August 25, 2010

ARCHIVE: In Your Own Backyard: LS Baptist Church Brings Creative Approach to Traditional Vacation Bible School

Story and photographs by Pamela

This story originally appeared in the Leon Springs Community News, August 2010 edition.

Image copyright: Pamela Price, 2010

It’s a warm summer morning in a small local neighborhood park. Near the playscape, a group of mothers visit with one another, catching up on the latest news and swapping parenting tips. Young kids scamper around the wooden structure. In the distance and just beyond the sturdy live oak trees that shade one section of the green space, a cluster of preschool and elementary age children sits on blankets under a mesquite tree. Before them stands an instructor, speaking and gesturing in an animated fashion.

In early August, such was a scene passersby might have glimpsed in the Walnut Pass subdivision. Like generations of American children before them, the kids were participating in vacation Bible school. This time, however, the school came to their neighborhood, placing the activities, snacks and lessons within walking distance of their homes.

The Backyard Bible Club (BBC) was the idea of Darla Harmon, a member of Leon Springs Baptist Church for four years.

“With the club, the big idea is that we would go out to places,” said Dan Allen, senior pastor of Leon Springs Baptist Church. “It made so much sense: go to where people are whether than expect them to come to us.” Keep reading →

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August 25, 2010

ARCHIVE: Catching the Bus: Leon Springs Elementary School faculty gears up for new year

Story and photograph by Pamela Price

This story originally appeared in the Leon Springs Community News, August 2010 edition.

LSE teachers Shirley Wittneben, Vicki Eoff and Taelor Swaney climb aboard a luxury bus as part of their in-service training. Image copyright: Pamela Price, 2010

While area children gathered up pencils, paper and erasers in anticipation of autumn, teachers at Leon Springs Elementary School climbed aboard a luxurious charter bus to start the school year off in high style–and learn a thing or two on the ride.

The August 16 bus trip kicked off the school’s annual back-to-school training. Earlier that morning, principal Kathy Dodge-Clay welcomed new and seasoned teachers to campus for a full week of activities.

In the library, it was hard to miss the week’s theme, “Hop on the Energy Bus.” Images of traditional yellow buses graced the official schedule and table decorations– just as they had the invitations sent to teachers earlier in the summer.

“On our campus, we have many veteran teachers. I feel that it’s important to invite them back to school every year,” said Dodge-Clay, who has served as principal at Leon Springs for 12 years. She added that this year she’s welcoming a record number of new teachers, too. Keep reading →

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August 25, 2010

ARCHIVE: Poetry in Nature: Rosslyn St. Clair Profile

Story and photographs by Pamela Price

This story originally appeared in the Leon Springs Community News, August 2010 edition.

Rosslyn St. Clair with her sunflowers (Image copyright: Pamela Price, 2010)

 

In a quiet neighborhood off of IH-10 West at the very point where the highway climbs into the Texas hill country, a local grower cultivates a variety of succulents, edible and ornamental plants to sell at San Antonio-area markets.

Because Rosslyn St. Clair’s home is also her private nursery, there’s a delightful tumble of pots, beds, greenhouses, and containers surrounding the modest house. Herbs, hanging baskets, flowers—one finds a little bit of everything in the yard. There’s visible evidence of her commitment to growing organically, too.  For example and on a recent evening, bags of leaf mulch sat near the home’s entrance, waiting to be distributed.

“I started Flor Hermosa Nursery in 1999,” says St. Clair. “My first greenhouse was my garage. I would move plants and drag them out during that first winter. I now have five small greenhouses of varying shapes and sizes.” Keep reading →

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August 19, 2010

(Belated) Wordless Wednesday

Temporary living room installation by Tater Tot

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July 28, 2010

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

 

Image copyright: Pamela Price

Explore More:

• Twitpics of the July 27, 2010 sky (including a double rainbow) are here.

• Thanks to Helen Battersby of Toronto Gardens (aka @gardenfix), here’s a link to The Cloud Appreciation Society.

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July 21, 2010

Wordless Wednesday

Trattoria Lisina, Driftwood, TX (Image copyright Pamela Price)

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July 19, 2010

ARCHIVE: Lively Live Music Venues Rock Leon Springs

Story and photograph by Pamela Price

This story originally appeared in the Leon Springs Community News, July 2010 edition.

The stage at Scenic Loop Cafe (Image copyright Pamela Price)

Live music has been part of the Leon Springs community at least since the days when locals and Camp Stanley soldiers mingled at the old “B-29 Club.”

Recently and as the community has become suburban in character, a crop of new restaurants pairing music and food has appeared. Of these, the majority are open-air, family friendly venues that provide residents of all ages a chance to enjoy live performances under starry skies.

To help readers explore the combo food and music scene better, we’ve put together this overview of neighborhood hotspots. For more detailed information on upcoming musical acts–including ticket prices, please visit the venues’ respective websites except where noted.

Leon Springs Dance Hall - The big, eye-catching barn went up alongside IH-10 in the early 1990s, giving then-upstart musicians like The Dixie Chicks a place to perform. Things at the dance hall have been comparatively slow the last several years, but that will change in August. Thanks to a new booking agent, the venue will feature local and national acts Thursday through Saturday evenings. Owner Richard Ojeda promises Sundays will be family friendly with cheap eats, snow cones, popcorn and a moon bounce, too. 24135 W IH-10 • 210-698-7070 • www.leonspringsdancehall.com Keep reading →

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July 19, 2010

ARCHIVE: Getting Out of the House (Dominion Business Center profile)

Story and photograph by Pamela Price

Bobby Freeman (Image copyright Pamela Price)

This story originally appeared in the Leon Springs Community News, July 2010 edition.

The world of work is changing rapidly. Take for instance the rise of telecommuting, which is increasingly popular not only because employees enjoy the flexibility and convenience it affords but also because entrepreneurs and business owners have discovered it’s budget-savvy.

Trouble is, if you’ve spent your week working in pajamas at your “virtual office,” then your real house isn’t always presentable for clients or teleconferencing. And then there are the inevitable distractions—phone marketers, the doorbell, Facebook, telenovelas—and, perhaps most troublesome, the loneliness one can encounter when stuck at home all day.

“People want to work from home but not ‘be’ at home,” said Bobby Freeman, co-owner of the Dominion Business Center. Freeman opened the company in May with partners Ryan Kohnen and Dennis Stanko, “Sometimes when you’re working from home, you need to get out and see life, conduct some business.”

The Dominion Business Center provides support for folks in that predicament via a cheerful suite of conference-style rooms in a building at 4 Dominion Drive. The bulk of the center’s clients include computer firms, marketing and public relations professionals, entrepreneurs, and consultants. One local title company uses the site now for some closings.

“It’s a professional meeting space where my staff and I can gather. We all run virtual offices most of the time, working from home, coffee shops and restaurants,” said Debi Pfitzenmaier of PfitzPR. “Frankly, I got tired of smelling like coffee, having business meetings at restaurants and, as my business grew, I really didn’t want to continue using my home address as my business address. Dominion Business Center gave me a professional and affordable option. I can host clients there, give presentations and hold face to face brainstorming and collaborative meetings.” Keep reading →

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