Letter from the Editor - July/August 2011

This issue of SAN ANTONIO WOMAN focuses on two women who find great personal satisfaction in giving back to others.

 Kymberly Rapier’s first experience with philanthropy occurred when she was 5 years old. She started a lemonade stand at a block party and donated the proceeds to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.  Today, she and her husband, Dr. George Rapier, have won applause for their generous gifts to organizations benefiting at-risk youth, the elderly, the disabled and homeless animals. She is our Profile subject.

Also featured is Tara Stewart, our Role Model, who finds fulfillment in her job as executive director of an East Side community-service agency.

 Within these pages you’ll meet three women with similar views on civility today — its importance and how it has been affected by such innovations as cell phones and texting.  Read what Diane Gottsman of The Protocol School of Texas, Tina James of H-E-B and Melissa Grijalva, vice principal at Clark High School, have to say on the subject in Up Front.

Fashion presents swimsuits and cover-ups for summer fun. You’ll also see lots of bold, colorful and textured accessories to wear poolside or at the beach. Environments features a home in Fair Oaks where a pond and waterfall enhance outdoor living and promise a peaceful retreat at the end of the day.

Women in Finance examines what women have to bring to the profession and how they can help you in such diverse fields as financial planning, insurance, banking and accounting throughout your financial life cycle.

Beauty & Fitness provides answers to some of the particular beauty challenges of summer, such as how to deal with (or prevent) frizzy hair, sunburn, melting makeup and more. Focus on Food  presents new ways to enjoy summer vegetables, and Dining describes an evening at Sandbar Fish House and Market, now relocated to the Pearl.

In Arts & Culture you’ll find a rundown on some of the season’s coolest offerings, such as the Cactus Pear Music Festival, the Third Coast Music Project, Art in the Garden and other attractions. Scene Around Town reprises gala parties that took their themes from foreign locations or, in one case, from the circus.

Artbeat introduces two performing arts studios for youth that are run by enterprising women, Dollars & Sense gives practical tips for avoiding identity theft, Shopping tells you where the summer bargains are, and Mommy Matters zeros in on parental involvement. Health Matters profiles an oncologist and breast cancer survivor who now advocates for women and the latest technology in  cancer imaging. Wine shares ideas for developing your knowledge about this complex topic. 

Be sure to pick up this month's issue on stands now to read more on this issue’s special sections on private schools and the life-saving work done by the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance. Not to mention some fantastic recipes in our Focus on Food section.