13 minute read
In the Loop
Beignets Coming To 78209
BY RON AARON EISENBERG
The Beignet Stand, one of the more popular food kiosks at the weekend Pearl Farmers Market over the years, is about to move into its first brick-and-mortar home.
The new restaurant will occupy the former space of Baby Taco Garage at 8343 Broadway, just inside Loop 410. The doors are expected to open within the next month or two.
In a news release on the new venture, co-owner Elisa Treviño said patrons will find the signature beignets, a Louisiana tradition with flaky pastry and plenty of powdered sugar, in multiple flavors, but the stand also will serve a burger, chicken sandwich and coffee.
Treviño’s husband and co-owner/chef, Michael Grimes, is known for his twists on beignets. During their tenure at the Pearl, which they intend to continue on Saturdays and Sundays, Grimes developed a new flavor each week — Oreo tiramisu; peanut butter pumpkin cheesecake; one made with pretzels, mustard and wheat beer; and more than 300 other flavors.
There is great news at the San Antonio Zoo in the world-wide battle to save the Komodo Dragon from extinction.
There are over 3,000 lizard species, but the Komodo dragon wins the prize for being the largest living lizard in the world. It is a type of monitor lizard, an ancient group of reptiles with ancestors that date back more than 100 million years.
According to the San Antonio Zoo, in 2021 Komodo dragons were downgraded from Vulnerable to Endangered, with less than 1,400 mature individuals left in the world. The species is at risk due to their limited habitat range consisting of six islands in southern Indonesia, with most of the population living on Komodo Island. While the populations are currently stable, they are at risk due to limitations of the habitat range, development that consumes habitat, and the impending threat of habitat loss from climate change as ocean water levels continue to rise. The hatching of 10 Komodo dragons between October 17 and October 27 includes two boys, four girls, and four yet to be determined dragons. Tim Morrow, President & CEO of the San Antonio Zoo, said, “This monumental hatching is a testament to the zoo’s persistence and commitment to conservation. The hatchlings are thriving, and we are looking forward to watching them grow and help preserve the existence of Komodo dragons.” This hatching results from a successful collaboration between two Komodo dragon SSP (species survival program) institutions. The mother, Kristika, resides at the San Antonio Zoo. The sire, Boga, lives at the Houston Zoo. Last winter, Boga successfully bred with Kristika, which resulted in eggs being laid on March 8, 2021. Incubation ranged from 223-233 days for this clutch.
The 18th annual Alamo Heights Rotary (AH) Holiday Decoration Contest is underway. Residents in Alamo Heights will be recognized for the best decorated homes.
Every year during the middle of December (this year from 15-18 December), AH Rotary club members will be driving around every residential street in Alamo Heights and judging the holiday decorations. All single-family homes in the city limits of Alamo Heights are eligible and there is no need to submit an application.
First, second, and third place will be awarded with “Sparkle of the Season Award” yard signs along with a small gift.
As the Club does all through the year, members will be delivering lunch meals to homebound seniors every week during December and January.
The three mini-libraries the club built and installed at Howard Early Childhood Center, Woodridge Elementary, and Cambridge Elementary a few months ago have been put to good use by local residents. These mini-libraries make a wide variety of family friendly books available to everyone in the area. Hundreds of books have been borrowed and returned. Club members will be checking and restocking the books every week during December and January. Anyone with family friendly books for any age may donate them by dropping them off at any time.
As part of a larger scholarship program, the Alamo Heights Rotary Club will begin accepting applications for $3000 academic scholarships from Class of 2022 San Antonio high school graduates for school year 2022-2023. Selections are made by committee review evaluating individual scholarship, leadership, community service, hardship, work experience and personal accomplishments.
Instructions and the application form will be posted on alamoheightsrotary.org in early January.
Rotary believes in developing the next generation of leaders. Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive leadership experience organized by Rotary clubs and districts where participants develop their skills as a leader while having fun, making connections, expanding their education, and learning the value of service.
January 14-17, 2022 is the district’s annual RYLA weekend which is a youth leadership training weekend held each year at the John Newcomb Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels. Invited junior high students from all over San Antonio and South Texas will be in attendance. The entire weekend will be led by teen peer leaders. It is filled with hands on interactive programs stressing communication, team building and attitude. There is no cost to participate.
Ron Greenberg, a member of the Alamo Heights Rotary Club has overseen this program for over 45 years and many other club members assist and participate in the program.
Alamo Heights Optimists Holiday Trees Back Again
Alamo Heights Chamber Luncheon
The annual Optimist Christmas Tree Lot on the corner of Austin Hwy and Broadway will be back again this year. Optimist Club’s Kevin Kiser told 78209, “We have been there every year since 1954.”
He said, “We will open for business the day after Thanksgiving until we sell out.”
The lot will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am until 8 pm. Kiser said, “One hundred percent of the money we make goes to charity. We do not keep any of it, unlike our competitors who work strictly for profit.“
He said the lot will feature Noble firs, Douglas firs and Nordmann firs. “They come to us direct from Salem Oregon and are all USDA grade 1 trees.”
The speaker for this month’s Alamo Heights Chamber luncheon was Mike Cameron with Devil’s River Whiskey. The luncheons are held monthly on the first Wednesday of the month at Paesano’s in Lincoln Heights.
LEADING THROUGH CONSERVATION
Alice Ball Strunk knows how to lead by example. As the owner of the Hudspeth River Ranch, president of the Devils River Conservancy Board of Directors, and former Conservation Chairman of the Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills Garden Club of America, she is paving the way as a national leader in the eld of horticulture, conservation, and civic improvement.
Join us in congratulating Alice on receiving The Garden Club of America Zone Conservation Award!
One of a Kind Clothing Imported with Love
Everywhere you look in San Antonio, you will see the influence of Mexico. From the cuisine to the architecture, Mexican culture is ingrained in our identity. We celebrate the holidays, and embrace the lifestyle, but there is one local lady who is building a legacy bringing the most beautiful clothing, accessories, and household gifts directly from Mexican artisans to Alamo Heights and the rest of the country.
Nativa is a Mexican lifestyle brand and boutique created by owner and curator, Tressa Castro. Tressa was born in Montréal, but grew up in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She first came to San Antonio to allow her son to study English, and the family split their time between the two countries, eventually buying a home here. She would often host her son’s friends in Mexico and loved helping them find unique and handmade gifts to take home to their mothers. This is how her idea grew into a lucrative business. She was soon sought out for her beautiful clothing and accessories and found herself running a small showroom in an upstairs office space in the Stewart Center on Broadway.
In 2010, a jewelry store vacated its retail space, and she took an entrepreneurial leap of faith, opening Nativa and introducing the city to the most talented Mexican textile artisans. Nativa is a woman owned enterprise which contracts and works with female artisans all over Mexico. Every single item in the shop is hand-sewn and hand-stitched with embroidery and beading designs and techniques representing every state in Mexico. From the elaborate and colorful designs native to Chiapas, to the detailed pleating and fine stitching of the guayaberas from Yucatan, shoppers will marvel at the details as they imagine the work that goes into every item.
Tressa works closely with over 500 artisans across Mexico, and she beams with sincere pride as she describes, “Every stitch has a face to it. We empower women with unique talents, helping them to earn a good living for their families, and supporting the suppliers and businesses within their own communities. Everything at Nativa is made by someone we know.”
Although there are many hurdles to overcome when importing from Mexico, Tressa remains committed to her artisans and the authenticity of the clothing and accessories at Nativa. The business operates as a proud member of both the Fair Trade Federation and the Museum Store Association, supplying authentic gifts and accessories to museums featuring Mexican art around the world. As a Fair Trade business, Nativa creates opportunities for the artisans that supply the inventory, and in turn keeps regional artistic traditions alive.
Tressa states, “We are proud that every item is classic and unique. Nothing at Nativa is machine-made. Every dress, every pillow, and every blouse and shirt are one-of-a-kind items, and we are empowering communities south of the border to pass down these traditions to the younger generations.”
Nativa features a wide array of specialty items including apparel for women and children, guayaberas for men, home décor, and unique gifts for any occasion. The store also features beautiful holiday items such as embroidered stockings, holiday pillows, tree skirts, and table runners. You can even commission items to be made by the artisans in Mexico that display your favorite team’s colors, family names, and important events. Nativa is truly a unique boutique with a heart, offering not only quality clothing and gifts at a fair price to local shoppers, but also a fair wage to artisans across Mexico, allowing communities to thrive.
The Bulls Always Return to Alamo Heights
When you step through the front door and into the home of Steven and Mary Bull, it is like you have been invited to view a very exclusive exhibit at a private museum. Everywhere you look, there is a unique collection of tchotchkes and trinkets collected from their travels around the world. Steven is most proud of his collection of Fabergé eggs and painted Russian boxes, but if you take the time to look around, there is something unique to see on every shelf and in every nook and cranny.
Mary and Steven are easy-going and friendly, and they love to talk about their travels, their theatre, musical experiences, and their three daughters. The eldest daughter, Ellen (35), has a master’s degree in Art History and currently lives in New Orleans working on film projects with her partner, Thomas. Emily (33) is married to Barrett Schmidt and lives in San Antonio. She is currently the Director of Development for Rice University. She holds a master’s degree in International Social Work, which has allowed her to travel the world extensively to places like Tanzania. Their youngest daughter, Stephanie (29), graduated from Texas Lutheran University with a degree in Vocal Performance and currently lives in Seattle with her husband, Ben, the Managing Director at Youth Theatre Northwest. Stephanie is also pregnant with the Bulls’ first grandchild, and the soon-to-be grandparents couldn’t be more excited.
The Bulls have lived in their current home for the past 22 years. Steven works as an Interior Designer for Star Furniture and has clients throughout the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and the U.K. Mary is a Marketing Consultant for Major Accounts at Sinclair Broadcast Group. Together they have built a life in the Alamo Heights area for 40 years. Although they are empty-nesters, they share their beautiful home with an incredibly sweet German Shorthaired Pointer named Tallulah, whom they found running down the alleyway behind their house about six years ago.
Steven was born in Washington, D.C., where his father was an officer in the Air Force Diplomatic Corps before retiring in San Antonio. He was a member of The Flying Tigers in World War II and then married Steven’s mother. Steven attended San Antonio Academy, and T.M.I., before heading north to attend Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He returned to San Antonio after graduation and met Mary working at Joske’s department store downtown. Mary was born and raised in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and moved to San Antonio when she received a full scholarship to Trinity University to study music and history. When Steven asked Mary where she would like to live in the city to begin their life together, Mary said that she always loved the community of Alamo Heights because it reminded her of her hometown. Mary says, “I loved the way that Alamo Heights would string up lights for the holidays. It reminded me of Okmulgee’s town square, and everyone seemed so nice and welcoming.”
The couple reminisces about raising their family in an established neighborhood, where the girls could walk to school, and that no matter where you go, you always see someone you know. They still feel the same way today, and although their daughters are grown, they stay in the area for the same reasons that drew them there when they were newlyweds.
Both Steven and Mary have also had quite a career in the arts community in San Antonio. Steven has been in over 100 productions. He cites his favorite roles as The Prince in “Into the Woods” and John Jasper in “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” Mary has also had a notable career on stage at several community theatre playhouses. She is an active member of The River City Ringers, a community handbell choir that performs holiday and seasonal concerts in San Antonio and surrounding communities. The group was even scouted to audition for “America’s Got Talent” in 2019.
Throughout their 40-year marriage, the Bulls have seen the city grow and change. However, the tight-knit community where they chose to raise their children still holds their heart and history, and they intend to share their home with their grandchildren and future museum collections for many years to come.
