12 minute read
In the Loop
By Ron Aaron Eisenberg
SIDEWALKS COMING TO 78209, COUNCIL DISTRICT 10
The $1.2 billion-dollar Bond Issue passed by San Antonio voters in May 2022 includes funds to build new and repair old sidewalks in the city.
For Councilman Clayton Perry, that means funds are available for District 10 residents to add sidewalks to their neighborhoods.
A Perry spokesperson told 78209 Magazine that one of the targets for new sidewalks is areas adjacent to public schools. “Sidewalks are a safety issue for kids going to and from schools,” the spokesperson explained. “And there are any number of schools where sidewalks just weren’t built along neighboring streets. That means students too often are forced to walk in the street as they head to and from school. So, those areas will be a major focus for us to allocate funds for new sidewalks.”
And he added, “There are other areas along some major highways in District 10 that lack sidewalks. Like Eisenhauer Road, Austin Highway, N. New Braunfels Ave., and others. We are interested in funding those construction projects, too, if neighbors want to add sidewalks.”
The spokesman noted sidewalks are not universally welcomed by residents. “For a variety of complex reasons, some folks want sidewalks, and others do not. Our commitment is to support what neighbors want to do. If they want new sidewalks, we’ll try to help them accomplish that goal. But we do not plan to force folks to accept sidewalks.”
Sidewalks cost some $1 million per mile to build – or $75,000 to $100,000 per city block, depending on the length of the block.
For neighbors who want to add sidewalks, the spokesperson recommends calling the city’s helpline at 311. That number connects citizens to specially-trained customer service representatives who can assist with City service requests -- potholes, stray animals, downed street signs, trash collection, new sidewalks, sidewalk repair, and other City requests.
How many of us stay at the same job for 25 years? Increasingly, folks move around from job to job, but not Robert Lopez.
Lopez, 57, has been driving a trash truck in Olmos Park since 1997. It’s a job he loves.
He said, “We’re like a family. I got to know all of the residents on my route. I meet their kids and their grandparents. The residents are so polite.”
Driving his truck through the community “feels like you’re in a parade every day. The residents wave at me, and all the kids are so happy to see me come through their neighborhoods.”
Lopez was born in San Antonio. He graduated from Fox Tech High School in 1983. He is especially proud of his two boys – Robert and Richard. Robert graduated from Baylor and Richard from UT Austin. He told me, “They both have good jobs, and they are making good money.”
LONGTIME OLMOS PARK TRASH TRUCK DRIVER RETIRES
Olmos Park Public Works Director Gilbert Deleon said, “I started in Olmos Park in 1998. Robert was already on staff. He was the one who trained me on how to drive the trucks. He is very dependable, always on time, always here. He has always been a hard worker. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
“People tell me they are going to miss me, and that makes me feel good.” Lopez plans to expand his landscaping business now that he is retired. “I find it very relaxing.”
The summer attraction at San Antonio Zoo, Planet Earth: Deep Sea Adventures, presented by Broadway Bank, is now open along with a new 4D Theater!
Through Labor Day, visitors can discover some of the earth’s most amazing and rarely-seen deep-sea creatures with interactive exhibits, photo-ops, live entertainment, and sea life encounters that will have the whole family exploring and learning!
Dr. Dante Fenolio, San Antonio Zoo’s Vice President of Conservation and Research, transports zoo goers to the bottom of the ocean to experience a rarely-explored habitat absent of light. This incredible world of complete darkness is not a solitary place – millions of life forms inhabit it, including some most people have never seen - until now.
Planet Earth: Deep Sea Adventures brings these shadowy haunts into focus and shows visitors how life forms have adapted to lightless environments, including the evolution of unique body parts and spectacular illuminations using “biological flashlights.”
There is no extra charge to visit Planet Earth: Deep Sea Adventure. For more on the new exhibit, go to: https://sazoo.
org/planet-earth/deep-sea-adventures
By Ron Aaron Eisenberg
WONDERSLICE OPENS AT PEARL
Potluck Hospitality and Chef Ben Schwartz recently announced that WonderSlice, the first pizza concept at Pearl, is open in the Pearl Food Hall.
The new restaurant offers pizza by the slice, plus full pies, homemade subs, salads, and soft-serve ice cream. The operators say the name WonderSlice pays tribute to the heyday of neighborhood pizza joints, most of which specialized in offering pizza by the slice. In the news release announcing the new concept, the team wrote, “The name conveys a sense of nostalgia, with a promise of ‘wonder by the slice.’” the Green Monster pizza with parmesan cream, shredded zucchini, and pesto; and the Meatball or Chicken Parmesan sub with marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, and basil. Broccoli rabe, known in Italian as rapini, is a green vegetable that looks like leafy broccoli but is more closely related to the turnip.
Wonder Slice is open from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday – Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Select menu items include the Ball Park pizza, which includes Italian sausage, red onion, broccoli rabe, and chili flakes;
TWIN LIQUORS MOVES TO NEWER AND BIGGER LOCATION IN ALAMO HEIGHTS
Twin Liquors announced the grand opening of its newest location in Alamo Heights. The store will be located in the same shopping center it is currently in, but will be moving into the old Stein Mart location at 99 E Basse Rd. With a bigger space, the new liquor store will boast a tasting bar and education center along with a fine wine room, expanded product selection and more.
4307 McCullough Ave, Olmos Park, Texas 78212 Phone number (210) 233 - 8577 | peanutsnjellybeans.com
Alamo Heights Pool
Swimming Through the Generations
By Meredith Kay Photography by David Teran
We all have memories from childhood of those special places where we congregated with family and friends. For some, it might be a local park or that one house on the block that everyone seemed to gravitate toward. However, for generations of Alamo Heights residents, the Alamo Heights swimming pool has served as the background for recreational and social memories throughout the years.
Built in 1947, the Heights Pool, as it is lovingly referred to, hosted area families and aquatic fitness enthusiasts for over 40 years before maintenance costs and neglect threatened to close it for good. Initially operated by the city of Alamo Heights, city leaders could no longer afford to keep it open without significant repairs and upgrades. It was slated to be filled in and repurposed when Rick Shaw, who grew up swimming at the Heights Pool, dropped his kids off to swim for the day and learned of the plight of his beloved community icon.
Rick says, “I was in real estate in the ’80s, and this interesting opportunity presented itself. I worked with the city of Alamo Heights to lease the property to me, and I decided to undertake a complete remodel of the facilities, the pool, and mechanical equipment. I wanted to invest in something that meant a lot to me personally and to the residents in the area who grew up making memories there.”
Shaw has been running the Heights Pool with a dedicated team of employees for 32 years, and he shows no signs of slowing down. He is grateful for the loyalty of the employees who have helped him maintain this iconic community pool and credits people like Mike Padulo, who has been with him from the start taking care of everything on the engineering side to keep the systems running smoothly. He is very humble as he describes how he gave the property, and the facilities, a face lift, revitalizing the area with new landscaping, brighter colors, and updated amenities. The pool has always had a great family vibe, and it was his goal to preserve the character of the “little oasis in ‘09” while creating a modern facility that would continue to make memories for generations to come.
Many residents in the area grew up spending hot summer days at the Heights Pool, and this tradition continues as those neighbors now bring their children to the pool for swim lessons and to get together with friends and family. In fact, Ann Haworth has been teaching swim lessons to young ‘09ers for over 25 years, and she now manages a team of instructors that will help carry on her legacy. The Heights Pool is also home to the Pool Sharks swim team that competes with other area swim teams throughout the season.
Admission to the Heights Pool is membership-based, and passes are available online or at the pool office beginning in late April. Those interested in taking swim lessons only, however, do not need to purchase a membership. The pool season begins the first weekend in May and runs through Labor Day weekend.
When Shaw reflects on his tenure as the owner of the Heights Pool, he recalls, “I have seen many families move in and out of the Alamo Heights area over the years. We have people who used to work here as lifeguards when they were teenagers who now bring their own families to swim and enjoy the pool, and that really makes it all worth it.” Alamo Heights Pool | 250 Viesca Street | (210) 824-2595 | www.heightspool.com
Kathy & Ron Ripps
Opening Doors and Creating a Community
By Meredith Kay Photography by David Teran
It’s no secret that people are moving to San Antonio in record numbers, and the city is experiencing tremendous growth as we recover from the pandemic. The boundaries of our city are expanding, but the Alamo Heights community continues to thrive and remain consistent. Real estate in the ’09 area is at a premium, and one area couple has capitalized on this industry’s growth and cherishes the community they have been a part of for nearly 25 years.
Ron and Kathy Ripps met through mutual friends, and they have been married for 24 years now. Kathy was born and raised in Kansas City, but she fell in love with San Antonio 30 years ago when she was visiting a friend and moved south shortly thereafter. Kathy taught special education at Bradley Middle School before returning to school at Our Lady of the Lake University to earn her advanced degrees in psychology and counseling. She loved the tightknit community that she found in Alamo Heights, and once she and Ron were married, they decided to settle down and raise a family here.
Ron is a fifth-generation San Antonian and a graduate of McCollum High School. He is a savvy investor and active stock trader, and he has also built a small real estate empire with over 60 rental properties across the state of Texas. Some of the properties are long-term rentals, and some are vacation rentals. Ron and Kathy’s daughter, Amber Breunig, who also lives in San Antonio, manages the properties with her father. Kathy is one of their top-selling agents, specializing in luxury properties from downtown San Antonio to the Boerne area.
Kathy loves the Alamo Heights community and has noticed that it is always attracting new residents. She says, “There are always new faces moving into the area. The outstanding schools draw families in, and I’ve noticed that people who grew up in the area often return to their childhood neighborhoods after finishing school or moving around. Alamo Heights is very community-focused, and everyone knows their neighbors.”
Ron and Kathy Ripps live in a traditional ranch-style home that was built in 1939. They have made many changes to the house over the years and are especially proud of their beautiful yard and the huge trees surrounding the property. They love the walkability of their neighborhood, and Kathy loves that she can walk to the grocery store and interact with her neighbors when she is out and about.
The couple is very active in their community, and they love to patronize the arts scene in San Antonio. They are members of the Los Amigos Ski Club and have traveled the world, most recently returning from the British Virgin Islands. Kathy is an active member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and is proud of the work that her colleagues do to raise scholarship funds for dynamic young female students. She is also active with Impact SA, a women’s non-profit collective that awards high-impact grants to other non-profit organizations serving the Greater San Antonio area. Ron is an active member of the San Antonio Rotary Club. Together they are a force to be reckoned with, and they look forward to continuing to contribute to a community they are proud to call home.
In 2007, Kathy met the parents of one her students and was intrigued with their real estate business. She loved working with students and admired the dedication of the staff at Bradley Middle School, but she decided to change careers and became a real estate agent with Kuper Realty. The brokerage firm eventually merged with Sotheby’s International, and today,
