Pasini settled in Canyon Springs, just north of Sonterra. “The houses are bigger and newer, and there is more open space in general
SONTERREY continues on pg. 23
23
salocallowdown.com SONTERREY continues from pg. 22 than Sonterra. I think about 40 percent of my neighbors are Mexican nationals, but it came as a surprise – we didn’t know it when we moved there,” he said. Pasini’s family has good reason to feel at home in the area, with upscale restaurants such as Costa Pacifica and Chama Gaucha, and a wide array of casual eateries, from Aldaco’s and La Hacienda de Los Barrios to the new Stone Oak branch of Delicious Tamales. Vida Mia, a popular spot for traditional Mexican breakfast and lunch, epitomizes the “Sonterrey” story. After nearly 40 years of running a successful family restaurant in Monterrey’s bustling Cuauthémoc district, owner Jose Ramos and his wife, Maria Elena, moved their family and their cooking skills to Stone Oak after a kidnapping scare. Ramos estimates about half his patrons are Mexican nationals. While many newly arrived families from Mexico gravitate to the Sonterra area, others have lived in San Antonio for decades, relocating from other neighborhoods. Dr. Sergio Buentello and his wife, Maria Esthela, are such a couple. Buentello, a retired physician, came to San Antonio from Monterrey nearly 40 years ago as a young doctor and stayed in Texas to practice anesthesiology. When their
daughters were teenagers, they lived in the Marymont neighborhood, near Northeast Baptist Hospital, where most of his work was centered. In 2002, they moved to a new home in Sonterra. “The Marymont area was getting older, there were a lot of robberies and crime. It did not feel so safe anymore,” Buentello said. “Maria had a canasta group that met at Sonterra, and she heard there were some good lots for sale. So, in 2001, we decided to build there. Little did we know back then that everybody was going to have the same idea; the traffic got real bad,” he added with a mock grimace. Two or three close friends from Mexico with similar stories live near them now, and they’ve also made friends with more recently arrived families. “Many of the families who came recently were driven here by the insecurity in Mexico,” he said. “This city is safe, and that area is safe, and that is very important to all of us.” The couple’s daughters are now both grown with children of their own, and he and his wife sometimes attend family functions at Vineyard Ranch Elementary School. “The first time we went there, I could hardly believe my ears. It seemed like at least half the parents were
SONTERREY continues on pg. 24
shelters located at busier stops, which require additional seating and protection from the elements. Look for these new and enhanced shelters coming to your neighborhood soon! •
VIA’s SmartMove initiatives include such important projects as the US 281 North Park and Ride, Westside MultiModal Transit Center, Brooks Transit Center and Robert Thompson Transit Center. You can learn more about SmartMove by visiting www.viasmartmove.com.
•
With a new school year underway, now is the perfect time to take advantage of VIA’s semester pass. For only $35 per semester, students can ride VIA to and from their classes for a total of five months.
In the communIty •
•
At a recent International Bus Roadeo competition, a team of VIA’s maintenance employees were named “Best in North America,” making this the third time in four years VIA has brought home top honors. Way to go, and congratulations, team! VIA is rolling out an exciting bus shelter program featuring a new modular design. This innovative move forward allows for easy expansion of
In your neIghborhood •
We have 130 bus shelters in the works for the northern sector of VIA’s service area. These shelters have been planned, are in construction, have already been installed or slated for improvements for your convenience.
•
A new park & ride facility on U.S. Highway 281 North will increase mobility, promote transit-oriented development, help improve traffic flow, and stimulate economic development. The facility will include a four-level parking garage with approximately 400 parking spaces, an air-conditioned transit terminal with restrooms, environmentally-friendly express buses providing service to and from downtown, bicycle amenities and electric car charging stations. The project also includes working with the Texas Department of Transportation on direct access to potential transit priority lanes for U.S. 281, the first of their kind in San Antonio. The project is currently in design phrase.
Stay informed, get involved and make a difference.
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24 SONTERREY continues from pg. 23 speaking our Spanish,” he said. AEM Chairman Bravo, who also publishes the bilingual “Society Diaries” in the U.S. and Mexico, lives in Elm Creek. He notes that the association holds monthly breakfast meetings and other activities at the Club at Sonterra, convenient to many members. “It’s an upper-class area; secure, with good schools,” he said. He added, “That’s one reason many Mexican nationals always liked to buy homes there, and when the situation in Mexico changed a lot, moved here completely for security. Now, with very good public schools in that area, and great bilingual programs, the public schools are very good. There are many great restaurants, good shopping, even the H-E-Bs in the area are stocked with Mexican gourmet products.” Bravo’s goal is not only to help Mexican nationals succeed, but to encourage community involvement, including a recent mixer at the McNay Art Museum. “We have so any resources in these people moving here, they need to get involved in the city and so many arts and cultural things; the opera, the museums, the Tobin Center (for the Performing Arts),” he said.
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salocallowdown.com WATER USE continues from pg. 01
Approaches range from drip irrigation to rainwater monitors by BAIN SERNA
M
aintaining attractive public landscapes during one of the worst droughts on record isn’t easy, but thanks to conservation strategies, Stone Oak officials are keeping plants alive while using less water.
Recent efforts in the sprawling neighborhood to irrigate traffic islands and medians with 54 percent less water than in previous years has earned praise from District 9 Councilman Joe Krier and the San Antonio Water System. At the same time, a concerted push to conserve a valuable natural resource is improving Stone Oak’s image as an environmentally conscious community, officials said. “Because of all the greenery that we have, we were sometimes touted in the past as being a heavy water user and a heavy water waster,” said Meg Lorente, Stone Oak property manager. “We are very much trying to change that persona and trying to help educate the community, and at the same time, trying to be a leader in conservation efforts.” Being good stewards of water resources has prompted leaders in the Stone Oak Aesthetics Committee, which includes members of the Stone Oak Property Owners Association, to tap into methods promoting beauty, while also reducing water consumption in the subdivision’s city-owned medians and islands. Last year, the committee met with
Stone Oak crews are using conservation measures to keep medians green while reducing water use. The one at Stone Oak Parkway and Huebner Road uses a drip-irrigation system. Photo by Rudy B. Ornelas
officials from SAWS and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service to develop ideas to help preserve water and lower utility bills. According to Lorente, the Aesthetics Committee — which includes groundskeepers and an arborist — meets once a week to discuss the best options for saving water and maintaining landscapes. “Every Monday we discuss ways to improve those things that need to be done and addressed within the boundaries of Stone Oak,” Lorente said. “Most of that pertains to the medians. Our main concern is the medians.” The POA services an area totaling about 51 acres, including 78 center divides and right-of-ways owned by the city, Lorente said. Since its inception in 1986, the POA has professionally maintained the landscape areas. In past years, irrigation oftentimes took the form of style over substance. The sprinkler systems led to too much water use and waste, said John Kiser, vice president of the POA board. “We’ve converted several islands from sprays and rotors to drip irrigation,” Kiser said. “The big advantage to that is you don’t lose any moisture to evaporation or the wind blowing the water into the street. Combine that with the fact that
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the last three years we’ve applied, on average, about 1,200 cubic yards of organic compost to those islands, and that greatly enhances the health of the soil, which ends up being a good tool to conserve greater water retention in the ground.” Kiser said improving the quality of the earth where the Bermuda grass grows has greatly reduced the amount of irrigation needed to maintain the landscape. Another method Lorente cited is utilizing a “two-wire system” across Stone Oak. Connected to a weather station, when
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it rains, man-made water distribution automatically ceases. Maintenance crews also can manually turn off valves. In addition, a turf area has been replaced with rock on Stone Oak Parkway and more drought-tolerant plants are growing to lessen watering. More than 300 rotor and spray water systems have been substituted with drip irrigation and rain sensors, according to Lorente, along with bubblers installed on all new and transplanted trees, as well as mulch around the larger foliage ensuring greater moisture retention. POA maintenance crews perform weekly water-meter readings to monitor usage and to find and repair any problems. More conservation ideas are always being considered, according to POA officials. “It’s good to conserve natural resources,” Kiser said. “If you look at it from an aesthetics perspective, we want to make sure the islands we maintain are maintained properly, and we also want to control cost by monitoring our water usage.” In the continuing spirit of ecologymindedness, the POA will celebrate Arbor Day by giving away more than 100 trees to residents, donated by Bartlett Tree Experts and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The event is Oct. 25 at the POA parking lot at 19210 Huebner Road.
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esidents wanting to get rid of the clutter now have a place to stow it all away thanks to a new storage complex that recently opened in the neighborhood.
Noah’s Ark Self Storage offers units that make it quick, convenient and easy to store belongings, the management said. The facility is monitored by security cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make sure belongings are safe. Courtesy photos
Tuesday is the new FFiday!
Noah’s Ark Self Storage debuted June 24 at 19130 Stone Oak Parkway. Leatine Fasano, operations administrator for Joshua Management, a Parham Group company, said the facility offers a convenient location for people who want to stop by on their way from work or home. “When we presented our plans and corresponding feasibility study to the Stone Oak Property Owners Association, they were in agreement that storage definitely was needed even though they had not planned on having self storage,” Fasano said. “The design sold them along with
NOAH'S ARK SELF STORAGE 19130 Stone Oak Parkway For more, call 767-3138 (new customers) or 529-1476 (current customers) or visit www.noahsarkselfstorage.com
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the reputation of the Parham Group.” The self-storage complex has three stories and a sublevel. All of the floors are temperature-controlled and are equipped with advanced electronic security. The facility offers boxes and supplies, as well as dollies and handcarts for moving items. The building’s exterior is designed to blend with the surroundings. According to the company, the building has wide hallways, two elevators and various sizes for the units. Customers can also pay their bill online. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
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Whether the visit is for an annual cleaning, a tooth extraction or surgery, Bella Smiles Family Dentistry aims to provide a comfortable spa-like atmosphere for patients, said Ibis Vanessa Molina Clyde, owner and general dentist. Photos by Collette Orquiz
Learn more about newest purveyors of goods and services in your area
Bella Smiles Family Dentistry offers spa-like atmosphere by ERIC MORENO
I
f as psychologists say, smiles are the universal symbol for happiness, Ibis Vanessa Molina Clyde, owner and general dentist at Bella Smiles Family Dentistry, wants to make everyone very happy – and content.
“We cover pretty much every aspect of dentistry here that anyone could need,” Clyde said. “We do everything from simple cleanings to advanced periodontal procedures. We also really try to make the atmosphere more like a spa than a doctor’s office.” Sometimes getting someone to go to the dentist is like pulling teeth, but not at Bella Smiles Family Dentistry, 19298 Stone Oak Parkway, Suite 1105. The practice, which opened in March,
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offers clients state-of-the-art care using the latest innovative technologies and techniques, Clyde said. These include a syringe-free anesthetic device known as The Wand, and laser diagnostic equipment. “Our goal is to provide the best oral care for all of our patients and to provide them with not just comfort but the right information, too,” Clyde said. “We will walk all of our patients through each procedure and explain to them what we will be doing. We know we need to build trust and that’s important.” Bella Smiles Family Dentistry features free Wi-Fi and in-house iPads, as well as soothing music patrons can select. Other spa-like amenities include soft lighting, aromatherapy candles
and warm, scented facial towels. “We try to provide the most comfortable dental experience possible,” Clyde said. “All of our dental chairs are massage chairs, and we have flat-screen TVs and headphones and 3-D glasses for people to watch. We provide all of our patients with the utmost comfort and experience possible.” Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, noon-5 p.m. Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.
BELLA SMILES FAMILY DENTISTRY 19298 Stone Oak Parkway, Suite 1105 For more, call 247-5162 or visit www.bellasmiles4all.com
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EAT LOCAL Learn about the newest neighborhood places for breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks
Kneaders serves up European-style breads with American flair by JACQUE CROUSE
T
he crusty breads, sweet treats, sandwiches and soups to soothe any soul have been drawing crowds to Kneaders Bakery & Café since it opened Aug. 23 at 21639 Hardy Oak Blvd.
“It’s been an incredible turnout,” said general manager Joel Orton. “A lot of customers have been to Kneaders before, but we have had a lot of people who have not. We’ve received fantastic feedback.” The Utah-based franchise bakery and café has a large following across the West, where most of its restaurants are located. But San Antonians who are now able to frequent the first Kneaders
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Kneaders Bakery & Cafe serves up European-style breads and sweet treats, as well as breakfast favorites along with items such as sandwiches for lunch and dinner. Courtesy photos
in Texas are descending in droves. “Typically, outside Texas, we draw large breakfast and lunch crowds,” Orton said. “Here, we have that and some large turnouts for dinner, too.” The location, and knowing Kneaders is a family-friendly establishment, helps play a role, he said. Reasonable prices and bread samples are a plus, Orton added. The food includes not only an assortment of breakfast staples, smoothies, crafted sandwiches on fresh bread and flavorful soups and salads, but assorted brownies, muffins, cinnamon rolls, cookies, tarts and pumpkin cake. If such fare isn’t enough, the rich taste of European-style breads including croissants, French country sourdough,
ciabatta or Asiago cheese certainly seals the deal for most diners, the staff said. HINT: Arrive slightly before or after traditional lunchtime hours, or you may have a wait. Hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
KNEADERS BAKERY & CAFE 21639 Hardy Oak Blvd. For more, call 495-1000 or visit www.kneaders.com
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EAT LOCAL Learn about the newest neighborhood places for breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks
A Texas classic comes to Wilderness Oak — Whataburger by COLLETTE ORQUIZ
O
n Aug. 8, 1950, the first Whataburger opened in Corpus Christi. Since then, the company has launched more than 760 stores across Texas and 10 states, stretching from Arizona to Florida. One of the chain’s newest fastfood operations just opened at a busy intersection in Stone Oak. Located at 23522 Wilderness Oak St., Suite 115, the Whataburger celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 18 and held a drawing for the popular giveaway “Whataburger for a Year,” a contest where a winner receives a
free burger each week for a year. “We’re proud to call San Antonio home and look forward to meeting all of our new neighbors and friends,” said Whataburger Field Marketing Coordinator Lexie Gonzales in a press release. Whataburger aims to deliver the same custom-made, always-fresh burgers that customers have grown to love, according to company officials. There are more than 75 locations in San Antonio, and the corporate headquarters is also located in the Alamo City. According to the company’s history, co-founder Harmon Dobson, an avid pilot, wanted to serve a delicious and big burger that would make customers
Fresh, made-to-order burgers are sizzling in the Stone Oak area as a new Whataburger restaurant celebrated its grand opening Sept. 18 at 23522 Wilderness Oak St., Suite 115. Photo by Collette Orquiz
say, “What a burger!” Each burger is made to order, with 100 percent pure beef that is never frozen, and there are numerous customizable options. Other popular items include the chicken tenders, fish sandwich, milkshakes, breakfast orders, fires and onion rings. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with breakfast options available from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m. “Whataburger has grown quite a bit since
our beginnings as a single burger stand in 1950, but we still think of ourselves as the hometown burger place,” Gonzales said. Whataburger is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
WHATABURGER 23522 Wilderness Oak St., Suite 115 For more, call 481-9104 or visit www.whataburger.com
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30
OCTOBER 2014
Live LOCAL From real estate trends and neighborhood listings to home improvement, we’ve got you covered.
Real Estate LOCAL Trends ZIP Code
78258
78259
78260
78261
AUG-13
$280,000
224,450
295,500
228,000
AUG-14
$311,500
227,500
288,000
249,000
New listings
AUG-13
100
42
86
60
AUG-14
99
55
92
61
Average days on market
AUG-13
98
69
91
81
AUG-14
134
53
96
123
AUG-13
85
38
86
53
AUG-14
86
47
85
60
AUG-13
76
39
50
37
AUG-14
67
31
76
57
AUG-13
3.9
3.7
3.5
4
AUG-14
3.5
2.4
3.4
3.5
Median sold price
This property now offered
2318 Sawgrass Ridge
Closed sales
Under contract
Months supply of inventory
Donna Ealy
210.215.4134
donna@drewluxury.com
Rebecca Williams
Redefining Real Estate
210.488.0755
OFFICE: 210.863.5600
rebecca@drewluxury.com
Source: San Antonio Board of Realtors: Texas Market Trends report The properties are new listings put on the market from early August 2014. The properties may no longer be on the market by publication date or prices may have changed. Local Community News assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.
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