In the Loop

New Eye Wear Gallery Opens in 78209

BY RON AARON EISENBERG

Calling itself different than other eye wear businesses, Oculus Eyewear at 5024 Broadway says, “Our goal is to get you seeing as clearly as your doctor intended.”

The new location is the company’s first in the area. Leah Johnson, Oculus Marketing Director, told 78209 Magazine, “We are a passionate eyewear retailer with over 20 years’ experience in the eyewear industry. We strive to bring you the best quality, style, aesthetics and service you can find.”

Johnson added, “Eyewear should not be about just a brand name stamped at the temple of a frame, but a personal statement, physical enhancement, and a representation of the wearer. This is why we work hard to bring our customers the finest quality and unique eyewear from around the world. We have 4 highly trained opticians in our Alamo Heights location.”

Their licensed opticians offer complimentary VIP styling sessions. “During your session you can relax, sip on a cup of joe, and let us do all of the work. Picking the right frame can be overwhelming, but we help take the stress out of the process,” says Johnson.

Oculus Eyewear operates its own in-house lab where certified opticians hand-mount every pair of glasses. The opticians use high definition digital lenses when possible to ensure you are looking through the highest quality lens.

Oculus also recommends taking your eyeglasses in for a deep cleaning and adjustment a few times a year. To help you remember, take them in every time you get the oil changed in your car.

They also highly recommend scheduling an appointment, which can be done on their website oculuseyegallery.com or by calling 512-396-1500.

LEADING THROUGH CONSERVATION

Alice Ball Strunk knows how to lead by example. As the owner of the Hudspeth River Ranch, president of the Devils River Conservancy Board of Directors, and former Conservation Chairman of the Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills Garden Club of America, she is paving the way as a national leader in the eld of horticulture, conservation, and civic improvement.

Join us in congratulating Alice on receiving The Garden Club of America Zone Conservation Award!

210.541.8228

PlainsCapital.com

Tradition Continues at Witte with 51st Annual Game Dinner

The Witte Museum Game Dinner is one of San Antonio’s best known and well attended fundraisers. While COVID-19 put a crimp in the annual event last year – forcing it to go virtual, the dinner is back on track for this year.

Dubbed “The Lone Star Revival”, the game dinner is set for October 18 in the Witte Museum Zachry Family Acequia Garden.

On its website, the museum noted, “Last year was all about survival for your beloved museum and you came through so generously. This year, it is about revival. Let’s come together under the stars to share your love of the Witte and to support the museum as the premier center for nature, science and culture relating to Texas.”

The dinner will be limited to 750 guests. As always, the Witte says the event will sell out! Guests will enjoy one-of-a-kind live auction packages, a delicious array of wild game cuisine served by the RK Group, Inc., and a rousing country music concert.

For more information call (210) 357-1900.

New Smoothie Concept, Kineapple, Now Open at The Pearl

Kineapple, a concept by Robby and Neesha Grubbs, the duo behind Local Coffee Founders, is the newest restaurant to open at the Pearl’s Bottling Department. Kineapple will offer a variety of fresh smoothies, healthy snacks, salads, coffee, and more.

The team behind Kineapple says they wanted to create an ingredient-driven menu that is easy for customers to navigate. The menu is designed to make healthy eating accessible and delicious. Kineapple’s smoothies can be made with different modifiers like plant based protein, whey isolate, creatine, turmeric, collagen, blue majik, cold brew shot and more. Guests can also pick up a Crunchy Kale Salad, Free Range Chicken Salad Sandwich, Kineapple Farm Bowl, Golden Overnight Oats, an In-house Protein Bar and more. In addition to smoothies and snacks, Kineapple also offers coffee from a rotating list of curated specialty coffee roasters.

The name Kineapple pays homage to Robby and Neesha’s youngest son, who struggled to say “pineapple” as a child. He pronounced the name of the fruit with a K instead of a P. The founders wanted the concept to incorporate a pineapple, but wanted it to feel personal and organic, so, they explained, Kineapple felt like the perfect name for this venture.

Co-Founder Robby Grubbs said, “We wanted to be able to bring high quality, healthy ingredients to the table without sacrificing taste and that’s what we’ve done here.”

The new concept will be located in the space formerly occupied by Bud’s Southern Rotisserie, located at 312 Pearl Pkwy Building 6.

School Bus Driver Shortage Confronts AHISD

Like school districts everywhere, Alamo Heights ISD is accepting applications for bus drivers. In the wake of COVID-19, there is a shortage of drivers and a great need for them.

Applicants for AHISD bus driving jobs must be at least 21 years old and possess a valid Texas Driver’s License. They should have a driving record that meets the requirements of the district and state of Texas, as well as, be able to pass a background check and fingerprinting. A pre-employment physical evaluation, including a drug test, is required. Plus, applicants must be able to obtain a Texas Department of Public Safety School Bus Certification within 90 days.

The hourly rate for Bus Drivers ranges from $15.06 - $21.66 an hour. Drivers can expect to work a total of 177 days during the school year.

Only those persons meeting the minimum qualifications will be considered. For more on the duties and responsibilities of driving a school bus in AHISD and to apply to apply, contact the school district office.

Corie Properties Group continues to build upon the legacy left behind by brokerage founder Corie Fuhrmann Boldt. The longtime leader in the San Antonio real estate market recently opened a new office at 5800 Broadway to better serve the Alamo Heights area.

“Our newest office space will empower our agents to do what they do best, which is deliver an unparalleled real estate experience for buyers and sellers in greater San Antonio,” said Fred Hutt, CORIE PROPERTIES Group managing partner.

The company, founded in 2011, has served more than a thousand clients in the greater San Antonio tri-city area of Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills and the adjacent communities.

Corie Properties

A Businessman with a Heart of Gold

BY MEREDITH KAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL RENDON

David Putnam began his career in the jewelry business as a side job to supplement a young police officer’s salary. Throughout his decorated tenure as a law enforcement officer and detective, he built his business into the thriving enterprise it is today. Alamo City Gold & Silver has occupied the same building on the access road of Loop 410 since 1985. It houses an impressive and spacious showroom and a design studio and mini-museum in the back of the store, showcasing unique collector’s items and sports memorabilia.

Alamo City Gold & Silver is a full-service jewelry store offering custom-designed jewelry and decorative pieces. Their creations are one-of-a-kind. The store employs several jewelry artisans specializing in custom rings, pendants, belt buckles, and school-branded jewelry. These artisans have been with David, and his wife, Charlotte, for many years, and they have built their careers crafting the perfect jewelry pieces for every occasion. David is proud of his staff, and it shows when he speaks of them.

“Our team here is like a family. We work well together, and it shows in our designs. We have customers that have been coming to us for custom pieces for over 30 years. Our quality is consistent, and we put our hearts into our designs.”

David earned his degree in Law Enforcement from Texas State University. He then served in the U.S. Army as a 1st Lieutenant before becoming a police officer with the San Antonio Police Department. He retired as a vice detective in 1990 after 20 years of service, and he is dedicated to honoring the lives of fallen officers with his “End of Watch” program.

Every single day, David checks the Officer Down Memorial Page online to read the stories of the brave men and women in law enforcement who have died in the line of duty. David and his staff then set out to create a unique “End of Watch” memorial pendant for the family of the fallen officers. These pendants are sent to the fallen officers’ superiors and usually presented to the families at their memorial services. These memorial pendants are not ordered by the families; they are created and paid for entirely by Alamo City Gold & Silver. David began the program by honoring fallen officers in San Antonio and Bexar County, and then it spread across Texas. Today, the program honors officers across the entire U.S. Some families may never know where they came from, but many of the families are moved beyond words by the kindness of a fellow officer who has made a promise to honor the lives and careers of those who have lost their lives protecting others. There are stacks of binders in the back office full of thank you letters and cards from these families detailing how much this gift has touched them. The “End of Watch” program has designed and shipped over 3,500 memorial pendants, and Alamo City Gold & Silver is the largest manufacturer of police jewelry in the United States.

David and Charlotte have been married for 51 years, and together they make the perfect business partners. Charlotte takes care of everything behind the scenes, managing the books, maintaining the store, and handling customer accounts, while David works with customers to help them select and design jewelry pieces that will be handed down throughout the generations. Alamo City Gold & Silver created the concept of genealogy crosses, and they also craft the keepsake branded jewelry for Alamo Heights High School.

Customers come to Alamo City Gold & Silver because they know they can trust David and his team to create and offer custom, quality jewelry at fair market prices. The store even has its own club membership. For just a one-time cost of $75, club members receive special pricing on jewelry with total cost transparency, and they get discounts on all jewelry repair as well. Club members can also bring their jewelry in for complimentary cleaning and tightening at any time.

Alamo City Gold & Silver offers so many specialties and services that it is impossible to list them all. Their loyal clientele will attest strongly to the outstanding customer service and honesty of the staff. So, whether you are looking to buy, or sell, any fine jewelry, gold and silver bullion or coins, estate pieces, or custom jewelry, then you can be sure that you’ll be in great hands with David and his team of professional artisans.

The Gray Family Party That Never Ends

Upon walking into the home of Ben and Martha Gray, you would never know they had four children. Their home is a clean palette of whites and neutrals with perfectly placed furniture throughout the living areas. It isn’t until Henry comes barreling into the living room and pounces on his fleet of construction truck toys that you begin to acclimate to the happy noise of large family chaos.

Ben and Martha are both native Texans. Ben grew up in San Antonio and attended San Antonio Christian School. He then graduated from U.T. Austin with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He currently works for the family business that his father started in 1980. The company, H.A. Gray & Associates, is a regional distributor for EVAPCO and a leader in industrial cooling towers. Ben also oversees their service company, Tower Tech Services, servicing cooling systems in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Martha grew up in Kerrville and attended Baylor University. In 2006, she was in her third year of residency at the U.T. Health Science Center, studying to be an anesthesiologist, when they met through mutual friends at a Robert Earl Keen concert at Floore’s Country Store. When she isn’t wrangling her energetic family, Martha works part-time as a board-certified anesthesiologist. The Grays have lived in their current home in 78209 for nearly four years, and they love the community. One of Ben’s best friends from childhood lives next door to them, and the brother of another close friend lives on the other side. Ben says of his Alamo Heights community, “Living in 78209 is like living in a small town inside of a big city. Everyone becomes such great friends, and you become ingrained in each other’s lives.”

Their oldest daughter, Mattie (9), is very outgoing and engaging. She tried to help corral her younger siblings when the family was trying to get situated for their family portrait. Mattie attends Woodridge Elementary School. Her brother, Henry (5), is a rambunctious ball of boy energy, and he loves to ride his motorized ATV in the backyard when the neighborhood boys come over. The younger girls, Liza (3) and Katie (2), are adorable, and they love to play with their big sister’s Barbie toys and with their Legos.

When they’re not chasing children around, Ben and Martha love to entertain and have friends over for dinner. Everyone in the family helps out in the kitchen. Mattie loves to bake, and Martha beams when she tells us that her daughter often makes pancakes and waffles for breakfast on the weekends. Ben brags that his wife makes “the best fried chicken” he’s ever had, and when they talk about their time spent with friends, the couple agrees that, “You can’t go wrong with a great steak and a bottle of wine.”

In their downtime, the family loves to spend time at their beach house in Port Aransas together, and Ben is an avid hunter of upland game birds, and he enjoys spending time on the family’s ranch with his German Shorthaired Pointers, Pearl and Riley.

On most Sundays, you can find the family attending services at Shearer Hills Baptist Church, where they have made many friends. At home, the Grays have big plans for their family as they add amenities to their home to accommodate the kids as they grow. They all love to swim, and they hope to install a swimming pool in the backyard soon. Ben and Martha enjoy spending time with their children more than anything else in the world and it is so evident by the love that can be seen and felt when you enter their home. They are thankful to be raising their children in a neighborhood where family is such a priority. They are so thankful to be a part of the ‘09 community.

Living in 78209 is like living in a small town inside of a big city