Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc. AHNA Advocate - August 2009 �
THE AHNA
Volume 1, Issue 2
THE AHNA
August 2009
The official NewsleTTer of The alamo heighTs Neighborhood associaTioN
Founder’s CornerJohn Joseph, President
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world: indeed, it's the only thing that ever has!" Margaret Mead (1901-1978)
P.O. Box 91192 • Alamo Heights, Texas • 78209
In case you missed our first issue in July, The AHNA Advocate is the official newsletter of the Alamo Heights Neighborhood Association. It is being mailed free of charge to all 2,400 households in the City of Alamo Heights. Needless to say, there is no connection between AHNA or The AHNA Advocate and our municipal government.
To say that your neighborhood association has been pleasantly surprised and gratified by the reaction to our first issue last month is an understatement. We have literally been overwhelmed by the outpouring of responses (and memberships!) from every corner of Alamo Heights. To all the wonderful people who took time out of their busy lives to call, write, email and blog, THANK YOU! Your positive feedback is extremely reassuring and at the same time equally encouraging. It has meant a great deal to all of us who work on this newsletter on your behalf.
If you have not yet joined AHNA you can learn more about it by going to www.MyAlamoHeights.com/AHNA . A list of our Charter Members can be found at www.MyAlamoHeights.com/AHNA/charter . Please consider becoming a member and add your voice to the growing “chorus” of AHNA members. It is just $20 annually for individuals with e-mail or $30 a year per couple with email. If you don’t have email please add $10 to either category for phone calls or US Mail.
www.MyAlamoHeights.com’s Poll on AH’s LeadershipWe decided not to print the results of the month-long survey
MyAlamoHeights.com conducted in June. If you haven’t seen the results of this Report Card on our city’s leadership you really should. Take a few minutes, go to www.MyAlamoHeights.com/grades and read it. It is a real eye-opener, to say the least.
The results troubled me, not because they were unfair or invalid. Au contraire, they quite fairly reflect the sentiments of the community as a whole. What does trouble me, however, is
Alamo Heights In Perspective – Part 1
T. R. FehrenbachThe author and his wife, Lillian, moved to Alamo Heights in 1954. Ted
is the most respected historian in Texas today. He served three terms as a commissioner on the Texas Historical Commission 1983-2001, and was appointed Chairman 1987–91. In 2001, Gov. Rick Perry named Ted as THC Commissioner Emeritus. He has published 18 hardback non-fiction books, including numerous best sellers. His Lone Star: A History of Texas is the definitive Texas history and is the most widely read history of the state. It was the basis for the popular tv miniseries of the same name. Among his other notable works are Fire and Blood: a History of Mexico and This Kind of War, the definitive book on the Korean War, in which he was a combat officer (although his own service is not mentioned in the book). Ted’s works have been translated into 10 languages. Born in San Benito, Texas and a Princeton graduate, he writes about current events and is a keen political contributor to many publications, including Esquire, The Atlantic, New Republic, San Antonio Express-News and now AHNA Advocate! The following is excerpted with the author’s permission from his 1972 work Golden Anniversary-- Alamo Heights. The conclusion of this article will appear in next month’s AHNA Advocate.
Two themes dominate the history of Alamo Heights, the heavily-wooded and spring-running hills that overlooked the old Spanish municipality of San Antonio. The first was the delight of newcomers in the headwaters of the San Antonio River as Nature made it; the second was and is the determination to make and keep these heights as a splendid place for homesteads.
Two distant travelers became entranced with the region about the middle of the nineteenth century. George W. Brackenridge acquired the old Sweet Homestead on lands that a San Antonio alderman
(Continued on Page 2)
(Continued on Page 3)
2 AHNA Advocate - August 2009 Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.
THE AHNA
Members of AHNA’s Board of Directors are elected for rotating three-year terms by the general membership at the Annual Meeting each January. Officers are elected by the Board of Directors for one-year terms.
John Joseph ..............................................................president [email protected] ................... Term Expires 1/12
Laura theurer ................................................ executive vp [email protected] ...........................Term Expires 1/10
tom s. harmon ........................................ vp-Governance [email protected] ...........................Term Expires 1/10
hans G. rohL .................................................vp-membership [email protected] ................................Term Expires 1/12
martine theurer ...................................vp-pubLic affairs [email protected] ...........................Term Expires 1/10
erich menGer iii .................................... vp-sociaL events [email protected] ...............................Term Expires 1/12
peGGy day .................................................vp-sustainabiLity [email protected] ............................Term Expires 1/11
caroL d. duGanne ............................................ treasurer [email protected] .............................Term Expires 1/12
marGaret spencer ............................................. secretary ..................................................................Term Expires 1/11
nancy r. dunson ........................... director at LarGe [email protected] .......................Term Expires 1/11
John b. hertz ..................................... director at LarGe [email protected] ...................................Term Expires 1/10
Kathy inGLe ........................................ director at LarGe [email protected] ...........................Term Expires 1/12
may o' neaL ......................................... director at LarGe [email protected] .............................Term Expires 1/11
marcia G. Weser ................................ director at LarGe [email protected] ............................Term Expires 1/10
Newsletter PublIsHerpeeL, inc. ...................................................................512-263-9181
advertisinG .............................. [email protected]
boArd of dIrectors had alienated from that city’s original municipal grant and laid out a magnificent estate, “Alamo Heights,” in which the natural beauty of the bluffs and greenery was preserved. Just north of the old municipal boundary, the Kentucky gentleman Charles Anderson envisioned a splendid horse ranch, and erected his headquarters-mansion on the Olmos bluffs. These two men, in effect dividing the heights between them, held the land in a way that retained its natural loveliness, a tradition that survived their passing proprietorship.
The meaningful history of Alamo Heights began in 1890, when Hiram McLane, whose family bought the Anderson property in 1861, sold his home and ranch to agents of the Chamberlain Investment Company of Denver. While in the 1890s the Brackenridge estate, like many Brackenridge properties, came under public or institutional ownership and was enclosed in the grounds of the future Incarnate Word College (now UIW. Editor), the greater part of the heights thus became available for development. A significant milestone had already been passed, in 1873, when the City of San Antonio, retrenching, redrew its original boundaries back to a six-mile square centering on Main Plaza. The lands around the head of San Antonio’s river were thus freed to evolve their own destiny.
The Denver-based investment company, through its local agents, the Alamo Heights Land and Improvement Company of Texas whose principals were Charles W. Ogden, R. H. Russell, and J. W. Ballantyne Patterson, planned a grandiose and admirable suburban residential development. The company turned the old Anderson-McLane mansion into a new hotel, “The Argyle”, and laid out large lots around the hotel for fine homesites. The company, as it advertised, began with “wooded, native hills” which it tried to civilize while retaining all their natural charm. A private waterworks was built, utilizing a large spring; streets were laid out -- not by a drunk on a blind mule, as some later residents claimed, but by a Denver engineer. The broad lanes followed natural contours, providing both grace and rapid drainage. The developers set aside broad parks; retaining the Head of the River area, with its lake, for public use. The “Loop” section, designed for a hilltop community in horse and buggy days, was actually “contoured” into the bluffs and oaks and elms. Its charm came from the fact that the developers never envisioned the automobile, or dreamed that someday houses would be built below it in the swales – where all its water ran. The great, centuries-old trees were left standing beside, and sometimes in the middle of the streets – though these, sadly, became casualties to the notions of later engineers.
The ephemeral developers, however, had stamped a lasting pattern into a large part of the future Alamo Heights. Their design, and restrictions, for large lots and above-average houses, almost country estates, remained.
Between 1894 and 1906 all growth stalled, while lawsuits decided who would inherit the old A.H.L. & I. Co. Finally, the corporation was reorganized as the Alamo Heights Company, under Judge M. H. Townsend and W. B. Willim. The new owners decided to keep the Loop properties, but open the outlying acreage to other developers. The Montclair section, between Chichester and Bluebonnet east of Broadway, was sold to the Midwestern development firm of Irish and Dickinson of East St. Louis, Mo., which put lots on sale in 1907. These went fast, and by 1908 actual home-building began. Houses in Montclair were less expensive, going for about $2,000 for a six-room home.
Meanwhile, Adams and Kirkpatrick, developers of Laurel Heights in San Antonio, acquired and opened the section south from Chichester to Terrell Road, as Madeleine Terrace. This development quickly became better known than Alamo Heights up on the hill, which was considered “country-fied.” Madeleine Terrace drew Pompeo Coppini and many fashionable people from San Antonio.
Alamo Heights in Perspective - (Continued from Cover Page)
At no time will any source be allowed to use the AHNA Advocate contents, or loan said contents, to others in any way, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in the newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Peel, Inc. and the Alamo Heights Neighborhood Association.
Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc. AHNA Advocate - August 2009 �
THE AHNA
Increasing water safety awareness and standards
FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DROWNING
For more information,check out our website at
www.colinshope.org
Drowning is the leadingcause of unintentional
injury-related deathin children ages 1-4
Drowning is the 2nd leading cause of unintentional injury-related death ages 1-14.
DROWNING WILL AFFECT YOUOR SOMEONE YOU KNOW
Most children are out of sight or missing for less than 5 minutes and usually in the presence of 1 or both parents.
NO ONE is “drown proof” – no matter their level of swimming ability.
Falls, entrapments, and injuries lead to drowning regardless of swimming level.
A majority of people overestimate their own and their child’s ability to swim, especially in a panic event.
5min
Drowning occurs in as little as 2 minutes.
Most children die who are submerged for as little as 6-10 minutes.
Irreversible brain damage occurs in as little as 4 minutes.
2min 4min 6min
Children who drown do not scream, splash, or struggle. They silently slip beneath the water, even with adults & lifeguards present.
DROWNING IS QUICK AND SILENT
DROWNING CAN STILL OCCUREVEN IF YOU KNOW HOW TO SWIM
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
factSheet_ad_half.pdf 6/25/2009 2:24:33 PM
that SOME people (but not all!) who did not fare well are really decent people trying to do good for the city by doing the best they can. As I see it, everyone, whether they made a “B”, a “C” or a “D”, really needs to stop and reflect. What they are doing apparently does not reflect the will of the people of Alamo Heights. Some of them seem to suffer from a Napoleonic Complex—I know what is best for my people. Sorry, folks, but “your” people beg to differ with you. This city has an unusually intelligent, educated population and if the Council would take time to really listen to them they would be surprised. I think this survey reflects that. The City has made some remarkable progress on a number of fronts. Basically, this City Council inherited a city that has suffered benign neglect for more than 20 years. The Council has truly set us on the right road to correct many of those shortcomings. They have, also, however, failed to listen to what the voters think is important and want.
What this survey says is that many Alamo Heights residents strongly disagree with how the city is being (mis)managed and the direction that it is headed. They would like for their government, at least on a local level, to be responsive to its taxpayers. Is that really asking so much? As nice as most of the individuals are that run this city, they must face the fact that a sizeable majority of the community are unhappy with how the city is being run. And, frankly, that includes several of the most senior management—the ones who refer to the people who pay their salaries as “C.A.V.E. people”. The City Council sees things differently than the citizenry. Either the Council is guilty of not knowing how the citizens
are continually mistreated or they are guilty of ignoring reality. There is no other choice about it—guilty on count #1 or guilty on count #2.
Back to the MyAlamoHeights.com’s Report Card. Frankly, while I agree with most of the “grades”, I was really surprised that AHISD Superintendent Dr. Kevin Brown (who earned the poll’s highest score) did not get an “A”. He made a “B”. (Reminds me of Mr. Adams’ American History class at A.H.H.S. in the 1960s.) Dr. Brown truly is doing an exemplary job. I’m not going to get into the specifics of how and why I voted the way I did, but I will say that I believe these results VERY accurately represent the pulse of the people of Alamo Heights. Many who know what is going on at City Hall are profoundly upset and disgusted. Alamo Heights City Hall today resembles the besieged Nixon White House.
One or two posters on the MyAlamoHeights.com blog have denigrated the poll's results. They carp that the survey was not fair or scientific. I don't know how it could have been any fairer or more open. Everyone could vote twice from any single computer. Honestly, I must point out that if anyone had access to more than one computer they could have voted multiple times. One wonders how many computers the city has. Maybe it assuaged bruised egos to claim some individual C.A.V.E. people voted multiple times. Anything is possible, of course, but logically it is just as likely that the people who did not fare well voted multiple times too…and still did poorly. Was the survey absolutely perfect? No, probably not, but the bottom line is that it was as fair as
Founder's Corner - (Continued from Cover Page)
(Continued on Page 4)
� AHNA Advocate - August 2009 Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.
THE AHNA
yourComedy andmusical theatredowntown
Use Code “Webe”and get $3off
general admissiontkts.limit 4, notgood with anyother offer or
previouslypreviouslypurchased tkts
Coming Fall ‘09Scream Queens,
The Clean House,Social Security
humanly possible on the Internet, and I wholeheartedly stand behind the validity of its results.
To those who did not made “B’s” I suggest that instead of griping about the survey’s methodology, that they view it as a wake-up call and realize there is a need to change pronto. They have angered a great many people. While the city may think it is doing what is best for the people of Alamo Heights, this survey says that the city needs to totally review its approach. Some of the City Council and some of the senior staff are completely out-of-touch with the citizens.
There is no question about it--being on City Council here or anywhere is an incredibly impossible and thankless job. It requires the combined wisdom of Solomon and Warren Buffet. From time to time people have asked me to run for the Council. While it certainly is flattering, every time I ponder that question I always come to the same conclusion—heck no! Between my travel agency, AHNA and various other interests my plate runneth over. Besides, I really enjoy working on AHNA. It is, indeed, extremely fulfilling. By the same token, I take my hat off to the six men and women on the Alamo Heights City Council, even those I sometimes strongly disagree with. They are doing the best they can juggling their time and families. Three of the six also have successful full-time careers. Next time you run into one of them at Central Market or the Wash Tub, please tell them how much you appreciate the countless hours they devote to City Council business each month…most people really have no concept of the amount of time they devote to the city. Then you can proceed to (respectfully) tell them what you really think.
One final word: Thanks!Many people deserve special thanks for their contributions and
dedication that made this issue of The AHNA Advocate possible--Chief of Police Rick Pruitt, all of AHNA’s Board members especially Laura and Martine Theurer, Carol Duganne, Peggy Day, John Hertz, Marcia Goren Weser, Hans Rohl, Tom Harmon, Margaret Spencer, Nancy Dunson and Erich Menger, members Jonathan Kimmel, JoAnn Fielden and Sally Ann Smith, plus many, many others who have gone far out of their way to make this newsletter a reality. It simply would have been impossible without Jonathan and Kelly Peel and their phenomenal team. AHNA is perpetually grateful to Robert Ruggiero of www.MyAlamoHeights.com for his unending support and diligence. Robert continually goes well beyond what a webmaster does to help AHNA succeed.
Founder's Corner - (Continued from Page 3)
Classified AdsPersonal classifieds (one time sell items, such as a used bike...) run at no charge to Alamo Heights residents, limit 30 words, please e-mail [email protected] classifieds (offering a service or product line for profit) are $50, limit 40 words, please contact Peel, Inc. Sales Office at 888-687-6444 or [email protected].
Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc. AHNA Advocate - August 2009 �
THE AHNA
op ed..In Her own words: save our city Hall!
“Dowager Maureen Dowdy”,Sacred Order of the Daughters of Alamo Heights
FuMBLiNG TOWARDS ECSTASy (AND THE AGONy)In a series of missteps and fiscal ineptitudes, we are stumbling
ever closer to demolishing the icons that have for so long represented our “City of Beauty and Charm”: City Hall and the Council Chambers. The first egregious waste of taxpayer’s monies came with the best of motives (don’t they always say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions?). The (good) decision was made to replace the existing fire truck with a newer model with better equipment to gain improved I.S.O. ratings which will lower everyone’s homeowner/fire insurance rates.
All well and good, but like the ostentatious homeowner who finds that the recently bought Lincoln Navigator is too tall to fit in the old garage, we discovered our shiny new acquisition was, in fact, too long to fit into the existing firehouse. Rather than invest the necessary time and funds to remodel the existing facilities to accommodate the new apparatus as well as to address the need for more adequate quarters for our fine firemen (as part of a holistic plan to remodel), a (bad) decision was made to build a “temporary” metal shack as part of the scheme to tear down the entire City Hall complex and replace it with a new Megaplex.
The original argument was that the $80,000 cost of the temporary metal shed on Broadway was approximately the same amount needed to remodel the existing building, a “paltry” savings of 17%. Too bad that in the final analysis the new temporary shed really cost almost $250,000 and the city just threw away a very substantial amount of money.
Worse than the mere squandering of tax dollars was the total lack of vision this thinking represents. Instead of improving the City Hall complex we all love, this quarter of a million dollars will be ground up and hauled away to the dump when the new Megaplex is built. The “temporary” metal building which may cost $35,000 just to dismantle, might be re-sold, but probably for only pennies on the dollar.
What could the Architectural Review Board have been thinking when it approved this eyesore of a temporary metal shed that will be there for at least two or more years? It’s ironic that the ugliest thing built on Broadway in the last decade has been funded by taxpayers of Alamo Heights. In one blow, the ARB lost all credibility when it comes to arguing with the next developer who wants to desecrate our streets with some new abomination and the Board wants to say no on aesthetic grounds.
iNCOMPREHENSivE PLANMaybe you never thought of Alamo Heights as some Latin
American magic realism novel, (as in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”) but we certainly have our moments of irony. At the latest City Council meeting the hordes stood up to applaud the worthy effort that resulted in a new Comprehensive Plan for Alamo Heights.
Among the values embodied in the plan are those of sustainability and the importance of preserving the iconic buildings that represent our fair city. After all the self-congratulations died down and most
letters to the editorWhat an outstanding piece of work the AHNA Advocate newsletter
truly is. I could never have imagined it would be so comprehensive with so much valuable information for so many citizens. While the contributions of energy and dedication by so many are evident, this endeavor is indeed “over the top”.
Peel, Inc. has also demonstrated their ability to produce an attractive publication with good taste.
What can the detractors say now? This could be the impetus for a groundswell of proactive Alamo Heights citizens to join together for the common good of all.
Clay WorthingtonJuly 9, 2009
Please email Letters to the Editor to [email protected] (put “Letter to the Editor” in the subject). Alternatively, you can fax them to (210)828-6588 or mail to Editor, AHNA, PO Box 91192, Alamo Heights TX 78209. AHNA Advocate reserves the right to edit or not publish any submissions it receives.
Cartoon by Ramon Munguia. Reproduced with permission of MyAlamoHeights.com
DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser.* The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising.* Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction.* Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above. (Continued on Page 6)
� AHNA Advocate - August 2009 Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.
THE AHNA
R
200-8743
Head start tHe scHoolyear witH confidence!
First
session
Free!
www.clubztutoring.com
With One-On-One Tutoring In Your Home!
of the citizenry had departed the chambers, the Council immediately put that document out to pasture by approving two appalling motions.
First, they proceeded to move forward on an ordinance requiring the expenditure of approximately $9 MiLLiON to build the new Megaplex where City Hall now stands. There was not a peep out of Council about the ramifications of tearing down the cherished icons that the new Comprehensive Plan is supposed to preserve. No one thought twice about demolishing perfectly good, serviceable buildings, which is the exact opposite of sustainability.
If you go to the City’s web page you will see the montage of five photos representing the heart of Alamo Heights: the Mobil Oil neon horse, the Broadway Theater neon sign, the faux bois bus stop at Broadway and Patterson by Central Market, a tree-lined street, and of course, the City Hall building itself. Guess they will have to Photoshop that last one off pretty soon.
But adding insult to injury, the second act was to approve the eminent domain seizure of a house behind the City’s property, to be torn down to make a parking lot for the grand Megaplex which can’t even fit on the current lot. If ever there was an issue that has galvanized the ire of the citizenry in the past few years, it is the rampant teardown of existing homes that have transformed Alamo Heights for the worse.
Many residents feel genuine outrage that the City is not doing enough to halt the wholesale destruction of solid, and in many cases beautiful, historic homes, replaced by inappropriate structures better suited to The Dominion. So here is Alamo Heights City Council, delivering a
double body blow to beauty. Worse than doing little to stop teardowns, they are encouraging them, by destroying not just that one house they want to seize through eminent domain, but the two adjacent homes the city has already purchased--three homes in total will be scraped just to make a parking lot.
Too bad for all the neighbors who live near the scads of parking that separate residential from commercial up and down Broadway and have been crying for new solutions. The City itself is adding to this dysfunctional development. How quickly the Comprehensive Plan, our “roadmap to the future,” (as so lovingly described in Council presentations) is dismissed!
EMiNENT (DOMAiN) GRISOne of the excuses for tearing down City Hall is that there just isn’t
enough room for the expansion in staff and functions. Another is that there is no nearby land for sale that the City can acquire. That rationale has been shot full of holes by this land grab through eminent domain for more parking.
The City could just as easily condemn land near the existing complex (say, on Broadway or Austin Highway) on which to build an improved fire and police complex with quarters for our first responders through this same eminent domain process. That would at least be a win-win situation in which the existing City Hall could be saved and we would be spared a $9 million increase on our tax bills. With interest, that $9 million amounts to an average of over $4,000 for every household in Alamo Heights.
Op-Ed - (Continued from Page 5)
(Continued on Page 7)
Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc. AHNA Advocate - August 2009 �
THE AHNA
BUSINESS FORMSNEWSLETTERS
FLYERSENVELOPES
LETTERHEADSNCR SNAP APART
FORMSRUBBER STAMPSBUSINESS CARDS
1-888-687-6444 ext. 24Solving all your printing needs.
FREEInitial Consult
with Dr. Crowther
ExclusiveVein Care
(210) 494-4694www.exclusiveveincare.com
Do you suffer from any of the following sypmtoms?
Dr. Alan Crowther, MD, RVSDiplomate American Board of Phlebology
115 N. Loop 1604 East, Ste 1206San Antonio, TX 78232
• Aching• Tingling
• Numbness• Pain
• Unexplained Swelling• Bulging Veins
You could be suffering from VEIN COMPLICATIONSwhich can easily be treated by Dr. Crowther!
Think of that the next time you drive down Broadway and see the ugly fire shed that cost each family in Alamo Heights precious tax dollars. Or just settle back into a totally surreal dream state à la Gabriel García Márquez and envision your own share of $4,000-plus as your contribution to the new Megaplex.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This was an unsolicited manuscript which the AHNA Advocate received. The opinions expressed above are entirely those of the writer. Articles that appear in the AHNA Advocate do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Alamo Heights Neighborhood Association and/or Peel, Inc. and their publication does not constitute an endorsement thereof. We will only publish Op-Ed pieces and Letters to the Editor anonymously if the writer’s true identity and address have been verified by the Editor and at least one other member of AHNA’s Board. E-mail your manuscript and/or Letter to the Editor to [email protected] and kindly put “Op-Ed” in the subject field. It must contain your real name, address and a phone number where you can be reached to confirm your identity. As long as you do that and we can reach you to verify the information, we will honor your request for anonymity and will not publish any personal information, if so desired. However, we reserve the right to edit or not publish all submissions. This may be Alamo Heights, but (some) people still welcome a diversity of opinion!
The Editor
Op-Ed - (Continued from Page 6)Quality CraftsmanshipLandscape Design & InstallationContract Lawn MaintenanceOutdoor LightingIrrigation Design & Maintenance
(LI 14206)Seasonal Clean-upsColor InstallationHardscape/XeriscapeReliable ServiceLicensed & Insured
•••••
•••••
Visit our Website at www.Edenlawnandlandscapellc.com
210-843-2913
Michael Legg Architectural Designs
Michael Gregory LeggRIBA Intl Assoc AIA
210.416.4935 / [email protected]
Add Value to your asset......innovative designs with integrityfrom remodels to new residences........
� AHNA Advocate - August 2009 Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.
THE AHNA
SEPT. 3 - 8, 2009ENJOY A COOL LABOR DAY!
DEC. 30, 2009 - JAN. 4, 2010
NEW YEAR’S IN NEW YORK!
Annual New York CityTheatre Extravaganza
★★★★ PARK LANE HOTEL,half a block from Fifth Avenue.Your large, deluxe room features
spectacular views ofCENTRAL PARK.
SIX DAYS & FIVE NIGHTS
ROUND TRIP AIR FARE
TICKETS TO 2 BROADWAY SHOWS
SPECIAL DINNER PARTY
ALL TIPS & ROUND TRIP THEATRE & AIRPORT TRANSFERS
John Joseph
Plenty of free time during the day to sightsee, explore, visit a museum or shop
5170 Broadway, Suite #16San Antonio, TX 78209-5721Telephone: (210) 828-6444Fax: (210) 828-6588Email: [email protected]
This is Broadway’s best season in 30 years!
Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc. AHNA Advocate - August 2009 9
THE AHNA
August-september calendarAHNA, Civic & CoAH Events Only
(AHISD Events Are Not Shown)
AuG. 3 (MONDAy) ....................................................... 5:30 PM Planning & Zoning Meeting ............................Council Chambers
AuG. 4 (TuESDAy) ............................................. 12:00 NOON Monthly AHNA BYO Lunch ......Central Market Community Rm Lacey Halstead, Executive Director, Headwaters Coalition (the 55 acres between UIW and Olmos Dam)AuG. 5 (WEDNESDAy) ........................ 11:30AM/12:00 NOON AH Chamber of Commerce lunch ............ Silo on Austin Highway
AuG. 5 (WEDNESDAy) ................................................ 5:30 PM Board of Adjustment Meeting ...........................Council Chambers
AuG. 8 (SATuRDAy) .................................................... 7:30 AMFree SA Audubon Society Beginners’ Bird Walk. Meet at Judson Nature Trail, 246 Viesca next to AH Pool. Non-members welcome; binoculars can be provided. For details call 210/828-2680 or visit saaudubon.org .
AuG. 9 (SuNDAy) ......................................................... 4:00 PM AHNA Board Meeting ............Central Market Community Room
AuG. 10 (MONDAy) ..................................................... 5:30 PM City Council Meeting .......................................Council Chambers Includes FY 2010 Proposed Budget & Tax Rate
AuG. 18 (TuESDAy) ..................................................... 5:30 PM Architectural Review Board Meeting .................Council Chambers
AuG. 20 (THuRSDAy).......................................... 6:30-8:30 PM ANHA's BYO “Third Thursday” Social ................... Location TBA
AuG. 24 (MONDAy) ..................................................... 5:30 PM City Council Meeting .......................................Council Chambers First Public Hearing on FY 2010 Proposed Ad Valorem Tax Rate
SEPT. 1 (TuESDAy) ............................................ 12:00 NOON Monthly AHNA BYO Lunch ......Central Market Community Rm
SEPT. 2 (WEDNESDAy)....................... 11:30AM /12:00 NOON AH Chamber of Commerce lunch ............ Silo on Austin Highway
SEPT. 2 (WEDNESDAy)................................................ 5:30 PM Board of Adjustment Meeting ...........................Council Chambers
SEPT. 7 (MONDAy) LABOR DAy .......... All City Offices Closed
SEPT. 12 (SATuRDAy) .................................................. 7:30 AMFree SA Audubon Society Beginners’ Bird Walk. Meet at Judson Nature Trail, 246 Viesca next to AH Pool. Non-members welcome; binoculars can be provided. For details call 210/828-2680 or visit saaudubon.org .
SEPT. 14 (MONDAy) .................................................... 5:30 PM City Council Meeting .......................................Council Chambers
Public Hearing on FY 2010 Proposed Budget & 2nd Public Hearing on Ad Valorem Tax Rate
PolIce blotter: 6/10-7/17/09
CASE NO. REPORT DATE OFFENSE
09-01256 6/10/2009 4:35 PM BuRGLARy
600 BLK OGDEN LANE A resident called police after seeing a female loading property from a neighbor’s house into her van. The witness stated that she did not recognize the van or the female and knew that the home was being remodeled. Responding officers arrested the female who was in possession of stolen tools, paintings and other items from the home.
09-01299 6/17/2009 8:47 AM BuRGLARy
100 BLK LAMONT A construction supervisor at a residence under renovation reported that an unknown person burglarized the jobsite. The contractor reported construction supplies and fixtures stolen from the residence.
09-01300 6/17/2009 8:58 AM BuRGLARy
200 BLK EvANS AvENuE A contractor working at a vacant residence arrived to work and discovered that the residence had been burglarized and his tools stolen. The unknown suspects apparently entered by prying a back door open.
09-01355 6/23/2009 2:57 PM BuRGLARy
100 BLK EAST ELMviEW A resident reported that several tools had been stolen from her open and unsecured garage. The resident was unable to provide detailed information about the stolen property that would assist with recovery. The resident did, however, provide possible suspect vehicle information. The case is under investigation.
09-01452 7/7/2009 11:11PM iNTOXiCATED
ASSAuLT w/vEHiCLE-SERiOuS BODiLy iNJuRy
800 BLK COLLEGE BLvD. A 17-year old intoxicated driver struck a pedestrian with his vehicle. Pedestrian was transported to the hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries and later released. Case pending Grand Jury indictment.
09-01517 7/15/2009 10:05 PM THEFT OF MOTOR vEHiCLE - 500 BLK ALAMO HEiGHTS BLvD. A vehicle was stolen from the baseball field parking lot during a game. Vehicle was recovered the next day by San Antonio Police Department; vehicle was found unoccupied. No suspects identified.
NOTE FROM CHiEF OF POLiCE RiCK PRuiTT: “Hopefully, the citizens will notice the reduction in criminal activity from last month’s blotter. The officers and investigators have responded very well to new initiatives we formulated to increase patrol coverage and aggressively follow-up on suspect information. We will continue to develop strategies to dissuade criminal activity in Alamo Heights.”
�0 AHNA Advocate - August 2009 Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.
THE AHNA
Personal classifieds
We currently publish newsletters for the following subdivisions:
1-888-687-6444 www.PEELinc.com
-- San Antonio --Alamo Heights NA
Cross Mountain RanchMountain LodgeThe Dominion
Wildhorse
Peel, Inc.Printing & Publishing
Publishing Community Newsletters Since 1991
ARTiST WANTED! Need muralist to paint realistic landscape in 35 sq. ft. arched, semi-circular area on screen porch at residence that was Mrs. McNay’s former Hermitage. Behind the Nix. Phone John (210) 828-6444 or text 279-0339.
stay cool this summerJohn B. Hertz
While summer usually means hotter days and higher utility bills trying to stay comfortable, there are things you can do to keep cooler that are cost effective.
Although you cannot change the outside air temperature, you can affect the biggest impact on your comfort, which is sunshine - the direct rays of the sun. The first step to trying to keep cool is to really look at how your house is impacted by the sun. Go outside between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM, during the heat of the day and look at how the sun is shining on your home. Anything you can do to block the sun is going to help at that most critical time of the day.
The rule of thumb is that the weakest link in keeping the heat out in the summer (and conversely heat in during the winter) are the windows. The first course of action is to shade the windows from unwanted solar radiation. Maybe you already have shades or blinds inside, but the problem is that they try to affect the heat after it has already penetrated into your house and that does not work especially well. Effective shading really needs to take place outside. Those old fashioned awnings, ugly as they may be, really do the trick. Think about how you can shade the windows, especially on the west and northwest sides of your home where the hot afternoon sun really beats down.
Color plays an important role in heat absorption. While lighter house colors help, the roof is the most important surface to consider as it receives the brunt of the summer sun. The darker the roof, the more it will absorb. When you do reroof, consider a light color, as close to white as possible. This will reduce the roof heating up and transferring that heat to your house through the attic. That is where a “radiant barrier” helps enormously. It is nothing more than a thin sheet of aluminum foil that keeps the energy accumulated by the roof from reaching the interior of the house through a process called radiation. Usually the foil is stapled on the underside of the roof rafters. Make sure that the attic has adequate ventilation at the eaves and ridge to allow the hot air that builds up between the underside of the roof and the radiant barrier to escape from the attic by convection. You can also consider a solar-powered attic fan. Venting the attic really helps and there are now efficient systems to vent the house (whole house fans) and the attic (attic fans). There have been real technological advances in these units and they are now smaller and even more efficient than before.
A long-term solution well worth considering is landscaping. Plant a broad, deciduous tree like a Bur Oak, Cedar Elm or Pecan on the south, west or northwest sides of your house. A tree is worth tons of air-conditioning! If you can splurge on a larger tree, you will see results sooner, but in any case pick a native species which is heat tolerant and requires little water. Don’t go for fast growing exotic “trash trees” like Arizona Ash, as they will die sooner and leave you with an expensive tree removal bill that will take away much of the savings you have reaped.
Finally, it is worth noting that there are now Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency that include 30% of the cost, up to $1,500 in 2009 and 2010 (for existing homes only) for windows and doors, insulation, roofs (metal and asphalt), and HVAC (heating/ventilation/air-conditioning). All these items must meet specific Energy Star requirements (go to www.energystar.gov and click on Home Improvement).
Oh wow! Forty members attended AHNA's July
12 meeting to hear Garden-Ville founder Malcolm Beck discuss natural/ gardening
techniques. Photo byHans Rohl.
NOT AvAiLABLE ONLiNE
Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc. AHNA Advocate - August 2009 ��
THE AHNA
Peel, Inc.512-263-9181
www.PEELinc.com
community newsletters
Effective Advertising, Done Right.Call today to Reserve your space.
Advertise YOUR businessto YOUR neighbors forless than 5¢ per home.
AH
What’s Cooking In Alamo Heights - Tasty Treats In The Summer HeatLaura Theurer
KEy LiME iCE CREAM1½ c. 2% reduced –fat milk½ c. bottled Key Lime juice (such as Nellie and Joe’s)½ c. whipping cream Dash of salt 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk 6 Graham Crackers (1½ cookie sheets), coarsely crushed and divided Key lime wedges (optional)
Preparation: Combine first 5 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Pour mixture into freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Stir 1/3 c. graham crackers into ice cream. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze for 1 hour or until firm. Sprinkle each serving with the remaining Graham Crackers, 1 tsp. per serving. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.
••
•••
•
•
NO COOK iCE CREAM (Makes one gallon of vanilla ice Cream)3 eggs • 1½ c. sugar • 1 tbl. Vanilla • pinch of salt 1 large can evaporated milk • ½ gallon whole milk
Beat eggs in electric mixer until they are light in color. Add sugar to eggs and beat at high speed until mixture is thick. Add vanilla, salt and evaporated milk; continue beating until sugar is dissolved. Mix thoroughly into the whole milk. Freeze. (If frozen or canned fruit is added, it must be drained.)
For richer ice cream, use 1 quart whole milk and 1 quart cream instead of half a gallon of whole milk.
For Fresh Peach Ice Cream: When the above is partially frozen, stir in 2 cups chopped fresh peaches sweetened with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. almond extract.
For Peppermint Ice Cream just crumble in pieces of crushed peppermint.
Have a great recipe you’d like to share? Send in your favorite recipes for soups, salads, main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. (And don’t forget the cookies! Editor) E-mail them to [email protected] (please put “Recipes” in the subject). Recipes can also be faxed to (210) 828-6588 or mailed to Recipes, AHNA, PO Box 91192, Alamo Heights, TX 78209. Regardless of how you submit your recipes, kindly indicate whether we can use your name or not. We will try to publish as many as possible.
••
(Here are two recipes that are always summer hits around my house. They are easy and delicious…and cool!)
�2 AHNA Advocate - August 2009 Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.
THE AHNAPeel, Inc.311 Ranch Road 620 S. Ste 200Lakeway, TX 78734-4775www.PEELinc.com
PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDPEEL, INC.
AH
Select A Real Estate Agent With Vision.JP & Kelley Martin393.3304 & 887.9392
Platinum Top 50 Award Recipients 2006, 2007 & 2008San Antonio Business Journal Top 20 Residential Agents 2006, 2007 & 2008
www.JPMartinHomes.com
