Feb 2012

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SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM February 2012

February 2012

Editor’z Letter Chuck McCollough, Editor

Featurez City Council

In most places, February is all about Valentine’s Day, but not in South Texas.

Around these parts, pardner, February is also very much about Trail Rides and the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

And that’s why the February 2012 issue of your Schertz Magazine features both candy and cowgirls.

First, visit with a lovely Schertz couple whose last name is Love and who’ve been in love a long time.

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY

B. E. Bailey Director, Public Affairs, Publisher Chuck McCollough Editor

Next, welcome the GRA-TRAils (Greater Randolph Area Trail Riders) as they head right through our area and make several stops, including a Western dance and a hearty lunch of stew the next day.

Alexis Souza Creative Director Chris Matzenbacher Sales Director Erin Matlock Client Affairs Specialist Mary Spence Events Coordinator Linda Ervin Business Manager

Read about A&E Classic Cars on IH-35 in North Schertz and their jaw-dropping collection of great muscle cars from the 1960s (when I was high school and could only dream of driving such a sweet ride).

You will smile at the heartwarming story of Lindsay Mayle, a very special cheerleader at Steele High School.

And listen to the story of Rev. Ray Brown Sr., who heads one of the largest churches in our area and hails from a family of ministers.

Speaking of families, try and keep up with the Eberhardts as our story captures the Schertz clan and its many activities, including hosting a student from Finland.

Also look for an article about Dave Richmond, who helps protect the quality of life in Schertz as chair of the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

All that and more in this month’s Schertz Magazine.

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SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM February 2012

Shelby O’Neill Copy Editor Brittany Losey Senior Writer Contributing Writers B.E. Bailey, Chuck McCollough, Mary Spence, Lucille Sims Thomas, Andrea Allinger, Kari Bridges, Kiko Martinez, Denise Marcos, Jasmyne Douglas, , Elsie Baker, Ashley Festa, Tabitha Joseph, Joel Williams Photographers B.E. Bailey, Chuck McCollough, Mary Spence, Robert Burton, Mike Harris, Bryan Nguyen, Joe Herczeg, Diana Webb, Andrea Allinger, Kari Bridges, Zachary Carter Schertz Magazine is published monthly by the Public Affairs Department of the City of Schertz.

Our mailing address is 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz, Texas 78154. The official publication of the City of Schertz promotes city, community, and business activities associated with the City. © City of Schertz, Texas.

The editorial office of Schertz Magazine is at 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz, Texas 78154.

Call (210) 619-1630. Fax (210) 619-1619.

Website is schertz.com and schertzmagazine.com

Executive Management John Kessel, City Manager John Bierschwale, Assistant City Manager David J. Harris, Assistant City Manager

Departmentz 40

On the Cover

42 47

31 Talk of the Townz Feature Storiez

Columnz

City Newz

10 Updatez

34 BizSpot: hYper Warshaw

48 Civic Newz

13 Kitchen Kudoz

24 Dr. Moore Found Her Place at IWC

15 Sweetheartz

28 Trail Riders

17 Momz

31 Son of a Preacher Man

44 Profilez: Richmond Helps Plan City

39 A Family on the Go 36 Hearts & Harts Aplenty

51 Calendarz & Contactz

It’s Rodeo Time and Four Queens on our cover are ready. On the the horse is Cambry Koenen, Guadaluple County Fair Queen.

Forefront from left are: Natalie Slocum, Comal County Rodeo Queen; Victoria Lozano, GRA-Trails Queen; and Lauren Graham, Miss Rodeo Texas representing Bexar County.

47 Profilez: Steele Spirit Shines

February 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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Talk ofthe Townz February 2012

LIBRARY CELEBRATING NEW WEBSITE During a December 13 meeting, Schertz City Council members got an update on a new website for the Schertz Public Library and a solar project at the library. According to Library Manager Melissa Uhlhorn, the new website is more interactive than the old one and allows visitors access to many library resources. The solar project includes more than 200 solar panels on the library roof and a monitor inside the library that shows how much power is being generated. For more information, go to schertzlibrary.org.

BVYA KNIGHTS UNBEATABLE IN PERFECT 13-0 SEASON

Congressman Henry Cuellar (center) and Schertz officials attended the post office renaming on January 10. From left are Mayor Hal Baldwin, City Councilmen Jim Fowler and David Scagliola, Cuellar, Michael Carpenter, Cedric Edwards Sr. and City Manager John Kessel.

NEW POST OFFICE NAME HONORS VETERANS Congressman Henry Cuellar thanked Schertz-area veterans and veterans everywhere for their service during a ceremony renaming the local postal facility Schertz Veterans Post Office on January 10. He presented the post office with a framed American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol Building. The ceremony, held at the post office at 1081 Elbel Road, also included City Council

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SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM February 2012

members and senior staff, local post office officials, representatives from VFW Post 8315, the Steele High School Color Guard, and local residents. Mayor Hal Baldwin thanked the congressman for his efforts several years ago to get a new post office to replace the small one on Main Street. Cuellar also supported legislation renaming the current facility.

The Buffalo Valley Youth Association Knights (10- to 11-year-olds) fought their way to a championship season in the Texas Youth Football Association Division 2 state final game with a win over the Rio Hondo Bobcats, 36-6, at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin on December 11. The Knights finished the season with a perfect 13-0 record.

COME SEE NOAH’S NEW LOCATION

Noah’s Ark Too Grooming (formerly at Pawderosa Ranch) has moved into its new location at 3820 FM 3009 Ste 156. Jamie and crew welcome clients, new and current, to stop by and say hello. Call (210) 566-7829 for information, or follow them online at noahsark2grooming.com.

FEBRUARY FUN AT SCHERTZ PUBLIC LIBRARY Dual Language Story Time: Saturday, February 4, at 2:00 PM, Dual Language Story Time will be a language-rich experience for the whole family with books and activities in English and Spanish. Join us for songs, finger plays and activities. Please join us for this monthly event on the first Saturday of each month in the Library Program Room.

Silverlicious Book Party: Join us on Saturday, February 11, at 2:00 PM for a “pinkeriffic” story time featuring the popular books Pinkalicious and Silverlicious by Victoria Kann. Come dressed in pink and silver and be prepared to have a “pinktastic” afternoon with the Tooth Fairy!

Mother Goose on the Loose: Saturday, February 25, at 2:00 PM, the library will host a story time for preschool and kindergarten children and their families. Join us as we make math and science come alive with books, hands-on activities and lots of fun with the help of classic Mother Goose rhymes.

Resume Workshop: Do you need help updating your resume/cover letter or help creating a new one? Then this workshop on Monday, February 13, at 1:00 PM is perfect for you! We will go over resume content and design and look at several sample resumes and cover letters. Please register for this course as space is limited to eight participants. Please note that this workshop will be held once a month!

Midget Squad at national competition

BVYA CHEERLEADERS HAVE IMPRESSIVE SEASON The BVYA Buffalo Pee Wee cheer squad placed second at the city competition at Freeman Coliseum and then moved to regional competitions in Dallas, where the girls placed first. The squad advanced to national competition at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex the week of December 5-10 and finished 11th in their division.

The BVYA Buffalo Midget Cheer Squad placed first in city, first in regional and 11th in nationals. They competed the same dates as the Pee Wee Squad did. The Junior Pee Wee cheer placed second at city competition.

Wii for Seniors: Seniors, are you tired of the same exercises and games? Come join us Tuesday, February 21, at 1:00 PM for Wii gaming!! We will play a variety of games that involve exercising both your body and mind. Please register online, via telephone at (210) 619-1700, in person at the Adult Information Desk in the library or at the Schertz Area Senior Center!

Book Club Interest Meeting: Book clubs are a great way to combine books with fun! We are holding a meeting on Thursday, February 16, at 5:30 PM for those interested in being a part of our monthly book club group for adults at the Schertz Library.

Pee Wee Team at national Competition February 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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TRAIL RIDERS COMING TO OUR AREA FEBRUARY 8-9 The sound of horse hooves and covered wagon wheels on pavement soon will be heard as trail riders head through our area on the way to the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo. In these parts, be on the lookout for the Greater Randolph Area Trail Riders and the Kerr County Trailer Riders groups.

trek to the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo.

And that welcome includes a hearty meal of steamy and delicious stew. Schertz Bank and Trust employees, led by Bank President Melvin Golla, prepare kettles of the warmyou-to-your-toes stew for the cold and weary cowboys and cowgirls.

For a number of years, Schertz residents have welcomed these groups as they moved through our area on their

For more information on the exact dates for the ridethrough and chow-down, call (210) 945-7400.

ONE STEP AT A TIME The Wilenchik Walk for Life, sponsored by H-E-B, will take place Saturday, March 3.

Proceeds benefit the University of Texas Health Science Center Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC) of San Antonio.

The 5K Walk begins at the Schertz Public Library at 798 Schertz Parkway at 8:00 AM. The event’s name honors former Schertz City Councilman Tony Wilenchik, a tireless advocate for his community who lost his battle with cancer in 2009.

SWEETHEART COURT SHARES HOLIDAY SPIRIT The 2011-2012 Schertz Sweetheart Court helped Santa spread Christmas cheer over the holiday break.

Court members, along with Council member David Scagliola, serenaded residents at Silver Tree Rehabilitation

Center and Autumn Winds Retirement Lodge. The group also shared lunch with guests at the Schertz Area Senior Center, provided musical entertainment and wished everyone a happy new year.

The Wilenchik Walk holds a special place in the hearts of staff at the medical facility, according to CTRC Director of Development Sheri Ortiz . “It means a lot to us that the City of Schertz continues honoring the memory of Tony Wilenchik with an annual walk and has chosen the CTRC to receive the money the walk raises,” Ortiz said. “Tony was well-loved during the time he received chemotherapy at CTRC, and we are honored that an event in his name raises the public’s awareness of the CTRC and benefits our program to develop new cancer treatments.”

Registration is open and costs $20 for individuals 18 and older and $10 for ages

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SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM February 2012

13-17. Children 12 and under are free. Teams of five or more individuals (registered together) can enter for $15 each. Participants may also register on event day. Dogs make any event more fun and can be registered for $10 per animal. The first 500 participants to register receive a bag full of goodies and a race T-shirt.

Prizes will be awarded to Most Funds Raised and Best T-shirt Design in Team and Individual categories.

Signs of Love in memory of a loved one who has lost the battle with cancer or in honor of a loved one who currently fights cancer or has survived will be placed along the walk route. Signs can be purchased for $15 at the Schertz Public Affairs Office at Bldg No. 5 during regular business hours.

To register for the event, purchase Signs of Love or volunteer at the event, visitschertz.com is the place to go. For information on becoming a corporate sponsor or making a donation to the Walk for Life, please call (210) 619-1630 or send a request to walkforlife@schertz.com.

We hope you’ll come walk with us!

Kitchen Kudoz

Garden Fresh STRAIGHT FROM THE CRATE SELLS LOCAL FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND MORE

By Andrea M. Allinger

“YOU DON’T KNOW good produce until you try it,“ Leroy (Lee) Stofa said with a laugh as he explained his farmer’s market-like shop, Straight From the Crate, which is nestled in the heart of Universal City.

Stofa stocks the store daily with more than 75 varieties of fruits, vegetables, honeys, eggs and cheese, all of which is guaranteed to be fresh, delicious and almost entirely local. During peak harvest time, 95 percent of the items are grown in Texas, giving Stofa good reason to be an active member of GO TEXAN, the agriculture program sponsored by the State of Texas to promote local produce and business.

Stofa and his wife, Kristen, harvest from their 130-acre Jourdanton farm, producing a plentiful bounty of produce to stock the crates of their store. He calls his farming methodology “sustainability mixed with conventional farming,” a combination that has maintained the family farm for decades.

He has made a lifelong commitment to fresh produce, a passion beginning with his father and continuing on with future generations, including the Stofas’ two children, ages five and seven. Stofa loves exposing the younger generation to good produce, because, in his words, “it has a calming effect on the kids. If the produce is available, they will eat more of it.”

The year-round farmer’s market stocks goods from local farms, including free-range eggs from New Berlin and honey from La Vernia. When it comes to variety, Stofa boasts, “I’ve always got something that other people don’t have,” and he proves that by offering everything from purple carrots and beefsteak tomatoes to watermelon and cocktail grapefruit.

Stofa’s purpose is to provide quality produce to families and offer them convenience to ensure healthier living, and to that end, Straight From the Crate also offers fresh fruit and vegetable platters, as well as catering for events.

Straight From the Crate is located in the Randolph Plaza Shopping Center across from Arby’s at 904A Pat Booker in Universal City and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Saturday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Follow Straight From the Crate on Facebook, visit the business at straightfrom-the-crate.com, or call directly at (210) 566 5557 for inquiries or orders.

From now until February 28, 2012, bring in your copy of Schertz Magazine for 25 percent off of your next visit to Straight From the Crate.

Pictured above: Owner Leroy Stofa stands at the antique cash register in his Straight From The Crate store.

February 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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Schertz Sweetheart Court

Business Expo 2012

Miss Sunshine 2011-2012

By Tabitha Joseph

HELLO, SCHERTZ! MY NAME is Tabitha Joseph, and I am your 2011-2012 Miss Sunshine. It has been an amazing experience representing Schertz on the Sweetheart Court. I would like to thank everyone involved for letting me have this unique opportunity.

I’m 15 years old and a student at Samuel Clemens High School, where I love being active in school events. This is my second year participating in track and my first in cross-country.

Running has been one of my passions ever since I was a little girl. This is my second year belonging to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). This year, I was blessed to be picked to be an officer, which has led me to participate in my church’s youth group at Living Way.

February 22, 2012 6pm-8pm City of Schertz Silver Tree Nursing & Rehab Center

Schertz Civic Center 1400 Schertz Parkway, Bldg# 5

In my free time, you will find me at Northwoods Ice and Golf Center ice-skating or at the San Antonio Zoo volunteering. I have been taking classes at Northwoods for ice-skating for quite a while.

I recently got accepted into Freestyle 1, which has been my goal from the start.

This summer, I started volunteering at the San Antonio Zoo and fell in love with it. It was such a fun experience to get

to interact with all the kids and animals, which are two of my favorite things. I also got picked to be on the 2012-2013 zoo team, which I am very thankful for.

After high school, I plan on going to Syracuse University to enroll in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. After I complete my education at Syracuse, I plan on working as a Public Affairs specialist in New York City.

Thank you all again for this magnificent opportunity of being Miss Sunshine of Schertz. It truly has been such a wonderful blessing.

I strongly encourage every girl out there to take this wonderful opportunity to become a Schertz Sweetheart on the Sweetheart Court!

February 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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BARGAINZ

& PRIZEZ

Momz: My Take

Putting it All Together

By Elise Baker

I GUESS IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO PUT IT ALL together. Though I’m a little behind, I have a plan.

We all make New Year’s resolutions. I had made one (no more eating dessert after every meal, or for every meal, for that matter!), and I broke it the first week.

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Here it is early February, and I’m already a failure.

Nothing like getting smacked with that reality to inspire me. I allowed myself a bit of time to absorb my less-than-stellar commitment, and then I sat down and put together a plan to pull myself together and make 2012 the best year ever.

I first listed the five areas of my life that deserve the most focus. These can be modified to meet your own needs, of course. For me, these areas are: • Wife • Mom • Household CINC (Military wives know that this acronym means Household Commander-in-Chief, and this job entails, but is not limited to, meal-planning, cooking, cleaning, billpaying, organizing, grocery shopping, coordinating and corresponding.)

• Friend • Volunteer After reviewing my list, I realized that in light of these five very important roles I play, the eating (or not eating) of dessert was a complete and ridiculous waste of a New Year’s resolution!

No wonder I had failed. I had set myself up to fail. Subconsciously, I knew my resolution wasn’t important, so I didn’t make it a priority.

Then I totally scrapped any resolution that dealt with food, eating or weight and decided to make different resolutions. In fact, I made five new resolutions, one within each main area. I’ll keep the specific goals private, but you get the idea. Finally, a month into the new year, I am putting it all together! So what’s important to you?

February 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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Caring for the Eyes of Texas in the Heart of Schertz

Leigha M. Nielsen, OD 17460 IH 35 North Suite 412 Schertz, TX 78154

210.590.2482 schertz@tso.com

www.tso.com

“A DOCTOR’S CONFESSION TO THE CITY OF SCHERTZ…” Dear Friend, I want to give credit where credit is due. So, perhaps a confession can help clear the air so there’s no misunderstanding, Before I talk about my confession, though, let me say a few other things first.

Let me start by explaining the photo in this letter. You know, when I meet people in town they usually say, “Oh, yeah, I know you, you’re Dr. Martin. I’ve seen your ad with that picture of you and the two cute kids.” Well, I’m the guy in the middle.

Years ago I was a college baseball player, but I developed a painful neck, shoulder and arm condition. In my case it came on suddenly. The pain in my hands was so intense that I couldn’t raise my arm above my head or even throw a baseball.

I was afraid that I would lose my scholarship if it continued.

I went to my trainer and medical doctor and was given antiinflammatories. The problem with those medications is that they just mask the symptoms and in my case did not help.

Finally, after steroid injections I decided against it. But, there’s more…A family member of mine convinces me to give their doctor a try. This new doctor did an exam, took some films, and then “adjusted” my spine. The adjustment didn’t hurt, it actually felt good. I got relief, and I could use my arm again. Oh, did I mention that this doctor is a chiropractor. It worked so well that I went to chiropractic school myself.

Now for McKenna and Cooper, who are the cute kids in the picture. They get adjusted regularly and are some of the healthiest kids you will know. Their mom is also problem-free even with all the bending and lifting a busy mom of two does. It might seem like a small thing, but it makes a big difference to her.

It’s strange how life is, because now people come to see me with their neck, arm and shoulder problems.

Also they come to me with their headaches, migraines, chronic pain, carpal tunnel, whiplash from car accidents, backaches, ear infections, asthma, allergies, numbness in limbs, athletic injuries, just to name a few.

Here’s what some of my patients had to say: “I have not had a headache in months”- (Mary J.) “Mood and attitude have improved” – (Lisa A.) Several times a day patients thank me for helping them with their health problems. But I can’t really take the credit. My confession is that I’ve never healed anyone of anything. What I do is perform a specific spinal adjustment to remove nerve pressure, and the body responds by healing itself. We get tremendous results. It’s a simple as that!

Forty-eight million Americans no longer have health insurance, and those who do have found that their benefits are reduced. That’s where my I come in. I have a significantly lower fee plan so that more people are able to afford the care they need. A whole week of care in my office costs what you could pay for one visit elsewhere.

Studies show that people actually pay less for their longterm overall health care expenses if they are seeing a chiropractor.

You Benefit from an Amazing Offer- Look, you are going to write a check to someone for your health care expenses, you may as well write one for a lesser amount for chiropractic. When you bring in this article, you will receive my entire new patient exam for $17. That’s with an evaluation and X-Rays….the whole ball of wax. But, please call right away because this offer expires on February 29, 2012, and I don’t want you to miss out.

By the way, further care is very affordable and you’ll be happy to know that I have affordable plans. You see I’m not trying to seduce you to come see me with this low start up fee, then to only make it up with high fees after that. Further care is very important to consider when making your choice of doctor. High costs can add up very quickly.

Great care at a great fee…Please, I hope that there’s no misunderstanding about quality of care just because I have a lower fee. You’ll get great care at a great fee. My qualifications…

I’m a Magna cum Laude graduate of Cleveland Chiropractic College and a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. I’ve been entrusted to take care of tiny babies to pro athletes that you may know. After practicing for four years in San Antonio I moved my practice to Schertz. I just have a low exam fee to help more people who need care.

My Associate, Dr. Kyle Stringer, brings over five years of experience to our practice with the latest in pain-free techniques.

My assistant is Melissa, and she is really a great person. Our office is both friendly and warm and we try our best to make you feel at home. We have a wonderful service, at an exceptional fee.

Our office is called Schertz Chiropractic and it is at 17323 IH 35 North Ste 106, (we are between 3009 and Schertz Parkway on the 35 South Access Road). Our phone number is 210-6466000. Call Melissa or me today for an appointment. We can help you. Thank you.

-Patrick W. Martin, D.C. P.S. When accompanied by the first, I am also offering the second family member this same examination for only $10.

P.S.S. Your time is just as valuable as ours, that’s why we will be with you promptly at your appointment.

Not applicable to Medicare Beneficiaries due to regulations.

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February 12 th at Cyndi’s

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featurez

“Cars are like people,” Gayhart said.

Classic Cars

“They all have different personalities.”

Connect Generations GAYHART MIXES FAMILY AND PASSION AT A&E CLASSIC CARS

“We have cars come at us in every which way,” Gayhart said. “That includes auctions, emails, newspapers, word of mouth, etc.”

By Brittany Losey

F

FEBRUARY IS A GOOD TIME TO pay tribute to one of the country’s longest love affairs, the American affection for automobiles.

And one of the best places to see that love affair in action is off south IH-35, where A&E Classic Cars is a mecca for auto enthusiasts. This classic car company offers vintage car lovers an opportunity to look, buy or sell models dating from the 1930s to the 1970s. With more than 300 visitors each week, A&E attracts a global audience including folks from Australia, Germany and Canada.

“People come from all over to see the cars,” A&E owner Larry Gayhart said.

Drivers on IH-35 may pass by A&E without a second glance, but once inside the building, you can’t miss the retro vibe of the checkered floor, the pristine gleam of the cars or the distinct smell of a car showroom.

From left are: Cody Dickson, Brandon Garrison, Larry Gayhart (owner) and James Landry

On the floor, you can find original classics or updated models (dubbed resto-mods), which are refurbished to improve the buyers’ driving experience. At any given time, A&E holds about 60 to 70 cars, an overall value of over $3 million. Of this collection, each model differs from the next to cater to individual customer preferences.

“Cars are like people,” Gayhart said.

“They all have different personalities.”

Often, these affinities stem from a specific story or memory. For some,

a sporty convertible might evoke a memory of a first date. For others, a beat-up pickup might remind them of driving around farm roads. In any case, the cars stir strong emotions for many and can be pivotal in creating new ones.

Some of Gayhart’s most memorable sales include a man from North Carolina who traveled to A&E to buy a truck simply to drive to the barber shop for a haircut. Another recent customer secretly bought her husband his $45,000 dream car for a 10th wedding anniversary surprise.

While Gayhart does not get attached to the cars he sells, he does have a few favorites in his personal collection, such as his award-winning 1949 Chevy pickup. He has been a self-professed car nut his entire life, which is what led him to buy the previous car company and turn it into A&E in March 2009.

Originally Alamo Car Museum in the ‘80s, Gayhart changed the name to A&E in honor of his two children, April and Ethan. Prior to starting A&E, Gayhart sold his construction company in San Antonio, deciding that he wanted to do something

more congruent with his interests.

He brought along with him 20 personal cars in the start-up process and expanded those numbers since then.

But getting to where he is today was no easy task.

“We redid the floors and offices to make it look like a classic car facility,” Gayhart said.

In addition to his work selling and managing the showroom, Gayhart spends most of his days searching for cars to replace those that are purchased.

He constantly travels to find them, from Florida to Kansas to Arizona.

A few of the their current picks include the 1972 Firebird Trans Am, 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle or 1965 Buick Riviera, but according to Gayhart, the 1969 Camaro (his wife’s personal favorite) is consistently the most popular model among customers.

Though most of his cars are more than 50 years old, they attract people of all ages. Two of his biggest car fanatics are his children, particularly four-year-old Ethan, who has a vast knowledge of classic cars and loves to accompany his dad to work on weekends. For Gayhart, his son represents what he hopes will be a trend for future generations.

“This is a big, big business,” Gayhart said. “It’s a part of history, a part of growing up. We’re losing a lot of young kids to computers. Ethan is one of the kids I hope will carry the future of these cars. I hope they take this and run with it one day.”

February 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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featurez

D

Dr. Reneé Moore readily admits that she kind of stumbled upon her niche in life — and did so rather late at that. But when she realized what she wanted to do with her life, she latched on tightly and proceeded to excel at it.

Dr. Moore Found Her Place At UIW

DR. MOORE FOUND HER PLACE AS DEAN OF CAMPUS LIFE AT UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD

Moore, a Garden Ridge resident, is Dean of Campus Life at the University of the Incarnate Word and absolutely loves what she does. She spent a good deal of her life as a military wife and often took whatever jobs she could find wherever the military sent her family. But even in college, as she studied for a master’s degree in psychology at Howard University, Moore said she realized that things just weren’t clicking. She was getting good grades while working, but something was missing.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, Moore was moving ahead with her education when the military interfered and sent her family to Killeen. While there, she found

at job at Central Texas College and realized she belonged in the education field. “That’s when I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up,” Moore said.

A friend advised her to get her master’s degree in education from Howard University when she returned to the D.C. area if she wanted to continue in education. When she found herself in San Antonio armed with her new degree, Moore accepted the first job she could find, which turned out to be at the University of the Incarnate Word. She started out as a resident life and student activities coordinator.

“It was a kind of let-me-get-myfoot-in-the-door job,” Moore said. “And God was working it.

Things happened, and different people moved along, and I took a job that was more suited to my qualifications. I had a director position at my previous institution, and I really just wanted to be back at a university or college, so I said, ‘I’m going to take the first thing I can get and hope for the best.’ And that’s exactly what happened.”

She’s been in her current position of dean of campus life since about 1997. Moore was a member of the first education doctorate cohort group that graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word. She actually got to be classmates with her mother, who was also going through the initial program.

Born into an Air Force family, Moore grew up all over the place. The 56-year-old mother of three grown daughters loves to travel, read and bake, especially from new recipes. She has lived in Garden Ridge since 1993 and thinks it is a very good community where she really likes living.

Every day, Moore finds inspiration in her parents, who are both still working and raised her and her siblings with strong values.

“I tell everybody that I have the best parents in the whole world,” she said. “I just haven’t met anybody that I would put before them anywhere. They are my best friends. They’re the ones that taught us about a continued on page 26

By Lucille Sims Thomas

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Dr. Moore Found Her Place At UIW

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

“How you approach life can shape you as a person...”

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work ethic. They’re the ones that taught us about a faith life, a belief in God. They’re the ones that taught us about service to others.

So I could brag about them all day long. They’re just the best.”

Moore also enjoys spending time with the rest of her family, which includes three sisters, one of whom shares a backyard with her in Garden Ridge. The other two live in the Dallas area. She takes any opportunity she can find to get together with as many family members as possible. Moore attends Second Baptist Church, where she is active on the building committee and teaches Sunday school.

would tell you that I say all the time that it is important in life to have a plan B. I don’t like to be told no, so if I can’t do it this way, then I’m going to try to figure out how to do it another way.”

When asked about retirement, Moore made it clear it is not on her radar.

“I can’t see myself sitting down,” she said. “That’s just not my family’s lifestyle. We’re movers and shakers. So I’m just not thinking, as my grandfather used to say, that I’m gonna let any grass grow under my feet anytime soon.”

As a professional in the field of education, Moore often gets asked about her advice for today’s young people.

For Moore, it’s all comes down to her love for students, her love for mentoring and her love for helping others.

“Have a true belief in God or a higher power — for me it’s God — and if you believe that, then all the other things fall into place,” she said. “Character is important to me. I tell my kids all the time that attitude is everything. How you approach life can shape you as a person, can shape others. In short, do the right thing. My kids

“I really truly love and believe in education, and I think I found the institution that is a great fit for my lifestyle and my personality,” she said. “The university believes in the same things I do in terms of its values for its students, and that really is important to me.”

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Trail Riders Keep History Alive GRA-TRAILS TRAVELS THROUGH SCHERTZ ON FEBRUARY 9 ON THE WAY TO CELEBRATING ITS 12TH YEAR AT THE SAN ANTONIO STOCK SHOW AND RODEO

By Kiko Martinez

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WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PIONEERS FROM THE OLD WEST, you probably picture Flint McCullough (Robert Horton) fighting Indians on the 1957 TV series “Wagon Train” or Zeb Rawlings (George Peppard) using train robbers for target practice in the 1962 film “How the West Was Won.” But for the Greater Randolph Area Trail Ride Association (GRATRAils), members would rather experience the open-range adventure themselves instead of reading about it or watching actors reenact what it was like to ride on horseback across the dusty plains.

“I don’t know how people used to get from one side of this country to another in a covered wagon,” said Joe Coldewey, GRA-TRAils past president and current assistant trail boss. “Going on horseback is tough enough, but having to cross rivers would be a real challenge.”

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Founded in 1983 to promote family fun, fellowship and the love of horses, GRA-TRAils has since become one of only 12 organizations designated as sanctioned trail-riding groups that can participate in the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. This year, the rodeo runs from February 9-26 at the AT&T Center.

According to T.W. White, chairman of the Rodeo Trail Ride Committee, the number of sanctioned trail rider groups was supposed reach a maximum of 10 organizations.

The committee made an exception for GRA-TRAils 12 years ago and then inducted La Grande International Trail Ride seven years ago as the final sanctioned group. In comparison, the oldest group, the Texas Trail Ride, will celebrate its 58th anniversary this year. White, who has been a member of the Old Chisholm Trail Drivers from Cuero for the last 51 years, said approxi-

mately 3,500 individuals participate in the rodeo trail rides annually.

GRA-TRAils riders begin their trek to the stock show on Saturday, February 4, from Kyle and will ride onto the rodeo grounds by February 10. The distance from start to finish is 125 miles and covers the tri-county area of Guadalupe, Comal and Bexar counties. The seven-day ride winds its way through a number of towns, including San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz and finally San Antonio. Those riders come from South Texas towns like Fredericksburg, Floresville, Devine, Austin, La Vernia and Seguin.

During the group’s stop in Schertz this year, GRA-TRAils will hold a dance, silent and live auction and awards ceremony at the Blue Bonnet Palace on the evening of February 8. A scholarship fundraiser breakfast will take place the followcontinued on page 30

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

these convoys.

Besides dancing, eating and fundraising, riding, of course, will still be at the center of the trail ride. Coldewey, who has participated in the trail ride since 2003, will ride his 9-year-old Buckskin Quarter Horse named Miss Kitty this year. Coldewey comes back to this specific trail ride every year because it’s a personal challenge to face both unforeseen and recurring variables like inclement weather and highway noise, which sometimes spooks the horses. Last year, Wheat said six trail rider groups were not able to get passed Loop 1604 because of icy road conditions.

For GRA-TRAils board member Teri Shelton, participating in the trail ride is an opportunity to hang out with friends and people who enjoy the same type of outdoor recreational activities she does.

“Along with the weather, one of the hardest things to do on the trail is to go under an underpass, especially if you have a very green horse that hasn’t been on too many trail rides,” Coldewey said. “Sometimes the horse doesn’t understand what all the traffic noise is.”

While Coldeway thinks about the history of trail rides during his venture each year, he admits he is glad he started trail-riding with GRA-TRAils in the 21st century. There’s no need to build campfires or eat cans of beans during 30

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“Nowadays, we have modern trucks and modern livein quarters, Port-o-Potties and other modern conveniences,” Coldeway said.

“We can just go right into our trailers, turn on a generator and put on the heater if we want. We’re not really roughin’ it like our pioneering fathers did.”

Son of a Preacher Man

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Trail Riders Keep History Alive

ing morning to benefit local students who are members of their school’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) and who need help with funds to raise animals.

Later that day, February 9 the trail riders travel to Schertz for their traditional lunch stop at Pickrell Park for delicious stew and lunch goodies sponsored by Schertz Bank & Trust.

REV. BROWN’S RESURRECTION CHURCH LIVES UP TO ITS NAME

By Lucille Sims Thomas

“Horse people like to hang around with other horse people,” Shelton said. “GRATRAils make it so much fun because they’re such a great group of people. I think it’s all about camaraderie and keeping the Old West alive.”

It’s not only the friendships the riders make between each other, however. Shelton feels a lot of what makes the trail rides memorable is the connection the riders make with their own horses.

“Being on a saddle all day long and sharing companionship with your horse is amazing,” Shelton said.

“Some people think horses are animals you just pick out of the pasture, but it’s more than that. These cowboys might be freezing their butts off, but it’s all worth it when you put the care, love and trust into your horse and they put the same in you.”

H

HE’S A MAN WITH A VISION who was inspired by a man with a vision and a father who’s been in the ministry for decades. And his visions for the future are still vivid. continued on page 32

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Rev. Ray Brown Sr. announced his calling to the ministry when he was just 9 years old and has never looked back. He is the pastor of Resurrection Baptist Church in Schertz and is part of a preaching trio that includes his brother, the Rev. Michael Steve Brown, pastor of True Vision Baptist Church, and his father, the Rev. Aristide Brown Sr., pastor of Anointed Tree Mount Temple Baptist Church.

Brown has lived in the San Antonio area since the late 1960s, when his father, who was in the Army, moved his family here, then decided to retire and became the pastor of an East Side church.

When a very young Ray Brown revealed his call to the ministry, his father and many others were shocked. “It just floored him my dad, floored everybody, this 9-year-old kid saying God called him to preach,” Brown said. “I just felt a divine calling.”

He said he didn’t fully understand his calling, but during a February visit to a Black History Month program at Fort Hood in the ’70’s, he heard a recording of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking and was greatly inspired.

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said right then that’s what I want to do. I wanna be a preacher. I wanna be in the ministry like my father.”

Not knowing all the ramifications of what he was doing, a young Brown started preaching and left San Antonio to attend Bishop College in Dallas. He stayed in Dallas for a few years and eventually got married before heading to Nacogdoches in East Texas to pastor his first church.

The tiny congregation was called Live Oak Baptist Church. Brown laughs at the irony as he points out that his current church is on Live Oak Road. While at his first church, Brown worked as a floor manager for Wal-Mart and said the experience dealing with people there was priceless in helping hone his ministry skills.

“School helped me with preaching,” he said. “Life experiences prepared me for pastoring. There’s more I learned in life experiences than I could have ever learned in school. School gave me the theology, gave me the background, made sure I wasn’t going to mess the interpretation of the Word up, so that was important, but life experiences helped me to deal with this sociology of people.”

Rev. Brown said in hindsight, he might have been better off studying sociology in school instead of theology because it is closer to what he deals with on a daily basis. After about a year in East Texas, Brown heard about at church in Universal City near Kitty Hawk Road and Pat Booker Road whose pastor had left to work for Robert Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral in California.

The church had about 250 to 300 members and was struggling. He laughs as he recalls submitting his resume with nothing on it. But the resume garnered him an interview, and after preaching an initial sermon and teaching Sunday school, Rev. Brown, who by now was in his late 20s, was offered the job. The struggling congregation was Resurrection Baptist Church, which now has more than 4,500 members.

When he took over as pastor of Resurrection he already had a vision, and it’s the same one he has 20 years later.

“That the Lord would use our church to have a strong evangelical thrust to win people who were looking to connect with Christ and those who are already connected to Christ to reconnect with the church,” he said.

Under Brown’s leadership, in less than a year, the church was able to move to a building on FM 1518 that it purchased for around $200,000 from Resolution Trust Corp. during the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s.

His vision was starting to take shape but Brown said, “Still that was a lot of money for our church.

I told the people it was a faith walk.

If we get here and we can’t afford it, we’ll just go back to where we came from. Nobody’s gonna lose anything.”

Moving forward Rev. Brown said he noticed that the more his church did for the community the more the church was blessed. After reading Rick Warren’s “The PurposeDriven Church,” Brown applied the book’s five principles of ministry, magnification, missions, membership and maturity to his church.

Resurrection then began to grow quickly with emphasis on taking care of the needs of the people first and a bigger facility would naturally follow.

“You can grow the church in a way where you spend most of your money on what you do the most, which is helping people develop, and then grow to a place where you can build a sanctuary,” Brown said.

A father of three sons, Rev. Brown, 47, readily admits to being “not your typical Baptist preacher” and a little unorthodox. While his congregation was ready to build an Aframe structure with stained glass windows, Brown had something in mind that in his words, “would not even look like a church.”

The minister took his ideas to some architects and another phase of his dream began to take shape. He told them he wanted a very contemporary but simple design. And he wanted the facility to serve the needs of the people first. So as part of a master plan, classrooms for Christian education and a multipurpose gym, which doubles as a sanctuary, were built first. The church sits on 13 acres with plans already drawn for a sanctuary, a chapel/funeral hall, offices and more classrooms.

But getting the church built was not an easy chore. After struggling to get financing and breaking ground on a Sunday, September 11, 2001, happened the following Tuesday, causing everything to grind to a halt. About a year later, in the fall of 2002, Resurrection opened its doors. The two-story facility has more than 34,000 square feet with plans for another 40,000 at some point. The church also is home to

Schertz Academy, which caters to infants through pre-kindergarten children. Rev. Brown hopes to get the rest of the facility built within the next five years.

Although it is predominately African American, Rev. Brown said the church is growing more diverse and is now multi-generational. He said God showed him long ago that it really is better to give than to receive, and he is proud of his church in that area. Resurrection helps three or four churches get started each year and has mission programs that make sure whenever disasters strike they have people on the ground and money in place to quickly help.

As Resurrection prepares to open a second campus at Redland Road and Jones Maltsberger Road, Rev. Brown continues to emphasize his philosophy of reaching, teaching and helping people.

“We’re after people who don’t understand church language,” Dr. Brown said. “They don’t understand church politics. They’re not concerned about all that. They just want their lives to be better. If we can just do what Jesus did, cast the net and once we catch the fish, then you can clean it up.”

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hYPer WARSHAW ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD

By Kari Bridges

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WITHOUT A DOUBT, Warshaw describes hera person’s family, education and life experiences contribute toward making them into the person that they were destined to become. Many people might see Sharon Warshaw, an independent Scentsy consultant in Schertz, and not realize in how many ways this interesting, busy young woman contributes to her community and her family on a daily basis.

For the past three years, Warshaw has been working for Scentsy, a directsales company founded in 2004 that specializes in fragrance and sells a collection of decorative low-watt electrical wax warmers that are designed to melt scented wax with the heat of a light bulb instead of a traditional wick and flame. In addition, the company sells solid perfume, room fragrance sprays and the Scentsy Buddy, a collection of nine different stuffed animals designed for children over the age of three that feature a zippered pocket to hold a Scentsy fragrance pack.

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self as a modern-day nomad. Her family has been able to trace their Texas heritage back seven generations to when her ancestors first moved to the Lone Star State from Alabama. Her family settled in Sweetwater, Texas, as ranchers. Her great-greatgrandfather, J.D. Childers, was one of the city’s founders and served as County Commissioner for three terms, helping to develop the region that is now considered the Wind Energy Capital.

Over the years, the Warshaw family became very patriotic with both male and female members serving in the armed forces for many generations. Warshaw proudly explains that her family has given 100 years of total military service to our country.

Her great-aunt was in the famed Women’s Air Corp (WAC) during World War II and served as a volunteer to ensure that domestic flights, aircraft maintenance and supply routes

were kept intact. Warshaw’s mother chose to make a career as a laboratory technician in the medical field for the Navy and moved the family to different bases across the country and Cuba while Warshaw was growing up.

Following in her family’s footsteps, Warshaw enlisted in the Army after completing high school in Virginia, partly because she realized that she needed an education to help mold her into the person she wanted to become.

“I never considered that higher education wasn’t for me,” explained Warshaw. “I always considered myself a professional, but I didn’t want to take out student loans, and I needed to finish my education and gain work experience. I needed the military to have a lifestyle.”

Warshaw was interested in pursuing a career as a mental health specialist and spent the next five and a half years gaining

valuable experience while earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland. Though Warshaw never was deployed, she achieved recognition by earning the Army Accommodation Medal and two Army Achievement Medals -- the Expert Field Medical Badge and the Armed Forces Proficiency Badge -- before ending her service in 2005. Currently, she plans on graduating in July from the University of Phoenix with a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources.

While still in the Army, Warshaw met her husband, Barry, when both attended a four-week Primary Leadership Development Course offered at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. After several months of dating, they were married in August 2001 at the historic La Mansion del Rio Hotel located on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. continued on page 36 February 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM February 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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Shortly after their wedding, Warshaw relocated with the Army to Germany, going ahead of her husband who was able to get a joint assignment in the same location and would join her in a few weeks. They were both looking forward to starting their life together in a beautiful country full of tradition and Old World charm. Her husband arrived on September 10, 2001, and the next day, Warshaw’s dream of a charming life in Germany would turn out to have a different reality.

Like so many of us who watched the horrific events of September 11, 2001, unfold in front of our eyes as we sat in shock in front of the television, Warshaw realized that this would change her life too.

After two and a half years in Germany, Warshaw left the Army to begin life as a civilian and a mother. Her husband was reassigned to Fort Sam Houston, and she gave birth to their first child at Wilford Hall.

“I decided to get out of the service because I believe in having a nuclear or core family with traditional family values,” Warshaw explained.

From San Antonio, the family moved to Georgia, where their second child was born, and then to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where Warshaw lived for four years, making it her longest residence in a single house in her entire life. It was while living in Kentucky that she started her Scentsy business as she 36

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Volunteers Add Value to Community

By Kari Bridges

When a person volunteers in the community, they create new experiences, learn new skills and meet new people. If you have only a small amount of time to contribute or several hours to spare a week, you could be volunteering your time to help those in our community. Or maybe you could volunteer just a few months out of the year. Being flexible is one of the benefits of volunteering.

It does not matter what your age is or if you are volunteering as an individual, a group or a family.

You don’t need to have any special

was searching to establish a business that would allow her flexibility and financial opportunities.

“I don’t just give anything a try,” she said. “If I do, it it’s because I know that I can.”

Once again, the Warshaw family relocated to the San Antonio area and recently purchased a home in Schertz, where Sharon is an active sports mom and volunteer at both her children’s elementary school and at the Schertz Chamber of Commerce.

As an independent consultant for Scentsy, she is an active member in the Schertz Chamber of Commerce’s young professionals group called hYPer – Helping Young Professional Entrepreneurs Resource.

Warshas speaks candidly of the

skills or experience, but only a willing heart, to volunteer to make a difference. Many places will offer any necessary training.

Volunteering in the community in different capacities can make a big difference in your life as well as in the lives of others. Choosing an organization to volunteer with depends on what you are personally interested in. You can make a difference in so many different areas that are right here in Schertz. For example, working with animals, children, community development, environmental organizations, health care and fitness, local churches

challenges of moving a direct sales business to a new location and developing business contacts in the community.

“The Schertz Chamber has been an invaluable resource for the growth of my business and the best thing that I could have done for myself,” she said.

As part of the hYPer group, Warshaw volunteers each month at both the Schertz Senior Community Center and the Community Housing Authority, helping to make a difference in the lives of the seniors in our community. She encourages people to help others in the community by volunteering in places that have a need and that they are personally interested in.

As an active member and volunteer, Warshaw contributes several

and business organizations are all volunteer opportunities in Schertz.

Sharon Warshaw works from her home in Schertz as an independent consultant for Scentsy, a direct sales company specializing in fragrances. Both Warshaw, and the Scentsy Company, believe in the values of generosity, simplicity and authenticity. The company itself encourages consultants to volunteer in their community, believing that volunteering will first bring happiness and then success will follow

hours a week at the Schertz Chamber of Commerce, helping to fill a need in a busy office while serving as a direct link to the business community and the Schertz Chamber.

Warshaw also volunteers in her children’s elementary school for both special class events and in an art class held once a month during lunch called Art-A-La-Carte, a program created by a teacher who depends on volunteers to help present a unique art program to the students because art is no longer taught as a subject in the school. Teaching the art class brings personal fulfillment to Warshaw while also giving her the opportunity to spend time with her children. When the need arises, she also contributes to the family’s neighborhood housing association

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A Family on the Go THE EBERHARDTS KEEP A PACKED SCHEDULE WITH LOCAL, SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

FEBRUARY EVENTS

By Brittany Losey

9 Schertz Area Artz Council Art Auction

21 Schertz Chamber of Commerce Luncheon

22 Schertz Chamber of Commerce Business Expo 1400 Schertz Pkwy, Bldg. #5 (210) 619-1600

Story begins on page 40 Selma Police Officer Ron Eberhardt walks from Selma into Schertz, his hometown.

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A Family on the Go

THE EBERHARDTS KEEP A PACKED SCHEDULE WITH LOCAL, SCHOOL ACTIVITIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39

I

IF ANY FAMILY KNOWS how to keep busy, it’s the Eberhardts. Between the crimefighting dad, multi-talented mom, cheerleader daughter and their newest addition—a foreign exchange student from Finland—it was no easy feat to get them all in one room together. From serving on the Selma police force to bringing National Night Out to their neighborhood to running the Clemens All-Sport Booster Club, these Schertz residents fully embrace what it means to be active members of the local community.

Ron and Sue Eberhardt, married for more than two decades, have spent the last nine years in Schertz, where they moved to from Converse after Ron joined the Selma Police Department.

Ron has a rich history in law enforcement with more than 23 years of experience. In that time, he has worked as a patrol sergeant, detective and SWAT team member. One of his most interesting experiences in law enforcement involved an overseas assignment in Europe.

“It was interesting, quite interesting,” Ron said. “That was when Milosevic had the Serbian troops trying to ethnic cleanse all the Albanians

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Club but also several other ways. She has spent many years volunteering and working at the First Baptist Church of Universal City – she taught at the Academy when Nicole was attending and still stays involved with many church events as well as Nicole’s activities. One year, she made bracelets with Nicole to sell as a fundraiser to send Nicole to cheer camp. Along with her husband, Sue supports Clemens athletics through her works with the booster club and concession stand.

out of Kosovo. NATO went in and bombed, and immediately following they started sending in police officers to train. I was doing organized crime and homicide investigations over While her parents sell concesthere.” sions, 15-year-old Nicole stays involved in Clemens athletics Having served in the U.S. in her own way. After a year Army for several years prior, of cheerleading, Nicole now Ron used his experience with serves as manager of the varsity explosives to investigate a se- volleyball team. Nicole played ries of bombing attacks on a for several years as well but was small mountain village. His forced to take a step back from work ended up putting one of both volleyball and cheerleadSerbia’s high-ranking military ing after injuring ligaments in officials in prison. Back on her ankle. Aside from athletics, this side of the Atlantic, Ron Nicole is also very involved with put similar skills to use in ex- another group on campus—the plosive breaching, which he criminal justice program. Demost often applied to high-risk spite the family connection, Ninarcotics warrants. Addition- cole chose the program herself. ally, he trained and worked on SWAT teams. His assignments, “I never pushed her to that,” locations and schedules have Ron said. “It was her decision varied greatly throughout the she made on her own.” years, but now with a daughter in high school and a foreign Nicole enjoys the competition exchange student in the house, involved and is particularly he has returned to a standard fond of her criminal justice Monday through Friday sched- teacher, Lisa Reid. Nicole is ule at the Selma Police Depart- also learning about health sciment. ences in addition to her other core and elective classes. PrinWhen he’s not on duty, Ron ciples of Health Science is the runs the Clemens All-Sport one class that Nicole, a sophoBooster Club with the help of more, and her family’s foreign his wife, Sue. She stays involved exchange student, Marjukka, a with her family and community junior, are able to take togethnot only through the Booster er.

Marjukka, who goes by her middle name for the sake of pronunciation (her full name is Aino Marjukka Jakosuo), traveled from Finland to study in Schertz. Originally in San Antonio at Roosevelt High School, Marjukka transferred to Clemens during the semester and came to live with the Eberhardts at the beginning of October. The process was a quick one for the Eberhardts, who found out Marjukka needed a place to stay on a Thursday and welcomed her into their home the following Monday.

The family knew little about the foreign exchange program prior to Marjukka’s arrival but decided to give it a try.

“We never heard that much about foreign exchange students, but now that we have Marjukka, we run into other people in the program all the time,” Sue said.

Marjukka is one of a handful foreign exchange students at Clemens this year. Like many of her friends, Marjukka started thinking about study-

ing abroad several years ago, but she ultimately became the only one who followed through with the plan. Marjukka is one of 27 students from her particular program in Texas and the only one from Finland. While she has made many adjustments to life in the U.S., the differences are fewer than many often think. Marjukka describes the questions about her country that classmates ask her.

“People will ask, ‘Do you have TVs?’” Marjukka said with a smile. “I tell them, ‘No, we just sit in the forest.’”

Marjukka gives similar responses to questions about the omnipresence of polar bears and other misconceptions about Finland.

Although she certainly hasn’t forgotten about her favorite things at home, like Finland’s high-quality chocolate, she has also embraced new American traditions. Marjukka arrived in Schertz around Halloween and carved her first pumpkin ever with her new host family. And Marjukka’s first night with the Eberhardts actu-

ally fell on National Night Out, which the family has been involved with for four years.

“We decided a few years ago to have a block party for National Night Out and see what happened,” Ron said.

“We just kind of winged it the first year. We told the neighbors a few days ahead of time that we were having a little get-together over here, so we dragged the canopy and the barbecue pit out. It was all word-of-mouth, and we had a pretty good turnout.”

National Night Out is an annual crime-prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. While the national night occurred in August in 2011, Schertz and the rest of Texas enjoyed NNO on October 4. The national campaign involves citizens, law enforcement agencies, neighborhood businesses, local organizations and other community members.

“It was just a natural thing to do, being involved with law enforcement,” Ron said.

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VALENTINE’S DAY MAY COME

just once a year, but for some local residents, it never ends. They are the ones with names that draw extra attention on and around February 14.

According to the local White Pages, there are several dozen people with the surname Love and about 10 with the last name Valentine.

“People do a double take with the name when they see it written somewhere,” said Joe Love, a resident of Schertz for 17 years. “Usually it is women who will make a comment. It’s tough when you are a kid. Kids tease you about anything, and when you have an odd name, kids will jump on it to tease you.” Joe and Brenda Love have been in love for more than 30 years.

Retired Air Force member James Valentine of Cibolo explained that people tend to like his name, and he will get comments about it not only around Valentine’s Day, but also on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

During his high school years, he wore a button on his coat as a long-standing joke that read “Kiss Me I’m a Valentine.”

“I wore this button but did not receive any offers from any of the ladies because of it,” he said jokingly.

Also in the local White Pages are a dozen people with the last name of Flowers and more than 60 whose last names are Flores, which is the Spanish word for Flowers. And while there are no Hearts listed in the same White Pages, there are almost a half dozen people who go by Mr. or Ms. Hart.

Hearts (and Harts) Aplenty

Valentine first names are rarer in the area, but there are some. There is one local who goes by the first name Romeo compared to 60 in San Antonio.

You can find one Juliet, two Juliettes and one Julieta listed locally. The only Cupid for a first name in the region belongs to a man in San Antonio.

FOLKS WHO ANSWER TO VALENTINE’S-FRIENDLY NAMES GET NOTICED

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The Loves, Joe and Brenda, enjoy a romantic moment in their home.

AND FOR THE REST OF US As Valentine’s Day approaches, stores become filled with the traditional Valentine’s Day gifts of candy, cards and, of course, flowers. Different flowers and colors are said to hold different meanings and messages. A single perfect red rose framed with baby’s breath is referred to by some florists as a signature rose and is the preferred choice by many for giving on Valentine’s Day. Donna Epley, owner of the Bud and Bloom Flower Shop located in the Main Plaza Building downtown, said that each Valentine’s Day, it is difficult to predict what will be the top seller.

“It is hard to say about this area,” Epley said. “One year, it will be roses, tulips and mixed arrangements and the next roses, mixed arrangements and tulips.

Roses and tulips are the most requested flowers, in red, of course. Chocolate is sometimes requested, and plush animals are about five percent of the orders.”

Vicki Contreras, owner of Contreras Flowers and Gifts off Main Street, said that Valentine’s Day is one of her shop’s biggest holidays next to Mother’s Day. In order to prepare for her customer’s requests, Contreras will be ordering 1,000 roses for her shop. Typically, the most popular item is a dozen red roses, but she is anticipating requests for tulips, mixed arrangements and Casablanca lilies.

“You can sell a lot of roses, but I stay within the range of red and white mix,” Contreras said. “I also sell a lot of teddy bears to go with the red roses.”

Other more contemporary ideas that have been popular for giving those special someones include books, music, perfume, jewelry, watches, wine, romantic dinners or even a weekend trip.

No matter what gift you give, just remember that it’s the thought and time that is put into the gift that make it special and why Valentine’s Day will always be the day for love and friendship.

February 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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profilez

Profilez

Richmond Helps Plan City Future LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE AS CHAIRMAN OF P&Z

By Joel Williams

S

Schertz is on a roll with its recent economic development victories, booming population and newly annexed territory.

minimize complications.

He’s a tremendous mind and really a key person to have serving the city of Schertz.”

Behind the scenes, David Richmond has helped to guide the city through a heady growth period as chairman of the Schertz Planning and Zoning Commission. Richmond, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, has served on the commission for 19 years and been its chairman for the past 10 years.

Over the past year, Richmond has been involved in the long-range planning efforts focusing particularly on growth to the north and south, with public charrette meetings to take citizen input.

Those planning efforts underscore the unusual nature of Schertz, which is located in three counties and with two interstate highways, I-35 an I-10, on which the city has a total of 13 miles of frontage.

Schertz Mayor Hal Baldwin, who has known Richmond since he started on the commission, described him as one of the best appointments the City ever has made to any commission.

Dave Richmond relaxes at his house which has a great view of the nearby greenbelt.

Richmond likes going on out on his patio to enjoy the beauty of nature.

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“He’s been through this rapid growth with us,” Baldwin said. “He has made some recommendations that have helped to

“That enables us to have diversity, with a residential and business district across I-35 and a more rural area to the south along I-10,” Richmond said.

“We are positioned for growth in the corridor.”

Planning and Zoning, along with various city of-

ficials, is trying to make sure that developers and other property owners understand the kind of mix that the City Council wants in various parts of the city. City Council created the Planning and Zoning Commission with an ordinance passed in 1987. It includes seven regular members and two alternates appointed by the council for twoyear terms. Its primary functions are to identify the community’s residential and commercial needs, recommend zoning changes to help implement those needs, advise City Council on short- and long-range development plans, ensure orderly development and city expansion and recommend plans and policies to improve citizens’ health and welfare.

The commission works closely with city planning staff and other officials to ensure that proposed de-

velopment is in line with the Unified Development Code and Comprehensive Land Plan. It meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month in City Council chambers, if needed.

“Commission members welcome input from residents and others interested in development and smart growth in the city,” said Richmond, who has lived in Schertz since 1990.

His 21-year Air Force career included time in Guam during the Vietnam era and two tours of duty at Randolph Air Force Base, which shares a boundary with Schertz, as well as four years as base commander at High Wycombe in England. After retiring from the Air Force in 1987, Richmond worked in San Antonio at military-friendly financial services company USAA until retiring in 1998. continued on page 46

February 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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Richmond Helps Plan City Future CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45

S

Steele Spirit Shines Through Lindsay Mayle

Donning a black Steele Knights cheerleading uniform, a hair bow and white tennis shoes, Lindsay Mayle, 21, walked onto the field. This was her biggest venue to date-the 5A Division II State Championship game at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on December 17, 2011.

The lights shone brightly and the stadium roared as Mayle stood on the sidelines with her teammates in front of the 15,092 attendees. Grinning from ear to ear, she cheered, waving her black and silver pompoms joyfully in the air. The fact that Mayle has Down syndrome does not deter her.

By Jasmyne Douglas Steele High School Writer

For Richmond, the growth and economic vitality of Schertz make serving on Planning and Zoning interesting and keep him wanting to stay involved with the commission, on which, like other members, he serves without pay.

“It’s probably the most exciting thing that has ever happened to her,” said Lindsay’s mom, Joanna Mayle. “By it being so much of a blessing and so exciting to her, it’s even more so for us as a family to be able to see her do something that she has always wanted to do and actually do it on the field as opposed to sitting in the stands. It means the world to us.”

Richmond also believes that new City Manager John Kessel brings a fresh perspective to the growing city. At times during Kessel’s 14-year tenure with the city of McKinney in North Texas, McKinney was the fastestgrowing U.S. city and last year was ranked the fifth-best small U.S. city to live in by CNN Money magazine.

Mayle, a 2008 Steele graduate, and her family have had season tickets to the football games ever since the school had a varsity team. According to her mother, Mayle loved the cheerleaders and would cheer along with them as they sat in the third row. They caught onto her enthusiasm for their cheering right away.

“His work in McKinney is where Schertz is likely to go over the next 20 years,” Richmond said.

Richmond, 68, was born in Hutchinson, Kansas, but grew up in the Washington, D.C., area, where his wife, Susan, is from. They have two children and four grandchildren living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and make frequent use of I-35 to visit them. The Richmonds enjoy traveling, and their trips have included visits to China, South America and Europe. The couple also have developed an interest in genealogy that led to them spending a week in July in Salt Lake City, Utah, so they could do research at the Mormon Library.

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Mayle’s first game was this year’s season opener against Madison at Lehnhoff Stadium. The team found a cheerleading uniform and wanted her to put it on and come out onto the field to cheer with them. Mayle’s teammates called out to her younger brother, junior Matthew Mayle, who is a wide receiver on the varsity football team, to get his attention.

The idea of Mayle joining the cheerleading squad came up after a cheerleader gave her an old set of pompoms at Meet the Knights, an annual pep rally to ring in the varsity sports season.

“I was just sitting on the bench, and I heard someone call my name, and normally, I am just so locked in and focused that I never turn and pay attention to what’s going on behind me,” Matthew said. “I just happened to turn around, and it was one of the cheerleaders. She pointed to my sister, and I just lost it.

I tried to keep my cool and tried not to cry during the game, but I held it all in.

I’m extremely proud of her. She’s gone through so much, and to see her cheer is just a blessing itself.”

“It was a really big deal to us,” Joanna said.

“I guess they just didn’t realize how much it meant to us until they did that and a cheerleader’s mother made the comment,

With a great outpouring of community support from the minute she stepped out onto the field, Lindsay Mayle has shown that she can be just like everyone else.

“Whenever I see Lindsay cheering, I can tell that it’s something she really loves doing,” said junior Viktoria Guttenberg, a fellow cheerleader. “I think seeing her so cheerful all the time helps the whole team keep a more positive and enthusiastic attitude.”

Lindsay Mayle, foreground, works with other Steele cheerleaders

‘Gosh, we should see if we can try to get Lindsay on the field.’ So she proceeded to talk to the cheer coach, Kristy Lovett, who then went to the administration, and they got the ball rolling.”

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Civic Newz

February 2012

Schertz General Election MAY 12

Residents will head to the polls May 12 to elect mayor and City Council members in Places 1 and 2. Place 1 is currently held by Jim Fowler, Place 2 by David Scagliola and the Mayor’s position by Hal Baldwin.

Submit your voter registration application by April 12 to vote in the Schertz general election. Voter registration cards can be picked up the Schertz Library, City Hall and county offices.

Filing for a place on the ballot opens February 4 and closes March 5 in the City Secretary’s Office located at 1400 Schertz Parkway, Building No. 2. The last day to file as a write-in candidate is March 5.

Early voting runs from April 30 to May 8 at the Guadalupe County Office Building at 1101 Elbel Road in Schertz. Hours of voting will be 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Monday, April 30, through Friday, May 4, and from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Monday, May 7, through Tuesday, May 8. Voting on Election Day, Saturday, May 12, will be from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM at the Schertz Community Center at 1400 Schertz Parkway, Bldg. No. 3.

To be eligible as a candidate for public elective office, a person must: •

• • •

48

Have resided continuously in the City of Schertz for the six (6) months immediately preceding the date of the regular filing deadline for a candidate’s application for a place on the ballot; Be 18 years of age or older on the first day of term to be filled; Be a registered voter at the time of filing; Not have an obligation past due to the City, provided, however, that a person may be elected and hold office if such obligation is being actively contested in an appropriate forum.

Sewer Averaging Will Affect Residents’

SFD Training Tower

RISING TO NEW HEIGHTS

2012-2013 SEWER BILLS

Sewer averaging for the winter months begins on October 24, 2011, and continues through March 6, 2012, for cycle billing.

Meter readings taken over this period determine your sewer average for the next billing year, which begins April 1. The readings will be averaged, and that average will be multiplied by $2.65 for residents with an aver-

The four-story training tower being built

by Schertz firefighters next to the fire station is becoming a familiar landmark. The tower will be used by firefighters for highangle and low-angle training rescues such as on the side of a cliff or building. It also will be used to give firefighters practice in carrying heavy equipment like fire hoses up the stairs of a multi-story building.

age below 12,000 gallons.

For residents with averages greater than 12,001 gallons, the average will be multiplied by $2.84. That total will be added to the base rate of $3.75 for residential use. The resulting average will be your sewer charge for the next 12 months. For more information, visit schertz.com or call (210) 619-1100.

December Blood Drive Caps SUCCESSFUL 2011 FOR EMS

It was a full house at one point mid-morning on December 22 in the Bloodmobile outside of Schertz City Hall during a blood drive that saw 22 units of blood donated.

For more information, call the City Secretary’s office at (210) 619-1030 or (210) 6191031, or visit schertz.com.

Schertz EMS held blood drives throughout 2011, and a total of 120 units was donated during those

events, according to Susan Holt of the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center.

Schertz EMS will hold a blood drive approximately every eight weeks in 2012.

The next blood drive is slated for February 15 from 8:00 AM to noon.

For more information, call (210) 619-1400 or visit schertz.com.

Schertz firefighters use a ladder truck to reach the top floor of a four-story training tower.

SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM February 2012

February 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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IMPORTANT SCHERTZ

PHONE NUMBERS Calendarz

February 2012

Annual Spring Clean-up

Thursday, 2 Transportation Safety Advisory Commission 5:30 PM- Council Chambers

MARCH 3-18

Roll up those sleeves! It’s time to clean out the garage, attic and closets. The Annual Spring Clean-up will run from March 3 to March 18 with hazardous material picked up on the weekends of March 10-11 and March 17-18 only.

Monday, 6 Library Advisory Board 7:00 PM - Schertz Public Library Tuesday, 7 City Council, 6:00 PM—Council Chambers

A maximum of three pick-up truck-loads per household or a maximum of two trailer-loads per household are permitted.

Trailers cannot exceed 16 feet long and four feet high.

There also is a combined limit of 20 gallons for paints/stains and a combined limit of 20 gallons for automotive/cooking oils.

A current water bill or tax statement and proper identification are required when making a drop-off.

Schertz Public Works provides year-round curbside chipping service for brush and tree limbs on Fridays for a fee of $25 per half-hour. To make an appointment for this service, call (210) 619-1800.

For more information, contact Bexar Waste at (210) 566-5454 or visit schertz.com.

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Wednesday, 8 Planning & Zoning 6:00 PM - Council Chambers

Schertz PD Launches Crimefighting TEXT MESSAGE TIP SERVICE

Residents can now send anonymous text and web tips to the Schertz Police Department. The service, called TipSoft, allows citizens to send anonymous tips online or by sending a text message to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword SCHERTZ from a mobile phone.

“The widespread use of text messaging makes it easy for the public to help law enforcement agencies fight crime,” said Schertz Police Chief Don Taylor. “And with TipSoft, they can know that it’s safe for them to do the right thing without ever disclosing their identity.”

TipSoft, which is made

by CrimeReports, allows agencies and members of the public to have a two-way dialogue that is completely secure and anonymous. The service specifically allows text message providers to remain anonymous by encrypting the text messages, assigning them a unique alias and ID and routing them through secure servers, protecting the personal details of the information provider.

“Schertz PD is demonstrating its commitment to the public and to public safety by using technology to prevent, reduce and solve crime,” says Greg Whisenant, founder and

CEO of CrimeReports.

“With TipSoft, agencies can invite the public to take an active role in making their communities safer.”

Citizens are encouraged to use TipSoft to report information about any non-urgent illegal activity, such as unsolved cases, vandalism, theft, the sale and distribution of drugs or information about crimes that are being planned in the community or in schools. For more information, visit schertz. com and CrimeReports. com.

Tuesday, 14 City Council, 6:00 PM—Council Chambers Monday , 20 CITY HOLIDAY, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY Tuesday, 21 City Council, 6:00 PM—Council Chambers Thursday, 23 Economic Development Corporation 6:00 PM - Council Chambers Tuesday, 21 City Council, 6:00 PM—Council Chambers Wednesday, 22 Planning & Zoning, 6:00 PM - Council Chambers Monday, 27 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board 5:30 PM – Bob Andrews Room Board of Adjustments 6:00 PM – Council Chambers Tuesday, 28 City Council, 6:00 PM-Council Chambers ***Meeting locations may change, please visit the calendar at www.schertz.com for confirmation.***

Hal Baldwin

210-658-6466

Council Members: Michael Carpenter Cedric Edwards, Sr. Jim Fowler David Scagliola George Antuna, Jr.

(210) 619-1045 (210) 566-4540 (210) 658-1442 (830) 606-1130 (210) 467-7914

City Departments: City of Schertz (210) 619-1000 Animal Control (210) 619-1550 Business/Utilities (210) 619-1100 City Manager (210) 619-1000 City Secretary (210) 619-1030 Civic Center (210) 619-1600 Customer Care/311 (210) 619-1000 Economic Development (210) 619-1070 EMS (non-emergency) (210) 619-1400 Fire (non-emergency) (210) 619-1300 Human Resources (210) 619-1150 Information Technology (210) 619-1180 Inspections (210) 619-1750 Marshal Services (210) 619-1650 Municipal Court (210) 619-1500 Parks & Recreation (210) 619-1850 Planning & Zoning (210) 619-1780 Police (non-emergency) (210) 619-1200 Public Affairs (210) 619-1630 Public Library (210) 619-1700 Public Works (210) 619-1800 Records (210) 619-1030 Website schertz.com

#info

Monday, 13 Buffalo Valley Youth Association 6:00 PM - 401 Oak St.

Residents may drop off items not covered under normal collection services and tree limbs free of charge at 2221 FM 3009 (near Schertz Funeral Home) from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily.

City of Schertz Elected Officials Mayor:

Send queries about articles or photographs to Schertz Magazine at 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz, Texas 78154.

Subscriptions to Schertz Magazine are free for each Schertz household. Subscriptions for residents and businesses outside the City of Schertz are $19.95 annually. Call 210-619-1630.

For advertising information: Schertz Magazine, 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz, Texas 78154; call (210) 619-1630; Fax (210) 619-1619; email sales@schertz.com.

NEWS POLICY

Schertz Magazine encourages submission of news and event announcement items. News and event announcements must include contact name and contact phone number. All news and event items must be for activities that occur inside the Schertz city limits. Publication cannot be guaranteed. If you would like to submit an item to Schertz Tales, email us at events@schertz.com or call us at (210) 619-1630.

The appearance of advertising in this publication does not constitute endorsement by the City of Schertz. All products and services advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, physical or mental handicap, political affiliation or other non-merit factor of purchaser, user or patron.

Articles that appear in Schertz Magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of the City of Schertz and does not constitute an endorsement therein. The appearance of any advertisement in Schertz Magazine does not constitute an endorsement of the goods or services advertised. Any publication of Schertz Tales, whether draft or final is sole property of the City of Schertz and cannot be reproduced or distributed in any way, whether in print or electronically, without the express permission and written consent of the City of Schertz.

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