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January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

Note From The Publisher

Starting The New Year With Speed Networking

ur 2015 Winter Celebration has passed and as I write this letter I can’t help but reflect on how blessed Welcome Home is to have been a part of this great tradition. 2015’s event, held at North Central Baptist Hospital, was an incredible success. It was our biggest event to date and benefitted the non-profit organization Living Through Giving. Living Through Giving is my mission a to give back to a community that has supported me for 16 years. I would like to thank North Central Baptist Hospital for partnering with Welcome Home for Winter Celebration, and for their support in making this event grow every year. (For a list of all the sponsors, and vendors look on page 13). If you have been part of our event you should be proud of the tradition we have started. Our success and generosity to the children of our city with our Toy Drive has inspired others to have Winter Festivals of their own. My desire is through this community’s involvement we will be able to truly say no child in San Antonio will be without a gift during the Christmas season. As always, I am thankful to the sponsors, performers, and volunteers for helping us in this endeavor. This was the 13th year of Winter Celebration and I never realized what a tremendous blessing we were missing by not taking our toys directly to the children. This was truly the most special Holiday Season I have ever experienced. I encourage every school organization, company and individual reading this to come join us next

year. It will be an experience you will never forget. This year has also blessed the Stone Oak Business Association with plenty of news and events that we covered within Welcome Home. We look forward to getting a jump start on 2016 on January 27th where you can join us for our Speed Networking. With so many businesses growing and opening in the community, we invite the opportunity to get to know them and them to know you. We are looking forward to bringing you your community news in 2016 and thank you for another year of continued support. HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you! As the communities that support us have helped make many of our hopes and dreams come true, we wish you and your family the same this year.

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On The Cover By Rebecca Quint he Fine Arts Department will present 9 to 5 on four separate occasions: February 4th through 6th, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Johnson High School Auditorium. There will also be a matinee show at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 7th. Johnson High School is located at 23203 Bulverde Road, San Antonio, TX 78259. Tickets will be available for sale in the cafeteria during all three lunches starting on Monday, January 25th through Wednesday, February 3rd. In addition, a call-in number (210-356-0613) will be available starting January 25th to request ticket reservations and/or obtain additional ticket information. Please keep in mind that this number will only be checked once per day (3:00 pm) Monday through Friday, is not actively monitored on weekends, and will only be available from January 25th through February 5th. General Admission tickets are $10 and reserved tickets are $12. Get your tickets early to get the best seats and avoid the possibility of a sell-out show! Come on out and join the Johnson High community for some great entertainment

Photo By Oscar MacAnally

as the “girls”, Judy, Violet, and Doralee, take on a male-dominated world, overcome their own fears, and make a new way for themselves. We promise it will be a bit of a bright spot to help you in your daily 9 to 5!

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recently purchased a “previously owned” (used?) vehicle, so I have been learning about this OnBoard System found in some newer car models, which boasts a lot of helpful features. It’s great for emergencies. Like, let’s say the kids are fighting in the back seat so you reach behind you to whack somebody, which causes the vehicle to veer off the road and plow into the cow pasture fence post. The OnBoard System will immediately dispatch emergency personnel to your location! This is bound to save lives…especially the kids’ since now there will be witnesses. The system also has this global positioning system. You speak to this machine, admit you are lost and it will give you directions (a sort of “vehicular confessional” if you will). They recently stopped including this little timesaver. Why? No man would admit he was lost. Surprising because I thought a machine would be less intimidating than a real-live, breathing, thinking, flesh and blood female (who, obviously, strikes fear in the hearts/egos of all lost men). Alas, our daughters are destined to drive around for hours longer than necessary just like their mothers before them. (Sigh). Anyway, it’s a great system but lacks some features I would have included. How about an OnBoard Mouth Clamp? This little baby will render mute any passenger at first hint of “driving advice”. An OnBoard Crumb Sucker would be handy. Similar in design to a dental “Slobber Sucker” (not its technical name) this device hangs near the mouth of any eating passenger quickly sucking up any crumbs before they dare violate your floor or upholstery. Voila! A clean car! An absolute “must-have”, however,

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is the OnBoard Errand Scheduler. It will sequence and print the quickest route to get to the bank, comptroller’s office, home depot, soccer practice, gas station, chess lessons, grocery store, post office, baseball field and hair salon AND still get me home before my husband asks the irritatingly inevitable question, “What took you so long?” Very helpful. In fact, why stop with just your vehicle? This could be very helpful in the home, as well. It would find those mysterious missing socks, print out safety data for open lunchmeat packs and pinpoint the exact location of kids who are supposed to be doing their homework. “Hey! Stop that bickering!” Where IS that InHome Mouth Clamp?! Debby Seguin (who is designing an OnBoard make-up applying, coffee dispensing, cell phone answering back massaging device) can be reached at writewell62@gmail.com.

January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

5 Ways To Come Back Strong After Winter Break

By Steve Johnson Owner of College Nannies + Tutors very good thing comes to an end at some point—Winter break included. As much as we enjoy the holiday season, family time, good food and, most importantly, a break from school; it’s time to get back to the grind of school work and after school activities. There are ways to make the transition easier, however! Here are five ways to come back from winter break strong. Have a Plan Be sure to have a plan in place when thinking about your approach to the second half of the school year. Nobody is ever ready for school to be back in session after a nice long break, but approaching new classes, and possibly new teachers, with the right mindset will help you start the semester off with the right foot. Look Back and Adjust Look back on the first half of your school year. What worked for you? What didn’t? Reflect on what was challenging, and what made it easier. Did you struggle with homework last semester? Check into getting a tutor to assist you in your study skills! Everyone has a different style of learning that works better for them. Understanding the best way for you, personally, to learn will ensure a successful second half to the year. Do Your Research Are you starting the semester off with new teachers? Maybe some of your friends have

already taken these classes and know what the teachers look for in certain assignments. If your teacher has an online space, check to see if they have posted the syllabus or other helpful information to speed through the awkward phase of being back in classes. Spending some time researching your teachers, classes and where your classes are located will help provide a smooth first day transition. Be Prepared Be sure to have your backpack ready to go for the first day back. Make sure you have fresh folders for new classes, plenty of writing utensils, and a planner to stay organized with homework and other activities throughout the semester. Know where each of your classes are located and how long it will take you to get to each during each passing time between periods. Get Active Second semester may hold different activities than the first half of the year. Are you on the Student Council? This is usually year-round, however, sports have different seasons, and playing football in the fall may not be an option in the winter or spring months. There are many different ways to make sure second semester is a successful one. The staff at College Nannies and Tutors is here to help! Providing after-school childcare and customized tutoring services to help you with those tricky subjects, the transition back to classes are sure to be smooth.

The Incredible Trio Of S.A. Submitted By Katrina Campbell righton Center is proud to announce our new Queen of the Vine, Ashley Thomasson, who was officially crowned at The Queen’s Ball on November 13th at Brighton Center’s Black and White Gala at Alzafar Shrine. Ashley, along with Princess of the Vine Alison Leonard and Brighton Ambassador Adriana De La Garza, worked diligently to raise money for Brighton Center, a nonprofit organization that has been serving children with disabilities and developmental delays for more than 40 years. Ashley rose over $127,000 for her campaign, Alison raised $62,000 and Adriana rose over $10,000, and collectively, they rose over $ 200,000! These amazing women will now represent the organization as the official Fiesta royalty at A Taste of the Northside 2016. The 2016 queen candidates were inspired by the success of last year’s Queen of the Vine Campaign which raised more than $225,000 for Brighton Center and by their own personal experiences, all of which served as their motivation over the past several months. Ashley, Alison and Adriana worked tirelessly to raise funds and to increase awareness about children with special needs and the importance of early childhood education and parent advocacy. Some of their events included fundraisers at TopGolf, Fair Oaks Golf and Country Club, Jumpy Place and Kendra Scott to name just a few. Every year the Brighton Center must raise more than $1.2 million to maintain its services, and the Queen of the Vine

Pictured (l-r): Ambassador Adriana De La Garza, Queen of the Vine Ashley Thomasson and Princess of the Vine Alison Leonard.

campaign provides a critical piece to the puzzle in making this happen. Every dollar raised through the Queen of the Vine campaign directly beneﬁts Brighton Center and helps set a foundation for children with disabilities that set them up for a life without limits. For more information about the Queen of the Vine Campaign, please contact development@brightonsa.org. About the Brighton Center: Brighton Center provides direct services to children with disabilities and/or developmental delays through a holistic and familycentered approach. The organization helps strengthen and transform the child’s abilities, the home environment, the parental attitude and capabilities to positively impact the family units overall quality of life. Brighton has been serving and supporting children with disabilities and their families in San Antonio for more than 40 years. Brighton provides child enrichment and development through a child learning center, home based therapy services, counseling, case management and family support services to more than 2,500 children annually.

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Progesterone 101: What You Need To Know

By Donna Becker, D.O. Enhancement of Life (210) 545-5224 rogesterone begins its slow decline in most women during their 30’s, the perimenopause. Some of the symptoms of low progesterone are bloating, headaches, painful periods, and tender breasts. Without progesterone, estrogen stimulates the lining of the uterus to thicken, leading to heavy, irregular periods. Women without progesterone may be irritable to the point where they cannot bear the loving touch of their spouse.

Progestin is NOT bio-identical progesterone. Remember, although bioidentical hormones may be made in a laboratory, they are an exact copy of the hormone found in a young woman. Progestin (cleverly marketed sound alike name to natural progesterone) can actually worsen symptoms of estrogen dominance. Progestin can promote weight gain, depression migraines, and breast tenderness. Ms. B., about 20 pounds heavier than she

Discoveries Thru Vision: Glaucoma

By John M. Nevelow, O.D. Nevelow Eye Associates (210) 349-2437 • www.drsnevelow.com anuary is glaucoma awareness month. There are basically two types of glaucoma. However, glaucoma can affect anyone The slow progressing type or “open angle” and at any time. So to only think which is what most people develop and the about glaucoma one time per year is very other is less common called “closed angle”. misleading. It has been described as the For the purpose of this article, I will be “silent thief of sight”. There are no symptoms discussing the more common “open angle” of the disease until your vision becomes form of glaucoma. blurred and by that time glasses and most Most patients develop glaucoma over the glaucoma medications will not restore what age of 40. However, it can occur at any age. has been lost. It does not appear to be hereditary but can

Seeing to your family’s needs

was at age 20, visited me with symptoms of swollen and painful breasts, excessive menstrual flow, bloating and weight gain--all typical of the low progesterone, estrogendominant, woman. Insomnia resulted in day time exhaustion and irritability. She was still having periods, but they were coming every 3-6 weeks, excessive, accompanied by pelvic cramping and migraines. Blood tests revealed several vitamin deficiencies, high estrogen, no progesterone, and low testosterone. I gave her progesterone in a capsule, an herbal preparation to stimulate weight loss, extensive nutritional information along with Netflix documentaries for homework. I prescribed testosterone as a concentrated cream to apply a tiny precisely measured amount to the labia minora after a bath. I told her blood tests would be required after she had taken the hormones to make sure her levels were equal to those of a young woman

in the first 10 days of her cycle. We talked about the risk-benefit ratio for her in taking hormone replacement therapy. The risks which were demonstrated with the synthetic hormones and purported to occur with any type of hormone replacement therapy, including bio-identical, may be blood clots, cancer, and heart attack or stroke. Diet, omega 3 fish oil, and exercise help to manage these risks. Progesterone relieved the migraines, her periods became more normal, and her mood improved. She commented that sleep was wonderfully restful and night sweats had resolved. Donna Becker, D.O., Board Certified in Emergency Medicine. Enhancement of Life is located at 14603 Huebner Rd., Suite 2601. For more information, call (210) 545-5224 or visit www.antiagingsa.com.

run in families. The closer a relative is that has glaucoma, the greater chance one has of developing the disease. It is important that everyone knows their family history of eye problems. This helps their optometrist know their risk factors for possible development. Since there are no warning signs, family history is important. There are certain ethnic groups and races of people that are at greater risk of developing glaucoma as well. Every one of our patients is evaluated during the eye health part of the examination for glaucoma along with other potential health risks. When we ﬁnd a patient that is a suspect there are a number of additional tests to help determine whether a patient has glaucoma or is a suspect for glaucoma. Glaucoma is usually treated initially with eye drops which help control the disease.

These drops can be used in the mornings and /or evenings. When the eye drops are not controlling the disease any longer, then there are surgical procedures that are available. Whether ocular drops, surgery or a combination of both, glaucoma can be managed and the vision can be maintained so no further damage occurs. Should you have any questions about glaucoma or other eye related topics please contact our office at (210)349-2437, our website drsnevelow.com or find us on facebook. Nevelow Eye Associates is a proud sponsor of the San Antonio Rampage hockey team and the San Antonio Stars basketball team. John M. Nevelow, O.D., is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Nevelow Eye Associates is located at 19190 Stone Oak Pkwy., Suite 120.

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January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

Johnson High School Production: 9 to 5

Submitted By Rebecca Quint o you sometimes feel underappreciated? Does doing your job seem like too much effort sometimes? Do you wonder if your boss is there just to make you miserable? Do you wish there was some way you could just laugh at it all? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then we’ve got the perfect night of entertainment for you. Starting the first week in February, the Johnson High School Fine Arts Department will present the high jinks of three unique women in a gutsy and laughable tale of overcoming stereotypes, discrimination, and finding value through friendship and teamwork in the musical production of 9 to 5. Written by Patricia Resnick with lyrics by Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 is a lively musical remake of the 1980 classic movie of the same name. The story centers on innocent Judy, ambitious Violet, and faithful Doralee as they try to survive and overcome in a world dominated by low pay, cheating husbands, domineering bosses, and unscrupulous suitors. Judy Bernly (played by Thea Peterson) is the naïve housewife whose recent divorce from her husband has left her with no choice but to get a job. With no work experience, she’s not sure why she was hired, but she joins Consolidated Industries under a capable supervisor, Violet Newstead (played by Elianna Bowes). Violet is a no-nonsense, get-it-done kind of lady. She takes Judy under her wing and begins training her to do her new job, which is no small task considering that Judy can’t even seem to

do something as simple as making copies. But, Violet works with Judy and shows her the ropes. Thanks to her help, Judy begins to think she might survive the work world or at least the Xerox machine, even if she isn’t sure how she’ll survive being left by her husband for his secretary. Meanwhile, having been passed over for promotions unfairly in favor of less-qualified men, Violet tries to keep her chin up in the hopes that very soon that long-overdue promotion will be hers. After all, she did train her current boss, Franklin Hart, Jr. Surely her time has come at last. Consolidated Industries Executive Franklin Hart, Jr. (played by Kevin LaTorre) does the hiring and firing and makes all the decisions, that is when he’s not making sexist comments or lewd passes at his personal secretary, Doralee Rhodes (played by Erin Scott). Doralee is a beautiful woman and faithful wife who puts up with the constant insinuations and obscene offers from Hart in an attempt to keep her job. But, thanks to Hart’s treatment, and a very nasty rumor about an affair, none of the other women in the office can see her for what she really is: kind, considerate, and devoted to her husband. Finally, there is Roz Keith (played by Donna Pennington), Hart’s long-time administrative assistance and general busy-body of the office. Secretly, she is in love with the married Hart, but her unrequited love tends to make her a spy and non-to-popular with the other ladies. When she’s not correcting everyone’s behavior, she’s writing down every minor violation so that she’ll have something to report. When

January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

it comes down to it, though, she’s really just another pawn in Hart’s schemes to get what he wants. Judy, Violet, and Doralee share the feeling that something just isn’t right about their place in Consolidated Industries and in the World, but believe they can barrel through the situation and make it all work out in the end. However, they soon find that things are not always as they seem. Sometimes it doesn’t all work out. Sometimes you have to make your own way, and that’s so much easier with a little help from your friends and maybe even a little rat poison!!! The Johnson High students are already hard at work under the tutelage of their Stage Directors, Jay Asterman and Megan Thompson, as well as Choir Director, Christie Brown. They are starting to build sets, gather costumes, practice lines, warm up their singing voices, and work out all the choreography to make this show spectacular! Practices go long into the evening the week before the show, but the students will tell you that it’s well worth it in the end. All of the effort makes for a wonderful production, and with such a great ensemble of lead actors from both the Johnson Theatre and Choir departments as well as a host of other amazingly talented students, including Tori Tyler as Missy Hart, Sam Grant as Josh Newstead, Joe Donoghue as Dwayne Rhodes, and Leishka Felix as Maria Delgado, just to name a few, 9 to 5 promises to be another one of Johnson Theatre’s monumental performances. Full of witty dialogue, up-beat and soulful songs, and a crazy cast of characters, this show will

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keep you engaged and laughing the entire time! The Fine Arts Department will present 9 to 5 on four separate occasions: February 4th through 6th, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Johnson High School Auditorium. There will also be a matinee show at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 7th. Johnson High School is located at 23203 Bulverde Road, San Antonio, TX 78259. Tickets will be available for sale in the cafeteria during all three lunches starting on Monday, January 25th through Wednesday, February 3rd. In addition, a call-in number (210-3560613) will be available starting January 25th to request ticket reservations and/or obtain additional ticket information. Please keep in mind that this number will only be checked once per day (3:00 pm) Monday through Friday, is not actively monitored on weekends, and will only be available from January 25th through February 5th. General Admission tickets are $10 and Reserved tickets are $12. Get your tickets early to get the best seats and avoid the possibility of a sell-out show! Come on out and join the Johnson High community for some great entertainment as the “girls”, Judy, Violet, and Doralee, take on a male-dominated world, overcome their own fears, and make a new way for themselves. We promise it will be a bit of a bright spot to help you in your daily 9 to 5!

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By Tanji Patton Goodtaste.tv obust holiday reds have made their way onto shelves in HEB’s Wine Department. Wine Manager Michael Catalano at The Cellar at San Felipe shared his recommendations for full-bodied Napa cabs, two different styles, along with a sparkling rosé that caught our eye for New Year’s Eve… Cathy Corison harvests her cabernet ﬁrst before anyone else in Napa Valley. This Corison Cabernet Sauvignon is a throwback to the old style cabs…light, delicate and elegant. Nice acidity and a lower alcohol content on this one (around 13-13.5%) makes for an excellent pairing wine at $79. This 2013 Año Verde Pinot Noir is out of Santa Barbara, which by the way, is producing some wonderful wines as of late. This pinot has fresh fruit (cherry) with a subtle warm baking spice on the ﬁnish. Its bright acidity allows for a choice pairing with a ton of fare. Yes, this is your Thanksgiving Pinot for less than $20! Howell Mountain’s O’Shaughnessy is a cool climate cab harvested at high elevation–hence the dense, intense color! It’s a powerful Napa cab sure to raise an eyebrow or two for $89. Any time you hear a cork pop, fun is sure to follow. Celebrate NYE with Albert

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Bichot’s Brut Rosé – a crémant made using the classic champagne method, though not a Burgundy, so retail price is not nearly as expensive. This guy is dry (not sweet), with a festive pinkish color that can’t help but put you in a good mood! If you’re not into the reds and you’re looking to enjoy a white, the Volratz Riesling from the Rheingau wine region of Germany is bright and crisp with noteworthy mineral tones and lovely acidity. There’s also enough fruit in there to pull everything together as far as your meal is concerned – rieslings pair beautifully with most food. A common misconception is that rieslings are really sweet, but that’s not the case– especially here! This one is a steal for under $14 at HEB. REMEMBER: Buy six or more bottles – mixed and matched – for 10% off your total wine purchase at HEB! Your holiday party planning begins with a much deserved glass of the good stuff. Tanji is an Emmy award winning journalist pursuing her passion for wine and food. Tanji explores the inviting worlds of chefs, wine makers and culinary newsmakers. If you would like more information, she can be reached at Goodtaste@tanjipatton.com.

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By Blake Groomer Groomer’s Seafood (210) 377-0951 rab your burners, bibs, andouille sausage and corn on the cob, its crawfish season! Crawfish are by far my favorite meal to eat with friends and family. At a birthday party for my cousin last year we had two 40 pounds sacks of crawfish and out of the 4 hours I was there I think I spent about 3 1/2 hours chowing down at the crawfish table. Needless to say, I get pretty excited for this time of the year, but this year looks like it may be one of the best years yet! Typically, Crawfish don’t start looking really, large and nice until about March, but this year has been different in such a good way. We actually started carrying crawfish in the middle of December, which was a first for us here at Groomer’s. While crawfish is technically available during those times they are typically so small we don’t want to bother our customers with them. But, this year thanks to the plentiful amount of rain and warmer weather the mudbugs are big, lively, and delicious! Do you want to get in on the best crop in years? We make it easy for you at Groomer’s Seafood! Just give a call to your hometown seafood experts on Monday or Tuesday of the week you want your bugs and we’ll take your pre-order. We sell this item by the sack and each sack is 30 to 40 pounds. You can figure each person will eat

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about 3-5 pounds each, unless they’re like me that is, if they’re like me you may want to set about 10 pounds aside for them… Orders come in on Fridays and are open for pick up between 9 and 4:30. Each week the price can change, so call us for up to date pricing. Be sure to pick up a bag of Giby’s Fish Camp Crawfish boil while you’re in! Each bag contains a secret family blend of spices to give you authentic cajun flavor with a little Texas flair. To cook, just boil your water and pour about 1/2 a bag to 3/4 of a bag in and then add the crawfish to cook for about 5-7 minutes. Next, remove the crawfish and dust with the remaining boil. To really crank things up, try adding corn, potatoes, onions, and lemons and andouille sausage to the water! As always feel free to call if you have any questions at 210-377-0951 or send me an email at groomerseafood@gmail. com.

January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

Financial Planning: What It Is, Why It Matters

By Eric Zeitler Client Centric Wealth Management (210) 807-7599 ust what is “financial planning?” As you accomplish? Financial planning considers the invest for retirement, you will no doubt hear or even read about it – but what entirety of your financial life. Your assets, does that phrase really mean? Just what your liabilities, your taxes, your income, does comprehensive financial planning your business – these aspects of your entail, and why do knowledgeable investors financial life are never isolated from each other. Occasionally or frequently, they request this kind of approach? Financial planning is about building interrelate. Financial planning recognizes wealth through a process, not a product. this interrelation and takes an integrated Financial planning is holistic. It is about approach toward improving your financial more than “money”. A financial plan is situation. What makes this kind of planning so not only built around your goals, but also necessary? If you aim to build and preserve around your core values. What matters most to you in life? How does your wealth relate wealth, you must play “defense” as well as to that? What should your wealth help you “offense.” Too many people see building

wealth only in terms of investing – you invest, you “make money,” and that is how you become rich. That is only a small part of the story. The rich carefully plan to minimize their taxes and debts, and adjust their wealth accumulation and wealth preservation tactics in accordance with their personal risk tolerance and changing market climates. Basing decisions on a plan prevents destructive behaviors when markets turn unstable. Impulsive decision-making is what leads many investors to buy high and sell low. A ﬁnancial plan – and its longrange vision – helps to discourage this sort of behavior. At the same time, the plan – and the ﬁnancial professional(s) who helped create it – can encourage the investor to stay the course.1

A comprehensive financial plan is a collaboration & results in an ongoing relationship. Since the plan is goal-based and values-rooted, both the investor and the financial professional involved have spent considerable time on its articulation. Think of a comprehensive financial plan as your compass. Accordingly, the financial professional who works with you to craft and refine the plan can serve as your navigator on the journey toward your goals. The plan provides not only direction, but also an integrated strategy to try and better your overall financial life over time. As the years go by, this approach may do more than “make money” for you – it may help you to build and retain lifelong wealth. Eric Zeitler and Eric Weissgarber offer securities through Sigma Financial Corporation. Member FINRA/SIPC. fool. com/investing/general/2015/03/22/3common-mistakes-that-cost-investorsdearly.aspx [3/22/15]

Symphony’s 2016 Winter Festival Celebrates The Music Of The Americas Submitted By Laura Hernandez Aplin he stage is set for the sixth annual city-wide winter music festival, as the San Antonio Symphony and its event festival partners bring a particularly American focus to this popular and successful annual event. Symphony performances during the festival, which is part of the Valero Classic Series, will range from the lively, uniquely American classic works of George Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Aaron Copland to a musical journey across South America to works that feature compositions inspired by the vibrancy of Mexico, Cuba and Argentina. The festival is led by Music Director Sebastian Lang-Lessing, who has carefully curated the musical selections for San Antonio audiences. “The rich diversity of the beautiful lands and music of the Americas was the inspiration for this year’s festival,” said Lang-Lessing. “We wanted to take the festival in a different direction this year – from the masters of European composition to a celebration of the uniquely expressive works representing the Americas. Our artists and featured works stretch from New York to Mexico and Argentina and the music we are celebrating is representative of that wide range of cultures: at various turns it is evocative, provocative, complex, sensual and celebratory.” Highlights of the Las Américas Festival this year include: Symphony’s Rhapsody in Blue concert, January 15-17, 2016, features concert works from popular music and jazz legends George Gershwin and Duke Ellington. Crosscultural inﬂuences include Gershwin’s Latin-themed Cuban Overture and The Essential Ellington: Music of Ellington and Strayhorn. The program includes Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue. Musical Bridges Around the World, January 17, 2016, features Harpist Edmar Castañeda of Colombia (more details on all concerts follow this release). According to National Public Radio, Castañeda “is the sort of musician who isn’t afraid to challenge the established order. He’s carving out a place for himself in Latin jazz on an instrument

you don’t often hear in his chosen genre: the Colombian harp.” Symphony’s American Cello, January 22-23, 2016, features American Jeffrey Mumford’s cello concerto played by Christine Lamprea. The New York Times has said that Mumford “has an unerring knack for fashioning rigorous works as changeable as cloudscapes, bursting with color, nuance and poetry” and “a philosophy of music making that embraces both raw passion and a gentle imagistic poetry.” During the eight weeks of concerts, the Festival’s artistic partners will present chamber music, concert band music and choral music by a variety of composers. The artistic partners joining the Symphony to celebrate the Americas this year include Camerata San Antonio, The Children’s Chorus of San Antonio, Heart of Texas Concert Band,Musical Bridges Around the World, Musical Offerings, Olmos Ensemble, San Antonio Chamber Choir, San Antonio Chamber Music Society, San Antonio Choral Society, SOLI Chamber Ensemble, Tuesday Musical Club, and the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio. From January 5 to February 23, performances and discussions will take place at various venues around the city including Carver Community Cultural Center, First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio, First United Methodist Church-Boerne, Kerrville First Presbyterian Church, San Antonio College’s McAllister Auditorium, San Antonio Museum of Art, San Fernando Cathedral, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Temple Beth-El, The Plaza Club, The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, Travis Park United Methodist Church, Trinity University, the Tuesday Musical Social Club, and the University of Incarnate Word Concert Hall. The festival closes on May 22 with a special performance by the San Antonio Choral Society. This is the sixth season for the Symphony’s successful Winter Festival and marks the ﬁrst time the event has widened its focus to include geographic regions for musical composition rather than a focus

January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

on a single composer. In 2015, the festival focused on German composer Richard Strauss, Antonín Dvořák was featured in 2014, Brahms in 2013, Beethoven in 2012 and Tchaikovsky in 2011. Tickets now on sale! For a complete concert schedule and to get more ticket information, visit http://sasymphony.org/ las-americas-festival. Patrons can also take advantage of a special festival offer at

the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts offering Symphony fans the option to buy one ticket and get the second ticket half off. This offer provides a savings of 25 percent off of every ticket for Symphony Las Américas festival concerts held at the Tobin Center. Offer expires on Jan. 25, 2016. Visitwww.tobincenter.org, using promo code: FESTIVAL.

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SVHS Student Shines In Debate Competitions Submitted By Jason Gordon ost young people today lead very busy lives – sports, homework, and time with friends fill even their weekends. For Emma Tharp, however, the perfect weekend is spent winning arguments. A senior at Smithson Valley High School, Emma is becoming recognized as one of the top Lincoln-Douglas debaters in Texas. As a freshman, Emma competed with a partner in Public-Forum debate, a relatively tame exchange of persuasive and logical arguments designed to be accessible to a wide audience. Soon the debate coach realized that Emma needed to move beyond the structure imposed by that event. He felt that Emma would excel in one-on-one competition and a deeper exchange of ideas. Lincoln-Douglas debate, with its heavy emphasis on ethical values and philosophy, lit a fire in Emma. Soon, she became immersed in the work of preparing cases based on morality and justice. Not an easy task – Emma spent hours reading books that spanned from traditional philosophical tenets to current gender issues. She practiced her delivery in the hallway during classes. She woke up at five every morning to being preparing evidence for the cases she planned to argue, and spent her summers working with area debate coaches and attending tournaments on her own. It was not long before Emma was winning those tournaments. For the last two years, Emma qualified for the State Texas Forensics Association tournament - a feat few students accomplish.

Impressive enough on their own, Emma’s accomplishments are even more remarkable when the rest of her activities are known. For Emma is also a top student, taking advanced placement level courses and being Emma Tharp ranked at number seven in her graduating class. She serves on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory committee, and helped to found an environmental and humanitarian club at Smithson Valley dedicated to maintaining the integrity of natural and social environments in the community and beyond. The spring of 2015 was busy for Emma, as she prepared for both her TFA tournaments and competition for the school in UIL Lincoln-Douglas debate. From her ﬁrst round in UIL district competition, she proved to be a formidable opponent. In fact, she did not lose a round in district, regional, or state preliminary competition. At the end of the season, she had won 3rd place in 6A competition at the state level and was asked to return as a mentor to younger debaters. Emma Tharp has already had a busy senior year. She is enrolled in six advanced placement courses this year, and she is preparing to enter college with a career in medicine as her goal. However, another goal is in her sights – a state level gold medal in debate. And it will prove to be a long weekend for those competitors unlucky enough to be in her way.

January Is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month Submitted By The Heidi Search Center id you know that slavery still exists? Did you know it exists here in the United States? Texas? San Antonio? Its victims may be children or adult, male or female, U.S. citizens or immigrants. In the United States, the demand for cheap labor and commercial sex is estimated to be $9.5 billion. In order to meet that demand criminals use tactics and schemes to lure unsuspecting individuals into their control. In the past three years, we have seen mostly U.S. citizens targeted at middle, high school and college campuses. They are lured through use of the internet, peer recruiters and sometimes even family members. They are pursued though schemes, patterns, and plans- not just one incidence but a process. In the recruiting state, the victim may not know they are being targeted. The recruiter is looking for a “target” to establish a relationship with, to gather information that will help him/her ﬁnd the strengths and weaknesses around the potential target. The recruiter will then use that information to begin the process of grooming. Grooming means to prepare the environment and make attractive the deceptions the recruiter has for the victim. This will put the victim in a position to trust the trafﬁcker and distrust or even distance

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themselves from school, friends, and family. Then, after a period of grooming some trauma will be initiated and the victims will become completely dependent on the trafficker. In their traumatized state, the victim will soon reach a condition called learned helplessness. Now, no amount of reason or safety will free them from the trafficker and the traffickers will be able to do control the victims in with certainty. Parents need to understand that their children are a financial commodity to traffickers and that each victim can be worth $150,000 to $300,000 and more annually. Parents need to be aware of the tactics and the many ways traffickers use deception and the internet to lure their loved ones. From phone apps to online gaming, each interactive connection is a possible portal to those who would take and exploit loved ones. To help us in our work please donate on our site at HeidiSearchCenter.comDOWNLOAD our Digital DNA Kit @ HeidiSearchCenter.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have a business that would like to sponsor our missing flyers, educational materials or presentations please call 210-650-0428 or email HeidSearchCenter@yahoo.com.

January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

2015 Winter Celebration Thank You To Vendors & Volunteers By Stefanie Young elcome Home Community Newspaper, North Central Baptist Hospital and the non-proﬁt Living Through Giving would like to thank the 2015 Winter Celebration vendors, parade participants and performers for participating in this year’s event. Winter Celebration expanded to be bigger than before this past year. Kicking off the event with a parade was Reagan Band

and the Alamo City Marching Band. They did a fantastic job of getting it got everyone pumped up and ready for to spend a day ﬁlled with holiday spirit everyone pumped up and ready for to spend a day ﬁlled with holiday spirit. AirLIFE’s arrival with Santa and Mrs. Claus lit hundreds of children’s faces. The outstanding vendor participation also made this year a hit. The vendors brought merchandise, food, entertainment

and an opportunity for the public to get to know some of the local businesses. Those same vendors donated more than 100 prizes that were rafﬂed off throughout the day to anyone who donated a toy to Living Through Giving. Students and groups also put on performances on stages throughout the day among the vendor booths. Through these groups, the performers helped to show the community how active and talented local

schools and organizations truly are in our area. Through the support and turnout of all who had a booth as a vendor and those who signed up to participate in the parade and perform, the 13th annual Winter Celebration was a huge success. Another thank you to all of those who helped make this event what it was!

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River Valley Real Estate Rodan and Fields, Tammy Elliott SA Masterminds Stay Fit Stay Fierce San Antonio Gourmet Olive Oils San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Scentsy, Magali Preston School of Rock SilverLeaf Resorts Smiles By CDO Smokey Mo’s BBQ State Farm, Betsy Dippo Studio Martial Arts Subway Restaurants Texas Hit The Egg and I Restaurant The Fish/KLSR Radio The Laurels and Haven The Taylor Bureau Threads for Teens Today’s Vision Vida Mia Mexican Cuisine Woodlawn Theatre Zars and Rogers Realtors

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January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

K9 Corner By Catherine Laria K9 Country Club (830) 980-8476

Don’t forget Fido in your New Years Resolution!

he Association for Pet Obesity Prevention says over 43-million dogs are considered overweight. That’s over 55% of the dog population in US households! Studies have shown that being overweight in pets (as well as humans) can take years off a life and contribute to

UTSA Football

By Brian Hernandez avid Morgan II has accepted an invitation to participate at the 91st East-West Shrine Game, which is scheduled to be played at 3 p.m. (CT) on Jan. 23, 2016, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. “This opportunity truly is a blessing and I am looking forward to being able to showcase my skills in front of professional coaches and scouts,” Morgan II said. “Playing at the next level has always been a dream of mine and, hopefully, this will be the ﬁrst step in making that dream a reality.” Morgan II became UTSA’s ﬁrst-ever AllAmerican on Tuesday when he was named

a slew of health problems. The ﬁve most common risk factors are: 1) Osteoarthritis and Poor Joint Health; 2) Type-2 Diabetes; 3) Knee/Hip/Ligament Injury; 4) Heart & Respiratory Disease; and 5) Kidney Disease. During the ﬁrst part of the year many people make resolutions to get in shape. But as the weeks roll on, life gets in the way, enthusiasm fades. One of the biggest reasons for quitting an exercise regimen is lack of a support system. We are more likely

to succeed in something we don’t want to do if we have someone cheering us on. This is why your canine companion can ultimately become your best training partner. The benefits are plentiful for both of you. The most important benefit is that your pet will NEVER come up with an excuse to NOT train that day. Once you have a routine they like, they’ll always be the first one ready and waiting to get started each day. They won’t be late because of a conference call or traffic jam and they will enthusiastically encourage you to go those few extra blocks. Now this may not be the case at first. If your pet is one of the millions of overweight dogs out there, they too may have an aversion to going that extra mile. Just give them a little time to get use to the exercise. They’ll want to keep going because they

love doing stuff with you, and being outside is a bonus. Soon you and he will be at the same level and the pounds will be falling off. Another beneﬁt of your new routine is that an exercised pet makes for a tired pet, which makes for a better behaved pet in the house. You could see common behavior problems disappear with additional exercise. Plus you’ll have a healthier happier pet. If you ﬁnd you’re having a hard time getting started because of Fido’s weight or leash behavior, give us a call at K9CC. We have trainers and a unique K9 Health Gym available to help your pet get in shape for 2016! K9 Country Club is located at 31305 Oak View, Bulverde TX 78163. For more information, call (830) 980-8476 or visit www.k9countryclub.net.

to USA Today’s second unit. Also a secondteam All-Conference USA selection this fall, he recorded 45 receptions for 566 yards (12.6 avg.) and a program single-season record five touchdowns while grading out as one of the top blocking tight ends in the country. The Marble Falls native, who was named to the midseason John Mackey Award (nation’s top tight end) watch list, currently ranks eighth among the nation’s tight ends in receptions and 10th in receiving yards. He set a then-school mark with nine catches in the season opener at then-No. 22 Arizona (Sept. 3) and matched that total five games later against Louisiana Tech (Oct. 10). His 109 yards against the Wildcats was UTSA’s first 100-yard receiving

performance in three seasons and his two touchdown grabs against the Bulldogs matched the program’s single-game record. Morgan II earned honorable mention John Mackey Tight End of the Week accolades following both of those outings. Created by the Shriners in 1925, the EastWest Shrine Game was the nation’s ﬁrst college all-star football game. The game is driven by the desire to support Shriners Hospitals for Children in its mission to help children in need of expert medical care. More than one million children have beneﬁted from Shriners Hospitals’ unique way of providing hope and healing, regardless of the families’ ability to pay for services.

Every year, players and coaches visit the local Shriners Hospitals for Children during game week to meet the patients and gain a greater understanding of the importance of the game. During the inspirational and humbling visit, the teams experience a day they will never forget. Whether dancing to music, playing games or simply sharing stories with one another, the instant friendships that form between the patients and players are a testament to our motto of being more than just a game. It marks the second consecutive year that a Roadrunner has been invited to play in a postseason all-star game.

Building Relationships, Growing Businesses In 2016 WHAT WE DO: SOBA serves as an advocate and a resource for businesses. Our innovative programs and services give our members the ability to network with other like-minded individuals, and grants them the opportunity to futher develop their professional skills in a social setting. Members have access to resources that are versatile and powerful business tools to help today’s businesses grow and succeed. Working with you, we can understand the needs of your business and demonstrate the wide variety of ways our association’s programs and services can help you acheive your goals. Choose the level of membership that works for you and your business. LEARN MORE ABOUT the STONE OAK BUSINESS ASSOCIATION and JOIN at StoneOakBusiness.com Social Memberships: $250.00 Business Memberships: $525.00 Executive Memberships: $625.00

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Stone Oak Business Association

Ph: 210.348.8233 • E-mail: SOBA@satx.rr.com • www.StoneOakBusiness.com 14

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January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

Healthy Choices = Lifetime Resolutions

By Michelle Houriet, Executive Director Independence Hill Retirement Resort Community (210) 209-8956 t’s always the right time and right age overall condition will be. It is important to start exercising and monitoring your for strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, diet. If it takes making it your New mental clarity, and so much more. No matter Year’s Resolution, so be it! Any amount of what, avoiding exercise is not the healthy exercise will improve your health. It seems choice! many seniors feel uncomfortable when it Exercise routines for seniors focus on comes to exercise, as some fear that it may criteria designed for their activity level, be too strenuous, harmful, or that they won’t rather than a “one size fits all” approach. be able to keep up or know how to do it. Taking part will provide great benefits The fact is… the more physical activity to your everyday routine of life. It is best seniors participate in, the better their to consult with your physician prior to

Step Into Decorating By Mary Lozano-Jenkins The Jenkins Group, Inc. (210) 490-0161 he beginning of a New Year comes with excitement and novelty. The lists are written, the goals are set, and the beginning of the year is here. After a few weeks of 2014 have passed, I can say that interior designing and decorating is at the top of the list for many of my clients…and for those potential clients

that I have not met yet. 2014 brings a fresh new color palette for decorating and design. The big markets are here and we are excited about attending and seeing all the new items that are being introduced. Our vendors have been preparing for these markets for weeks. Decorating Introductions:

beginning any exercise program, to ensure each particular move is good for you and ultimately “what the doctor ordered!” Recognizing the need to promote a healthy lifestyle for seniors, the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services has developed a fitness program called “Texercise.” It was developed as a statewide program to help educate seniors about the importance of sensible nutrition along with proper physical activity. The Texercise program outlines activities that one can do to cover all the above mentioned, while also enjoying the camaraderie of group exercise… keeping it fun and stimulating while getting healthy! Nutritional information on food selections that are higher in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, flavorful and tasty are also provided to compliment any exercise program through Texercise. They also teach

how your body uses these nutrients. Great tasting food that is good for you too… now there’s a concept! This combination of knowledge helps make being Fit Fun! For the past 5 years, the Texercise Program has been offered at Independence Hill with great results. With a variety of scheduled exercise and physical ﬁtness programs such as yoga, aquasize, zumba, and healthy menu selections, residents are enjoying an exceptional lifestyle. At Independence Hill, the ultimate goal is focused on what is in the best interest of the residents. Remember, it’s never too late… NEVER! Contact Sherrill or Laura at (210) 6154000 to learn more about Independence Hill Retirement Resort Community. We would love to treat you to a delicious lunch and tour to give you a little taste of this great lifestyle!

• Our chocolate colors continue to lead the way with some beautiful spa blues and greens. • Textures are again heavy with animal prints. • Bling has come into our lives with our accessories and even new furniture lines. • More functional tables are emerging to accommodate the technical lives that we live. • Rugs are hotter than ever and so are drapes. Softness mixed with heavy textures dominate the window industries. • Natural stones, bling, glass and mirrors are entering our lives in furniture as well as ﬂoor and wall coverings. Call us for your consultations. With over

7,000 vendors, we are here to help you update, organize, and yes…furnish your home with gorgeous furniture, artwork and accessories. Remodeling has been keeping us busy as well. Our MAGICAL MAKEOVERS are truly MAGIC. The Home Is Your Castle! For more information, contact Mary Lozano-Jenkins, Registered Interior Designer or Jessica C. Jenkins, Interior Decorator at (210) 490-0161 or via email at mjkgl@aol.com or jessicajenkins2@ gmail.com. Visit us online www. thejenkinsinteriordesigngroup.com. Join The Jenkins Interior Design Group on Facebook, Twitter and on LinkedIn.

Dancing Angel Submitted By Emily Boyce n celebration of Sophia Salingaros’ return to San Antonio after studying at Columbia University in the fall, Bihl Haus Arts, in collaboration with Kaveri Natya Yoga, is pleased to present “Dancing Angel,” a solo classical Indian dance performance. Sophia has dedicated this performance to Bihl Haus Arts, one of the places where she first danced publically in San Antonio when she was just ten years old. Audiences will be mesmerized by Sophia’s every precise step, every darting glance, and every hummingbirdlike flourish of her hands. She’ll tell stories from Hindu lore in selected solo pieces that alternate between lyrical vignettes and more bracing passages peppered with percussive footwork and arching torso. Sophia is a devotee of Bharatanatyam, a dance for that originated 2000 years ago in southern India in the state of Tamilnadu. The name “Bharatanatyam” derives from the four most important aspects of dance in Sanskrit: Bha from Bhava meaning emotion, Ra from Raaga meaning music or melody, Ta from Taala meaning rhythm and Natyam meaning dance. Thus Bharatanatyam is the dance that encompasses music, rhythm and expressional dance and strictly adheres to the scripture of classical Indian dance). It is characterized by a linear form of the body without pronounced movement of the upper torso and linear spatial patterns, which make the dance form extremely dynamic and powerful. Sophia’s love for dance began at the age of five, when she enrolled in ballet. Attracted to all dance forms, she took her

ﬁrst lesson in the classical Indian style of Bharatanatyam at age ten. She has been a student of Guru Dr. Sreedhara Akkihebalu at the Kaveri Natya Yoga Dance School since 2008. She believes that dance should know no cultural boundaries, and as a nonIndian, she hopes to help spread Indian dance to a wider audience. She graduated with her “Bharatanatyam Arangetram” performance in December 2010, and since then has continued to perform frequently for festivals and fundraisers in the San Antonio community. Sophia was a Young Arts Finalist in Bharatanatyam at the National Young Arts Foundation Week in January 2013 in Miami, Florida, and placed third in the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival Bharatanatyam competition. An invited solo artist, she has performed with Navatnam (NYC), Indian Performing Arts Samskriti (Houston, TX), Tusculum College (Greenville, TN), Dance Loft Studio (Aachen, Germany) and Fabienne Henrot Dance Studio (Belgium). In addition to the guidance of her guru, she has taken workshops under renowned exponents such as Rama Vaidyanathan, Janaki Rangarajan, Smt. Banumathi Balakrishnan and Madurai Muralidaran. Sophia has also studied Carnatic singing for eight years in order to deepen her understanding of the music that accompanies this dance form. She is currently attending Columbia University with an intended major of chemistry, but dance will always be her main passion. For that reason, she wishes to have a dual career in science and dance. Performances will be taking place Saturday, January 9, 2-4 pm (seating begins

January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

at 1:30) at The Carver Theatre, 226 N. Hackberry San Antonio, TX. The ticketing booth is suggesting a donation of $10.00 to beneﬁt non-proﬁt Bihl Haus Arts for admission.

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365 Ways To Be Grateful

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October 30, 2008: Love all around.

Photo credit 365grateful.com.

November 30, 2008: They arrived safely. Too cute for words.

Photo credit 365grateful.com.

September 29, 2008: Playing in sand with friends.

By Stefanie Young ooking back on the holiday season, we were reminded through the months of November and December to be thankful with our family and friends and grateful for our surroundings. Now that the New Year has rung in, we tend to turn the focus on ourselves. Maybe you find yourself suddenly wanting to lose weight, make healthier choices, spend more time with the kids, or more time furthering your career, but why stop at two months out of the year? As hard as it can be sometimes, shouldn’t we stop and take a look around at our surroundings and realize how far we’ve come, what we have and who we have it with? I recently came across a site via the infamous social media scene, that has a similar notion built into their message and theme. 365grateful began back in 2008 when Hailey Bartholomew was feeling really down. She knew she had it pretty well in life, but she wasn’t really enjoying life itself. She started seeing a nun who did life-coaching and counseling. The nun told her the secret to happiness was all about reflection and gratitude. She asked Hailey to try it out, each night, and write something down about her day that she was grateful for. According to the 365grateful site, Hailey states, “It really amazed me how quickly

I began to notice things that I otherwise would have missed. I remember sitting on my bed one night and realizing that the little moments I was thinking through were really special and if I had not taken the time to notice them they would be lost forever. I decided to take the idea seriously and bought a beautiful album and enough Polaroid film to see me through a yearlong photographic project!” Starting a project like this can be as easy as pulling out your smartphone and snapping a photo of your surroundings to reflect on later that night. If you would like to connect with others who are doing the same thing, load the image to Facebook or Instagram tagging #365grateful to share with your friends and family. Do this for at least 30 days and you’re sure to notice a difference in your life! “I did worry I wouldn’t find something some days,” said Hailey, “I made a vow that I had to truly feel grateful for [the moment] or I wouldn’t photograph it. And there are days when it’s an effort, and I have to make myself do it. My least favorite time is when my kids are sick – I get really stressed when they’re unwell. But one of my favorite photos is when my youngest daughter Poppy was sick and she couldn’t get to sleep so I put an iPod on for her and put headphones on her ears because I thought that would help. In

Photo credit 365grateful.com.

Now it’s your turn, snap a photo and get started!

the end she fell asleep and it was the cutest picture of her with these giant headphones over her ears fast asleep. It was just a really great moment for me because it was in the midst of my least favorite thing. Apart from that, sometimes my least favorite days end with me on the couch with some chocolate... and that’s what I’m most grateful for!” We’re all so busy trying to get an impossible amount of work done while trying to live our lives “to the fullest”, but not really succeeding in the balancing act. A project like this would be a great way to get in tune with your inner self, and may even reconnect you with the relationships you’ve neglected or the nature in your backyard. Something like this might help to bring the family together and can be applied in the classroom for teachers looking for a creativity project. The ways to go about doing a grateful project are limitless! To find out more information about 365grateful, visit www.365grateful.com.

Creative Ways To Ring In The New Year Special To Welcome Home ounting down the hours until the New Year can be exciting, as the world anxiously anticipates the adventures in store for the months ahead. Celebrating the New Year dates back thousands of years to the ancient Babylonians, who celebrated a New Year come the first full moon after the spring equinox. The New Year is now commemorated in various ways across the globe. According to History.com, one million people gather in New York City’s Time Square to watch the famed crystal ball drop each year. Across the pond in London, celebrants watch thousands of individual fireworks launch over the Thames River.

In Sydney, Australia, roughly one million people line the shoreline each year to watch a fireworks show over the famed harbor. To match the excitement of New Year’s festivities, each year party hosts and hostesses are on the lookout for innovative ways to entertain and ensure everyone has a blast. The following are a few ways to do just that as you and your guests prepare to close the book on 2015 and usher in 2016. Go bowling. New Year’s Eve probably isn’t a big league night, so it’s likely you can reserve a number of lanes. Book in advance to take advantage of affordable food and drink packages. Some alleys now offer more than just bowling, with live music or deejay

entertainment as well. You do not have to be a professional bowler, either, as the goal of bowling with friends is to simply have some fun and make some lasting memories. Try a “first”. There is a first time for everything, and why not try something you have been thinking about doing for some time on the first day of the New Year? Maybe you’re ready to tap into your adventurous side and try skydiving. Or, you may be looking to travel abroad to experience something you have longed to see, such as the Egyptian pyramids or the city lights in the romantic city of Paris. Cheer for every time zone. Thanks to the various time zones across the globe,

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Photo credit 365grateful.com.

August 23, 2008: Pretending to be a candy cane.

Hailey explained, “Psychologists talk about the neural groove – that you get stuck in this particular mindset – and I think I had a bit of a mindset that things don’t work for me. And this is teaching me to be so grateful for those tiny little moments of life. There’s that quote that it’s not the destination, it’s the journey, and that keeps popping up in my head because I think, ‘Oh yeah – all this stuff is what is making my life really rich.’ It makes me think, ‘Wow, wouldn’t it be a shame to zoom through your life and miss this? This is the best part.’”

“Happy New Year” is shouted multiple times throughout the night on New Year’s Eve. TimeandDate.com notes that, depending on how you define the time zone and if you include the International Date Line, there are 24 or 25 standard time zones. That gives revelers 25 opportunities to usher in the New Year. Choose a country in each time zone, and then employ that country’s cultural traditions to celebrate the New Year. Design a scavenger hunt. A fun activity for both adults and children, scavenger hunts can send guests in search of clues and answers based on things that happened over the previous 12 months. Include photos and other mementos when preparing clues.

January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

Seriously, Can Anyone Beat Johnson High School?!

By Stefanie Young elcome Home Community Newspaper and the Non-Proﬁt Living Through Giving hosted an award ceremony in mid Decemeber at Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson High School as the winners of the 2015 Toy Drive Challenge. This is the third year in a row Johnson has won the challenge by leaps and bounds. Elementary, middle and high schools were welcome to participate in the friendly competition, all for a good cause. This year, Johnson brought in more than 1,400 toys, earning them the trophy for another year! They competed against more than 20 other

schools from NEISD and NISD with Bush Middle School being the runner up with a little over 500 toys. The Welcome Home staff was honored to meet with the students of Johnson High School to present them with a trophy once again, with another silver plate engraved on the front, and a $500 check for the school to use as they choose to. The Toy Drive Challenge Trophy represents the good that can be achieved when students of our local schools come together in support of a great cause. As the 2015 winner, Johnson will be allowed to hold onto the title for a full year until the next Toy Drive Challenge, when they will

have to win it again by collecting the most toys in the area, or give up the title to the 2016 winners. With all the schools accounted for and the toys donated during the Winter Celebration, our community brought in over 7,000 toys for the children of San Antonio who wouldn’t have had a toys otherwise. Welcome Home and Living Through Giving would like to thank the community for never failing to deliver, even when the expectations continue to grow! Here at Welcome Home, we hope more schools will participate in the upcoming year and that more toys will be delivered to the local children within our neighborhoods

who need the reminder that they haven’t been forgotten. With friendly competition in mind, we hope to see a school step up to the plate and aim to beat Johnson in their fourth run for the trophy! We would like to thank all the schools, businesses and community members that were involved in making this toy drive a success. It truly means so much to the kids who receive the gifts and to us who get to see their faces light up each year. Thank you! We couldn’t have done it without you. To ﬁnd out how you and your school can participate in the upcoming year, email info@livingthroughgivingsa.org or call (210)348-8233.

Shelter Pets In Need This Winter

Submitted By Lisa Norwood nimal Care Services is asking the community to keep shelter pets in mind during this season of new beginnings and giving. As the largest animal shelter in Bexar County, Animal Care regularly houses hundreds of dogs and cats and ACS is always in need of extra supplies to stock the community Pet Pantry which helps local pet owners in need. Donations can be dropped off anytime during regular business hours and the most needed items are: Dog food (dry and canned) Cat food (dry and canned) Newspaper Cat litter Towels (new or used) Blankets (new or used)

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By donating you are helping many animals like Baloo All Baloo (A263463) really wants this winter is a home. Baloo came ACS about 2 years ago as a stray. Let’s help Baloo find a home for (pictured). He looked pretty rough to the New Year! when he first arrived so the clinic team started working on trying to Monetary donations can be made find out what was causing his skin issues. anytime via the secure donation portal on After trial and error he was found to have the Animal Care Services website www. food allergies so he was put on a special diet saacs.net and all donations go to support to see if that would help. Well, as you can the dogs and cats of ACS. Of course, the see from the picture he looks great!! This greatest gift a shelter pet could have for sweet cat would really love to have a quiet the holidays is a new family. The Animal home with no other four legged friends. Care Services Adoption Center is also open Let’s help Baloo find a home for the New seven days a week at 4710 State Highway Year! 151.

January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

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Education Foundation Surprises Teachers With Grant Awards

A’ndrea Fisher (left), fellow Freiheit Elementary teacher Josie Balzano, and many FES first-grade students couldn’t contain their excitement when they learn Fisher was awarded a Comal Education Foundation grant.

Submitted By Jason Gordon hristmas came early for many Comal ISD educators, as a crew from the Comal Education Foundation Board was on the prowl in early December. It was finally time for teachers to learn if they would receive the Foundation grants they applied for earlier in the school year. After much deliberation, the Comal Education Foundation Board approved 24 grants for the 2015-16 school year with a combined value of approximately $47,000. On December 4 and 7, volunteer members of the Foundation Board came bursting into the classrooms of the grant winning teachers with noisemakers, pennants and team jerseys to augment the festive occasion. The process began earlier this school year when teachers and campus administrators had the chance to apply for grants that would enhance interactive student programs at their schools. “We wanted to promote and reward creative projects, innovative ideas, and to recognize and support teaching excellence,” said Margaret Tenorio, Foundation Executive Director. “The excitement on the kids’ faces when they learned they won was priceless. We saw tears of joy from both teachers and their principals. These grants will engage students on new levels and get

them excited about learning.” Tenorio added the Foundation is looking forward to hearing from teachers when the grant funds are put into action. “We want to be able to tell the stories of how these grants impact the children and the community,” Tenorio said. “These grants can set a foundation to build on for years to come.” Johnson Ranch Elementary GT teacher Patti Cowsert was thrilled to learn she received a Foundation grant – Circuiting the Mind – that will combine math, science and engineering skills. “I feel so fortunate to have been chosen to receive a CEF grant,” Cowsert said. “I am so excited about this opportunity to introduce my students to electrical and solar power through circuitry, programming and robotics. I will be sure to chronicle our progress and let you know what a difference this makes in my classroom.” The Foundation has awarded almost $1 million to Comal ISD classrooms through teacher grants and district-wide initiatives since its inception in 2001. “Awarding so many classroom grants would not be possible without the generous support of our partners such as H-E-B, Herff Jones-The Overall Graduation Office and SAMCO Capital Markets,” Tenorio said.

Smithson Valley Middle teacher Sandy Boldway is ecstatic to learn she was awarded a Comal Education Foundation grant. In all, the Foundation awarded more than $47,000 in classroom grants to Comal ISD teachers and administrators.

This year’s grant award winners are: Bill Brown Elementary, The Kinesthetic Classroom ($500). Teacher: Elizabeth Schaeferkoeter. Canyon Lake High, Freshman Leadership Team ($1,400). Teacher: Katherine Ewing. Canyon Lake High, Bridging the Gap: Technology for Success ($2,748). Teachers: Sue Bohn, Lori Lehmberg. Church Hill Middle, Archery Club ($1,000). Teachers: Alda Haas, Brandon Durst. Church Hill Middle, Reading to Learn ($1,500). Teacher: Susan Haynes. Church Hill Middle, Church Hill Middle Panther Players ($1,275). Teacher: Carter Ridge. Clear Spring Elementary, Wondering into Programming ($7,500). Teacher: Alma Torres-Miller. Freiheit Elementary, Movement in the Classroom ($600). Teacher: A’ndrea Fisher. Goodwin Frazier Elementary, STEM for All ($7,500). Teacher: Tara Felicella. Johnson Ranch Elementary, Building High for Success ($150). Teacher: Courtney Cowsert. Johnson Ranch Elementary, Circuiting the Mind ($513). Teacher: Patti Cowsert. Mountain Valley Middle, Highly Effective Hawks ($1,317). Teachers:

Startzville Elementary teacher Diana Monroe poses with her principal Jan Bettersworth and a classroom full of students after learning she was awarded a Comal Education Foundation grant.

Jennifer Simmons, Angie Mickey. Morningside Elementary, Petals and Pavement ($3,750). Administrator: Kathy Thomas. Oak Creek Elementary, Sandoval’s Students Savor Supplies ($150). Teacher: Marissa Sandoval. Oak Creek Elementary, Tech Fit ($2,892). Teacher: John Hall. Rebecca Creek Elementary, Leadership Club ($856). Teacher: Kristine Burch. Smithson Valley High, Piano Lab ($1,500). Teacher: Gwen Gabriel. Smithson Valley High, SVHS Academic Campaign for Excellence (pending at the time of print). Teacher: Sally Bratton. Smithson Valley Middle, Mustang Media TV News Team ($2,276). Teacher: Sandra Boldway. Spring Branch Middle, Foundations in Personal Finance ($1,265). Teacher: Dana Hutnyak. Spring Branch Middle, Tubs for Tots ($500). Teacher: Dana Hutnyak. Startzville Elementary, Living Roof ($705). Teacher: Diana Monroe. Timberwood Park Elementary, Outdoor Stage ($2,800). Teacher: Marsha Pittman. Betty Jones Foundation Librarian Grant, Battle of the Bluebonnets ($1,806). Teachers: Comal ISD Elementary Librarians.

Tuscany Heights Elementary Honors Veterans With Parade Submitted By Erin Kirwan ormer Sergeant in the United States Army, Jennifer L. Imken, always knew she would return “home” to San Antonio, Texas. After serving her country as a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Operations Specialist that included a deployment in March of 2003 to Iraq, this mother of two came back to the Alamo City to follow her dream of becoming a teacher. On Veterans Day, Ms. Imken, along with 90 other Veterans, walked a pathway surrounded by her students, parents, and fellow faculty. Many students waved flags. Others held patriotic signs and chanted “U-S-A”. For the second year, Tuscany Heights Elementary honored Veterans – most of them parents and grandparents of students, in a special parade and breakfast. The school’s choir also performed a tribute to the service men and women. Among the Veterans being honored was a Medal of Honor earner from the Vietnam War, A Purple Heart earner and two veterans who served in World War II. If you watched closely, you saw several Veterans and those

On Veterans Day, Ms. Imken, along with 90 other Veterans, walked a pathway surrounded by her students, parents, and fellow faculty.

there to honor them, wipe away a stray tear. “Most service men and women, including myself, will tell you the reason they serve is not because of recognition or honors, but, because of the great love we have for our country and freedom,” said Ms. Imken. She added, Veterans Day is the one time, Veterans allow themselves to be distinguished. Another Veteran who was honored in the parade, Lieutenant Cory Nackos, moved to San Antonio with his wife and three daughters, in August, from Memphis. He is

Some students created and held patriotic signs.

stationed at Fort Sam Houston. The 15-year Veteran and dad of three says that when he walked out of the cafeteria to see so many students holding signs in celebration of him and his fellow servicemen and women, he became filled with pride. “It is so very comforting to know my family is living in a community that honors and respects its large military population,” said Lt. Nackos. Tuscany Heights P.T.A. Member and proud Military Wife, Suzanne Opersteny, helped organize the school’s Veterans Day Parade. Opersteny says the children love

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Many students waved flags and chanted “U-S-A”.

being involved in the parade as much as she loves helping to educating them a little about the sacrifice and honor that comes with having a military career. Opersteny hopes the parade will remain an annual event.

January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

2016 SOURCE COMING SOON! The Guide With All Your North Side Information The Source is a Business & Medical Directory. It includes: Things To Do, Restaurants, Shopping, Medical, Maps, and more!—right at your fingertips. Pick up a FREE 2015 copy at any of these locations: • • • • • • •

Falcon Bank – 19230 Stone Oak Pkwy. Frost Bank – Stone Oak at 18762 Stone Oak Pkwy. Frost Bank – Stone Ridge off Evans Rd. by HEB Plus Green Fields Market – 19239 Stone Oak Pkwy. Jefferson Bank – Stone Oak at 19002 Stone Oak Parkway Randolph Brooks FCU – 23737 Bulverde Road (Near Johnson HS) State Farm/Betsy Dippo – 19190 Stone Oak Pkwy., Ste. 112

For additional information call 210.348.8233 or visit

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SPEED

NET WORKING Speed Networking is one of SOBA’s premier events! During this

meeting, you will have the opportunity to introduce yourself to everyone in attendance. Because of the high turnout, make sure to RSVP early. Please bring a minimum of 150 business cards.

Date: Wednesday, Jan 27, 2016 Time: 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm Location: Canyon Springs Golf Club 24405 Wilderness Oak

Cost: $20 for Members $25

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Stone Oak Business Association

RSVP: (210) 3 4 8 - 8 2 3 3 e - mail: sob a@s at x .rr.com w w w. S ton e O a kBusin e ss .c om

for Non-Members $30 at the Door

SOBA • Building Relationships, Growing Businesses January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261

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January 2016 • Welcome Home • 78260/78261