A farmers’ market is held 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays at Grady’s Bar-B-Q, 7400 Bandera Road.

Grey Forest Farmer’s Market is held 3 to 6 p.m. at the Scenic Loop Playground Club, 18249 Sherwood Trail, off of Scenic Loop Road. The event is held the first and third Fridays of each month.

Saturday

Northwest Bexar Democrats will have their monthly meeting 8:30 to 10 a.m. at Luby’s Cafeteria, 9251 Floyd Curl Drive at Huebner Road. San Antonio City Councilmembers Delicia Hererra and Justin Rodriguez will update the audience on happenings in their council districts. The continental breakfast cost is $5. For details, visit www.northwestdemocrats.org.  

Low-cost vaccinations

for dogs and cats will be provided 9 to 11 a.m. at Wal-Mart, 8923 W. Military Drive.

Learn about local Texas wildlife at the Government Canyon Natural Area with hands-on activities 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. that will include skins, skulls, tracks and scat. There is no scheduled hike for this event. The class is for children, but parents are encouraged to attend. Class size is limited to 40. Reservations, accepted by e-mail only, end at noon July 18.

For more information e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  

“Exploring the Canyon” interpretive walks at Government Canyon State Natural Area, 12861 Galm Road, start at the visitor center by the rainwater harvesting tower at 9:30 a.m. the third Saturday and Sunday of each month. Bring a liter of water, snacks and wear sturdy footwear appropriate for rough trails. Length of walks and interpretive topics will vary. Open to all ages, though group size is limited to the first 10 people.

The Friends of the Igo Library will hold a paperback book sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at John Igo Branch Library, 13330 Kyle Seale Parkway. Children’s books will also be available. Books will be priced at $1 or 50 cents. Funds raised will be used to support the branch library. Donations of gently used books are accepted on an ongoing basis at the library circulation desk. Donated books that can be are added to the library’s collection and other books are used for the sale.

Helotes Humane Society holds monthly adoption days at The Palms Pet Resort from 1 to 4 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month from 1 to 4 p.m.

For information call 210-218-0835 or www.hhsanimals.org.  

Sunday

Four low-cost vaccination clinics for dogs and cats will be held at the following H-E-B locations: 9 to 11 a.m. at Potranco Road and Loop 1604 and at Guilbeau and Bandera roads, 12:30 to 2 p.m. at 1604 and Bandera and at 1604 and Culebra Road.

Monday

Spay-Neuter Assistance Program will offer low-cost procedures for dogs and cats Monday at Westlakes Mall (between Jim’s and Taco Cabana). Pets should be dropped off by 7:30 a.m. in pillowcase or carrier. Call 673-7722.

Humane Society of Bexar County will host its annual Camp Humane, a day camp of for children age 11 to 13 July 21 to 25 at 4804 Fredericksburg Road. The camp involves fun, educational activities. Cost is $255, including refreshments. Contact Maria Garcia at 226-7461, ext. 120, or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

A speed dating event, 6 to 8 p.m. at Dave & Buster’s, 440 Crossroads Blvd., benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The fee is $35 per person.

For more information, or to register, go to www.active.com. Preregistration is required.

Tuesday

A farmers’ market is held 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays at Grady’s Bar-B-Q, 7400 Bandera Road.

Meet snake enthusiast and The Snake Connection Webmaster Susan Frigge at 7 p.m. at the Maverick Library, 8700 Mystic Park. Susan is a long-time pet snake owner and will be glad to answer questions about snakes in general and snakes as pets in particular. She’ll even bring some of her favorite snakes to meet. For more information, call the library at 680-9346. All library programs are free and open to the public.

Wednesday

Leon Valley Farmers’ Market is held 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays at the Community Center, 6420 Evers Road.

A farmers’ market is held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays at JC Food Mart, 3606 Fredericksburg Road.

The Cavender Chevrolet 2008 Live Music Series at The County Line, a benefit for the San Antonio Food Bank, is held 6 to 10 p.m. each Wednesday through Oct. 29 at the County Line Bar-B-Q restaurant, 10101 Interstate 10 West. Tonight, Jonathan Taylor & the Northern Lights open at 6:30 p.m. before featured act No Justice at 8 p.m. The live music series is free. Customers are asked to make a food or monetary donation to the San Antonio Food Bank.

July 24

Methodist Children’s Home will present an informational meeting on foster child care from 6 to 8 p.m. in room S212-213 at University United Methodist Church, 5084 DeZavala Road. For details, contact caseworker Joshua Duran at 733-3904 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  

July 25

A farmers’ market is held 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays at Grady’s Bar-B-Q, 7400 Bandera Road.

July 26

A farmers’ market at H-E-B at Potranco and Loop 1604 features fresh produce from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. It is held at this location every other week.

“For Goodness Snakes,” an hour of kid-friendly interpretation and activities focused on snakes and their importance in the ecosystem, is targeted at kids, but open to all ages. Meet at the Government Canyon State Natural Area’s visitor center, 12861 Galm Road, by the rainwater harvesting tower, rain or shine, 11 a.m. to noon or 2 to 3 p.m. For more information, call (210) 688-9055, ext 292.

Dutch oven cooking demonstration by members of the San Antonio Chuck Wagon Gang Chapter of the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society, is held 9 a.m. to noon at Government Canyon State Natural Area, 12861 Galm Road, at the covered pavilion.  Bring plenty of drinking water. This program is open to all ages but participation is limited. Children must be accompanied by an adult. A $3 supply fee will be payable to the presenters. Reservations are required. For more information email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please include names of each participant, age if under 18, and email address and telephone number. Natural Area entrance fees apply.

An hour of kid-friendly interpretation and activities is targeted at kids but open to all ages 11 a.m. to noon and again 2 to 3 p.m., rain or shine. Meet at visitor center by the rainwater harvesting tower.For more information, call 688-9055.

July 30

The Cavender Chevrolet 2008 Live Music Series at The County Line, a benefit for the San Antonio Food Bank, is held 6 to 10 p.m. each Wednesday through Oct. 29 at the County Line Bar-B-Q, 10101 Interstate 10 West. Tonight, Mark Monaco opens at 6:30 p.m. before featured act Ryan James at 8 p.m. The live music series is free. Customers are asked to make a food or monetary donation to the San Antonio Food Bank.

In a zoning decision that brought standing-room only attendance to City Hall on July 10, the Helotes City Council voted to rezone 27 acres of land on Bandera Road from a residential (R-1) to an office and professional (B-1) district.

The land, adjacent to the Los Reyes Canyons subdivision, belongs to James “Buddy” Cook, a golf enthusiast who lives at The Dominion in San Antonio. Cook, who said he doesn’t know what he wants to with the land, which is on the market, said he would be content with B-1, even though the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended a B-2 (neighborhood services) district. The agenda item on the topic called for a B-3 zoning (general business) district.

Several Los Reyes residents spoke to wanting to preserve the small-town feel of Helotes, citing traffic, noise and lighting concerns that were going to hit them in their backyards.

“Land-use planning must preserve the unique rustic beauty of Helotes,” said Mark Weiss, a member of the Los Reyes homeowners’ association. “I understand that economic development is inevitable in Helotes.”

Weiss said he fears that a B-2 zoning could lead to a Walgreens or an H-E-B, and that a B-3 district could lead to a Wal-Mart.

Helotes presently has no B-2 or B-3 land. The city’s neighborhood service district (B-2) consists of businesses “furnishing retail goods such as groceries, drugs, clothing and such services to satisfy the household needs of the surrounding residential area,” according to city ordinance. A B-3 retail zone consists of “area retail and wholesale sales and limited repair/fix-it operations” including department stores, restaurants, camera and appliance repair and “limited warehousing in conjunction with wholesale distribution.”

“We moved here on the edge of the Hill Country to get away from the H-E-Bs and the Super Wal-Marts, said Los Reyes resident Michael Freckleton.

Councilwoman Cynthia Massey shared a letter with the audience containing concerns she had back in 1994, when lot sizes were changing in Helotes. Concerns in the letter were similar to those expressed at the meeting.

“Helotes has not become a mini-San Antonio primarily because of the building ordinances that are in place,” she said, later adding that for the city to thrive it must have sales tax revenue.

“We need a little bit of retail in our city,” she said.

Councilman Rich Whitehead echoed the sentiment, reminding residents that the businesses must go somewhere.

“We keep pointing someplace else,” Whitehead said.

Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Greg Michel said that the decision to recommend the land for B-2 was made with the city’s “business corridor” on Bandera Road in mind.

Massey added that while Texas cities on average survive on 34 percent of property taxes and 30 percent on sales tax, in 2007 Helotes brought in 39.42 percent in property taxes and 18.02 in sales taxes. So far this year, Helotes has brought in around 12 percent of sales tax revenue.

Some council members said they were fully prepared to vote for B-2 zoning before Cook said he would be satisfied with B-1. Councilmen David Legendre and Ed Villanueva live at Los Reyes Canyons.

Cook contributed $1,000 each to the campaigns of Legendre, Villanueva and Massey. Legendre bristled at previous suggestions that the campaign donation would have an influence on his decision.

“I was very disturbed that someone would bring that up,” he said.

Cook said there is a possibility down the road he may return to ask for B-2 zoning. He described decades of appreciating Helotes’ charm, and the desire not to be viewed as a foreign invader.

“My intention was never to have a big-box store,” Cook said. “I want to act with the community, not against the community.”

Regardless, Los Reyes residents urged the council to beware of developers, and pointed out that zoning decisions stand even after land changes hands.

“We have to be really smart about our decision right out of the gate,” said Los Reyes resident Cynthia Beamer.

Boris, a Russian grizzly bear, was rescued in Florida and brought to the Animal Sanctuary of the United States in Helotes. Photos by Sarah Snyder

By Sarah Snyder
Staff Writer

Imagine only getting fed when you danced for passers-by, in an 8-by-8-foot, concrete-bottom caged lined with your own feces. Or only weighing one-sixth of your ideal body weight and, instead of receiving life-saving nourishment, being fed alcohol.

Boris, a Russian grizzly bear rescued in Florida, doesn’t have to imagine this. As part of a roadside show, he was 150 pounds when rescued, but now weighs about 1,000 pounds, says Carol Asvestas, president

This jungle cat, is one of hundreds of animals at the nonprofit organization, which is in dire financial straights after a post office fire claimed yearly donations. Produce and dry dog food donations have completely ceased as well.

You wouldn’t know it by passing down Loop 1604 and Braun Road, a short spit away from your neighborhood Valero, that there is a “halfway house” that holds primates, bears, exotic birds, tigers, lions … and even feral and domestic cats.

“We’re not a zoo, we don’t let people play with the animals,” Asvestas said. “When you’re here, you learn about the animals and all the atrocities these animals go through.”

Consider Tarzan, rescued from Cancun, Mexico, more than four years ago. In a 3-by-3-by-4 foot cage, all the lion had for entertainment was an old coconut shell. For eight days, ASUS staff rode in a van to pick up the malnourished feline. Tarzan died last year because of renal failure, but not without living more than four years at the sanctuary, where he played and socialized with others of his breed.

In addition to the 10-acre facility on 9488 Leslie Road, where animals are temporary kept until they are rehabilitated and socialized, ASUS has a private 102-acre facility in Northwest Bexar County, the animals’ final destination.

ASUS has taken in former pets, confiscated abused animals, and former research animals, and has helped in the rescue and transport of pets from hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

Tragedy struck the facility in late March when a Dallas post office containing an estimated $15,000 to $20,000 in donations burned down. Combined with pulled produce and dry dog food donations, ASUS is in dire financial straights.

For a nonprofit organization that goes through 10 50-pound bags of dry dog food a day, annual food costs alone are $40,000. Additionally, when ASUS takes in the animals, it does not receive funding for their costly care.

ASUS gets calls every day for animals drop-offs, and it has to say no.

“It’s heartbreaking to see the kind of conditions they live in out there,” Asvestas said.

She recalls how she got into this business more than 25 years ago. After moving here from England to become a nurse, her husband brought home an injured exotic bird.

“It was actually an English sparrow, which was quite ironic,” she said.

She couldn’t find a single place to take the bird for care, so she had to learn how to do it herself. Soon after, word got out, and she was drowning in needy animals.

“I quickly learned, after having 32 baby raccoons and 62 birds in my bedroom, that it would be time to pursue this as a career or not do animals at all,” she said.

Boris has two neighbors at his temporary enclosure facility; a pair of grizzly bears, one named Natasha because she likes Boris.

While animal care technician Terry Minschew gives a tour of the basking mammals, Natasha suddenly gets up and picks a play fight with the other bear.

They look like they’re dancing, and they’re not doing it for food.

“This is what makes it all worth it,” Minschew said.

How you can help

Mail a cash donation to ASUS/WAO, P.O. Box 690422, San Antonio, Texas 78269.

Visit the sanctuary and take a tour Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children, active military and seniors. Children under age 2 are free. Call 688-9038 for more information.

There are lots of options for lawn watering. Some to consider are not watering at all, selective watering, watering once a week and watering once every two weeks.

Approximately 50 percent of the homeowners in San Antonio do not irrigate their lawn at all. A major advantage to this strategy is that your water bills are very low. Lawn watering accounts for about two-thirds of the water used by families that water the lawn in the summer. That is a lot of volume to pay for.

The other factor to consider in using water to irrigate your lawn is that the water rates increase per unit water as you use more water. The average homeowner uses about 10,000 gallons a month. If you use more than 17,000 gallons a month, you move into the fourth tier where water costs 41 cents for every 1,000 gallons, about four times the cost of water in the first tier.

The disadvantage of no lawn irrigation is that the lawn goes dormant. Dormant is not the same as dead. Dormant means brown zoysia, Bermuda, or buffalo grass that greens up as soon as it rains again. St. Augustine grass does not have the same ability to go dormant, but it can survive a long time without water, especially in the shade and especially if you have the Floratam variety.

There is a variation on complete dormancy that I find desirable. Let most of your lawn go dormant, but keep a small area around the front door and patio green by watering weekly. This strategy avoids the disadvantage of a completely brown lawn, but can keep the water bill at a low level.

Stage I watering restrictions in San Antonio are built around once per week irrigation by address. Most lawns in the San Antonio area will stay green with once per week watering that provides half or three-quarters of an inch of irrigation. The exceptions are those lawns or parts of lawn with less than 4 inches of soil.

If your home in San Antonio was built after January, 2006, and there is less than four inches of soil, the builder did not fulfill the requirements of the Water Conservation Ordinance. Contact San Antoni Water System’s Conservation Department at 704-7283 to see if there is action that can be taken. If your house is older and you have less than 4 inches of soil, you will have to add soil or tolerate brown grass.

The soil under a lawn is the water reservoir and area where the roots grow. The Hill Country plants and other xeriscape plants can prosper in limited soil, but a lawn needs more than 4 inches. It takes a reservoir of more than that to provide enough water for a lawn to stay green for a week in temperatures of 95 degrees and higher.

If you really want to provide the exact amount of water every week to keep the lawn green without wasting any, sign up for SIP (Seasonal Irrigation Program). Go to the SAWS Web site at www.saws.org and then click on Conservation, then on SIP.

The service is free and you do not need to be a SAWS customer to participate. You provide information on your grass type and the amount of shade. In return you receive a recommendation by e-mail each week telling you how much water is needed to keep your lawn green.

The recommendation is based on potential evapo-transpiration, or PET. PET is a formula that translates weather data into water needs. The program was developed by SAWS and Texas A&M Agrilife Extension. It has worked for 10 years.

If dry spots occur after once per week watering, it indicates a problem with the irrigation coverage, or spots with compacted or shallow soil. In the long-term, it pays to correct the deficiency, but in the short-term, just provide some supplementary water with hand-watering to address the problem areas.

Hopefully, we will not move into Stage III restrictions, but if we do, the water use reductions are based on limiting lawn watering to once every two weeks. Lawns will not be green with irrigation every two weeks, but they will stay alive.

Watering once every two weeks is not an unreasonable strategy for lawn watering now.

Calvin R. Finch, Ph.D., is a horticulturist and the director of water resources for SAWS.