Seguin Today: May 2022

MAY 2022, Vol 2 l Iss. 4

Take a seat in the

MAKING OLD NEW AGAIN

Barber’s

Creativity and modern thinking are redefining antiques

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FROM CLASSIC CUTS TO FRESH FADES, ERNIE PEREZ TALKS A LIFETIME OF CUTTING HAIR

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THIS ISSUE

MAY 2022, Volume 2 l Issue 4 Over the past two issues of Seguin Today, something unbeknownst to our readers has been going on. Behind the scenes, what started as nothing more than an idea tossed out in brainstorming, quietly took shape with hardly anyone in on the secret –– not even our General Manager Darren Dunn.

An email was sent when it was ready, and the response was so much better than hoped. Thanks to that enthusiasm, we are now excited to announce to you, our readers, that Seguin Today will soon have a PODCAST. Seguin Today came from the Seguin Daily News, which originated with AM 1580 KWED –– our radio station. And now, our radio station and publications are coming full circle with the brand new Seguin Today Podcast!

We will feature audio versions of our magazine stories and other additional new content in a 40-60 minute show (approximately). It will be available on all major platforms where you typically get your podcasts and will come out once a month.

There will be humor, fantastic features, trivia, Seguin Celebrations, and more, all available to listen to wherever and whenever YOU want.

If you think you love Seguin Today now....just wait until you hear it on your headphones! Follow us on social media to be notified when we release Episode 1.

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MAKING OLD NEW AGAIN

Creativity is redefining how antiques are sold and used – Find out how by talking with two local antique afficionados

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THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE MASTER BARBER

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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WELCOME TO PECANTOWN

hours perfecting his craft.

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DIY: RECIPE TO TRY

Photo by Larami Serrano

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

COVERSHOT Ernie Perez spent a lifetime as a master barber. He is pictured on this month’s cover in his shop where, prior to retiring, he spent countless

Photography

Ernie Perez shares the story of his life as a barber and beyond in this month’s cover story

Community events and special promotions happening in the area this month This month Tess Coody-Anders talks the importance of preserving historical buildings in the community Surprise the family with a new pasta for dinner SISD celebrated the grand opening of the new McQueeney courtyard. See how students reacted in this story from the Seguin Daily News

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MAY 2022, Volume 2 l Issue 4 GENERAL MANAGER Darren Dunn

CREATIVE EDITOR Lizz Daniels

WRITERS

Mon-Thu 11am-8pm, Fri & Sat 11am-9pm

Cindy Aguirre-Herrera Tess Coody-Anders Lizz Daniels Mike McBride

SALES MANAGER Nick Spence

IT’S ALL ABOUT GOOD FOOD &

Delicious Flavors

ADVERTISING Laurie Cheatham Linda Duncan Mary Jane Windle

PHOTOGRAPHER Jarred Kindles

OFFICE MANAGER Priscilda Rodriguez

Seguin Today is published once a month by: KWED, Seguin Daily News in Seguin, Texas. www.seguintoday.com

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D L O g n i k a M

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N I A G A 6

and y t i v i t a e r c f o A world e r a g n i k n i h t n moder ! s e u q i t n a g n i n redefi

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s by Lizz Daniel Story & photo

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t wasn’t all that long ago that antiques were considered museum-esque relics that were to be honored in their original state.

Pickers and collectors would travel near and far searching auctions and local shops for their “holy grail” pieces to either sell or put on display.

One thing that rarely happened was repurposing or reworking antiques. More often than not, even refurbishing an antique would diminish its perceived worth.

Ana Nieto is a local antique aficionado and owns Traveling Gypsy in downtown Seguin with her husband. Growing up, her mother loved antiques but enjoyed them as display pieces more than practical furniture.

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“I will tell you from experience, I grew up in a house where my mother is living still,” Nieto said. “You go into her house and she’s got an antique sofa that she had redone, gorgeous –– it’s white. Two matching chairs, two beautiful lamps. It was a room that you would just look at. We don’t want that. I tell people buy something that you need, but you can use not just for one purpose.

You can move it around whether it’s in the kitchen or dining room, bedroom or whatever. They look at me and they go, ‘I can do that, you’re right.’”

And it’s not just moving pieces to new rooms that have changed the culture surrounding antiques. Supply chain issue demands at major retailers and the popularity of sharing DIY projects and other content online have significantly impacted the antique world.

In addition, social media influencers have taken to recreating expensive name-brand furniture from big-box retailers like Wayfair and Pottery Barn using antiques and second-hand finds. With the ability to find an instructional video just a click away, the days of putting depression-era glass on display in an oak cabinet are gone –– much like the idea of even having a cabinet dedicated to fine china.

“They’ve come a long way, the younger generation because they were scared when it said antique; they thought ‘I’m going to pay a fortune,’” Nieto said. “They come in and go, ‘wow.” So they can honestly get a bedroom set, and it doesn’t all match, but they make it work for themselves. Back in the day, when I was growing up, my parents would go buy a piece of furniture, and they’d go to the big store and the bed and the matching tables and everything.

So you’d go buy it, and you’d put it exactly the way you saw it. Well, now what they’re doing –– they need a bed, and they need an end table, but you may want round, and he may want square because he doesn’t need as much room as you do, but it balances, and it looks really unique.”

In a world where artistic expression and diversity are more celebrated than ever before, it’s no surprise that antiquing as a past-time is evolving. Nieto has embraced the shift so that she can better advise modern clients as they set out on their vintage adventures.

“An artist is an artist, but he’s still got to draw that first line to know which way he’s going,” she said. “And someone that writes poems, they have to have an idea, where am I going with this? It’s not just, how do I do this. So because the younger generation is coming in and they’re going, ‘I can paint this.’ And its half the price. Plus, antiques in general is a solid piece of wood. Its like I tell people when they say, ‘I need a piece of furniture that I’m going to put in this room.’ And they’re older, they’re my age, and I go, remember we’re at the age where we need this. But don’t buy it just to buy it. It’s got to work for you. If the dresser is too small, you’re going to get a bigger one because you need it to work. You don’t need it to match. You don’t need to keep up with the Jones; you need it to work for you.”

Over at Austin Street Vintage, owner Betsy Cuvelier has witnessed the same shift away from the old-school mindset of collecting items to display. People are still interested in history, though, especially things that aren’t too common in 2022, like unusual toys, vintage film cameras, and old phones.

“I think part of it is maintaining the history, you know, passing along the history,” Cuvelier said. “Sometimes we’ll have grandparents in here with their grandchildren and there’ll be a rotary phone, and they’ll say ‘how do you think this works,’ and they’ll give them a lesson in using a rotary phone. And the child is just like –– what? There’s a lady that comes in here, and we’ve become friends. One time she brought her children in, and she said, ‘this is the story that has things for sale and I have no idea why anybody would buy any of it.”

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An artist is an artist, but he’s still got to draw that first line to know which way he’s going.

- Ana Nieto -

While the terms antique and vintage have become synonymous in daily conversation, collectors know that vintage items are between 20 and one hundred years, and antiques are older than a century. Within the walls of Austin Street Vintage, antiques, and vintage collectibles litter every nook and cranny, with one-of-a-kind pieces ready to be discovered by shoppers.

“Sitting here, I do have pickers that come in and sell things,” Cuvelier said.

“Sometimes, people that are just clearing out an estate or downsizing and they’ll bring things in to sell. My favorites are off-the-wall things. I’ve even had a big old hand-made covered wagon in here one time. I mean it was like 3 feet long and 2 feet high. And just it’s kind of amazing what people come in and buy. And there’s a younger generation getting into it, which I think is fabulous. I’ve ever heard it’s part of the ecological considerations. We need to start reusing instead of just buying and dumping.”

As a new generation of pickers set out looking for the perfect piece to complete their unique design, they discover that you really can make something old new again –– if you think about it from a fresh new perspective. •

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The Man the Myth...

the MASTER

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Barber

Snippets of memory from a lifetime cutting hair with Ernie Perez Story by Cindy Aguirre-Herrera Photos by Larami Serrano Photography

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f you ask 95-year-old Ernie “The Barber” Perez of Seguin about his 71-year-old profession of being a master barber, he’d probably walk you through every “snippet” and memory of that career.

For Ernie, his years of razor cuts and fades have sealed him in his fate and earned him the recognition he deserves today.

Two years after retiring as a barber in February 2020, Ernie celebrated his 95th birthday, saying if it weren’t for health reasons, he’d still be cutting hair and working tirelessly at Ernie’s Barbershop located at 415 E. Aviation Blvd in Universal City.

“I retired because of my health,” Ernie said. “Otherwise, I’d be a barber right now. I love my job and I love my customers and I’ll never forget about them.”

In fact, up until his retirement, he was still making that daily 22-mile commute from Seguin to University City alone.

Ernie, a WWII veteran, has experienced more than a career.

He has lived out a legacy – one that if you ask folks about, they too will say that he was destined to be a barber. Soon after 1948, he was honorably discharged from the Army Air Corps (now known as the U.S. Air Force) at Randolph Air Force Base. Ernie then went on to earn his license on a GI Bill from Louie’s Barbershop School in San Antonio.

From there, he spent time cutting hair at various locations until landing his chair at Ben’s Barbershop Shop in Universal City– a place where the respect for his craft began. While golf opportunities usually kept the owner away from the business, Perez assumed many of the duties and helped build the business’ reputation in the military town. He was undoubtedly the heart of the operation, and the name “Ben’s Barbershop” was often referred to as “Ernie’s Barbershop” by the locals and faithful customers.

While his commitment to that shop owner was strong, his personal moral compass proved even stronger. Ernie says it wasn’t until he witnessed another barber taking money from the till that he knew it was time to leave and start a new chapter. He says after his boss did not support the employee’s firing, he knew that it was no longer a home for his profession.

“I said, let me tell you what, if you don’t let me run this barbershop the way it’s supposed to be (run), you find somebody else to run it because I don’t want to run the barbershop like that,” Ernie said. “He said, no wait for me and I’ll find somebody to run the barbershop. I said, I’m going to tell you what, I’m not going to give you no time but if I find a place that I can rent, I’m going to go and you better find yourself somebody to run the barbershop before I quit you.”

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As fate would have it, Ernie says, soon after that; he was handed the best gift he could ever receive – trust, loyalty, and true friendship.

“I had two customers that had a liquor store,” Ernie said. “They were both retired colonels and so I stopped by there one afternoon to pick up a bottle of liquor and one of the first things one of the girls said was ‘Ernie, why don’t you bring us a haircut? ‘I said, colonel one of these days -- you build me a barbershop right here next to you and you’ll have a barbershop right next to you. He said, ‘you really mean that?’ and I said ‘yeah!’ He said how big a place do you want? I said, okay I want this place by 16 feet wide, the length of this building. He said, we can’t do that because I don’t have enough room. Well how about 50 feet? I said that’s good enough. So, he said, we’ll make it for you, and I said when you get it ready, you let me know. And that was it. I

didn’t think nothing of it. Well about two weeks later, I had carpenters, electricians and plumbers and everybody telling them how I wanted the barbershop.”

All these years later, Ernie still gets emotional thinking about his clients’ partnership and respect for him.

“I stopped by there, and I said colonel, you are going to build that barbershop?,” Ernie said.

“He said, you said you want it. Don’t you want the barbershop? I said yes, sir. I said what about the lease and what about the rent? He said you don’t worry about that. We will talk about it later. So being a colonel, I took their word for it.

So, one day, they said Ernest, the barbershop is ready. So, I told the boss, ‘Well buddy, I am moving out. I told you that I was moving out.’”

Ernie, who dabbled in other jobs, always enjoyed being a barber because it was a good way to provide for his young family and ensure their needs.

Son Ruben Perez says even after securing

his own shop, his father found himself working after hours taking care of Seguin residents – residents who waited patiently at his Perez Barbershop located at his home at 728 Jones St. His father continued that operation from 1955 to 1983.

“One memory which is seared in my memory of my dad as a barber is seeing him arrive from his barbershop in Universal City after cutting hair all day, arriving home in Seguin, eating dinner, and going next door to continue to cut hair,” Ruben said. “I remember him cutting hair at night in the Seguin barbershop, always listening to the Astros during baseball season on the radio.”

What initially was only security quickly turned into a passion and knack for making customers feel proud of their hair. Years of experience enabled him to visualize the cut on a client’s head as soon as they walked into the shop.

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The wife of the man who had gotten a cut came in. She said ‘I love that haircut! Do you want to do me a favor? Don’t let anybody cut his hair. I don’t want anyone to cut his hair but you.’

- Ernie -

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“I could tell you a lot of stories about that,” Ernie said. “For example, I had a major that walked into my barbershop one day, he said, ‘are you Ernie?

Yes, sir.’ I was sent over here by some customers of yours and I’ve been having trouble with my hair for I don’t know how long. When I came to Randolph, I had more trouble with my hair. ‘The minute I saw his hair, his part was way, way over here, close to the ear.’ I said let me tell you, I can see your problem right now but if I do what I’m supposed to do to your hair, I said, you are not going to like it. It’s going to take about a month or maybe two months before you get used to it. He says, ‘I’ll tell you what, you give me the haircut that you think it’s going to be good, and I don’t care my hair will grow back again so cut my hair the way you want to.”

He says that trust in him quickly turned into one totally satisfied customer.

“I started cutting his hair, and he thought I was scalping him,” Ernie said. “I turned him around, and he said, ‘oh boy! I like this haircut!’ and I said, ‘I’m glad you do.’ “He said, I love my haircut!”

For Ernie, happy customers are always the goal, but it’s even better in his eyes when the wife comes in to say thank you because he might just have saved a marriage.

“Later that day, the wife of the man who had gotten a cut came in,” Ernie chuckled. “She said “I love that haircut! Do you want to do me a favor? Don’t let anybody cut his hair. I don’t

want anyone to cut his hair but you.”

Even after their time away, Ernie has never forgotten a customer and appreciates the loyalty that they each extended to him.

“When he (customer) was shipped off to California, he came back and he called me and said ‘Ernest, the best thing that ever happened to me is when I came to Randolph because I’ve had trouble with my hair all my life and then I came here and you gave me a haircut that I’ll never forget,’” Ernie said. “He said what will I do when I go to another barber? He said, ‘do you want to move to California?’”

Ernie never imaged a world where customers would turn into friends. Instead, he says he’s lucky for a career that gifted him many friends.

“I started cutting his hair (a customer) around 1954, and ever since he came to Randolph, he was my customer,” he said. “He married another Colonel. They were both colonels and ever since I met him, on my first birthday, he brought me a bottle of booze for me. That was a good customer.

Family adds that even if this colonel was in another part of the world “Ernie the Barber” would be remembered on his birthday with a shipped bottle of bourbon.”

His son Ruben says throughout his career, his father has also had the privilege of welcoming several interesting people into his chair….some of which were well-known celebrities.

Ernie celebrated his ninety-fifth birthday this past April. Friends, family and former clients came together to celebrate. Photos by Glenewinkel Photography

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“Norman Wood Charlton III nicknamed ‘The Sheriff ’ played for several Major League Teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays,” Ruben said. “He was known as being a member of the infamous ‘Nasty Boys’ relief pitching corps for the 1990 Cincinnati Reds team which won the World Series. Randy Myers and Rob Dibble were the two members my dad knew. He knew him as Norm. I recall that Norm would leave baseball tickets for my dad’s family at the ‘will call’ window at the Astrodome and we would watch the Reds plat the Astros.”

Meanwhile, when you ask Ernie about the celebrities he has come across, the names on his list are always worth the mention.

“One of them was a retired general and he tested airplanes for Russia, and he tested airplanes for the Unite States, and he had some good stories,” Ernie said. “I had three more generals that they were retired general, and I had another one that was a commander, and I had another one that he spent plenty of time in the United States, always traveling and hunting. He went to Alaska fishing.

He went to Dakota. You see this feather (pointing to his cap)? It came from a pheasant that he killed.”

Ernie says he’ll never forget that respect was not only given in his barbershop but was well-received by his clients.

“Let me tell you what, I’m not educated,” he said.

“My education came from those men – from people that I know that they knew what they were talking about and something that I hate to say but a lot of people told me, hey Ernest, you know you have no business cutting hair. They said your IQ is tremendous. They said, you should have been an engineer. That’s what you should have been.”

In looking back at his career, Perez says he doesn’t have any regrets and simply does not remember too many who walked out his door unsatisfied. While he admits that he might not have always provided the perfect cut, he never lets it define the success that he has had over the last 70 years.

“I don’t know if it was the way I treated them or what, but I’ll tell you something, Ernie said. “75 percent of the people that come to see you, don’t worry about the other 25 – 10 are not going to like you, and I don’t care what you do to them and the other ones, well they don’t care after you get a haircut. The way they used to treat me, I believed that what they were saying, they really meant.”

Ernie says providing haircuts in the military town was what he believes helped fuel his passion year after year – again explaining that he never wanted to put down the scissors. In fact, this May, was Eddie’s last opportunity to renew his license – a feat that he has sorely surrendered.

Nonetheless, being able to service the men and women of the military over the decades is what Eddie feels he was destined for. He says every one of his customers, especially those serving in the military, deserves the best and the best is what he hopes to have delivered. •

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MAY

Events and special promotions happening locally this month!

To promote your event on this page contact advertising at 830-379-2234 or email communitycalendar@kwed1580.com

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HOLIDAYS 5th - Cinco de Mayo 8th - Mother’s Day 30th - Memorial Day

FeaturedEvents Events Featured Accepting Applications for 4th of July Parade DUE: June 20, 2022 The Seguin Main Street Program is accepting applications for the Biggest Small-Town Fourth of July Parade. For applications, visit www.seguintexas. gov/fourthofjuly.

Badges, Bikes & Tikes May 21, 2022 The Seguin Police Department will have its Badges, Bikes, & Tykes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 21 at the Large Pavilion at Max Starcke Park. There will be games, prizes, bike raffles, face painting, music, and more.

May 17

May 25

May 25

The Comal Country Music Show will be held from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 at the Columbus Club Hall, located at 111 Landa St. in New Braunfels. The doors open at 6 p.m. with a $7 cover charge. The featured guest performers will be Bob Appel, Jo Beth Brehm, and Blair Kudelka. Proceeds benefit charity.

Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin brings Dr. Carmen Tafolla to Seguin Public Library for a reading of her lasted publications (children’s book), La Ultima Mariposa, at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25. The children’s book is aimed to teach environmental awareness, and lessons about love and friendship. Dr. Tafolla will also hold a discussion and conduct a poetry/metaphor writing exercise about the story with participants.

Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin will host a special performance with 2015 Texas State Poet Laureate, Dr. Carmen Tafolla, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25 at Teatro’s Cultural Arts Center. She will perform several pieces that are geared to the young and young at heart.

Comal Country Music Show

La Ultima Mariposa Reading

Dr. Carmen Tafolla at Teatro

Jun. 9

Jun. 14

Jun. 30

The Seguin Rotary Club will have its 31st Annual $20,000 Raffle Night at 6 p.m.

Thursday, June 9 at the Seguin Coliseum, located at 950 S. Austin St. in Seguin.

Raffle tickets are $100 each. Sea Island fish and shrimp meal tickets are sold separately for $20 each. There will also be live music, a silent auction, bucket raffle, jackpot raffle, deck of cards raffle, whiskey wagon raffle, and a wine wagon raffle.

The San Antonio Tennis Association will have its 2022 NJTL Tennis Summer Camp from Tuesday, June 14 through Thursday, July 28. The fee is $50-$60.

Racquets upon request. To register or for further information, email Paul Ramos at Programs@satennis.com or call 210-7353069.

Applications are available for the Ball High School Legacy Scholarship for relative of alumnus or graduate of Ball High School.

The applications are due Thursday, June 30 and are available by visiting www. ballhighschoolseguin.org.

Rotary Club $20k Raffle Night

NJTL Tennis Camp

Ball HS Legacy Scholarship DUE

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Welcome to Pecantown

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A Community with

INTEGRITY SAVE Buildings with

Character Column by Tess Coody-Anders Photos by Lizz Daniels

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n the second-half of the 20th century, America’s main streets suffered from the one-two punch of urban sprawl and aggressive growth by big box retailers. Commerce and culture were pushed out of downtowns like ours, leaving buildings and homes vacant and masked behind “modern” facades.

Decades later, everything old is new again. Many innovative, mid-sized cities (like Tucson) have recognized the economic and environmental benefits of reUrbanism and adaptive reuse. Now, the tenets of these concepts are taking root in Seguin alongside significant growth. Former residents and Seguin natives are returning with vision and a wealth of experience to create exciting, catalytic projects in and around downtown.

Here are just two examples.

“The Backyard” Last year’s downtowner of the Year Freddie Leos was a student at Texas Lutheran University in the mid-90s when he fell in love with Seguin’s historic houses and buildings. After developing projects elsewhere for several years, the architect and developer once again looked south of New Braunfels and purchased his first property in downtown seven years ago. Since then, he has been responsible for the restoration of many languishing structures - including the space now occupied by the

much-lauded Burnt Bean BBQ, which is drawing visitors from across the state.

“Five years ago, investor friends of mine thought I was crazy to focus on Seguin. But what I saw were beautiful, architecturally-significant buildings and houses that were affordable.

And it’s really satisfying to invest here because people support and enjoy what we do,” Leos says.

Most recently, he purchased the shuttered Lizzie M. Burges Elementary school from Seguin ISD, and immediately began plans to restore the mid-century design of the campus. “The Backyard” is a multi-use destination, incorporating retail, dining, and recreation. It’s a classic example of adaptive reuse: the 16 classrooms now function as retail spaces. Basketball courts, tetherball and other games provide recreation for kids while parents enjoy an adult beverage from the indoor and outdoor bars, and food from one of several dedicated food trucks.

“I love Central Park, but I’ve long wanted more places downtown where people could go to hang out. And I really want to see more opportunities for kids and families,” Leos says. The Backyard serves this purpose, and more. The 700-800 sq. ft. retail spaces rent for $1200 - $1500 a month, all utilities included, allowing small start-ups to incubate with a captive audience just outside enjoying food, beverages, music and recreation.

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As we draw closer to finalizing a downtown master plan, the critical first ingredient is something that all these people shared: vision.

-Tess-

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“We created a space not only for small businesses to thrive, but for the neighborhood to gather,” Leos says.

Hollamon House & the Mosheim Mansion For Patty Garcia, her father’s legacy is her true north.

After immigrating from Mexico, Dr. Juan Garcia became the first Latino to practice medicine in Seguin. He was known as a gifted physician, devoted family man and committed citizen who contributed his time and talents to the community for decades before his death in 2019. These are lessons Patty and her four sisters learned early, and that she carried with her as she developed environmentally sustainable projects internationally. Now, she’s came home to honor him and his memory through the restoration of unique, historic properties.

Unafraid of a challenge, Garcia’s first foray into reuse and redevelopment here at home is the purchase of the long-vacant Hollamon House at 902 North Austin Street, one of the oldest wooden structures in Texas. Damaged by fire in 2009, the house lists dangerously to one side, yet still stands proudly nearly 200 years after being moved in three pieces to Seguin after the Civil War. Garcia and her team had just begun the clean up and assessment when tragedy struck another historic structure just down Austin Street.

The 120-year-old Mosheim Mansion, which was expanded by builder John Adam in the 1990s and operated as a bed and breakfast prior to the pandemic, caught fire earlier this month. The property endured days of soaking rain. Local leaders worried the historic home would be lost to downtown Seguin forever. Then Garcia and her partner Greg Schnurr arrived.

Garcia and Schnurr have begun to peel away the plaster and decay wrought by the fire and rain, and are uncovering architectural treasures every day. They intend to bring the same innovative thinking that made the Mosheim the first home in Seguin with electricity and indoor plumbing to its future.

“We really must preserve our past, our history. It fills my heart to restore these properties. Even with all the challenges, all I see is hope and opportunity, and that’s what we all need right now,” Garcia says. “Whatever concepts we end up with, I look forward to sharing the space with the community.”

Tess Coody-Anders is a serial smalltowner, having spent most of her adult life in towns where everybody knows your business. A Seguin High School graduate, Tess currently serves as Vice President for Strategy and Strategic Communications at Trinity University.

Welcome to Pecan Town is Tess’s column which seeks to explore opportunities and challenges from explosive growth in our area.

Older, Smaller, Better As we enter 41 years of the Seguin Main Street program, I am reminded that innovators like Leos, Garcia and Schnurr are standing on the shoulders of many people who saw Seguin’s worth and promise over the years. As we draw closer to finalizing a downtown master plan, the critical first ingredient is something that all these people shared: vision.

Let’s hope the new plan is grounded in a new vision, one I hope will follow The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s approach of Older, Smaller, Better. Their research demonstrates that connecting old buildings to new ideas means lower costs and greater sustainability, and results in neighborhoods with more diversity of businesses, business owners and residents. The Trust teaches us that reinvigorating downtown and adjacent neighborhoods is not only good business, it makes for a good quality of life. Ultimately, that’s a project we all own. •

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DIY: Recipe to Try

Surprise

the FAM with a home cooked meal!

M

28

oms often work tirelessly to care for their families, with many juggling careers and time spent at home. It’s a balance that is sometimes tricky to manage, and at times mothers need to have their loads lightened.

Children or spouses who learn to cook can take some pressure off of Mom. Mother’s Day is a prime opportunity for other members of the household to spend time in the kitchen. Pasta dishes generally are easy to prepare and can feed a crowd.

Such is the case with this recipe for “Carbonara” from “Rachael Ray: Memories and Meals From a Sweet and Savory Life” (Ballantine Books) by Rachael Ray.

Carbonara Serves 4

1/4

cup approximately EVOO

1/3

pound chunk of meaty pancetta or guanciale, cut into 1/4-inch dice

4

large cloves garlic, thinly sliced or chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper 1

cup white wine

6

large egg yolks

1

cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more to pass Salt

1

pound bucatini or spaghetti

1/2

cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a fat handful of leaves)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, heat the EVOO, four turns of the pan. Add the pancetta or guanciale and render for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper and stir 1 minute more. Add the wine and reduce by half (about 7 minutes), then reduce the heat to low.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks and grated cheeses to the liberally salted boiling water and cook to 1 minute less than al dente per the package recommendation.

Remove about 11⁄4 cups of starchy cooking water from the pot and whisk it into the egg yolks in a steady stream to temper

them. Reserve an extra 1⁄2 cup of starchy water just in case.

Drain the pasta or transfer it with a spider or tongs to the pan with the pancetta and garlic.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the tempered egg yolks and parsley. Toss to combine. If the sauce seems too thin, return the heat to the lowest setting and, stirring constantly for 2 to 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Add salt to taste.

Note: Many recipes for this dish include heavy cream. Such recipes may be delicious, but they’re not authentic. The creamy consistency here comes from tempering the eggs and emulsifying them with oil, cheese and cooking water.

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In Case You Missed It

g n i c n e i

R O O D T OU rning

r e p Ex

a e L

Ready to make you look your BEST!

McQueeney Elementary

School transforms old courtyard into NEW, LEARNING space

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We have Seguin Story by Cindy Aguirre-Herrera Photos by Tanisha Hearn, SISD

T

he learning space at McQueeney Elementary School has officially grown by a few square feet. Thanks to a vision that encompassed the needs of the overall child, a new courtyard learning space has been planted at the local campus.

Leading the effort is Jennifer Baker, the technology teacher at McQueeney Elementary School. Baker says thanks to a grant from the Seguin Education Foundation, she was able to expand learning opportunities to the courtyard space that now serves both students and staff.

“I just had the idea especially after COVID and we are a LINK campus which is great and it’s been very successful, but I wanted to give an atmosphere and an environment for these kids to really learn – not just about nature but just to get out and be able to express themselves because of everything that COVID had kind of brought and for the teachers, I wanted to provide an atmosphere for them. They work so hard. Time is very valuable so if I could set this foundation for them to come out and use it, then I believe that’s very successful,” said Baker.

Not only does this new invented space host a number of interactive learning spaces such as a chicken coop and bug collection station and butterfly garden. It also serves as a perfect space for regular visits by “Bruce” a large live turtle.

Baker says she is pleased by how the space turned out and thanks the students for their inspiration.

“The kids, they are my inspiration. They are always telling me about things that they see outside. They are bringing me bugs. They are bringing me all kinds of things and so when I saw the courtyard, I thought what a great opportunity and I had collaborated with a few teachers to get some ideas to make sure that we are all kind of all on the same page with things and then I just started trying to get donations and applying for grants and to make things happen. I think we intend to do things but again time gets away from us, so I just went full force into it. We have to do this for the kids.

We have to plant those seeds with them today,” said Baker.

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31

With the added amenities at the campus, Baker is hoping that they can now be a part of a child’s overall wellbeing. She says everything included in the green space was done with the child in mind.

“We are the constant in a lot of these children’s’ lives and sometimes things change up on a daily basis at home but if we can be here and support them and be that face that they see that they know that we love them and care enough about them to go that extra, we are just planting a see for success for all of McQueeney,” said Baker.

Bakers says she applauds the SEF for providing the initial seed money to help kick off the project.

“I am so thankful that the foundation gave our little Pioneer Club money to help just seed this project. It’s not a conventional kind of classroom request and so I wanted them to see where their good deed has led McQueeney. We have a great foundation now and the only place that we can go is up from here,” said Baker.

Support shown to the courtyard, however, has come from all over. Baker says it has truly taken a team to plant this idea into action.

“Green Jay Nursery is not here today but I wanted to give them a shoutout. They did donate a large amount of soil to us. I’ve had parents do-

32

nate soil and money. Hog Trap Ranch has donated quite a few plants and I’ve gotten donations from Baker (Creek) Heirloom Seed which is like in Minnesota. They sent us over 1,000 seed packets to start in our little green house, so we don’t have a border here. It goes beyond borders – another state is helping another state’s school to succeed and it’s heartwarming,” said Baker.

Amazed by how the project turned out is Kelly Follis, the executive director of the SEF. Follis says this is one project that the group is looking forward to seeing grow.

“I am thrilled to be seeing one of our grants in action. McQueeney Elementary’s Mrs. Baker had the vision to start this sort of back to nature --really educate kids about conservation, about gardening, about just how nature is all around us and that they can see miracles in nature everywhere they go and so it’s wonderful to be able to see what our hard work of raising money actually does for children. They couldn’t be more excited. There were a bunch of kids out showing us things, definitely learning things and it’s a joy to be able to contribute to things like this so it makes what we do all worthwhile,” said Follis.

A special ribbon cutting ceremony unveiling the space was held Friday. The ceremony was held in conjunction with the school’s annual observance of Earth Day. •

This month’s In Case You Missed It story originally ran in the Seguin Daily News on April 26, 2022 following the courtyard’s grand opening.

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