LOCAL: Converse, Live Oak, Universal City, Windcrest October 2013

www.salocallowdown.com

INSIDE

Medical guide

pg.11 Getting you the up-to-date information about your local health care provider

Converse

Vol. 1, Issue 4

What's

INSIDE your community

pg. 03 local commentary SUSAN YERKES

pg.09 UC Parks Partners complements city efforts Since 1968, group has raised funds, provided input

live oak

universal city

COMMUNITY NEWS

windcrest

10/2013

Operation Comfort aiding wounded veterans S.A.-based organization offers healing programs I was just walking the perimeter, doing a routine patrol; That’s when I was hit by an IED.” Marine Corps Sgt. Josh Sweeney

pg.08 Long road ahead for Metrocom transportation Area planning for 2040 begins now

pg.16 Providing hope for those without hope Church offers counseling, support for those affected by cancer

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. 23

photo by josh huskin

by Eric J. Weilbacher

B

RACKEN – A life-altering event led Josh Sweeney to places and experiences he never imagined.

“I was just walking the perimeter, doing a routine patrol,” said Sweeney, a Marine Corps sergeant stationed in Afghanistan in October 2009. “That’s when I was hit by an IED.” Sweeney lost both his legs

in the explosion. After physical therapy at the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, he found his way onto the ice with the help of Operation Comfort.

The San Antonio-based program, which comes to the aid of injured servicemen, has enabled Sweeney to set and accomplish goals he never thought possible. Sweeney chose to participate in

Warriors continues on pg. 11

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october 2013

From the editor wwright@salocallowdown.com

President Harold J. Lees Publisher Assoc. Publisher Gregg Rosenfield Rick Upton Editorial Executive Editor Thomas Edwards Managing Editor Will Wright News Staff Collette Orquiz Contributing Writers Angela Covo, Gabriel Diego Delgado, April Lynn Newell, Bonny Osterhage, Travis E. Poling, Gianna Rendon, Arthur Schechter, Eric J. Weilbacher and Susan Yerkes ART Creative Director Richard Fisher Jr. Contributing Photographers Josh Huskin, Joshua Michael and Sarah Sudhoff Advertising Advertising Director Shelly Talamantez Account Manager Nathan Glass, Michelle Moon and Dawn Radick Controller Gerard "Jerry" Sulaica READER SERVICE Mailing Address 4204 Gardendale Ste. 201 SA, TX 78229 Fax Phone (210) 338.8842 (210) 616.9677 Advertising Inquiries rupton@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 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, 2013 Helen Publishing, LLC and Local Community News, LLC, all rights reserved.

D.C. impasse same old story

R

esidents across the Metrocom are being affected by the same old politicsas-usual impasse in Washington, D.C. Those serving in the military, the civilians supporting them and veterans are feeling the pinch of the federal government’s partial shutdown. Those we elected to avoid such a predicament aren’t getting the message.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – or Obamacare – was passed

by Congress three years ago and last year was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. In fact, this issue of Local has a special medical news section featuring the latest in health care.

However, there remains a faction in Congress that will not relent in its quest to defund or dismantle the measure.

So while threats of government shutdowns and debt-ceiling controversies will no doubt continue, those headlines obscure an even bigger threat – to our country’s military readiness and programs designed to protect citizens.

Budget sequestration – a series of forced spending cuts that began earlier this year and are scheduled to run through 2021 – seriously cut into the military, which is charged with defending the country.

Sequestration also cut funding for veterans programs, air-traffic operations, food safety, weather forecasting and other government services and agencies created for our protection.

Yes, there’s a need to address runaway government spending. But we should do it in a way that doesn’t pose a threat to our way of life or our economy.

For the last several years, some members in Congress – as well as the man in the White House – can’t seem to agree how to do it. And until they do, this same old story could someday prove catastrophic.

Will Wright Managing Editor facebook.com/salocalcommunitynews

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local our turn

Views and opinions about your community.

Employ a vet ire a veteran.

They served us, now it's time for local companies to serve them.

San Antonio has been called Military Town U.S.A., and with good reason — thousands of service members and civilian support personnel are employed at area defense installations. Their presence in this area pumps billions of dollars back into the local economy.

And let's not forget that military members put their lives on the line daily to protect our national interests and preserve our cherished liberties.

So return the favor. Area businesses should do their part whenever possible to hire a veteran. Not only is giving a job to a veteran a way to thank him or her during or after the transition to civilian life for their service to the country, it also is an affirmation of the important role the military plays in keeping the economy thriving.

Without the presence of the U.S. military, San Antonio and surrounding areas including the Metrocom would be a shadow of what they are today.

Local companies such as Valero Energy Corp. and USAA, as well as national retail giants like Walmart, are to be commended for their commitment to hiring veterans whenever possible.

At the same time, government outsourcing agencies and nonprofits designed to find civilian employment for veterans must do a better job of linking up with the appropriate enterprises in the private sector.

Recent legislation even gives businesses tax credits to hire veterans.

In the private sector, vets can be trained to take on new tasks and adapt to new situations.

Veterans Day is Nov. 11, just around the corner. So let's remember our vets.

They fought hard to ensure the rest of us can continue to enjoy the American way of life.

It's only fair local businesses give veterans a chance to pursue the same dreams.

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

Send letters to the editor to tedwards@salocallowdown.com or snail mail them to Local Community News, 4204 Gardendale, Suite 201, San Antonio, TX 78229. We reserve the right to edit for taste, grammar and length.

local commentary

VIA streetcar: On the right track? by susan yerkes

S

ome folks are saying the VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority has gone off its trolley with the current streetcar plan.

After all, it hasn’t been that long since we ripped up the streets to take out the tracks of an antiquated system that started with mule-drawn cars and ended in the 1930s, when rubber-tired buses and the automobile ruled the road.

Back in 1997, the Metropolitan Planning Organization was the first group to come out with a new-back-to-the-past plan to run old-time trolleys in the downtown area. It sounded like a modest proposal.

But city planners had broader ambitions.

One key idea, espoused early by Nelson Wolff — now the Bexar County judge — and a few other outspoken leaders, was a lead-in to (gasp!) light rail.

In 2000, VIA took the light-rail idea to voters with a proposal to increase the city’s sales tax for funding. Voters responded with a resounding “no.” The replica rubberwheeled downtown trolleys have been the only streetcars S.A. has seen since.

But that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of modern streetcar advocates, who point to Dallas, Seattle and other cities where modern electric streetcar systems can help spur prime “infill” development in deteriorating city cores, and connect outlying pockets of people and prosperity to each other and a healthy downtown heart.

After all, VIA doesn't serve just San Antonio, but several communities in the greater metropolitan area.

These days, 70-plus U.S. cities, from Albany, N.Y., to Yakima, Wash., are onboard with proposed light-rail projects, from historic cars on modern tracks (as in Tampa, Fla.), to sleek, stylized streetcars that make frequent stops; to faster, sleeker models connecting farflung areas or cities. And most are hoping to capture state or federal dollars in addition to local public and private bucks.

One more reason, said S.A. streetcar advocates, to get on track ASAP. To many folks, the idea of spending hundreds of millions of bucks to tear up downtown streets and put in fixed-route trolley tracks is just plain nuts — not the seed of mass transit, but a pricey route

to ruin. What’s wrong with rubber-tired buses, operating on flexible routes?

I have asked those same questions, even though I grew up in a city where urban rail has deep roots. Every day my mother drove my dad to the neighborhood El stop in Evanston, Ill., where he took the 20-minute light rail ride to the center of Chicago. These days many transportation historians credit the El and streetcar and suburban rail lines with the 19th-century rise of Chicago’s suburbs, back before everyone owned a car.

It seems ironic to me that today light rail and streetcar systems are touted as a solution to urban sprawl, knitting together communities and enhancing new growth in now-barren pockets of land along the way, such as some areas of Cesar E. Chávez Boulevard or Alamo Street north of downtown, now the backside of newly bustling Broadway.

When early VIA plans surfaced a few years back, they Nelson Wolff, seemed more Bexar county tourist-oriented, judge

People said you’ll never get significant downtown housing, and look at it now

more geared to current profit centers, than truly visionary steps toward a synchronized system of buses, light rail and even full-scale inter-city rail.

A lot has changed, just in the past couple of years. The north and south stretches of the San Antonio River are coming alive with new development and new centers of community activity. The southern stretch of Broadway has been transformed – almost overbuilt — with high-rise housing complexes spurred on by the presence of the Pearl. Southtown and SoFlo neighborhoods could even outpace their northern neighbors at the current growth rate.

“People said you’ll never get significant downtown housing, and look at it now,” Wolff said. “You have (the University of Texas at San Antonio) downtown growing fast, you have Broadway, you have a potential medical school (by) Fox Tech …The game is changing. Cities are very competitive for young professionals who want to live in an urban environment. We’ll be left behind.”

Richard Gambitta, former chairman of VIA’s Streetcar Committee and now a member of the powerful VIA board, also sees the streetcar as a step toward uniting S.A.'s sprawling patchwork quilt of neighborhoods, in sync with existing bus routes and VIA’s recently launched PRIMO service.

The key, Gambitta said, is linking all these through VIA’s East and West Side “multimodal centers” (bureaucrat-speak for transportation centers where bus, streetcar, light rail and even rail can converge, in this case at the Alamodome and the old International & Great Northern Railroad depot) via a network of routes across the city and beyond. The West Side hub, if connected to inter-city rail, could eventually become “a Grand Central Station” here, he said.

In fact, Lone Star Rail is garnering support for an inter-city network that could stretch from Austin to S.A., Georgetown and beyond.

“From the two multimodal hubs, we can go anywhere in the city, county and region,” Gambitta added, noting that savvy financing options, from grants to private investment, and future technologies, from cleaner electric to solar power, are also critical to doing this right.

Like it or not, the streetcar plan is on track and gathering speed. Whether that light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming freight train of debt or a sunlit future is still unknown.

I’m betting on sunshine.

What do you think?

Email comments to syerkes@ salocallowdown.com.

4

Happening LOCAL

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

BENEFIT FOR WOUNDED OFFICERS – A chili, beans and barbeque ribs

cook-off/fundraiser for two Selma Police Department officers recently wounded in the line of duty, will be held from noon until 4 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Hangin’ Tree Saloon, 18424 Second St. in Bracken.

Officer Tiffany Kierum and Cpl. Jesus Balderamas, who were shot while responding to a family-violence call on Sept. 19, have since been discharged from San Antonio Military Medical Center. Selma Police Chief Syd Hall said a benefit for both officers was held Oct. 13 at Bluebonnet Palace.

Other events are scheduled throughout San Antonio and the Metrocom.

Proceeds from the Oct. 26 event, which will also feature contest judging at 3 p.m. and live entertainment from 1 - 7 p.m., will go to the Selma Police Officers Benefit Fund. For more, call 651-5812.

ROOSEVELT HS THEATER EVENTS – The Roosevelt High School Theatre

Department will begin its 2013-14 season with two events at the Black Box Theatre on the high school campus, 5110 Walzem Road. A.R. Gurney’s comedy, “Sylvia,” will be performed at 7 p.m. Oct. 24-26. Jeremy Menekseoglu’s Greek play, “Electra,” will be performed at 7 p.m. Nov. 12-16.

Nightly general-admission tickets are $5 and will be available at the door.

MORGAN’S WONDERLAND HALLOWEEN BENEFIT – A “More

Delightful Than Frightful” Halloween celebration, benefiting the San Antonio Food Bank, will be held from 5-8

october 2013

p.m. Oct. 31 at Morgan’s Wonderland, 5223 David Edwards Drive. Children ages 12 and under are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes at the event, which assists in fighting hunger in 16 South Texas counties.

Admission is free for those donating at least three items of non-perishable food and for those with special needs; $5 for everyone else. For more, visit www.MorgansWonderland.com.

traditional City Hall Light Up and 5K run will be held from 6-9 p.m. Dec. 14.

Entry forms for the 53rd annual residential and business Light Up competition will be mailed to residents and included in the city’s newsletter in November. Deadline for entries is Dec. 6; contest judging will be held Dec. 10. For more, visit the city website at www.windcrest-tx.gov.

WINDCREST EVENTS – The Windcrest

ANNUAL CRAFT FAIR AND SWEET TREATS – Grace Community Church,

Fire Department will host the inaugural “I Want To Suck Your Blood” Halloween Blood Drive from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Oct. 31 at Windcrest City Hall parking lot, 8601 Midcrown Drive.

Windcrest’s City Wide Garage Sale will be held Nov. 7-10. The city’s

701 Kitty Hawk Road in Universal City, will have homemade crafts and baked goods during this annual event, Nov. 2 at the church from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more, or for information on how to become a vendor, call 659-8200.

TEXAS HORSE RACING GALA – The

13th annual Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Gala will begin at 4 p.m. Nov. 16 at Retama Park racetrack in Selma.

The event will honor the people and horses that have enriched horse racing in Texas. Tickets for the celebration, which will include valet parking, cocktails, a gourmet buffet dinner, induction of the honorees, a silent auction and live thoroughbred races, are $125 per person.

For more, contact Sharolyn Grammer at 651-7000, or visit www.retama@flash.net.

CANCER SUPPORT TEAM – New

Life Baptist Church of Converse will host its monthly Cancer Support Team meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 18 at the church, 101 North St. in Converse. For more, call 658-1972.

LOCAL HEALTH

The latest in medical, health care and fitness news for your community.

The Bexar County Medical Society is seeking more physicians to

volunteer for eight-hour shifts in shelters during emergencies such as a hurricane or a terrorist attack. To sign up or for more information, call 301-4363.

Texas Mutual Insurance Co. recently recognized Texas MedClinic doctors James Bugg, Bernard Harris and Joseph Paquette for “quality care in treating patients injured at work.”

El Dorado, Camelot and Larkspur elementary schools in the North East Independent School District have been given Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative Champion Gold Awards by the American Lung Association for creating an asthma-friendly

environment. NEISD is the only school district in the country with schools that achieved a gold level.

Bexar County Community Health Collaborative is a

finalist for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s second annual Roadmaps to Health Prize. The award is given to organizations creating a culture of health. The collaborative, one of 11 finalists, was chosen from 250 applicants. Prize winners receive $25,000 to use in the community.

Paolo Casali, a physician studying

autoimmune diseases, will be appointed the chairman of the department of Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Medicine at the University

of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in January. Casali received his medical degree from the University of Milan, Italy. Casali is credited with building the Institute for Immunology and the National Institutes of Healthfunded immunology graduate-training program at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. Casali will take the place of Joel Baseman, who is stepping down after three decades in the position. Baseman will remain at the university as a researcher, teacher and head of the Center for Airway Inflammation Research.

The University Health System’s Robert B. Green Campus lit up with pink lights for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month during October.

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

Open and Opening Soon KAJUN KUISINE, offering authentic Louisiana cuisine, has opened at 2053 Universal City Blvd. in Universal City. Open 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30-8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more, call 236-8834 or visit www.KajunKuisine.com. (See story, page 20)

ASHLYNN ROSE SHABBY DÉCOR, ANTIQUEs, GIFTS AND APPAREL, 820

Main St. in Schertz, offers antiques, shabbychic furniture, gifts and jewelry, with artisans on site. New clothing and custommade items are also available. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Closed on Sundays and Mondays. For more, call 277-7586. (See story, page 19)

ALL COUNTY ALAMO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, offering property

management services, recently opened at 433 Kitty Hawk Road, Suite 2-221, in Universal City. For more, call 718-0992 or visit www.allcountyalamo.com.

MR. GATTI’S PIZZA, offering pizza, pasta and more at 22921 Pat Booker Road in Universal City, held its grand re-opening on Oct. 21. For more, call 566-0022 or visit www.GattisPizzaUniversalCity.com.

GASTROENTEROLOGY CONSULTANTS OF SAN ANTONIO recently broke ground on

its Northeast clinic and ambulatory surgery center, an 18,000-square-foot facility, which will be located at 12850 Toepperwein Road in San Antonio. It is scheduled to open in May 2014. For more, call 614-1234.

IN OTHER NEWS BALLOTS SET FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS – Metrocom residents go to the polls

Nov. 5, casting ballots in several city council and mayoral races. Also, voters can decide on nine proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution.

Converse voters will choose between incumbent Al Suarez, Steve Brown and Jon Lindgren in the city’s mayoral contest. Brown is currently on the City Council. Lindgren, a former city councilor, unsuccessfully challenged Suarez for mayor in 2011.

Converse City Council races pits incumbent Kathy Richel against George Reyes in Place 1; Fernando Arando versus Deborah James, to succeed Andy Seiko, in Place 3; and incumbent Joe Guastella against Rick Davis in Place 5.

A mayoral race will be decided by Windcrest voters, who will either elect incumbent Alan Baxter or challenger Mark Perry. Two City Council races are on the ballot. James McFall, the Place 4 incumbent, is unopposed in his re-election bid.

Incumbent councilman John Gretz is facing Dennis Allen to retain his seat in Place 5.

Windcrest has one ballot proposition, which will set the sales-and-use tax rate to fund the maintenance and repair of municipal streets.

Voters in the Cibolo Creek Municipal Authority will decide three board positions.

Incumbent Richard Braud is running unopposed in Place 3; J.C. Dufresne is facing Jake Jacobs in Place 4; and Bobby Greaves is also running unopposed in Place 5.

JUDSON ISD SECURES DOD GRANT – Judson Independent School District

recently secured a $1.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Education Activity Program.

JISD officials said the donation would help improve skills for elementary schoolchildren following the district’s science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-based curriculum.

Six JISD schools – Kitty Hawk Middle School and Converse, Olympia, Rolling Meadows, Masters and Salinas elementary schools – will benefit during the three-year period covered by the grant, which was awarded to schools where enrollments had at least 15 percent of its pupils connected to the military.

The district is partnering with Randolph Air Force Base, which will work with the students and provide resources. The grant will also fund programs such as Computers on Wheels, a mobile computer lab, and Probeware, which links lab instruments to computer applications for scientific observations and analysis.

The endowment will also support a ParentFamily Engagement Program designed to enhance parental involvement in their children’s education. The district also said the grant will be instrumental in the creation of the district’s new STEM school, which will be located on the Judson Middle School campus.

JUDSON ISD LAUNCHES SUPPORT INITIATIVE – Judson Independent School

District’s Business Partnerships recently unveiled a Good Neighbor Program that recognizes businesses, government agencies, community groups and individuals who support students attending JISD schools.

To achieve membership, an individual or entity must sponsor three or more activities bolstering school-district campuses, staffers and students. The district will recognize its Good Neighbors through yard signs, window decals and official certificates.

Receiving the first Good Neighbor certifications were JISD Trustee Richard LaFoille, and his wife, Janice. LaFoille’s T-shirt launcher has long been prominent during Judson and Wagner high school football games, and he has also served as a

reading buddy and lunchroom monitor at the district’s elementary schools. Janice LaFoille has logged more than 900 hours as a volunteer at the Park Village Elementary School library.

For more on JISD’s Good Neighbor Program, visit the district’s website at www.judsonisd.org.

JISD TECH CENTER NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED – Judson Independent

School District was recently honored by The Center for Digital Education for its “Judson ISD Connect” mobile app, which allows students and parents quick online access to grades, attendance, district calendars and events and information through iOS, Android and Kindle devices.

JISD’s program was named the winner in the K-12 District Education Application/ Project category. The app also features a “report it” button, which allows anonymous tips on bullying, fraud and crime.

Created by the district’s Technology Services Department, supervised by Steve Young, its chief technology officer, the app was also honored by the Webby Awards, Horizon Interactive and the Lovie Awards, JISD officials said.

“While those awards are great, this latest recognition from the CDE is special because of its unique focus on the connection of digital technology and its application to education,” JISD spokesman Steve Linscomb said in a release.

KAYLOR JOINS MONARCH ACADEMY STAFF – Dr. Maria Kaylor was recently

named director of transition and academics at Monarch Academy at Morgan’s Wonderland, a school for special-needs students located adjacent to the San Antonio theme park.

Monarch Academy prepares students, ages 12 through high school and beyond, for productive adult lives, said Anne Bristol, the head of the school. Kaylor attended Madison High School and has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of

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Texas at San Antonio and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.

schools, logging more than 15,000 hours.

RAIN DELAYS I-35 CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS – Rain and its aftereffects have

WINDCREST ELEMENTARY TURNS 50 – Windcrest Elementary School

delayed progress on Interstate 35 expansion in the Metrocom, pushing back closure of the FM 3009 northbound exit ramp from Sept. 23 until Oct. 13. Texas Department of Transportation officials said the ramp would remain closed for three weeks while crews add a lane and configure the ramps with other improvements, soon to include completion of the north-tosouth turnaround lane on FM 3009.

Although continued wet weather postponed closing the FM 3009 exit ramp, the overall I-35 project is on schedule, TxDOT said.

Crews are still working to complete I-35’s southbound exit ramp to Olympia Parkway, which should reopen in time for the holidays. They are also working to finish the northbound exit ramp to Forum Parkway.

Project supervisors estimate work on bridge support beams and the bridge deck layout will be completed by the end of October.

celebrated its 50th anniversary on Oct. 4, marking the occasion with a school assembly featuring dancing, singing and poetry reading. Students, staff, parents and the community participated in a parade around Windcrest Golf Club.

Former teachers, principals and pupils reunited at the event sponsored by the Windcrest City Council. Mayor Alan Baxter and Windcrest leaders attended.

Opened in 1963, more than 30,000 students have passed through, according to North East Independent School District officials.

WINDCREST TEACHER SURPRISED – Windcrest Elementary School teacher Yvette DeBolt was one of two North East Independent School District teachers who recently received $1,000 in school supplies as part of OfficeMax’s “A Day Made Better Program,” which recognizes educators who spend their own money towards school supplies for their students.

DeBolt and Janice Pundt, of Jackson-Keller Elementary School, are among 1,000 teachers honored across the country. Each was presented with flowers and a giant orange box filled with teaching gear.

“It’s nice to be recognized,” said DeBolt, who was nominated by Windcrest Watchdog coordinator Paul LaCombe.

“You do a lot of good things and sometimes those good things don’t get noticed.

So it’s nice after 12 years of teaching to get recognized for things that I do.”

RACKSPACE HOSTING RECEIVES EEE AWARD – Rackspace Hosting was

among a dozen businesses in Texas to receive the State Board of Education’s 2013 Employers for Education Excellence Award, which recognizes employers

Work continues on the Interstate 35 expansion project, which officials said will soon include completion of the north-to-south turnaround lane on FM 3009.

Photo by Josh Michael

GRAYSA KICKS OFF SEASON – Selma

whose policies encourage employee involvement in school activities.

Rackspace received a Gold Recipient Award for partnering with North East Independent School District schools.

Rackspace employees donated their time and money to the community through the Rackspace Foundation and Rack Gives Back program.

The Rackspace Foundation enables

employees to pledge funds from their paychecks to invest in the neighborhood surrounding company headquarters.

Proceeds are invested in enrichment programs at local schools. Rack Gives Back is a volunteer and grant program supporting arts and culture, as well as education and technology.

About 59 percent of Rackspace employees volunteer in their local communities and

officials, players and parents participated in opening ceremonies for the Greater Randolph Area Youth Soccer Association’s fall season on Sept. 14 at River City Community Church in Selma.

Ceremonial first kick launching a new season went to Mayor Tom Daly.

Other attendees included GRAYSA President Robert Sheridan, River City Executive Pastor Dave Henning and Lead Pastor Sean Azzaro, and City Council members Kevin Hadas and Jose Silva.

According to its website, GRAYSA, a nonprofit, volunteer organization, promotes and develops good sportsmanship, physical health and the sport of soccer in the Greater Randolph area. More than 750 youths, ages 3 through 18, from Schertz, Selma, Converse, Cibolo, Universal City, Live Oak and San Antonio participate in the program.

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EW BRAUNFELS – Planning a region’s longrange transportation needs isn’t a short-term task, and now the residents of the Metrocom have a seat at the table.

Hundreds of area residents recently participated in the process’ first stage for updating the regional transportation blueprint into the year 2040.

The San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization, which distributes state and federal funds for area transportation projects, held eight public workshops in San Antonio, Seguin, New Braunfels and Boerne.

Created by federal law, the regional MPO’s boundaries include Bexar County, parts of Comal and Guadalupe counties, and will soon extend into Boerne. In late September, representatives from New Braunfels, Seguin, and Comal and Guadalupe counties officially joined the slate of voting members on the MPO’s Transportation Policy Board.

“We now get to have a voice on the board that is making the long-range decisions and plans for the region, not just our county,” Guadalupe County Judge Larry Jones said. “Transportation is not just a city or county issue – it’s a regional issue.”

Jones said former Seguin Mayor Betty Ann Matthies and Guadalupe County Commissioner Kyle Kutscher were recently appointed to serve as voting members on the TPB. Others with active roles include Cibolo Mayor Jennifer Hartman and former Cibolo Councilman Dick Hetzel, he said.

The recent public meetings were conducted to solicit input and formulate future transit goals for a region projected to add 1.5 million new residents, and amass 3.4 million in total population, by 2040.

The MPO’s mission is to provide a cooperative, continuous and comprehensive plan for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods consistent with the overall economic, social and environmental goals within the area.

The MPO’s new plan, Mobility 2040, will be a roadmap of prioritized projects and guidelines for the disbursement of federal

and state transportation funding, which totals more than $200 million annually. It will update Mobility 2035, which was approved in December 2009 and scheduled $12 billion in transportation improvements through 2035.

“This is the first round of public meetings for the new plan,” said Scott Ericksen, the MPO’s senior public-involvement coordinator. “These were for initial input and the information we gain will go into the first draft of a longrange plan we will present in the spring.

The third round of meetings will be held in the fall, ahead of a third draft of the plan.”

The planning process involves three steps.

The Unified Planning Work Program is a two-year outline that identifies tasks to be accomplished and formulates a budget to achieve those tasks. The Metropolitan Transportation Plan will address future transportation needs and the combination of federal, state and local funding available for projects over the next 25 years.

The Transportation Improvement Program is a list of short-range projects approved for financing through the MPO’s Transportation Policy Board. TIP projects are updated every two years and amended quarterly.

Ericksen said the Transportation Policy Board, which serves as the MPO’s board of directors, would collect input gained throughout the process for consideration.

Members of the state legislative delegation, Alamo Area Council of Governments, Bexar County, city of San Antonio, Greater Bexar County Council of Cities, Northeast Partnership for Economic Development, Texas Department of Transportation and VIA Metropolitan Transit also serve on the TPB, which will finalize the new plan by December 2014, when Mobility 2035 expires.

“The reason why it’s important for a project to be in the long-range plan is that it authorizes the state, county or city to work on that project,” Ericksen said. “If it has federal money attached to it, the project has to go through the MPO planning process.”

About 70 people attended a workshop Oct. 2 at the New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center, where Linda Vela, the MPO’s consultant project manager, presented an overview containing some predictions.

Vela said population through 2040 would increase by 154 percent in Guadalupe County, 140 percent in Comal County and 89 percent in Kendall County. Jobs in Comal and Guadalupe counties are slated to rise by 178 percent and 154 percent, respectively.

“Given the population growth that we’re now experiencing, by 2040 the majority of Comal and Guadalupe counties will be part of the urbanized area,” Vela said.

Roads continues on pg. 16

9

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Gala continues from pg. 01

Bark, Park and Wine event to fund UC park improvements

by April Lynn Newell

U

NIVERSAL CITY – City residents will sample food and wines, participate in a silent auction and diamond raffle, dance and have fun at casino tables during an event staged to help fund the renovation and rehabilitation of local parks.

Universal City Parks Partners will host a Bark, Park and Wine Gala from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Olympia Hills Golf and Conference Center, 12900 Mount Olympus Road. For a $35 ticket, guests will sample the offerings of area local vendors while helping Parks Partners aid the community.

Vendors slated to appear at the event include Straight From The Crate, Encanto Mexican Grill, Manny O’s BBQ, Winery on the Gruene, Rebecca Creek

Distillery, Tazas Coffee and more.

“This is how Parks Partners raises the money that we then feed into the parks.

This is our fourth year (hosting the gala),” said Parks Partners President Lori Putt, who also was a member of the committee that created the Universal City Dog Park.

The dog park was created in just three years. After compiling results from a survey of community residents, committee members began raising $75,000 to construct the

venue on 1.3 acres next to the city’s Animal Care and Control Facility at 134 Athenian Drive. The park opened in June 2011.

Fundraisers such as Bark, Park and Wine helped turn the dream into reality.

“We, a group of volunteers, built the dog park. We worked with the city, but we wanted to build the park sooner than the city could build it,” Putt said. “So, we worked together for about three years, very diligently and got the dog park built. It is a city park, but the

Funds raised through Parks Partners help maintain the dog park and several other parks throughout Universal City.

Photos by Joshua Michael

volunteers are the ones who raised the money and actually put all the stock behind it.”

In the years since, the Dog Park committee merged with Parks Partners, which was created in 1968. Putt, who was elected Parks Partners

Gala continues on pg. 17

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UIW Extended Academic Programs

We Are Where You Are The University of the Incarnate Word’s (UIW) Extended Academic Programs (EAP) provides educational opportunities for adults wanting to earn a college degree. UIW offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in a nontraditional format through the Adult Degree Completion Program (ADCaP).

The “We are where you are” campaign describes the seven ADCaP centers located conveniently throughout San Antonio. Degrees can also be earned completely through UIW Online.

ADCaP offers eight-week terms six times per year, giving students the ability to complete as many as 36 credits annually. Classes are offered from 5:30 to 10 p.m. weeknights with a wide range of class options. A blended class schedule incorporating online and classroom time is available at the Northwest Center on Wednesday or Saturday mornings. Each center is fully staffed with an advisor onsite to provide individualized assistance.

UIW Online offers classes in eight-week terms five times per year. With UIW Online, students attend classes around their schedule.

Students can choose from 17 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in areas such as business, administration, criminal justice, psychology, human resources, education, organizational development, health sciences or nursing.

Concentrations such as healthcare administration, information systems, accounting, management, marketing, and international business are also available. Tuition is discounted for adult students, there are no extra fees and parking is free at all ADCaP centers.

Free textbooks are also available for undergraduates and all active duty military in the form of e-books.

Active-duty military and veterans receive special rates. UIW is a Yellow Ribbon school and has been designated a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs and Military Advanced Education magazines. EAP tuition for active-duty military is at the tuition assistance cap and, with free textbooks and no fees, there are no out-of-pocket expenses.

Learn more about the Adult Degree Completion Program or UIW Online at adulted.uiw.edu or contact a representative at 210-757-0202 (local) or 1-800-318-1876 (toll free).

UIW is a private liberal arts university with over 130 years of tradition. It is the largest Catholic university in the state and the fourth largest private university in Texas.

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Warriors continues from pg. 01

Honor ride through Vietnam scheduled next spring

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sled hockey, and now he will join two other local veterans in representing the United States at the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, next year.

Sweeney, a forward, along with defenseman Rico Roman and goaltender Jen Yung Lee of the San Antonio Rampage Sled Ice Hockey Team were among those selected for Team USA, which will compete at the event March 7-16, 2014. The teammates, and several other veterans, have benefited from the many programs offered through Operation Comfort.

According to its website, the organization was founded in 2004 by Janis Roznowski, an American Airlines flight attendant who was part of a team

october 2013

individual and corporate sponsors began taking notice, and so did their contributions, which benefited the wounded veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq. Besides sled hockey, other OC wounded-veterans programs include hand-cycling, swimming, amputee surfing and family financial assistance.

Operation Comfort has assisted hundreds of wounded soldiers through the years, said Chris Leverkuhn, OC’s program manager.

“Any veteran who comes into Texas to receive care, we try to help,” said Leverkuhn, who began as a volunteer with the program in 2006. “When they finish their therapy, they’ll go on their way. We try to take care of them while they’re here and make sure they’re good to go when they leave.”

The organization recently opened an Auto Motivation workshop, located behind Grumpy’s Mexican Cafe in Bracken. There, veterans repair cars and other vehicles as occupational therapy.

Operation Comfort also assists those seeking employment in the field.

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Operation Comfort helped open an Auto Motivation workshop in Bracken, where veterans repair and restore old vehicles, above and top. In the photo to the right, volunteer (left) Vic Hash and OC Program Manager Chris Leverkuhn are veterans who were injured in the line of duty. Photos by Joshua Michael

transporting soldiers to and from the Middle East. The program began by remodeling waiting rooms at Brooke Army Medical Center, where all three sled-hockey athletes were treated.

As Operation Comfort expanded,

said he donated the land and warehouse for the operation because of his love for the veterans.

“They’re the best folks in the world,”

Warriors continues on pg. 18

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San Antonio’s medical scene getting recognition Compiled by Angela Covo

I

llness can strike even the most cautious, but even in the worst of circumstances, those who live in or near San Antonio have an edge: The city is a great place to find top-notch help, experts say.

Exceptional Care

Although often overlooked by national media, several health institutions here are nationally ranked.

The 2012-13 U.S. News & World Report rankings of hospitals and doctors places the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio’s University Hospital as one of the top 147 hospitals in the nation, a list pared from almost 5,000 institutions across the country.

One of the world's largest stemcell conferences is also coming to San Antonio in December 2014, helping establish the Alamo City's reputation as a hub for cutting-edge medical research, said Mayor Julian Castro.

“In San Antonio, we are continually looking for ways to grow and promote our number one industry: health care and bioscience,” Castro said. “The sector creates an annual economic impact of more than $29 billion with a workforce of 156,000.”

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• Fighting bladder cancer: Doctors Robert Svatek and Tyler Curiel, both of the University of Texas medical system, are studying why a tuberculosis vaccine — BCG— injected into a cancer-ridden bladder only treats the disease sometimes. Thanks to a $450,000 grant from the Voelker Fund, a local philanthropic organization, the doctors will study the mechanism by which BCG works and try to enhance the effect by adding Rapamycin, a compound discovered on Easter Island.

• Stopping cancer in its tracks: Last month, San Antonio researchers reported in Nature, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, the discovery of two pathways through which chromosomes are rearranged in mammalian cells.

These changes are associated with some cancers and genetic illnesses.

“Our finding provides a target to prevent these rearrangements, so we could conceivably prevent cancer in

MEDICAL HEALTH CARE some high-risk people,” said Edward P. Hasty of the UTHSC School of Medicine.

Partial funding for that study came from the Cancer Therapy & Research Center.

“We hope the new findings will help us better understand the mechanisms that cause chromosomal instability, which causes some cancers in people,” Hasty said.

• New treatment for brain-cancer patients: Last spring, Elizabeth Allen, a spokeswoman for UTHSC, wrote about Terra Bibb, a woman suffering from a deadly brain tumor who was eight months pregnant with her third baby and visited CTRC. The tumor did not respond to conventional treatment, said Dr. Andrew Brenner.

The physician and researcher was able to offer the patient a drug still in clinical trials at CTRC – a treatment that saved her life.

"It was a miracle," Bibb told Allen.

• Effective triple-therapy for diabetes: Local researcher and physician Ralph DeFronzo, professor of medicine, chief of the Diabetes Division at UTHSC and deputy director of the Texas Diabetes Institute, presented findings at the 73rd Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association that could change the way doctors manage the endocrine disease.

The standard approach starts newly diagnosed patients on a drug called Glucophage (metformin). The researcher, however, said this does not preserve the basal cells, which secrete insulin, leaving patients insulin-dependent and suffering from bouts of hypoglycemia, thanks to the addition of other drugs.

By using three drugs together — Glucophage, Actos (a pill) and Byetta (an injection) — at the outset, basal cells that make insulin are preserved and the problem of weight gain seems minimized, DeFronzo said.

• Possible cure for schizophrenia: Neuroscientists’ research at the School of Medicine at UTHSC suggests the possibility of using stem-cell transplants to treat schizophrenia.

“Since these cells are not functioning properly, our idea is to replace them,” said Daniel Lodge, assistant professor of pharmacology in the School of Medicine.

Lodge and Stephanie Perez, a graduate student in his laboratory, biopsied tissue from rat fetuses, isolated stem cells from the tissue and injected the cells into a brain center called the hippocampus. Rats treated with the transplanted cells have restored hippocampal and dopamine function.

13

Helping SA go from fat to fit by susan yerkes

Fit continues on pg. 14

We’d like to welcome you to our family.

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From our WellMed doctors and nurses to our medical assistants and technicians, we have the same focus: to give you absolutely the best, most attentive healthcare you have ever experienced.

We invite you to tour our clinic and meet our family. Join us at one of our upcoming events or call to learn more about WellMed.

Open House Friday, Nov. 08, 2013 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM WellMed at Schertz 608 Schertz Parkway, Ste. 200 Schertz, TX 78154

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obody likes being called “Fatso,” but collectively, San Antonians have gotten used to it. Yet little by little, that scale seems to be changing.

For years, the Alamo City’s population has ranked almost at the bottom of nearly every national study of obesity and fitness, and near the top of the charts for prevalence of diabetes. According to San Antonio Metropolitan Health District figures, a whopping 60 percent of the population is either overweight or downright obese.

This spring, the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual “Fitness Index” placed San Antonio third from rock bottom among the 50 largest U.S. cities.

Now things appear to be turning around.

In July, Mayor Julian Castro trumpeted good news: Metro Health figures showed that from 2010-12, some 70,000 adults — close to 7 percent of the population – dropped out of the “obese” category. More good news, he said, was a recent survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that now ranks San Antonio fitter than most of Texas.

Castro, who constantly has pushed fitness-and-health initiatives, attributed much of the change to a $15-million plus federal obesity prevention grant that has energized a diverse group of community partnerships and initiatives stressing exercise, nutrition and healthier lifestyles.

But there is another group working just as hard to make San Antonio a fit city — the medical community.

Dr. Daniel Juarez, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio with a long-established private practice, has been stressing increased awareness of health and fitness for decades. But there’s only so much a doctor can do, he said.

“The medical community in itself has very limited resources to be able to perpetuate what is needed to really make a difference in awareness of preventive health,” Juarez said. “I think that commitment has always been there, and physicians do their part in educating and recommending, but it takes the patient’s interest and compliance to make a difference.”

He added: “Employers, the community in general, all need to be involved. And we still need to educate the insurance companies to let them know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

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Fit continues from pg. 13

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Jan Tilley, owner of JTA Wellness, is a registered dietitian and a member of the Mayor’s Fitness Council. She said she is beginning to see a positive change.

“My company takes physician referrals and files insurance, and we see a lot of patients with diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol,” she said. “Food is such an important component of those diseases. You can throw medicine at them, but if you change the way you eat, you can cut the medicine in half.”

According to Tilley, “In the past few years I’m seeing more doctors who embrace dietitians as part of the solution. I know of several doctors in town who won’t take a new patient until they see a nutritionist.”

Jenny Hagendorf, outpatient dietitian for the UT Health Science Center, agreed.

“If patients have a family history of diabetes or heart disease, doctors

are beginning to refer them to nutrition counseling. With all these diseases there are a lot of factors we can’t control,” she said. “But we can control nutrition and exercise.

“You need both to get the best results.

And more and more physicians understand that — there’s been a real turnaround from a time they just prescribed medicine for weight loss or high cholesterol.”

Still, the journey from Fat City to Fit City is a long one.

“There’s increased awareness,” Tilley said. “But so many families are so busy and stressed, and money is so tight, it can seem easier to get a bag of burgers for $10 than go home and cook a healthy meal.”

Cooperation and mutual support are also key components, Juarez said.

“They say it takes a village to raise a child.

And it’s going to take all of this village to raise a healthy city,” he added.

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Women’s health shifting focus from illness to wellness

by BONNY OSTERHAGE

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he landscape of women’s health care is constantly evolving. Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all approach to issues such as hormone-replacement, and cancer screening and treatment.

In its place is a more personalized, customized approach to health care that takes the whole woman into consideration. Safer and less invasive methods of treating patients are becoming mainstream, and mental and nutritional health aspects are often integrated.

The result is a new approach that focuses on promoting wellness rather than just treating illness.

The 'horror' of hormones One of the hottest topics in women’s health in recent years has been the use of bioidentical hormones. This type of

mood swings and other menopausal symptoms was synthetic hormonereplacement therapy. However, once these drugs began to be linked to increased risks in cancer, heart attack and stroke, it became clear to many in the health care profession that an alternative was needed.

According to Dr. Kay Morris, founder of Refined Balance, the problem lies in the fact that synthetic hormones have been altered from their natural structure so the medical companies can patent them. Therefore the body does not absorb the hormones properly and that’s when problems arise.

“Think of it like a key,” Morris said. “If you change one squiggle on the shape of the key, it will not open the lock. The same is true of hormones. Every chemical structure has a physical shape. When you alter that shape, it simply doesn’t work the way it was originally intended.”

Bioidentical hormones are just that — identical. Therefore, the body absorbs, utilizes, degrades and eliminates them in the same way it always has.

In order to get a very specific and accurate hormone-level reading, a saliva test is used. Unlike a traditional blood test, the saliva test can accurately measure the

replacement therapy is gaining in popularity thanks to the fact that it can safely provide testosterone to women.

Doctors Karen Hasty and Nancy Rector-Finny of Four Seasons OBGYN began offering BioTe in June 2013.

Hasty said it has been very popular in treating perimenopause and menopause in older women, but that it helps younger women as well.

“Most patients notice a difference in one or two weeks,” Hasty said.

Early detection The earlier a disease is diagnosed, the better the prognosis. That is why many doctors recommend their patients take advantage of some of the newer and more accurate cancerscreening methods available.

One option is genetic testing, and “at home” kits are available that allow patients to swab their own cheek and mail in the sample. If the type one or two BRAC gene is detected, the patient has an 80 percent chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer. Knowing that ahead of time allows patients and their doctors to discuss measures such as preventive mastectomies.

15

The process is called Strut Assisted Volume Implant, or SAVI, breast brachytherapy, and it can reduce the radiation treatment time from several weeks to just five days. It also prevents healthy tissue from being affected by the radiation.

Following a lumpectomy to remove the cancerous tissue, small catheters (or struts) are custom-fitted to the lumpectomy cavity. This allows for precise targeting and individually controlled doses of radiation.

“There is simply no need to use radiation on the entire breast,” said Dr. Bryan Lin, radiation oncologist at Cancer Care Centers.

An ounce of prevention An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and one of the biggest trends in women’s health care is trying to prevent illness by promoting wellness.

“It’s called epigenetics,” Morris said. “What it shows us is that genetics do matter, but we have the ability through lifestyle choices to change the impression of those genetics.”

Morris said 274 toxins have been detected in the core blood of newborn babies. Keeping our bodies free of toxins is, in her opinion, one of the essential components of maintaining wellness.

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16

october 2013

Support team meets monthly at New Life Baptist Church in Converse

by April Lynn Newell

C

ONVERSE – When she was diagnosed with cancer in 2007, Mary Riley did not know what to presume. Her doctor had time to give her only a morsel of advice before moving on to his next patient, and when she began chemotherapy, Riley experienced an array of side effects she neither prepared for nor anticipated.

“I didn’t know what to expect, what to do, where to go for help,” she said, recalling her plight.

The only support groups available to help Riley through her ordeal were so far away, they were impossible to attend because of the exhaustion she felt

following chemotherapy sessions.

However, everything changed in early 2011, when Riley and her husband, Jerry, were asked to lead a support team at New Life Baptist Church in Converse.

“I used to be the music director, but I had to retire because of shoulder problems. So, I needed a new ministry,” Jerry Riley said.

“The pastor (Charles Lewis) asked my wife and me, both cancer survivors, if we would consider taking on a cancer support group.”

Since its first meeting in September 2011, the Rileys, now both in remission, have led the Cancer Support Team at New Life Baptist, at 101 North St. It meets every third Monday of the month from 7-8:30 p.m., providing those fighting cancer with emotional and practical assistance, as well as connections to local specialists and facilities. “(The support team) has so many people that can give places for you to go,” Mary Riley said. “Recently, my daughter-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer that was inoperable. They gave her a year to live, but I said we’re not going to accept that.

“We took her down to the San Antonio Lung Center and she is now in remission. If I had not had cancer and gone through all of it myself, I wouldn’t

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have known what to tell her to do.”

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.6 million people this year have been diagnosed with cancer, including more than 100,000 in Texas. The state has the third-highest rate of cancer diagnoses in the nation, trailing California and Florida.

Jerry Riley, diagnosed with cancer in 2010, said. “There is hope,” a phrase which echoes the support team’s primary goal.

Through words and actions, the team spreads faith and optimism via a variety of methods, both physical and mental, he said.

For instance, the group mails postcards to members who can’t attend meetings and visit homes of those afflicted, praying and providing encouragement. They also serve as sounding boards for family and friends weakened by the disease. Team members compile resources and provide advice for treatment recipients, too.

Mary Riley said she benefited by having a “chemo-buddy” – a friend who went through the same experiences and knew the symptoms accompanying chemotherapy – and now pays it forward to others.

Mary Brown, a registered nurse and support-team member, also in remission, said she garnered valuable information through her participation on the New Life team.

“We have been going through a (informational) series on caregivers, what to say and what not to say, and to give people some ideas about caring (for those with cancer),” Brown said.

Visitors and members new to the support team are welcome at meetings, which begin with shared stories and often include video presentations or guest speakers, followed by a devotional.

Harold Sargeant, a member in remission, defined the team as, “Hope, care and some people who care and share your experience.”

Mary Riley recalled someone who attended a support-team session. She said doctors told the person, already angry and bitter following the death of her husband, she had only four months to live. However, her feelings of despair and defeat mellowed during the meeting and she left feeling encouraged.

The following week when she went to church services, those in attendance at the previous team meeting noted a marked improvement in the woman’s appearance and demeanor. She lived another 18 months following her diagnosis.

New Life’s Cancer Support Team wants to spread the same kind of hope to others in the area affected by cancer – those receiving treatment, as well as their families and friends.

For more on the group, contact the New Life Baptist Church office at 658-1972 or visit its website, www.nlbconverse.com.

Roads continues from pg. 08 “Now that (the MPO’s) boundaries have expanded, there will be additional representation to ensure that all communities will have adequate representation on the Transportation Policy Board.”

Seeking to have more control over transportation funding, New Braunfels, Seguin and Comal and Guadalupe counties failed in an effort to form their own MPO earlier this year.

“The next best thing was joining (the San Antonio MPO),” Jones said. “Transportation really is regional, so it makes sense. In the end, it’s going to be good for our county. We’ll have some representation and we’re going to be part of developing a concept for regional transportation.”

During the two-hour workshops, attendees paired off into small discussion

U.S. Census Using data supplied by the 2010 U.S. Census and State Data Center, the San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization has forecasted a population boom will necessitate expanding the area’s transportation planning.

POPULATION 2010 pop 2040 pop Increase Per.

COMAL 108,472

County

Hope continues from pg. 01

260,133

151,661 +140%

GUADALUPE 131,533 334,026 202,493 +154%

BEXAR 1,714,773 2,747,163 1,032,390 +85%

groups soliciting opinions on the MPO’s proposed vision statement and projected goals, along with a list of 23 transportation topics for consideration as high priorities, low priorities or not a priority.

“Long-range plans, by nature, are somewhat esoteric and don’t have a lot of urgency attached to them,” Ericksen said. “At the beginning of the plan, there’s not a map that people can see which project could affect them. But at this point, it’s developing a vision statement, addressing goals and which topics people believe should rate as priorities.”

17

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Gala continues from pg. 09 president, wants to improve city playgrounds to comply with local standards and codes.

“Our focus is now on several parks in Universal City,” she said. “For a small town, there are a lot of parks, but they’re old. The playgrounds are not up to par for today’s standards and codes.

So, we are now raising money to start rehabilitating these playgrounds to encourage families to come to our area.”

Parks Partners Vice President Cheryl Maxwell said she was so impressed with the committee’s work on the dog park, which materialized in a short time and without an increase in property taxes, she wanted to become a part of the work, too.

“We have a wonderful city and a great public works director, so we are all on the same page and working hard,” said Maxwell, who added that Parks Partners works year-round with city officials to attain grants and other funding.

“They have done a great job in helping fundraise for several projects, specifically the dog park that we have today,” said Randy Luensmann, Universal City’s public works director. “Now they are fundraising for our Veterans Park, which

is soon going to bid for construction.

“They are very instrumental in getting our community and businesses involved – we couldn’t do it without them.”

Bark, Park and Wine proceeds will not only go towards maintaining the dog park, but several projects around Universal City.

“Our parks are in desperate need of improved playscapes; some have been knocked down, leaving empty areas,” Maxwell said. “We have a lot of families moving into these old homes and renovating them, and parks are a large part of enticing somebody to move into the area. Our goal is to raise enough funds to put a playscape in Universal City Park.”

Putt said her organization has also worked with the Universal City’s Parks and Recreation commission, which has created a master plan for city parks.

“They present us with their needs and then we go check out the parks and see if it is something our little group can handle,” said Putt, adding that Parks Partners has also helped in developing park design.

“We want to put the money right back into the parks so people can actually see where they’re putting their money.”

After first serving as a volunteer and later as Parks Partners president during

Parks Partners has worked with Universal City’s Parks and Recreation Department in the development of city park facilities. Photo by Joshua Michael

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in Universal City,” for 45 years, not everyone in the community knows what it does.

“We just want everybody to know that Parks Partners is here,” Maxwell said. “We are doing our very best to raise funds and would love everyone to come out Nov. 9 to the Bark, Park and Wine Gala.”

For more, call Lori Putt at 363-4986 or email to parkspartners@gmail.com.

Individual and group tickets to Bark, Park and Wine are available at Tazas Coffee, 3126 Pat Booker Road, or French Quality Cleaners, 1014 Pat Booker Road.

the 1990s, Jerry Geyer now serves as an adviser to the group. He said Parks Partners complements the efforts of the Parks and Recreation commission.

Geyer said Parks Partners relies heavily on its volunteers, who help run events and solicit sponsorships. The organization has 20 to 25 volunteers, but could use more, he said.

“Volunteers with various skills from within the community are what keep the work of Parks Partners going,” he said.

Although Parks Partners has achieved its goal to “sustain and improve all the city parks

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Warriors continues from pg. 10 he said. “They fought – some of them lost their lives, some of them lost limbs and we need to recognize them. I have the greatest respect for all of them.”

The National Auto Body Council in March announced plans to deliver an accredited auto collision curriculum training and support facility for disabled military veterans. It plans to raise $1.5 million to purchase, renovate and equip a 30,000-square-foot training facility in San Antonio on behalf of the OC program.

Operation Comfort also leads vets on trips to the Texas Gulf Coast, where they participate in hand-cycling and receive surfing and swimming lessons. It is planning a cross-country bicycle/handcycle tour of Vietnam in 2014, where recent veterans will join Vietnam vets on Team America’s 300-mile fundraiser.

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Players from USA’s Paralympic Hockey Team meet on the ice during a recent practice, top. Josh Sweeney attempts a shot on goal, left, and approaches the puck to take a shot, right. Photos by Joshua Michael

october 2013

At each location, the team will lay commemorative wreaths in honor of those who did not return home.

Funds raised through the Vietnam Veteran Honor Ride will be used to set up Vietnam-era servicemen with expense-free visits to Southeast Asia.

The funds will also enable the recent veterans to tour with the Vietnam vets.

“I’m hoping that people will donate – it’s vital that they do this for the veterans,” Azzoz said.

Sweeney said he didn’t know what he would do without sled hockey in his life. He said he’s dedicated to the sport, leaving him little time for much else.

“Maybe it doesn’t seem like it, but being on the Rampage sled team and the national team, I am gone two or three weekends a month and practicing throughout the week,” he said.

For more on Operation Comfort, which is seeking donations, call 826-0500 or visit the website at www.operationcomfort.org.

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BUY LOCAL

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

AshLynn Rose boutique features everything shabby-chic

by Gabriel Diego Delgado

S

CHERTZ – Karen Ladewig recalled that her high school days were spent collecting every Victorian antique she could find, decorating her room with treasures.

Her teenage hobby served as foreshadowing for her new business.

AshLynn Rose Shabby Décor, Antiques, Gifts and Apparel, located at 820 Main St., features jewelry, housewares, knickknacks and clothing, as well as restored-furniture items.

“I wanted a shabby-chic store in Schertz like you would find at these other places, and with the support of my husband, we took that leap,” she said.

The 3-month old business began with only three vendors, quickly escalating to 28. The emporium is

situated in a converted 1920s-era residential home. Ladewig said. There, customers can find busted watch pieces resurrected as antique jewelry, old Scrabble letters inheriting magnetism, and broken vintage, wooden tools transformed into something wearable.

The shop also features antique, turn-of-the-century furniture – such as bedroom sets, cabinets and the like – created as far back as the late 1800s.

Although AshLynn Rose has no website, Ladewig credits word-ofmouth for spreading the store’s virtues throughout the area’s arts community.

Ladewig and her husband James have lived in Schertz 15 years. Her spouse, an assistant chief with the Olmos Park Fire Department and part-time home

remodeler, is a full-time assistant in AshLynn Rose’s operations.

He takes furniture orders from customers and helps clients integrate the shabbychic aesthetic into their homes.

Ladewig said she plans to present art exhibitions and participate in community events, such as the Kris Kringle Market, where her store will join other Main Street businesses in featuring a mix of items from more than 50 vendors. The event, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 7, will include a silent auction, with proceeds benefiting the Texas Burn Survivors Society and other organizations.

“I want to give back to the town and community,” Ladewig said.

Customers entering AshLynn Rose boutique in Schertz, featuring antiques and knick-knacks, are greeted by an old-fashioned shingle. Photos

by Joshua Michael

AshLynn Rose Shabby Décor, Antiques, Gifts and Apparel is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more, call 277-7586.

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EAT LOCAL

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

Chef’s Louisiana roots go into Kajun Kuisine

by WILL WRIGHT

U

NIVERSAL CITY – David Roberson’s roots run deep into the heart of Louisiana, where he first learned a love for – and a career calling to create – the best cuisine spawned from the Pelican State.

“People like to associate New Orleans with everything Louisiana, which is not the case,” he said. “There’s plenty of good food throughout Louisiana.”

Roberson’s love of cooking was born in his hometown of Opelousas, La. He arrived in the San Antonio area in 1987, after the big oil bust ended his job cooking for workers toiling on offshoredrilling platforms on the Gulf Coast.

Since then, Roberson worked as a chef in several locales, including the San Antonio Country Club, where he

recently retired after 18 years. However, a change of plans formed when he and his wife, Helen, learned of a vacancy at Universal Square; both thought the location ideal for a restaurant featuring genuine Louisiana cuisine.

Kajun Kuisine, bordering West Corporation at 2053 Universal City Blvd., debuted Oct. 1.

“It’s a perfect location – near Randolph (Air Force Base) and West, and The Forum,” Roberson said. “It’s a blessing.”

In the days since Kajun Kuisine opened, Roberson said customers delight in sampling everything on the menu, all served cafeteria-style and affordably priced. Enticing aromas, accented by comforting music, blending

into a cozy atmosphere, greet patrons.

The menu features entrees such as jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, fried catfish, short ribs, fried and baked chicken, meatloaf and smothered pork steak. Side items include mustard greens, macaroni and cheese, red beans, green beans, along with white rice and dirty rice.

Roberson said his top sellers are his gumbo and potato soup, and everything on the menu is not overly spicy, seasoned just right.

“The potato soup, with spinach, bacon and onions, is really starting to go,” he said. “I make my own gumbo with special sausage shipped from Louisiana, and my crawfish etouffee and dirty rice are all made from scratch.”

Kajun Kuisine features a variety of entrees, (top and bottom left), which are not overly spicy but seasoned just right. Photos by Will Wright

Kajun Kuisine is open from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30-8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday For more, call 236-8834 or visit www.KajunKuisine.com.

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Live LOCAL From real estate trends and neighborhood listings to home improvement, we’ve got you covered.

SA house prices rise

North East neighborhoods present a mixed bag

by Travis e. poling

Median home prices are still on the rise in San Antonio and moving faster as the available inventories shrank in August to their lowest since early 2007.

Houses in the San Antonio area sold during the busy month of August spent an average of 69 days on the market, according to the San Antonio Board of Realtors.

SABOR’s analysis of Multiple Listing Service data found that median sales prices increased by 8 percent to $174,500 compared to August 2012. The average price rose 7 percent to $209,672.

Total homes sold citywide were up 15 percent to 2,413.

Monthly inventory in the ZIP code of 78109 was 3.5 months and closed sales hit 65 houses in August, the highest it has been for the last 12 months, according to date from Texas Market Trends.

August numbers in the 78148 area saw little change from the previous month, although the median sales price rose 19 percent over the previous month to about $149,000.

In the 78231 ZIP, closed sales were nearly flat at 14 houses, but moved in nearly half the time with an average of just

70 days, compared to 134 last August.

In 78233, the median price declined by 7 percent to about $120,000 in August, when compared to July. The median home price in 78239 also was down with a 3 percent dip to about $116,000.

“August was another outstanding month for the San Antonio market, and it’s no surprise as we have seen steady gains in sales and prices since the beginning of 2012,” said SABOR Chairman Steven Gragg. “Median prices particularly have shown substantial growth, and part of that has to do with a rise this year in sales of higher-end homes. Since February, homes priced over $500,000 have edged close to or gone over 4 percent of total homes sold.

Usually that number is closer to 3 percent.”

The Texas A&M Real Estate Center reports that all the major markets in Texas have seen upward movements in housing market strength all year and sales hit record highs in the second quarter of this year.

Year-to-date sales in San Antonio increased by 19 percent compared to last year. SABOR President Angela Shields said homes are selling at 97 percent of their list price.

Recent

PROPERTY LISTINGS zip code guide

78109, 78148, 78233, 78239

Street Name

List Price

SQ. FT.

Built

BR

FB

Zip

10909 Almond Wood

$169,500

1,713

2011

3

2

78233

6519 River Hls

$119,000

1,660

1977

3

2

78239

8518 Tuxford

$124,900

1,534

1973

4

2

78239

6832 Stockport

$69,000

1,664

1980

3

2

78239

6614 Robin Frst

$116,000

1,669

1979

3

2

78239

9804 Flatland Trl

$60,000

1,290

1981

3

2

78109

114 Valencia

$144,500

1,905

1970

4

2

78148

9443 Fulwood Trl

$103,000

1,386

1997

3

2

78239

6747 Mesa Glade

$106,900

1,386

1997

3

2

78239

6611 Evenridge Ln

$118,500

1,879

1996

3

2

78239

6843 Crown Rdg

$89,500

1,680

1972

3

2

78239

Listings continues on pg. 22

Real Estate LOCAL Trends ZIP Code Median sold price

78109

78148

78233

78239

sept-12

$124,500

$149,000

$120,000

$116,000

sept-13

$132,250

$125,000

$128,900

$120,250

sept-12

76

33

56

n/a

sept-13

86

26

59

42

Average days on market

sept-12

72

88

60

n/a

sept-13

97

111

80

84

Closed sales

sept-12

65

24

48

n/a

sept-13

56

22

58

40

New listings

Under contract Months supply of inventory

sept-12

49

23

36

25

sept-13

48

18

36

31

sept-12

3.5

2.7

3.1

2.9

sept-13

3.9

2.8

2.5

2.4

Source: San Antonio Board of Realtors: Texas Market Trends report The properties are new listings put on the market from Sept. 28-Oct.9. 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.

APR = Annual Percentage Rate as of May 1, 2013 subject to change at any time without notice. APR based on evaluation of applicant’s credit. Your APR may vary. Estimated monthly payment per $1,000 borrowed at 1.85% APR for 60 months is $17.47. Membership eligibility required.

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october 2013

Listings continues from pg. 21 6835 Rebel Grove Dr

$99,950

1,582

1992

3

2

78109

9007 Trumpet Cir

$128,000

1,668

2006

3

2

78109

5118 Badland Beacon

$145,168

1,684

2013

3

2

78109

5115 Badland Beacon

$162,975

2,132

2013

3

2

78109

8414 Hera

$188,500

2,400

1997

4

2

78148

3915 Maiden Way

$149,000

1,656

2009

3

2

78109

4022 Maiden Way

$154,900

2,231

2006

3

2

78109

9315 Easyoak Crk

$130,000

1,731

2007

3

2

78109

9732 Gypsy Cv

$163,900

2,312

2006

4

2

78109

2318 Cloudbait Vw

$118,900

1,274

2008

3

2

78109

10910 Indigo Crk

$129,000

1,536

2005

3

2

78239

6522 Ithaca Frst

$129,900

1,881

2007

4

2

78239

3951 Bogie Way

$176,900

1,992

2013

4

2

78109

7215 Kitty Ct

$139,900

1,379

2012

3

2

78109

12202 Hollow Glen St

$95,000

1,146

1969

3

1

78233

311 Shin Oak Dr

$85,000

1,032

1968

3

1

78233

7705 Sage Oak St

$104,900

1,206

1969

3

1

78233

8111 Canoga Meadow Dr

$121,939

2,300

1995

4

2

78109

818 Meadow Stone

$104,934

1,211

1993

3

2

78109

822 Meadow Dale

$111,800

1,698

1993

3

2

78109

713 Meadow Frg

$149,901

1,952

1993

3

2

78109

6610 Nora Vista Way

$184,900

2,962

2003

4

2

78233

6634 Buckhorn Cliff

$213,081

2,400

2013

4

2

78233

8110 Talkenhorn

$118,000

2,576

1993

4

2

78109

8111 Manderly Pl

$132,900

1,584

1993

3

2

78109

8439 Parry Path

$145,000

2,384

2001

3

2

78109

8114 Chestnut Manor Dr

$159,000

2,660

1995

3

2

78109

8303 Parry Path

$164,990

3,288

2000

4

2

78109

409 Lindbergh Blvd

$79,000

1,847

1960

3

2

78148

8231 Zodiac Dr.

$159,950

1,686

1972

4

2

78148

9154 Gothic

$439,995

3,400

2013

4

3

78148

14402 Southface

$171,900

2,961

2001

4

2

78233

6930 Elusive Pass

$159,900

2,288

2004

3

2

78233

135 Forrest Trl

$194,000

2,468

1970

3

2

78148

9306 Eagle Crest

$275,000

2,481

1979

3

3

78239

10119 Colt Crossing

$144,000

1,968

2005

4

2

78109

8526 Cherokee Ridge

$164,000

2,273

2005

4

2

78109

6527 Royal Rdg

$164,900

1,798

1973

3

2

78239

4306 Stetson View

$122,500

2,204

2007

3

2

78233

310 Sunrise Canyon Dr

$279,900

2,436

1998

3

2

78148

7007 Glen Grove

$60,000

1,036

1977

3

2

78239

4422 Avenida Prima St

$99,500

1,182

1970

4

2

78233

11915 Las Vegas St.

$102,900

1,283

1973

4

1

78233

217 Fenwick Dr

$163,900

2,172

1973

3

2

78239

613 Candleglo

$140,000

1,979

1967

3

2

78239

646 Sunhaven Dr

$195,000

2,148

1969

3

2

78239

609 Crestway Dr

$309,000

3,050

1978

4

3

78239

8917 Willmon Way

$111,900

1,914

1973

2

2

78239

3606 Dunlap Flds

$59,900

1,089

2004

2

2

78109

1945 Walter Raleigh

$189,900

2,752

2006

4

2

78239

14134 Cradlewood

$103,900

1,136

1980

3

2

78233

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Congressman

Henry Cuellar Congressman Cuellar Is On The Job, Working For You In The 28th District: Federal Government Assistance n

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Grants and Federal funding for local projects

Constituent Services n

Social Security and Medicare benefits

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Citizenship Services and Immigration status requests

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Veterans’ benefits

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Passport applications

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Group tours for school classes and community organizations American flags flown over the Capitol U.S. Military Academy nominations Student internships

Let Congressman Cuellar Hear Your Thoughts!

1 (877) 780-0028

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Now HiriNg ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

• benefits • commissions • salary

mANAgEmENT OppOrTUNITIEs

Specialists in Quality pre-owned cars, trucks and SUV sales.

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henry.cuellar@mail.house.gov www.house.gov/cuellar

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Come Visit Us In Our Local Offices

San Antonio 615 East Houston Street, Suite 563 San Antonio, TX 78205 P: (210) 271-2851 F: (210) 277-6671 Constituents seeking assistance from Congressman Cuellar’s office need to reside within the 28th District of Texas This document was prepared and published at taxpayer expense.

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(210) 338-8842

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210-564-0700

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