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SEPTEMBER 2012 BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE CITY OF SCHERT Z magazine

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Schertz Magazines September 2012 Issue

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Page 1: September Schertz Magazine

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2

B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y T H E C I T Y O F S C H E R T Z

magazine

Page 2: September Schertz Magazine

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Page 3: September Schertz Magazine

Chris Matzenbacher, Advertising DirectorOffice: 210-619-1633 Cell: 210-268-6732

Page 4: September Schertz Magazine

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Page 5: September Schertz Magazine

8 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY

Brad E. Bailey Public Affairs Director & Publisher

Alexis Souza Art Director & Design

Linda Ervin Associate Publisher

Chuck McCollough Editor-In-Chief

Chris Matzenbacher Sales Director

Brittany Losey Senior Writer

Contributing Staffers

Erin Matlock Client Affairs Specialist

Mary Spence Events Coordinator

Contributing WritersB.E. Bailey, Chuck McCollough, Mary Spence, Lucille Sims Thomas, Andrea Allinger, Kari Bridges, Kiko Martinez,

Ashley Festa, Rudy Arispe, Taylor Tompkins, Rick Smith

PhotographersB.E. Bailey, Chuck McCollough, Mary

Spence, Mike Harris, Marc Bane, Bryan Nguyen, Joe Herczeg, Diana Webb,

Andrea Allinger, Kari Bridges, Zachary Carter, Ross Dye, Molly Shigemoto

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 ManagementJohn Kessel, City Manager

Executive DirectorsJohn Bierschwale

David J. HarrisBrian James

EDITOR’Z LETTERCity Council

ON THE COVER

Chuck McCollough,Editor

SCHERTZmagazine

contentzFEATUREZ

From Wild Blue Yonder... 26 Judo Coach Trains for Gold 30 Schertz in Plasma Spotlight 38

Scrappy Quilter Sews Success 42

DEPARTMENTZTALK OF THE TOWNZ

Updatez 10Kitchen Kudoz: Fox’s Den Pizza 19

Entertainmentz: All the Right Moves 22

COLUMNZFocuz: Rolison is Gold Medal Man 34

Biz Spot: Golf Cars Etc. 40

CITY NEWZCity Unveils Balanced Budget & More 45

Civic Newz Updatez 46

Calendarz & Contactz 48 & 50

9SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

Barbara Baldwin First Lady Emerita

Fae Simmons poses near a large military airplane monument on Randolph AFB. Her company helps former military pilots transition to civilian flying.

London hosted the 2012 Olympics but it

doesn’t have a monopoly on gold medals.

In this month’s magazine read about Schertz-based Gold Medal Men - Jim Hrbek and Steve Rolison.

Hrbek is a Judo coach and Schertz resident who is getting much credit for establish-ing the development program that brought home the first USA Judo gold medal. His is an inspiring tale of seeing the best in young people and helping bring it out.

Rolison is a Schertz Police Officer who is just plain fast. How fast? Try five gold med-als in the past two years. And two silver and two bronze. If you are a bad guy - don’t even think about running from him.

Also read a story that will keep you on pins and needles - it about a cool quilt shop and be prepared to blink twice when you see a photo of a REALLY BIG PIZZA.

Learn about a local business that sells golf cars, most of which aren’t use on golf cours-es. And how do military pilots transform into civilian flyers. We have a story that tells you.

And talk about Happy Feet! We got a group of young dancers that will leave you ener-gized.

Finally, read about the City of Schertz 2012-13 city budget and what it contains.

All that and more in your September Schertz Magazine.

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Page 6: September Schertz Magazine

TalkOFTHETownz

SEPTEMBER 2012TalkOF

THETownz

Simonson Award Application Deadline

October 19 The Steve Simonson Community Ser-vice Award is presented annually to the Schertz citizen who during the eligibility year exhibited selfless commitment to his or her community via volunteer efforts that made a difference in others’ lives.

The award recognizes people who vol-untarily offer their time and talent to improve the community in such areas as (but not limited to) health care, social services, youth or senior activities, the arts, education, justice, housing, nutri-tion, community growth and develop-ment, and community morale. Activi-ties in support of political candidates or ballot initiatives will not be considered when evaluating nominees.

The Volunteer of the Year and two Dis-tinguished Volunteers will be recognized at a luncheon November 15, 2012 at the Schertz Civic Center. Do you know of a deserving honoree? The nomination form can be found at schertz.com under the Events catetory.. You may also pick up a packet at the Schertz Civic Center/Public Affairs Of-fice Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 12:00 Noon and 1:00 – 5:00 PM.

Nomination packages will be accepted through October 19, 2012. Selections will be made by November 1, 2012.

Pumpkin Patch Signals Halloween Countdown

One of the largest and most entertaining Pumpkin Patches in South Texas is open from 9:00 AM to sundown every day of the week starting on September 25th, 2012, and running through the end of October at Bracken United Methodist Church located just east of FM 3009 on FM 2252. This is the 11th year for this fun-filled event that features massive displays of over twelve thousand pumpkins. Spe-cial displays of costumed scarecrows and fantasy charac-ters are arranged for taking that perfect picture of your family amidst the festival of fall colors. In the evenings and on weekends there are hayrides and the special Pumpkin Patch Express Train rides for the children During the mornings school and special children’s groups from four counties celebrate a day at the Bracken Pump-kin Patch. They participate in special entertainment cen-ters where they paint pumpkins, sing songs, hear stories, play games and everyone goes home with their own spe-cial pumpkin. You will find pumpkins from baseball size to monsters that will take two people to carry. There will be decorated and painted pumpkins and colorful gourds of every size and description. Prices for the pumpkins start as low as fifty cents. Dress the children in Halloween costumes and take fabulous pictures of them enjoying their day in a wondrous setting of seemingly endless pumpkins. The Pumpkin Patch will be open from 9:00 AM until dusk seven days a week. The Church is located at 20377 FM 2252 located just a mile and a half north east of the intersection of FM 3009. FM 2252 is the extension of Nacogdoches Road and the Bracken Pumpkin Patch is only about five and a half miles outside of northeast Loop 1604 and Rolling Oaks Mall. For more information or directions please call Bracken UMC at 830-606-6717

Schertz City Council-man Jim Fowler and wife Pat went on a 16-day group tour to Israel and Jordan and took Schertz Maga-zine along for the trip. The Fowlers visited a number of famous and Biblical places includ-ing the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, the Mount of Olives, the old City, the temple grounds; Massada, Qumran and Amman, Jordan.

Take Schertz Magazine along on your trip, have someone photograph you in front of a recognizable spot and send to [email protected]. We may use it in the magazine.

1110 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012 SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

Page 7: September Schertz Magazine

13SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

TalkOFTHETownz

20122012

Family Zone Sponsored by

www.visitschertz.com

Sweetheart Court in Marion The Schertz Sweetheart Court participated in the 76th Annual City of Marion Sausage Supper Parade Saturday, August 4. Escorted by the Citizens on Pa-trol vehicle, the Court waved and chatted with pa-rade attendees during the 1 .2 mile route in down-town Marion. The event helps support the programs of the Greater Marion Area Chamber of Commerce.

Look for the Sweetheart Court at SchertzFest 2012, September 28-29, 2012 at Pickrell Park!

5K Fit For FUNds Run/Walk Sept. 22 Schlather Parent Teacher Club (PTC) will hold a non-traditional fundraiser in the form of a 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, September 22nd. Funds raised support PTC programs and initiatives. Entry fees are $25 per person ($100 max per family) and all par-ticipants will receive a T-Shirt. Winners in each age category will receive medals. This event will be “chip-timed” and the course will be a flat, fast one. Spend the summer getting ready for the event by both training a little each day and by putting aside a little money each day to pay for the entry fee.

Page 8: September Schertz Magazine

15SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

WIN TWENTY-FIVE

DOLLARSIN GIFT

CERTIFICATESTO GRUMPYS!

Locate the margarita pictured above in one AD somewhere in this issue of Schertz Maga-zine. Go to schertzmagazine.com and complete the entry form to be entered into this

month’s drawing.

WIN FAMILY PACK

TO WURSTFESTLocate this jet pictured above in one AD some-where in this issue of

Schertz Magazine. We’ll be giving away 2 family packs

(5 tickets per pack).Go to schertzmagazine.com

and complete the entry form to be entered into this

month’s drawing.

CONTESTS& Prizez

Senior Center Swings to Summer Sounds

TalkOFTHETownz

Seniors and their guests were kickin’ it at the Second An-nual Summer Nights Dinner Dance Fundraiser. Great mu-sic, delicious food and hours of dancing! Can a Saturday night be any better? That’s exactly what happened on July 28 at the Schertz Area Senior Center. Senior volunteers worked hard to make a perfect night for all. Vanessa Piez of Wal-greens captured the evening with pictures. Guests sat down to a delicious meal

provided by Garcia’s Mexi-can Restaurant, which was served by volunteers from the Randolph Children’s Center. Fran Badrak played his saxophone during din-ner. Dessert was provided by Merritt Lakeside. Following dinner, over 160 seniors and guests enjoyed the tremendous variety of music provided by our DJ, Northern Lights.

In no time, the dance floor filled with people from their

20’s well into their 80’s, and stayed that way for the next several hours. What a delight it was to see so many of the younger adults present take the time to dance with our seniors! When ‘Boot Scoot Boogies’ and “The Chicken Dance” were played, every spot of the dance floor was full, and even the police-man providing our security joined in! Thanks to our sponsors, not only did we have a great evening, but we also had a very successful dance, raising over $8,500 to

help fund the operations and the hot lunches that are pro-vided on a donation basis for our seniors Monday through Friday. For more information on how you can help out our seniors, or on the many activities and events that the Schertz Area Senior Center provides for our area senior citizens, call (210) 619-1974 and ask for Donna Thompson.

TalkOFTHETownz

Page 9: September Schertz Magazine

17SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

www.RioTerraLife.comA Legend Retirement Corp. Community

Independent Living Assisted Living Memory Care

AL# 101986

2294 E. Common St. New Braunfels, TX 78130

Only � � een minutes from Schertz, Rio Terra o� ers a renewed focus on healthy living, terri� c food and social activity. Discover how our “Resident First”philosophy can rede� ne your retirement.

Meet your new friends at Rio Terra today! Call (830) 221-4800 for a tour and lunch on us.

Ask us about our Veterans Aid and Attendance!

New Friends, New Beginnings

SEPTEMBERCHAMBER EVENTS

Biz-Ed Breakfast: Wednesday, September 26th from 9-11am at the Schertz Civic Center, 1400 Schertz Parkway Bldg 5 (Bluebonnet Room) in

Schertz. Free to SCOC Members, nominal fee for non-members. Topic “Employer Liability! Manage Your Responsibilities”. Please

RSVP your attendance.

After-Hours MixerThursday, September 13th from 5:30 – 7pm hosted by: DeVoir

Fitness Studio, 1208 FM 78, Suite I (Schertz). Free to SCOC Members. Food, Prizes and More! Chamber Ca$h drawing.

Chamber Luncheon on Sept. 18thTuesday, September 18th from 11:30am – 1pm at the Schertz

Civic Center. Guest Speaker: Jonathan Bean of Texas Department of Transportation “TXDOT Updates”. RSVP by Tuesday,

September 11th. (Please visit our Chamber website for Luncheon policy.) Members - $18, Non-Members $28 Prepaid

WANT TO JOIN THE CHAMBER?Want to increase your business, visibility and networking

opportunities? Come join the Schertz Chamber of Commerce! Call us at 210-566-9000 or come by and visit at

1730 Schertz Parkway in Schertz. Help us “Build a Better Tomorrow”

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’IN YOUR SCHERTZ CHAMBER?

TalkOFTHETownz

CONGRATULATIONS TASTE “AROUND THE WORLD”

WINNERS:Best Beef – Cielito StationBest Chicken – The Lion & RoseChef’s Choice – Simply Charming CakesPeople’s Choice – Abel’s Diner Best Beverage – javaNook CoffeeBest Booth Décor – Pastry BlissBest of Show – Abel’s Diner

RIBBON CUTTINGS

Express Lube, 3901 FM 3009 - Schertz

Cielito Station, 720 W. FM 78 , Cibolo

Page 10: September Schertz Magazine

19SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

continued on page 20

Kitchen Kudoz

Super Size Pizza At Fox’s Pizza DenPIZZA, STROMBOLI, AND CHEESECAKE GALORE

By Andrea M. Allinger

WHEN ASKED HOW SHE feels about her job, Massa-chusetts native Elaine Rob-er describes running Fox’s Pizza Den on Cibolo Valley Drive by saying, “I absolutely love it.” Rober elaborates, “I get to work with a fantastic group of kids in the [SCUI-SD] school district and teach them about the food indus-try.” The education of the area’s youth is a plus, but did I mention how fantastic the hand tossed pizza crust is at Fox’s Pizza Den?

Rober and her late husband, Thomas, made the decision to open the restaurant five years ago after finding difficul-ties securing employment in the area. Thomas toured the Fox’s Pizza Den main office in Pittsburgh, and as he was an Italian German man who “al-ways loved food,” the Robers quickly secured their inde-pendently owned franchise in Cibolo.

In late 2009, Thomas Rober was diagnosed with stage four

pancreatic cancer, and despite treatment, that Elaine remem-bers “just prolonged his life a little,” Thomas lost his battle in 2010. He left behind his wife and two children, Rachel, 21 years old, and Nicholas, 19 year old, as well as the respon-sibility of Fox’s Pizza Den.

After losing her husband, Rober took on full responsi-bility of the restaurant and throughout the past two years has made significant improve-ments in the menu and in add-

ing ongoing specials. Rober credits Kevin Mayfield with many improvements in Fox’s Pizza Den, including fountain machines and a POS system.

Fox’s Pizza Den offers com-petitive pricing and a cre-atively innovative pizza when it comes to sizing and options, with five sizes ranging from small to Big Daddy, and gour-met pizzas such as Taco Pizza, Steak Rancher, and Hawaiian Fire.

TalkOFTHETownz

Page 11: September Schertz Magazine

20 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012

TalkOFTHETownz

Along with Fox’s signature pizzas, made with hand tossed dough and a special sauce simmered after the tomatoes have been peeled—which reduces the over-all acidity in the sauce—the menu offers a variety of sandwiches including strombolis, hoagies, and wed-gies. Wedgies were created by the founder of Fox’s Pizza Den, and are a mixture of any meats, cheeses, or vegetables desired melted and pressed into a folded nine inch pizza crust.

The menu at Fox’s Pizza Den doesn’t stop there, it also includes salads, kids’ meals, and desserts—including cinnamon sticks, cheesecake, brownies, and cookies, which are made fresh by The Sweet Spot Cakery in Converse. All menu items are conveniently available as delivery, carry out, or dine in.

Rober boasted of her newly developed discount sys-tem, which thanks the men and women serving in the military, fire, police department, EMS, as well as teach-ers and students. Here is how it works:-Military service members are always given a 10% dis-count, but on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month those men and women receive a 20% discount on their orders. • -Firefighters, police officers, and EMS have an on-

going 10% discount daily, but are given a 20% dis-count on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month.

• -Teachers likewise enjoy a 10% discount any day of the week, but are boosted to a 20% discount on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.

• -And best of all, Fox’s Pizza Den offers all students, elementary aged through college, a 20% discount everyday. Rober’s discount system is in place not only to thank the men and women who serve, but to be “community oriented” in a place where the Robers have enjoyed the last 15 years of their lives.

Fox’s Pizza Den can be found online at www.foxsci-bolo.com as well as on Facebook. Ongoing specials are posted on the site, such as the Monday and Tues-day pick up special including one single topping pizza for $7.49. Fox’s Pizza Den is open from Monday and Tuesday 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm, Wednesday and Thurs-day from 11 am to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm, and Sunday from 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm and is located at 3929 Cibolo Valley Drive in Cibolo.

Kitchen Kudoz

Super Size Pizza CONT’D FROM PAGE 19

20 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012

SUNDAYS at 10:00AM, 11:30AM & 1:00PM

Are you a screw-up? A walking disaster? Then you’re in good company around here. Join us all through September as we look at how to bring LIFE back to those areas where we feel ALL JACKED UP!

Page 12: September Schertz Magazine

2322 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012 SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

“I’ll admit, sometimes my friends and I would go to quinceñeras that we really weren’t invited to,” Soliz said. “But usu-ally we would see someone there that we knew so it was cool. Only once have I ever been kicked out of a quinceñera for crashing it.”

All The Right Moves830 DANCE KREW BRINGS HIGH ENERGY TO UNIQUE PERFORMANCES

By Kiko Martinez

Entertainmentz

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE? It might be the title of a popular reality TV dance competition on Fox, but if you were to pose the question to the young men and women who make up the 830 Dance Krew, the answer would be a re-sounding, “Yes!”

Established earlier this year, the 830 Dance Krew has been a dream of local dancer and choreographer Demetrio Sol-iz. A graduate of Clemens High School, Soliz, 25, said dancing is what kept him out of trouble when he was younger. “I would stay away from all the bad in-

fluences because all I wanted to do was dance,” Soliz said. “I started hanging out with people who wanted to do that, too.”

Soliz loved to dance so much, he would claim any dance floor he could find as his own, especially if that meant performing in front of a crowd.

In 2008, Soliz formed his own choreog-raphy company, Soliz Dance Entertain-ment. Through his business, he is hired to choreograph dances for quinceñeras, weddings and other special events. In the past four years, he has choreographed unique dance numbers for clients across Texas, including in Kingsville, New Braunfels, Corpus Christi, and Houston. While Soliz knows it’s sometimes his job to teach novice dancers specific dance steps, he doesn’t usually like to choreo-graph easy steps for them. “I like to challenge my students,” Soliz said. “I don’t want choreography that is plain and simple. I want to do something people will remember. I want to really entertain everyone.” Soliz enjoys his role as a dance instructor and choreographer, but his passion for dance also lies in the performance aspect as well. During one of the quinceñeras he was hired for, Soliz said he jumped at the opportunity to start a new dance crew when some of the young men standing in the quinceñera court showed interest. “I didn’t really know how to dance, but I wanted to just go with it and try my best,” said Jesus Campos, 16, a New Braunfels Canyon High School student who was at-tending the quinceñera. “I was shy, but after I performed the first time I really got into it.” With that, the 830 Dance Krew was born. Soliz and his group of dancers are hired to keep the party going at quinceñeras. For example, if guests are bashful and don’t want to be the first ones on the dance floor, the Krew is there to inject some energy with their fast and precise moves. Jose Acosta, 18, who is also a student at Canyon, said the dance crew fell into place pretty quickly. Acosta had been in a dance crew before when he was living in Mexico, but now that he moved to the U.S., he wanted a crew who could make an impact in Texas. “I’ve always liked to dance,” Acosta said. “Dancing is what has always kept me go-ing.”

Originally formed as the 830 Boyz Dance Krew, the young men were open to modifying their name a bit when female dancers started showing interest in join-ing the group. Depending on the type of gig they’re practicing for, the group will decide what dancers will be used. This past July 4, the Krew performed as a co-ed for the City of Schertz’s Jubilee Cel-ebration. The group has also volunteered to dance for a couple of local benefits. While both male and female dancers are available, most clients so far have wanted an all-male dance crew. “Sometimes I think they want something like ‘Magic Mike,’” jokes Soliz, referring to the movie about exotic dancers star-ring Channing Tatum and Matthew Mc-Conaughey. “But we’ll let the girls dance with us, too. Sometimes they don’t even ask. They’ll just come up and dance!” Each performance, Soliz said, is about 15-20 minutes and consists of about 3-4 songs. Most of the music the Krew dances to is Latin music, including tribal, cumbia, and bachata, but they are open to dancing other things to like hip-hop. After watching “Dancing with the Stars” over the years, Soliz said he wouldn’t mind even trying the pasodoble. Soliz, however, isn’t interested in the Krew ever going on a TV show like “So You Think You Can Dance” or “Ameri-ca’s Best Dance Crew.” For him, danc-ing shouldn’t be about competition. It’s about laying everything he has on the dance floor and enjoying what he does. “I’m not about telling someone, ‘I’m bet-ter than you’ or anything like that,” Soliz said. “It’s more about having fun than being in any kind of contest. We just want to show everyone how much we love performing.” For more information on the 830 Dance Krew and to inquire about how to join the group, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/830boyzdancecrew

TalkOFTHETownz

Page 13: September Schertz Magazine

Back to School Back to the Y!

Fall back into your fitness routine with us!

Schertz Family YMCA FUN FALL EVENTS • NEW WELLNESS CONSULTATION! Fall Sports 2012-Soccer (2-13) & Volleyball (8-14) YFL - join the team fitness challenge that will get you in shape

like a pro! New Wellness Consultation to help you meet your goals! Fun family events-Fall Festival, Family Scavenger Hunt and more! For membership info contact Andi Anderson at [email protected] or (210) 619-1900.

S. Josh Bell, M.D.SPORTS MEDICINESports Medicine, General OrthopaedicsBoard-Certified Orthopaedic SurgeonBoard-Certified Orthopaedic Sports Medicine

John T. Friedland, M.D.COMPREHENSIVE SPINAL CAREBoard-certified Orthopaedic SurgeonFellowship Trained in Spinal Surgery

Richard L. Ursone, M.D.GENERAL ORTHOPAEDICSBoard-certified Orthopaedic Surgeon

Christian A. Woodbury, M.D.HAND, WRIST AND ELBOWBoard-certified SurgeonFellowship Trained in Hand and Microvascular Surgery

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Page 14: September Schertz Magazine

2726 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012 SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

FEATUREZFrom Wild Blue Yonder To Civilian Skies

By Kari Bridges

ATTENTION MILITARY PILOTS!! The sun is setting on your military fly-ing career and you hope the dawn will bring the beginning of a civilian flying career. You may be asking yourself ques-tions such as; What is my first step? How do I prepare for an interview? What are the airlines looking for? The answer is V1ROT8, a new business with an odd name dedicated to preparing military, and civilian, pilots for a future in the air-line industry.

What makes the V1ROT8 airline inter-view preparation services program dis-tinct is that it offers individually tailored, one-on-one sessions that teach the pilot how to best share his/her unique expe-

riences and qualifications. Each pilot is different, and the goal at V1ROT8 is to work with each person individually so they learn how to highlight their per-sonal strengths, explain any weaknesses and capture their unique aspects allow-ing them to stand out among the rest of the candidates during the interview.

Business partners Fae Simmons and Mike Reagan believe in their clients and want them to succeed. They offer an inten-sive 4-hour training program consisting of interview and technical sessions. By limiting the number of clients they ac-cept each month and focusing on the quality of service they provide, they be-lieve their clients have a better chance of

being hired by the airline industry.

Simmons, a Schertz resident, has always had an interest with military aviation and the complex and unique people who fly airplanes led her towards helping pilots make the transition into commercial aviation. For the past 17 years, she has been guiding military and civilian pilots through the airline interview process and considers over 1,200 pilots at all the ma-jor carriers as her clients and friends.

“People want to fly for a major carrier. Our job is to get them up to speed to go to the interview be successful and go on to a career in commercial aviation,” Sim-

continued on page 29

2726 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012 SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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28 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012

mons explained. “Pilots are very unique people who are goal oriented and focused. I have always enjoyed working with them. People think that pilots going into the commercial aspect just happen, but there is a lot of competition and they aren’t used to going out and selling themselves in a job interview.”

In 2006, Simmons retired as a Career/Life Change Counselor at the Randolph Air Force Base Airman and Family Readiness Center. After spending almost 20 years helping military members transition to life in the civilian world, she continues to use her experience and knowledge to help airplane and helicopter pilots from all branches of the Armed Forces successfully transition into the civilian workforce.

From Wild Blue YonderTo Civilian Skiescontinued from pg 27

FEATUREZ

“It is exciting to start this business. Af-ter I retired I missed the pilots and their world. I admire the energy, focus and ap-proach to life that the pilots have. Pilots love to fly and at the end of the military career to help someone do what they love and provide for their family gives me a great feeling that money can’t buy,” she said.

According to Simmons, who has pages of names of previous clients, she has helped people serving in both active duty and reserve capacities who represent different flying squadrons from US military bases all over the country, across Europe and as far as Australia to be hired as pilots for all major airline carriers.

Simmons explains that different planes have different missions and the pilots have as many unique experiences as there are types of planes. She has worked with pilots flying the F-15 fighter plane, the HC-130 cargo plane, Navy and Marine F-18 pilots, U-2 surveillance pilots and former Air Force Thunderbird pilots.“Depending on the type of plane a pilot flies you will have different experiences from another pilot. How do you handle emergencies? Emergencies may be dif-ferent depending on the number of years

of experiences you have and is reflected in the interview. If you fly fighters, your experiences will be completely different than if you flew cargo planes that fly at night with long haul international flights,” Simmons explained.

With the majority of clients flying into the San Antonio International Airport, the training sessions are conveniently con-ducted at the nearby Drury Inn & Suites Hotel, off Jones-Maltsberger Road near the airport. Clients are offered a study guide to complete before the interview portion of the training begins and are ex-pected to begin the session dressed pro-fessionally as they would be for an actual interview. This portion of the training focuses on how to act, behave, dress and answer questions during the interview.

Business partner, Mike Reagan, is a gradu-ate of the Air Force Academy and served 23 years during which he flew the T-37B as an Instructor Pilot working mostly in Training Command until he retired in 2004. He spent much of his time teaching students how to fly and seasoned aviators how to teach. He earned both his mas-ter’s degree and Ph.D. in aeronautical en-gineering through the Air Force Institute

of Technology at Dayton, Ohio.

As an experienced pilot he brings to the business both the technical knowledge of flying and the experience of teaching. The technical session of the V1ROT8 program focuses on technical areas that a client be-lieves are his/her weakest link. Depend-ing on which airline the client is interested in applying at, the session is tailored ei-ther towards basic pilot knowledge, line-oriented scenarios or a combination of the two.

Reagan originally met Simmons several years ago when he was stationed at Ran-dolph AFB and heard of the help she was offering pilots transitioning from military to civilian aviation and had contacted her seeking advice.

“Fae was known at the time as the lady you wanted to go see if you wanted to go into the airlines. Everyone came to see her, even the Navy and Marine pilots,” said Reagan.

Because of his flying experience and the interview preparation advice that he re-ceived from Simmons he soon found him-self employed as a pilot with a major US carrier. Currently, he is a full-time pilot flying several days a week. He lives with his wife and daughter in Denver, Colorado.

Simmons and Reagan believe that the time is right to now start their business. Reagan explained that in 2007, President George W. Bush signed into law a bill that allowed the Federal Aviation Administra-tion (FAA) to extend the age that airline pilots must retire from flying from age 60 to 65. He is optimistic that the hiring

expansion may last several years..

“Those 5 years are up this coming December. If airlines want to maintain fleets and manning they will have to hire to re-place those who are retiring.” said Reagan.

As a contemporary business that works initially solely through the Internet and phone conversations, clients do not actually meet Simmons and Reagan face-to-face until the arranged day for the training sessions.Lt. Colonel Jon Counsell, a recent client, has served in the Air Force for 21 years during which his flying career has been in the F-15C “Eagle.” He is currently stationed at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas, where he is assigned to the 87th Flying Training Squadron. He plans on retiring this summer and heard of V1ROT8 from a squadron mate that had previ-ously used their services and was recently hired to fly with a major carrier.

“I was very impressed with what they provided. They made me feel very at ease at their training, customizing it to the cli-ent’s desires. Their intent was to teach the customer how to identify and market their strengths. Both Fae and Mike were very professional and it is obvious they know their business. I left their conference feeling a refreshed boost of self-confi-dence as I approach what can be a stressful job search pro-cess,” Counsell said. “I have already recommended them to several other friends that I know are approaching retirement.”

Looking to the future, Simmons and Reagan hope their busi-ness will continue to grow and be successful. They will be considering the possibilities of expanding their business in the future to include more employees and locations around the country near other US military installations. If you, or someone you know, could benefit from the advice and experiences V1ROT8 offers find out more about their business at www.V1ROT8.com. Their business motto is “..a posse ad esse”, a Latin phrase meaning from possibility to real-ity. The possibilities could be endless and after you have com-pleted the V1ROT8 program you will truly be able to reach the speed it takes to change the direction of your life, gaining the skills to lift off and soar to new horizons in a different career in aviation.

Explanation of company name:

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Nov. 2-11, 2012

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Come Celebrate SauSage!

V1ROT8 is a play on words that any good pilot would recognize. As an aircraft is rolling down the runway, there are several ‘speeds’ that are referenced by the pilots to help them determine when the aircraft is ready to takeoff.

The first of these speeds is V1, otherwise known as takeoff decision speed. Pilots are trained to stop a takeoff prior to V1 if there are conditions that would adversely affect the airplane’s ability to get into the air safely.

The next speed is Vrotate, otherwise known as the takeoff rotation speed. Pilots are trained to properly rotate the aircraft at Vrotate to safely get the aircraft into the air. This speed usually occurs just after V1.

As a plane is rolling down the runway, the pilot not flying is watching, among other things, the airspeed and when the aircraft reaches first V1, then Vrotate, he/she calls these speeds out to the pilot flying. An example would be, “V1, Rotate.”

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31SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

SCHERTZ RESIDENT JIM HRBEK has spent decades helping develop a cul-ture of discipline and competitive spirit in the U.S. Olympic Judo program that resulted in its first gold medal.

“The gold medal won by Kayla Harrison at the London Olympics validates the US program. I remember seeing Kayla years ago as a youngster and I saw something special -- a drive and determination.” Hr-beck said those qualities got better un-der the USA Judo development program and lead to the gold medal

“And the development program has got-ten better and helped many youth. I am very optimistic about the USA Judo team chances in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.”

In a letter to USA Judo members about the recent Olympic effort, CEO Jose Humberto Rodriguez mentioned Hrbek’s name first when praising those who have brought the program to the gold medal level.

But the accolades for the Schertz Judo coach and the continuous success of the USA Judo Olympic program are not a surprise to those who have seen Hrbek inspire his young students and his dedi-cation to the American Olympic effort.

His students have grown up to become otolaryngologists, aeronautical engi-neers, doctors, and law students. Others are still growing up, and range in age of eight years old to 16.

Like most teachers though, a few stu-dents steal the spotlight.

But this spotlight is a lot different than most others – it’s the spotlight of the world. And Hrbek didn’t intend to be a teacher; he wanted to be a wrestler. With no wrestling gyms around, he tried judo, and has been coaching it ever since.

“Honestly, I was a wrestler and I wanted a place to wrestle,” said Hrbek about how he began his judo career. “There were no wrestling clubs around and I took a wild shot with Judo.”

His wild shot worked, and this year, he

Schertz Judo Coach Lays Foundation For

U.S. Olympic Gold

By Rick Smith

earned the United States Olympic Com-mittee’s (USOC) Developmental Coach of the Year for the entire country – across all sports – and is the top honor of the developmental coaches can earn from the USOC.

But Hrbek has seen success across all levels, including winning the 2005 USA Judo Olympic Coach of the Year, having athletes in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, and being the coach for Kristie Davis, an alternate for this year’s London Olym-pics, who holds the world record for most medals ever won by a USA Wres-tling athlete – nine.

“I was surprised to get the nomination,” said Hrbek. “No judo coach has ever won the USOC Development Coach of the Year Award. We were in there against track and field, basketball, tennis, etc. and the bigger, more prominent main-stream sports.”

Originally from New York, Hrbek moved to South Texas in 2005 because he wanted to retire to the South. He said he spent months and months searching, and the Schertz/San Antonio area came up as the best area over and over again.

Hrbek is the owner and head coach at Universal Judo (13122 Lookout Run). He currently has 50 students at his studio, and they range in age from youth to se-niors.

Hrbek explained that judo was created from several other forms of martial arts to make a self-defense sport. He said it stems from jujitsu, but because there were a lot of injuries, judo was created as a way to practice martial arts safely and without the fatal techniques of jujitsu.

And, in judo you are one-on-one versus an opponent. Hrbek says it also has a large teamwork component to it, which is important in the development of the athlete.

He said training partners are like team-mates, and together, the athletes learn how to actually learn the sport and teach their body to learn new things, value of

continued on page 32

FEATUREZ

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32 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012

Judo Coachcontinued from pg 31

repetition, thoughtful analysis, and how to break things down and analyze them.

HIS OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE

Although one day he hopes to be back at the Olympics as a coach, he is fond of his memories from the 1988 and 1992 games.

“They [Olympic host committee] created several acres of Olympic Village with restaurants, spas, bowling alleys, etc. for athletes and other participants,” said Hrbek. “They created an artificial world for Olympians and Olympic staff. It was a great, isolated experience, and a celebra-tion of achievement. We had 5,000 peo-ple there that all had a unique snip-it of time; and for two weeks, it was the most important thing happening everywhere.”

FEATUREZ

HIS ATHLETES

He has a list of athletes with impressive accolades, including

Nina Cutro-Kelly is a multiple National Judo Champion, US Girls’ Wrestling As-sociation National Championships, and is a current World Bronze medalist in Sambo

Aaron Walker is the current two-time Texas State High School Wrestling Champion

Kristie Davis, a nine time World medalist and tied with Bruce Baumgartner for the most World level medals ever won by a USA Wrestling athlete. Kristie was an al-ternate for the 2012 Olympic Team.

Aleah LaFranci just won the Cadet Free-style Wrestling Championship in Venezu-ela

Chris Amick – No.1 Age/Weight Division Masters Competitor – USA Judo (2011)

Cindy Hood – No.1 Age/Weight Division Masters Competitor – USA Judo (2011) HIS RESUME

Universal Judo Club record for 2011, all levels:• 166 tournament entries with 42

First place(25.3%), 50 Second place(30.1%), 33 Third place(19.9%), for an overall placement rate of 75.3%

• Senior Pan American Judo Champi-onships - Fifth

• Senior World Judo Championships - Ninth

• Senior World Sambo Championships - Third

• France National Collegiate Champi-onships - Third

USA Judo International Gold Level Coach Certification

Chief of Delegation to Vladimir Putin International Boys’ Team Championship - St Petersburg, Russia

Coach – Junior/U-23 Team for competi-tion/training – Havana, Cuba

Coach – Cadet and Junior International in Harnes, France

Head Coach – USA Sport Sambo Team – World Sambo Championships, Vilnius, Lithuania

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35SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

FOCUZFOCUZFOCUZ

For more than 20 years Steve Rolison has been chasing something.

Sometimes that something is a track record and sometimes it is a bad guy or even fame itself. And now, the Schertz Police Department patrol corporal is chasing time.

Rolison is a multi-gold medal winning athlete, SWAT Team member, long-time state high school track record holder and U.S. Navy veteran. At 37, he may be in the best physical shape since high school when he set the state 2A record time in the 1,600 meter (still standing after 19 years) for Itasca High School. Itasca is a small town of about 1,500 people located between Fort Worth and Waco.

It is hard not to compare Rolison and the comic strip hero The Flash -- they both work for police departments and are really fleet-footed. Rolison just smiles when people make the comparison.

In the past two years, the speedy SPD member has won five gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals at the Texas Police Games - an olympic-like event pri-marily for peace officers, but also open to firefighters and some other groups like military.

“I plan to continue participating in the Texas Police Games if possible. And I also have two other goals for the near future,” Rolison said.

He wants to participate in the World Police and Fire Games in Belfast, Northern Ireland next summer and one other thing more.

“My ultimate goal is to participate in an Ironman competition when I turn 40 (in February 2015). That is the highest goal I have set so far because I know competing like I do gets tougher after age 40,” he said.

At the 2011 Texas Police Games he won gold med-als for the 5K, 800-meter and 1500-meter runs. In this year’s event, Rolison captured gold medals in the 800-meter and 1500 meter runs, silver medals in the 5K run and 6-mile bike time trial event and bronze medals for 30-mile competitive bike race and 4x4 race relay when he ran the anchor leg.

“Of the other three guys on the relay, two were from Live Oak PD and one was a Border Patrol

Rolison is

Gold Medal ManBy Chuck McCollough

agent from Arizona,” Rolison said. The Texas Police Games invites state police and fire agencies to compete in athletic competitions, including running, cycling and shooting, to name a few. Rolison has been with the Schertz PD for eight years, been married for 15 years to wife Anne and they have a three-year-old daughter, Abigial.

“I get a lot of support from my family - they cheer me on and put up with being away when I am training or going to events,” he said.

“The City of Schertz and the Police Department also give me great support. The city paid for me going to the Texas Police Games and (Interim) Chief (Mike) Harris and Capt. (Marc) Bane and the rest of the department are very helpful and en-

couraging,” he said. So how did Rolison get on the never ending path of running? He was a gifted athlete in high school where he played football and ran track until his se-nior year when he decided to concentrate on track where he was a blue chipper.

“I was heavily recruited by a number of colleges and visited UT in Austin, TCU and also the Na-val Academy and West Point. I ended up going to Louisiana Tech on a track scholarship because it was a smaller school and that was what I was used to,” Rolison said a few days before the London Olympics began.

He had dreams of running in the Olympics but

34 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012

continued on page 36

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36 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012

said he was at a level just below that threshold. But the level he was at was good enough for him to run in national track meets for top-level high school age runners and to get a track college schol-arship. “I only did two years of college because I had a lot of injuries which made it hard to compete. I joined the Navy and served from 1995 to 2000 finishing while we lived in Maine. We liked it very much there but decided to move back to this area because Anne is from Converse,” he said.

Rolison got into law enforcement after visiting with a friend who worked at the Bexar County Jail. Rolison got a job

FOCUZFOCUZFOCUZ

Gold Medal Mancontinued from pg 35

there, went to San Antonio College to get peace officer certification and was hired by Schertz PD in 2004.

In his police career, Rolison has chased a number of bad guys and said he caught some and some got away.

He has been on the Guadalupe County SWAT Team for five years. “At some point someone mentioned the Police Games and I became interested and started training.” At one point he weighed 205 pounds and dropped 15 pounds by the time of the 2011 Police Games.

His training routine for the 2012 games included cycling in part to save wear and tear on his legs. That training regiment

helped him lose another 15 pounds and he is currently at his ideal weight range of 170-175 pounds.

Rolison cherishes time with his family. “We like to take our little girl to the sur-rounding parks and she likes to swim. Just spending quality hours together recharges me in many ways,” he said, reflecting on one of the few occasions when he is not chasing something.

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 anti-inflammatories. 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.

“A DOCTOR’S CONFESSION TO THE CITY OF SCHERTZ…” 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 long-term 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 September 30, 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 210-646-6000. 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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Page 20: September Schertz Magazine

38 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012

FEATUREZ

SCHERTZ IS ON COURSE TO ENLIGHTEN A LOT OF PEOPLE ABOUT PLASMA STREET LIGHTING.

In The Plasma SpotlightBy Chuck McCollough

see the plasma street lighting on nearby Schertz Parkway.

All that interest stems from several sim-ple facts: Schertz is the first city in Texas (and one of only two entities – TxDOT the other) using plasma bulbs on street lights AND because the city is located in a warmer climate.

bulbs. Plasma bulbs use 40 percent less electricity and can last four to five times longer than sodium bulbs, said Public Works Supervisor Doug Letbetter.

City officials and others monitored the difference in illumination on the five test streetlights over a number of nights and were impressed.

“There was a big difference. The plasma lights really lit up the area ,” said Public Works Director Sam Willoughby. “It is a pretty amazing thing to see,” said Wil-loughby, who has pushed for the next-generation street lighting.

Wade Wallace, manufacturer sales rep for Luxim Industries, also looked for the dif-ference. “I went out there about 10 pm (on July 16) and noticed an improvement on the plasma streetlight side. Then I saw a group of walkers and I asked what they thought about the new lighting. They said it was brighter and made them feel safer, “ he said.

Wallace said he saw another group of walkers cross from one side of Schertz Parkway to the other just to be on the plasma light pole side - a testament to plasma power.

Based on that comparison test in July – which showed a crisper light from the plasma bulbs – Schertz will install the plasma bulbs on both sides of light poles on Schertz Parkway from FM 78 to Wie-derstein Road over a period of time. Poles past Wiederstein Road going toward IH-35 belong to CPS Energy. Willoughby said the city might ask CPS Energy to use plasma lighting on its Schertz Parkway light poles. The plasma lighting costs about twice as much as the traditional bulbs but is ex-pected to last 12 to 15 years compared to 2 to 3 years for the sodium bulbs, Let-better said. “The cost difference between the new plasma and sodium bulbs will be made up in three years with less main-

tenance and greater energy savings,” he said. John Pena with Luxim Industries said Schertz is a bright spot in the street light industry . “Luxim (which supplies the plasma light bulbs) is getting a number of inquiries about Schertz and its plasma street light use. Those calls include states bordering Texas like New Mexico and all the way to Washington state where offi-cials have budgeted money to come visit Schertz and see the plasma lights installed on city-owned poles,” Pena said.

Cities and utilities up north in colder cli-mates are interested in how plasma bulbs do in sustained hot weather. “Those states have data on how plasma light bulbs work in cold weather. They need to see how plasma lights work in really hot weather, which is the norm in summer,” Pena said

Pena said the plasma bulbs put out about the same amount of illumination as a so-dium bulb, but light appears brighter to the human eye because it is a higher qual-ity of light. Sodium bulbs have a “sputter-ing” effect inside their housing case that causes it to darken the inside of the cas-ing over time causing a “dim down” effect. “The newer technology plasma bulbs do not have that sputtering.

Wallace said New Braunfels Utilities is one of the regional entities (including utilities and municipalities) very interested in the plasma street lights in Schertz.

“You are going to get a lot of visitors com-ing to Schertz just to look at the plasma street light on Schertz Parkway,” Pena said.

As the city switches to plasma bulbs on its Schertz Parkway light poles over the next year, utilities and cities around Tex-as and the nation will be watching.

In fact, there has been some discussion of holding a regional conference of elec-trical utilities and their vendors in the Schertz Civic Center in part so they can

Those two facts are helping shine the spotlight on Schertz as a leader in use of plasma street lighting. On, July 16 the Public Works Depart-ment installed plasma lights on one side of five poles starting at Live Oak Road and going toward IH-35. The other side of the poles had the traditional sodium

39SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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GOLF CARS OF ALL SHAPES, SIZES, colors and utilities fill the parking lot of Golf Cars Etc. located off of IH 35 at exit 178. The company has been selling golf cars to the San Antonio, Austin, Seguin and other surrounding areas for over a decade.

“It’s not just the San Antonio area we deal with, we sell into other states,” sales associate Larry Routh said. “Our internet site brings in a lot of people from out of state. I’ve had people call from Canada. I’ve sent cars into Costa Rica.”

Golf cars can be used for a variety of jobs and events according to Margie Crenshaw, warranty manager. “There is Golf Cars

Etc. Hits

Hole-In-One with

CustomersBy Taylor Tompkins

no common situation for every golf car,” general manager Paul Pollard said. “It’s all vehicle specific, they are all different. We do rentals for weddings, parties, golf course events. We sell cars for the beach and do work for government and mili-tary. Every car has specific applications but those applications can be stretched. It’s a complicated business to say the least.”

Golfing is a small percentage of the sales, Routh said. The store sells cars for resi-dential, commercial, industrial, and hunt-ing use. Colleges such as Angelo State and Texas State have bought from the shop as well as area hospitals and apart-ment communities. Businesses with cli-

ents or patients with limited mobility use the cars to help them become more mo-bile and easier to transport, Routh said.

“Most of our business is referrals, word of mouth,” Routh said. “I’d like to say we have a good relationship with our cli-entele. Word gets around that they were treated right and got a fair price.”

The average day can see sales of two to six cars ranging from the smallest resi-dential cars to the most expensive vehicle on the lot- a 14,000-dollar loaded, four wheel drive hunting cart.

“The thing about our golf car dealership is that we are as close to an automotive

dealer ship as you can get accept five times more complicated,” Pollard said. “Not only do we sell the cars but also the accessories that go with it, where as, car dealerships basically just sell the cars and then there are other accessory stores. We do all of that stuff in house. “

Crenshaw said that the store also does full service on cars as well as selling parts. They ship parts all over the United States, she said. Accessories can also be installed onsite.

They are the only authorized Club Car and Yamaha dealership in the region, ac-cording to Pollard.

Routh said that golf carting can be a fam-ily activity, with the availability of back seats.and stereo systems that can be in-stalled.

“I’m a golfer, I’ve been around golf-ers most of my life,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for over two years. It’s a fun business. People are trading in their four wheelers and mules for golf cars. My fa-vorite part is just working with people. We have a lot of good clientele. It’s not just golfers, it’s the whole community.”

http://www.golfcarsetc.com22340 IH 35 (exit 178)New Braunfels, TX 78132Tel: 830.609.7600

41SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

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FEATUREZ

Scrappy Quilter Sews SuccessOne Stitch At a Time

By Kari Bridges

CONTEMPORARY INTEREST IN quilting reaches across the nation and across the globe where it has developed into a huge industry, continually growing and introducing new products to meet the demand of quilters who create beau-tiful quilts into works of art.

Avid quilters from all over the South Tex-as Region are passionate about fabrics, color, design and detail and are “buzz-ing” with the news that there is a new quilt shop in Schertz.

In April 2011, Lisa Aguirre, owner of The Scrappy Quilter, moved into Lone Oak Plaza at the intersection of FM 78 and FM 3009, opened the doors for business and achieved a lifelong dream of going into business for herself.

“I have been sewing since I was 12-years-old, said Aguirre, a self-taught quilter. If you are going into business for yourself, you need to be passionate about what you are doing.”

Aguirre explained that she saw a need in the local community for quilters who did not have any local shopping available. This full-service quilt shop offers quilting fabrics and supplies, various classes, cus-tom orders and longarm machine rentals and services. It is open Tuesday – Friday from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, Saturday from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm and by appointment only on Sunday and Monday.

The Scrappy Quilter currently offers more than 500 different bolts of 100 per-cent cotton fabrics in a large variety of styles and patterns. Aguirre plans to in-crease supply of fabric up to 1,000 bolts and expand the quilt shop as her custom-er base continues to grow.

“I could quilt 24/7 for the rest of my life and not learn everything because the in-dustry is always changing and coming up

with something new and different,” said Aguirre. “We are constantly bringing in new things we find or things that people have asked for and we let people know through our newsletter, Facebook page and website so information is easy for folks to find.”

“Quilters will go to all of the local quilt shops, but we want someone to come into the shop because we carry some-thing different,” she continued. “We have had regular customers visit our shop from all over the San Antonio area, New Braunfels, Seguin, La Vernia, Floresville and Stockdale. Fabrics for Halloween, Fall and Christmas are already out in order to give enough time for people to complete their projects,” she said. “The closer it gets to Christmas the busier we get because people want to get projects done for Christmas gifts.”

The Scrappy Quilter is unique in that it offers more than a variety of fabrics, pre-cut fabric quilt kits, quilting supplies, tools and novelty items that are typi-cally found inside the doors of any quilt shop. It offers the opportunity to learn both how to piece a quilt top together with a personally owned sewing machine and also quilt the top piece, batting and backing layers together using the APQS Millennium longarm machine, a quilting machine lovingly referred to as “Millie” by Aguirre and her business associate,

Michelle Baker, who owns her own busi-ness, One of A Kindness, longarm ma-chine quilting services that leases space through The Scrappy Quilter.

Various classes are held each month from beginner to advanced skill levels to teach how to make quilts, tote bags, placemats, table tops or runners and pillowcases. Groups of 6 – 8 students are held in the adjacent classroom complete with a large design wall, giving quilters an opportuni-ty to layout the different quilt blocks and borders of a specific pattern and arrange them before sewing the pieces together.

“We are letting our classes be started by what the community wants,” stated Agu-irre. Popular classes have included; T-shirt and memory quilts using recycled materials from T-shirts, dress shirts, ties, baby clothes or your wedding dress, she explained.

“We wanted to bring a longarm machine into the shop for people who want to be able to quilt their own quilts but are not able to afford it. A lot of quilt shops will sell longarm services but not necessarily do assisted rental. We are there to help as much or as little as the customer wants,” said Aguirre.

People can either bring in any of their completed projects whether it’s a quilt, a table runner, placemats or Christmas Stockings and they can either have it quilted for them on “Millie,” or they can learn how to use it and rent the machine themselves, explained Baker.

“If you are going into business for yourself, you need to be passionate

about what you are doing.”

continued on page 44

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45SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

September 2012

We are working for you, Schertz!

CivicnewzIn order to get certified to use “Millie,” you will need to sched-ule a one hour class, teaching how to set up the machine, be-come familiar with it, and how to prepare your pieced quilt top and backing to pin onto the longarm machine. The machine rents for $25.00/hour and your time begins when you start the quilting process. The certification class is valid for 3 months.

You can select from 4 different types of longarm quilting meth-ods including: edge to edge free motion; stippling; pantograph, a pre-printed pattern that spans the length of the machine that you trace over with the laser light that follows the pattern; or custom quilting

Aguirre believes in supporting the local community and has started different projects that contribute to benefiting the lives of the people, and animals, that live in the Schertz/Cibolo area.

“I wanted to open my shop in Schertz because I wanted to sup-port my local community,” she said.

She would like to expand her support to help the local com-munity by donating quilts to raise money for schools, organi-zations, and auctions. This year, Aguirre made and donated a T-shirt Quilt, incorporated from different T-shirts donated from the Steel High School Athletic Department, to the winner of the 2012 Project Graduation.

Another way she supports the community is by purchasing homemade bakery items from The Schertz City Bakery to pro-vide as refreshments for groups of guests visiting her shop for project demonstrations or field trips.

Aguirre and Baker also regularly cut up practice quilts used in longarm machine quilting classes and recycle them turning them into either dog blankets or beds and then donating them to local animal shelters.

Twice a month Aguirre offers an email newsletter that includes the class schedule, photos or new fabrics, new tools or patterns, and links to other sites. As The Scrappy Quilter continues to grow, Aguirre plans to provide additional classes, activities and events to her customers. For all the latest information go to www.thescrappyquilter.com or call (210) 281-8667, to find out how you can get involved today.

Scrappy Quiltercontinued from pg 43

FEATUREZ

Baldwin Scholarship Winners Honored

During the May 22 City Council meeting two Hal Baldwin Scholarship checks were presented to Schertz high school seniors. Caitlin Baumgarten received a check for $2,500 while Brandi Brinkman got a check for $1,250. The schol-arship, named for former Mayor Hal Baldwin, is opened to any Schertz high school senior considering a career path in public service.

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4746 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012 SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

City Unveils Balanced Budget, Progress On Bond Projects

By Brad E. Bailey with Chuck McCollough

Meet the Neighbors on National Night Out

Texas will celebrate National Night Out on Tuesday, Oct. 2, two months later than the rest of the nation.

Schertz will observe the occasion from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. To have the City of Schertz visit your neighborhood block par-ty contact Schertz Police Corporal Shawn Ceeko at [email protected] or 210-619-1253.

To have city representatives visit your party it is first come first serve ,however you can still have a block party as the true pur-pose of National Night Out is for neighbors to meet fellow neighbors in an effort to stamp out crime in our community.

For more information about the national event, click on nation-altownwatch.org.

CivicnewsSCHERTZ CITY OFFICIALS INTRODUCED the proposed $59 million FY 2012-13 budget to city council August 7, includ-ing a General Fund budget of $21.5 mil-lion. The proposed budget representS a 2.6 percent increase over fiscal year 2011-12, and holds the Maintenance and Operations expenses (cost for day-to-day operations) firm at $0.2993.

Schertz City Manager John Kessel ex-plained that the budget met the city’s priorities and goals, including keeping the city’s Maintenance and Operation Tax rate flat; replenishing the city’s re-serves an additional $372,250; provid-ing for employee health care insurance and merit; implementing the City strate-gic plan goals; and increasing our com-munity’s commitment to public safety. Kessel went on to explain that the goals established for this year’s budget were set early and included ensuring a finan-cially sound and balanced budget that was both conservative and responsive to community needs. Maintaining or ex-panding services offered by the city and focusing on certain key areas were also high priority goals.

Among the key areas put forth by Kes-sel were four new traffic safety positions in the police department, a new evidence technician position, and five new vehi-cles with equipment. Initial funding for a new ladder truck fire truck for the fire department as well as funding of equip-ment for two new ambulances on order from FY 2011-12 budget are also pro-posed.

Other high priority items include the addition of an employee to the public works department’s stormwater manage-ment program, and an employee to over-see all public infrastructure construction including new water lines, roadways, etc. That position will be funded through fees charged to developers whose new projects are located in the city. Addition-

al monies are also proposed for higher fuel and electrical costs.

Voters went to the polls in 2010 and ap-proved a number of community projects, including the Aquatic Center, Ball Fields and Soccer Complex, Animal Services Center and Dog Park, Playscape, and Main Street reimaging. Those voter-approved bond projects are moving forward and play a key part in the pro-posed budget which includes a 2.5-cent increase in the I&S (interest & sinking fund) tax rate $0.1850 to just over $0.21 per $100 of valuation to cover their costs.

Council members on August 7 voted on first reading to approve the maximum tax rate at $0.5095 (M&O and I&S) to en-sure that no further increases would be permissible in the upcoming fiscal year that starts October 1, 2012.

Adoption of the tax rate and 2012-13 budget is slated for September 4. For more information about the proposed city budget visit schertz.com

National Night Out 2011

New City Fee Schedule

Online The City of Schertz fee schedule for Fiscal Year 2012-13 is available for viewing at feeschedule.schertz.com.

The fee schedule includes such things as rental rates and development fees and are pass through costs to recoup expenses.

The new fees take effect October 1 .

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4948 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012 SEPTEMBER 2012 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM

September 2012Monday, 3

Labor Day, City Holiday, Offices Closed

Tuesday, 4City Council

6:00 PM—Council Chambers

Thursday, 6Transportation Safety Advisory Commission

5:30 PM- Council Chambers

Monday, 10Library Advisory Board

7:00 PM - Schertz Public Library

Tuesday, 11City Council

6:00 PM—Council Chambers

Wednesday, 12Planning & Zoning

6:00 PM - Council Chambers

Tuesday, 18City Council

6:00 PM—Council Chambers

Monday, 24Parks & Recreation Advisory Board

5:30 PM – Bob Andrews Room

Board of Adjustments6:00 PM – Council Chambers

Tuesday, 25City Council

6:00 PM-Council Chambers

Wednesday, 26Planning & Zoning

6:00 PM - Council Chambers

Thursday, 27Economic Development Corporation

6:00 PM - Council Chambers

***Meeting locations may change, please visit the calendar at www.schertz.com for confirmation.***

CivicnewsC

ITY

CA

LEN

DAR

Z

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

1400 Schertz Pkwy, Bldg. #5

(210) 619-1600

Civic Center:Sept. 17

Schertz Volunteer Fair and Open House

September 18Schertz Chamber Luncheon

Community

Center:Sept. 8-9

Alamo Pet Expo

Upcoming: October 5-6 – Alamo Square and Round Dance Assoc. Conference

Come one, come all!Residents and business owners of Schertz, your time and tal-ents are needed. The City is looking for interested residents to join the various Boards/Commissions/Committees. These op-portunities include serving on one of the following:

Don’t Mess Up Schertz! Clean Up October 6-21

Schertz residents can all help keep our city shining by taking part in the Annual Fall Clean Up October 6-21.

During the two-week clean up, Bexar Waste will pick up house-hold waste not covered under their normal collection service, such as lumber and general trash as well as major appliances and furniture for a fee (prices determined by Bexar Waste). If you have questions regarding the details, please call Bexar Waste (210) 566-5454.

Schertz Public Works provides year-round curbside chipping service of brush and tree limbs on Fridays for a fee of $25 per half hour. To make an appointment for brush and tree limb chipping service, call Public Works (210) 619-1800. Chipping will be scheduled as first come, first served.

Again, you must call and make an appointment. Please note: Bexar Waste picks up small bundles of brush and tree limbs (maximum length of 4 feet and maximum total weight of 50 pounds) with normal trash pick-up without any additional charges. Residents are able to drop off brush and limbs at 2221 FM 3009, free of charge.

For more information go to schertz.com.

Animal Services

Board Of Adjustment

EDC Board of Directors

Historical Preservation

Library

Parks & Recreation

Planning & Zoning

Transportation Safety Advisory

Do you enjoy attending events such as our Jubilee Celebration, SchertzFest or Festival of Angels? We are also seeking volun-teers to help with those events. Finally, do you have ideas or suggestions to improve events and services? Staff representa-tives, current Board/Commission members and event volun-teers will be on hand to answer your questions and provide information.

You are invited to learn about City events, services and how you can serve on a City Volunteer Board/Commission/Committee. Join the City for a Volunteer Fair and Open House Monday, September 17, 2012; 6:00 - 8:00 PM at the Schertz Civic Center Ballroom, 1400 Schertz Parkway (Bldg. 5).

Contact the City Secretary’s Office, 210.619.1030, for additional information.

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50 SCHERTZMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2012

City of Schertz Elected OfficialsMayor Pro Tem: George Antuna, Jr. (210) 467-7914

Council Members:Michael Carpenter (210) 619-1045Cedric Edwards, Sr. (210) 566-4540Jim Fowler (210) 658-1442David Scagliola (830) 606-1130City Departments:City of Schertz (210) 619-1000Animal Control (210) 619-1550Business/Utilities (210) 619-1100City Manager (210) 619-1000City Secretary (210) 619-1030Civic Center (210) 619-1600Customer Care/311 (210) 619-1000

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.Send queries about articles or photographs to Schertz Magazine at 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz, Texas 78154. For advertising information: Schertz Magazine, 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz, Texas 78154; call (210) 619-1630; Fax (210) 619-1619; email [email protected].

NEWS POLICYSchertz 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 [email protected] 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.

#infoCity Departments: (cont’d)Economic Development (210) 619-1070EMS (non-emergency) (210) 619-1400Fire (non-emergency) (210) 619-1300Human Resources (210) 619-1150Information Technology (210) 619-1180Inspections (210) 619-1750Marshal Services (210) 619-1650Municipal Court (210) 619-1500Parks & Recreation (210) 619-1850Planning & Zoning (210) 619-1780Police (non-emergency) (210) 619-1200Public Affairs (210) 619-1630Public Library (210) 619-1700Public Works (210) 619-1800Records (210) 619-1030Website schertz.com

SCHERTZ.COM

OFFICIAL FINE PRINT

Page 27: September Schertz Magazine

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