Story and photos
by Carole Miller 

Future supermodels Brooke Bakke, Andrea Magoon and Faith Miller modeled the latest in pre-teen fashion at Allie G’s Boutique.

It all began with the ultra-glamorous “elementary school set” of ’09. These young ladies were featured in a recent fashion show at the popular Alamo Heights children’s and ‘tween’s boutique, Allie G’s.

Among the local supermodels were Lille Ware, Bracken Barnes, Carly Fuhrmann, Brooke Bakke, Jennabelle Fuhrmann, Andrea Magoon and Faith Miller. And the packed audience included many local trendsetters including Joy and Triple Fuhrmann, Dick and Ginger Lord, Burton and Margaret Barnes, Jessica Bakke and Doreen Magoon.

Local realtors Judy Crawford and J.P. Martin toured some of San Antonio’s most fashionable homes recently.

And next, the always lovely sisters of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority gathered for a luncheon meeting at the home of Kari Willenbring. Being an Alpha Gam myself, I really enjoyed spending the afternoon with all my stylish sisters, including Diane Hoff, Joanne Snook, Lauren Richter, Kelly and Jennifer Crespin, Betty Jolly and Barbara Bearr.

Proud papas Burton Barnes and Triple Fuhrmann attended the Allie G’s fashion show.

Christie Strunk and Supreme Lending sponsored this “Tour of the Finest.” While on tour, I got to meet local real estate gurus Janet Heydenreich, Judy Crawford, J.P. Martin, Mandi Gerner, Denise Brown, Margaret Hollingsworth and local mega-builder Lisa Nichols.

Alpha Gamma Delta sisters Joanne Snook and Kari Willenbring

Renowned perfumer Antoine Maisondieu created the fragrance, described as “a sparkling fragrance with a blend of violets, blackcurrant, Bulgarian rose, Egyptian jasmine and iris butter.” And the bottle, designed by famous French artist Joël Desgrippes, is a work of art.

Local builder Lisa Nichols showed off her work with listing agent Janet Heydenreich during the ''Tour of the Finest.''

Ciao!

Ben Burkholder and Tucker Azar dangling from the zip lines. Photo by Courtney Burkholder

If the high price of gas has put your summer plans on hold, and you’re searching for some family fun closer to home, then look no further.

How about a day in the country, zipping through a canopy of oak trees, picnicking next to a beautiful pond, hiking, biking, fishing, and enjoying the beauty of the Texas Hill Country? For the first in 30 years, the Don Strange Ranch is opening its doors to the public with the addition of the Zip Line on Zink Hill.

“It’s a way for families to vacation right in their own backyard,” said Jason Strange, executive director of the Don Strange Ranch Adventure Challenge Course. “I think there is a need for the general public to get out into the wilderness and back to nature, so we took it a step further.”

Each 500-foot zip line was installed by Alpine Towers, one of the country’s leading companies in zip line installation and training. The staff was thoroughly trained for proper zip-line techniques and procedures. Each 60 foot tower has a rope net that visitors use to climb to the top of the tower. Although steep, visitors are strapped to a safety harness at all times so falling is impossible.

“Safety is our number-one priority,” Strange said. “Once you reach the top, people can enjoy the breathtaking view of the Don Strange Ranch, longhorns grazing in pastures nearby, and the feeling of flying through air as you zip down Zink Hill.”

These “zip-liners” and Alamo Heights residents seemed to agree!

“It was really cool,” said 9-year-old Tucker Azar. “It’s really high and fast.”

“I was a little nervous at first, but then it was so fun,” said his 9-year-old friend Ben Burkholder. “I wanted to do it again!”

There is no age limit for the zip lines, but children must be able to climb to the top of the tower unaided and there is no tandem zipping. Kids and adults alike will enjoy the ride. “It’s challenging, exciting fun for the whole family,” Strange said.

Along with the zip lines, the attraction features a nine-hole Frisbee disc golf course, catch-and-release fishing along the Kendall Creek, and more than two miles of hike and bike trails over the ranch. Bikes and fishing poles are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis, but guests are encouraged to bring their own as well.

There is also an on-site snack bar where visitors can refuel with chips, energy bars, drinks and bottled water. Guests can bring their own food onto the ranch and enjoy a shaded picnic along the shore of Kendall Creek.

The cost is $29.95 per person and all attractions are included in the price of entrance. The Zip Line on Zink Hill is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, and promises a day of fun and excitement for the whole family as well as a taste of Hill Country beauty without traveling too far from home!

For more information, visit www.strangeclimb.com.

By Tony Cantú
Contributing Writer

Olmos Park has received dozens of resumes from applicants vying to be police chief – a vacancy left after the recent resignation of the city’s top law enforcement officer.

Former Police Chief Louis Alcoser quit his post after 13 years of service to the community, including more than six years as police chief. Asked about Alcoser’s May 9 departure, Olmos Park City Manager Amy Buckert merely said the former chief was “…pursuing other opportunities.”

Reached at his home, Alcoser suggested he quit over incompatibility issues involving the city manager. Buckert, 30, was appointed as Olmos Park city manager in March 2007.

“Simply put, I love the city of Olmos Park and its residents,” Alcoser said. “But due to irreconcilable difference between me and the city manager, I opted to move on. It wasn’t worth the headache.”

Alcoser said he is weighing his options, mulling whether or not to continue in law enforcement elsewhere. In recent weeks, he has parlayed a seven-year hobby of rebuilding and restoring old player pianos into a second career of sorts – counting Olmos Park residents among his clients – he said.

He added the experience gained from his Olmos Park tenure – not just in law enforcement but in public works, animal control and code compliance in a workload typical of a small city where the police chief performs multiple duties – should bode well in his job search.

“With all those skills under my belt, I could possibly go in one of those directions,” he said. “It’s typical of small municipalities where department heads wear many hats. It’s not unusual, but at times can be overwhelming and very demanding.”

Buckert said the city has received more than 50 resumes from hopefuls vying to occupy the city’s top law enforcement position. Assistant Police Chief Danny Causey has taken the reins in the meantime, she said, although declining to comment whether Causey himself was a candidate for the job.

“We’ve had quite a few submissions, and are very pleased with the response,” Buckert said in a telephone interview, noting she and Mayor Ron Tefteller are sifting through the resumes to arrive at a list of top contenders. “The mayor and I currently are reviewing them, and we plan to have a plan of action in the next few weeks.”

Mayor Ron Tefteller added the city hopes to take its time reviewing each application to ensure selecting the right person for the job: “Obviously, we’d like to do it as soon as possible, but it’s more important to take the right amount of time to make sure we have the right fit. Especially since we’re a small city, we need to make sure we get somebody who will work well with council, the city manager and the fire chief.”

Tefteller’s predecessor, longtime former mayor Gerald Dubinski, had high praise for Alcoser, noting the former chief instituted a police bike patrol to ensure added neighborhood visibility and reinstated a long-dormant “night out” crime watch in Olmos Park, with the added twist of staging it in the fall rather than August when it normally takes place.

“It’s too hot in August, so he changed it to October,” Dubinski said. “It’s a nice opportunity for residents to meet law enforcement personnel as people and not as uniformed officers. Louis is a nice fella, and I wish good things for him.”

Tefteller added his own praise, singling out Alcoser’s accessibility with residents: “Louis was particularly good with dealing with the residents, assisting them and addressing their concerns. He also was very good about directing the staff and following up on investigations. I have high regard for him.”

Some of those same residents still contact the former chief with their concerns, Alcoser noted: “I can’t turn them away because of my years of service to them. I feel obligated to continue to provide my services to them because that’s what I am – a public servant.”

Declining further comment, Buckert provided the North San Antonio Times with a four-sentence prepared statement, noting in part that Alcoser left “in good standing” in May.

“The City Council, staff and residents together thank Police Chief Alcoser for the contributions he has made to our city over the years,” the statement reads. “We wish the police chief and his family the very best in the future.”

The 43-year-old Alcoser served in the office of the Bexar County Constable for more than three years before being hired at Olmos Park. He earned the rank of Olmos Park police chief after about seven years on the force, replacing the late Frank Wilson, who had retired. A product of the Alamo Heights Independent School District, Alcoser and his wife have three children ranging in ages from 2 to 21.

Mommy Matters
By Courtney Burkholder 

Growing up, there was a boy named Scotty whose grandparents lived next door to us. Scotty’s parents were divorced, and both parents worked full-time, so Scotty spent each afternoon and all his summer days at his grandparent’s house next door to ours.

Little Scotty was my brother’s friend, and the thorn in my mother’s side. The minute we pulled in the driveway after school, Scotty was ringing the doorbell and asking if my brother could come out and play.

Each day, my mother patiently explained that my brother had to do his homework before he could play, but that didn’t stop Scotty from ringing the doorbell over and over again to see if my brother was “finished yet.”

This went on every day for years. When we were away, we used to joke that Scotty probably slept on our front porch just waiting for us to return so he could ring the doorbell.

Scotty wasn’t a bad kid, just undisciplined. His grandparents were elderly, cranky and not well equipped to handle a 9-year-old boy like Scotty. Aside from his numerous visits to our doorbell, he also wasn’t much for following rules. Scotty ran wild in the neighborhood, rode his bike in the street after dark, threw pecans at passing cars, played jokes on neighbors, and generally created chaos wherever he went.

My mother was constantly in a tizzy over Scotty. On the one hand, she felt sorry for him. After all, children thrive on routine and discipline, both of which were sadly lacking in Scotty’s life. On the other hand, he was a pest! Over and over, he would ring that doorbell, never reading my mother’s irritable expression or taking the hint that he was not wanted at our house 24 hours a day. On top of that, she worried that Scotty was the proverbial “bad influence.”

For the most part, my mother did her best to tolerate Scotty, but spent hours lecturing my brother on what she termed “Scotty antics” that were unacceptable in our household.

Moms, we all know a Scotty. There are plenty of them living in neighborhoods across San Antonio, and I have listened to your shocking stories and have been appalled at what you have tolerated. I have probably given you advice like, “Don’t let that child near your home again!” But that’s not always possible when a child is involved, is it? Because God calls us to love the unlovable.

But I will tell you this: As a parent, you have every right and responsibility to guide your children in the company they keep. You have the right to say, “No, not today.” You have the right live in a peaceful home without the doorbell constantly ringing! You have to right to parent your children as you see fit, set rules and standards for them, and choose playmates whose behavior is acceptable to you. You have the right to enforce your rules in your home.

And remember, we all grew up with a Scotty. My brother didn’t wind up in juvenile detention because of his association with Scotty. I’m glad to say he is a respectable citizen, businessman, and soon-to-be father, so I guess he turned out okay despite my mother’s fears. And your children will, too! Parenting is a difficult job, and don’t ever apologize or feel guilty for making your children follow the rules of your home!