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SkinDeep MERGING ART & BEAUTY! How Body Expressions is redefining what it means to get “inked.”

JIU JITSU FOR EVERYONE Developing through strength and discipline at Gracie Barra

SEPTEMBER 2021, Vol 1 l Iss. 8

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THIS ISSUE

13 AUGUST 2021, Volume 1 l Issue 8

Fall leaves and pumpkin spice are just over the horizon, signaling a time for change. This month, Seguin Today embraces change by taking a deep dive into how two area businesses are changing lives through dedication and art. We encourage you to step into this issue with an open mind, and invite you to learn something new as you read these stories and get to know the locals behind Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu Academy and Body Expressions Tattoo & Piercing shop. In Pecantown, Tess Coody-Anders shares her view on how the food industry’s difficulties impact Seguin and how restaurant owners utilize local resources to survive. Then we take a look back, just in case you missed it, at how Seguin Youth Services is changing the way students think about the past. If there is anything we’ve had to learn and accept in the past year, it’s that change is inevitable. But, it also doesn’t have to be a bad thing, and we think this month’s issue highlights some of the best changes happening in our amazing Seguin community. We hope you enjoy this month’s issue as much as we enjoyed creating it for you!

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COVERSHOT The team of 8 at Body Expressions is mostly women, but all the artists love what they do. Pictured together, they are ready and waiting to improve the lives of their clients. Photo by Lizz Daniels

Step inside Body Expressions and see how this local tattoo and piercing shop is merging ink and beauty through innovation.

Events and more in this month’s June Community Calendar.

Welcome to Pecantown! This month Tess takes a look at the local service industry.

Gracie Barra

Developing character through strength. discipline and martial arts.

STAFF GENERAL MANAGER Darren Dunn WRITERS Cindy Aguirre-Herrera, Mike McBride, Lizz Daniels, Tess Coody-Anders CREATIVE EDITOR Lizz Daniels

SALES MANAGER Nick Spence ADVERTISING Laurie Cheatham, Linda Duncan, Mary Jane Windle OFFICE MANAGER Priscilda Rodriguez

Seguin Today is published by KWED, Seguin Daily News www.seguintoday.com

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Gracie Barra assistant boxing coach Manuel Rodriguez practices his form while shadowboxing. Shadowboxing is used to prepare muscles before engaging in more strenuous training activites.

Brotherhood Integrity &

Development

Seguin now home to Gracie Barra Academy Story by Cindy Aguirre-Herrera Photos by Lizz Daniels with courtesy photos

ou no longer have to be curious about that unknown storefront glow at 1427 N. Austin St. While people easily pass up the building during the day, it’s late at night that you can’t help but notice the lights on and begin to wonder what’s happening inside that former army surplus store that for years sat vacant. That location is now the home of Gracie Barra Seguin. The trio academy for Fearless Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and MMA (mixed martial arts) has finally arrived in the community thanks to owner and Head Instructor Dan Alvarez. Alvarez is among the hundreds of instructors around the world who have helped continue the wish of Gracie Barra Academy founder and Professor Carlos Gracie, Jr. It remains Gracie’s wish to spread the art with others throughout the globe. The Gracie Barra Academy is the largest Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in the world headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The name Gracie Barra is the combination of both the family name and “Barra” derived from Barra da Tijuca, a suburb near Rio de Janeiro. Operating since February, Gracie Barra Seguin has continued to welcome members of all ages. Alvarez, who holds multiple black belts in both stand up and ground disciplines, says the local

chapter offers the trio of programs so that the students get the full benefit of each. “Our trio of programs are under different umbrellas. Our flagship program Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is under Gracie Barra; our boxing program falls under USA Boxing, while our MMA program is independent. Students can earn a second ranking in Traditional Taekwondo while going through our programs under the Chin Mu Kwan Taekwondo Federation (CTF),” said Alvarez. More importantly, Alvarez says unlike other programs in mixed martial arts, his studio caters to each individual’s success. “We try to focus primarily on getting our students to achieve. We just don’t just have a blueprint on how we teach. Everyone pretty much has a different body type. Everyone has a different level. We have competitors who are ambitious to compete at high levels. We have those who just want to come in and train, to get in shape, to learn self-defense so I tend to cater to all their needs as much as I can,” said Alvarez. In fact, Alvarez says no one willing to join is turned away. He says he prides himself in sharing his skills and talents with anyone who wants them especially with the all-around program of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

“Just try it out. We do have a couple of adults in the class who are disabled veterans, folks with disabilities, physical disability that they are doing okay. Jiu-jitsu is a very low impact art. BJJ is a grappling-based martial art, the core of art is the skill of controlling a resisting opponent in ways that force him to submit. Due to the fact that control is generally easier on the ground than in a standing position, much of the technique of Brazilian BJJ is centered around the skill of taking an opponent down to the ground and wrestling for dominant control positions from where the opponent can be rendered harmless. To control and overcome greater size, strength, and aggression with lesser size and strength is the keynote of the art. This is done by utilizing superior leverage, grip, and position upon your opponent. Students benefit from greatly increased physical fitness, problem-solving ability, self-knowledge of their body and mind and the many social benefits of working within a large group of like-minded fellow students as they learn and have fun together,” said Alvarez. “There’s no physical shape needed. We of course do all our warmup stretches and some cardio but as far as impact on the body, it’s very very low. Again, we teach per body type. We tailor the course for everybody,” said Alvarez. “Try it out. Come give it a shot and it’s not too bad, not what you see on TV.” Alvarez says the boxing program, of course, continues to grow in popularity. He says the program offers a range of opportunities. “We start off at the age of eight in boxing. There is no age limit on the max for people to come and train. As far as to get in shape, to get into condition, a high cardio workout, boxing is definitely a way to help you meet your goals very quickly. There is a lot of circuit training involved in boxing,” said Alvarez. Guiding the program is Assistant Boxing Instructor Manuel Rodriguez. Rodriguez, an amateur boxer representing the gym, says he is not only committed to training but also in creating the environment necessary for success. “I’m always assisting everybody. Like I tell everyone, wherever you go, you might not get a lot of assistance. But right here where you come in, you will always get a chance. If I can’t get to you, the students will also proceed helping you. Once you enter this gym, it’s like you are one big old family. We build friendships. We build a team effort, and we are all in one team. My goal is to bring something that I wish I had whenever I was little. I always look back at trying to find a gym, but I never had a gym to go to,” said Rodriguez.

In addition to Jiu Jitsu, Gracie Barra also offers boxing classes. According to staff, the boxing classes can help with physical health, self defense, and is great for those interested in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

Next on the list of available programs as mentioned is the MMA program. Alvarez says the program takes all the various techniques and disciplines and rolls them into one. “It is a common misconception that mixed martial art (MMA) is an actual art on its own, which it is not. MMA is a combination of various arts which are brought together primarily for competition. This is why here at Gracie Barra Seguin we have siloed program to teach students the fundamentals through advanced levels of the arts of boxing, BJJ, kickboxing, and Taekwondo. I have been fortunate to have been exposed to a diversity of martial arts having earned the rank of black belt in multiple disciplines to bring all these arts under one facility. We do have a revolving curriculum where we focus on different parts of martial arts on our MMA classes so if someone misses a class, we can always hit that class session again. No one will ever miss out on anything if they miss a class,” said Alvarez. Finding new physical abilities, however, aren’t the only accomplishments for its members especially for the younger ones. Alvarez says the techniques used have proven beneficial -- on the inside -- for children. “The kids, it’s pretty apparent just within a couple of months, you can see their discipline level, their attention level improves, and it also transfers into their schooling – a little more focus. We take children no matter the disability, no matter of learning disability. We take everybody. I’ve had a couple of athletes that helped their flexibility and mobilization in football, baseball – those types of kids who compete in the surrounding areas,” said Alvarez. Confirming Alvarez’s confidence in the progrm are mom and son boxing duo Lisa Segura and her 10-year-old son Matthew King. Segura, who has a total of four boys, says it was soon after she signed them all up that she too decided to join. “I tried working out like at Planet Fitness and it didn’t work. I wanted like an intensive workout and so I was like boxing, I guess I’ll do it,” said Segura. Segura, who started in February, says she’s proud of her results. “I love it. I lost a lot of weight. I feel good about myself. I love it. It is really good,” said Segura. However, the newfound confidence for her son, Matthew, supersedes any success she could have ever imagined for her family. “I love it. He’s also lost a lot of weight. He used to get bullied in school and so now, he knows how to defend himself. He goes to school now. He’s not scared to go to school. He’s not coming home crying saying oh, this happened. He actually has a lot of friends now. They all know that he’s in boxing, so I feel like that’s why they don’t mess with him maybe,” said Segura. Even Matthew admits to the positive changes and says he is a better kid for it. “I’m just trying to work out and trying to keep my body in shape and stuff. It’s changed my confidence. It’s better now. I’m good,” said Matthew.

Alvarez says like Segura, goals are being met and success is there for those who want it. “With adults, a lot of it is more fitness – we see a lot of adults drop weight if that’s their ambition when they get into our programs. With adults, we don’t see a lot of competitors not as with what we see with kids. But adults, we do see more of a health approach with the facility just trying to drop the weight and we see them daily losing inches. So, it just depends on what you want to achieve. We try to help them reach their goals. We do see a transformation in all the students so far,” said Alvarez. Even though there are over 700 Gracie Barra’s in the world, Seguin might just have one of the most unique operations and that’s largely part to Alvarez’s passion for the martial arts world. Having trained in the arts for years, Alvarez, who also works in IT for the health industry, says operating the gym is more than just a business. “With my career, I’ve been really blessed to be in the position that I am. My parents, when they were growing up, they grew up poor in Corpus Christi. They came from big families, and they grew up in a poor neighborhood. They always raised me to give back. Although, we do charge tuition, compared to the other Gracie Barra academies, we are probably the cheapest and its to help us pay the rent, keep the lights on. I really don’t do this for profit because of my career. I enjoy teaching. I have for a longtime. I have had programs with parks and recreation with Corpus Christi and with San Antonio. So, it’s my way to give back, to have these kids stay off the street and utilize their free time – not only on video games but something more useful for them especially with all the bullying going around nowadays and cyberbullying to just give kids the courage to stand up for themselves and offer some discipline along the way. I probably do it more for the kids,” said Alvarez. Program tuition plus other details about Gracie Barra Seguin can be found at gbseguintx.com or by messaging the program via its Facebook page. Details about the program can also be answered by contacting Alvarez directly at 830-312-6166. Alvarez says adults and kids alike at least owe it to themselves to come out and see how Gracie Barra can help improve their lives both on and off the mat. “Gracie Barra Seguin can be summed up by our core values, Brotherhood, Integrity, and Development. We at Gracie Barra hold our values to a high standard, not only at Gracie Barra Seguin but at all Gracie Barra academies. We are committed to a common goal above individual needs, and to treat people as an extension of our family. We strive to promote and expand BJJ and pass the benefits of the art to others. Our common motto is “Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone.” •

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SkinDeep Body Expressions is redefining tattoo art & improving local lives. Story & Photos by LIzz Daniels

here is a certain stigma attached to being tattooed that has existed for most of modern history. However, as the industry continues to develop new techniques and artists embrace their unique style, one of the world’s oldest art forms continues to make its way into the mainstream. Body Expressions in Seguin is pushing boundaries in a once male-dominated industry by incorporating aspects of the beauty industry to its work offering permanent cosmetics performed by highly trained artists. Shop owner Thomas Diaz is the man in charge, but with a shop of mostly female artists, Body Expressions has found a way to appeal to individuals who may never have set foot in a tattoo studio before. “I was born and raised here, and I always saw back in the day, I saw my community was against tattoos and I wanted to do something different,” said Diaz. “I own the shop and do what is called SMP services. It’s scalp micro-pigmentation. I do that for gentlemen that are losing their hair. I put little small hair follicles on their head, and I’m a piercer as well.”

SMP is one aspect of what most people might know as permanent cosmetics, and it is one of the fastest-growing tattoo techniques out there. Typically, beauty professionals perform permanent cosmetics to boost daily beauty by eliminating the need to fill in brows or wear lipstick. Now, hair loss is a part of the growing list of cosmetic procedures that tattooing can help. “It’s crazy, but it’s a lot of gentlemen that have tattoos,” said Diaz. “They’re suffering from hair loss and it’s a different route for them rather than going in and doing the operation where they cut you and give you scars. This service is pulling away from that where a gentleman doesn’t have to go and pay $50,000 dollars for somebody to take hair and cut it and implant it. That’s a really rough procedure, and what I do is give them another option. When someone goes bald, they usually start shaving their head. So what I’m doing is giving them their hairlines.” It’s essentially a tattooed fade that helps fill in the hair loss line, creating the illusion of hair follicles. It’s a lot like the process Tatiana Anders uses when doing brows and lips for her clients, which tend to be women -- many of whom have never been tattooed before.

Tattoo artist and Color Queen, Megan Golla, preps a client for her session. Golla has been tattoing since she was nineteen and one of her favorite things about her job is helping people express themselves artistically. “Be YOU,” said Golla.

“I think the ones who have never gotten tattoos are the ones that have the issues with eyebrows –– like back in the 90’s they overplucked them and stuff, and they’re trying to do something about it,” said Anders. “I think the ones that have tattoos are probably a little more lax about it whereas if they’ve never had anything done, they get a little scared. I got into it because I want to restore that confidence back into people.” Anders is in the process of earning her Texas Esthetician license because she believes there should be a balance between the technical side and the artistic side of providing permanent cosmetic services since it does work a bit differently than a traditional tattoo. “There is a consultation; everybody’s skin is different, there needs are different,” said Anders. “So, it’s all customized and we always try to achieve a natural look. Basically, it’s the consultation where we talk about the wants and needs and figuring out if you’re a good candidate for it because not everybody is. Once that’s done, I’d go ahead and shape the brows or put the color on the lip just before I tattoo so they get a chance to see what it’s gonna look like beforehand.”

Clients at Body Expressions show off their art. From memorials to best friend tattoos, people use tattoos to express themselves and honor loved ones. Pictured, are pieces inked by Amy Contreras and James Cassel.

Amy Contreras is one of the 6 female tattoo artists at Body Expressions. She say she can’t imagine working a regular job, and loves the creativity she’s able to express every day through client requests.

Once the look is settled on, then the real work begins. First, a topical numbing agent is used to help keep the process as pain-free as possible. Then Anders begins tattooing utilizing a traditional tattoo machine, which is far quieter than some might expect, with more delicate needles to achieve the look of natural brow hairs or a smooth lip tint. The goal is to enhance an individual’s natural appearance, not ink on “Sharpie brows” or a thick lip line. “It differs in the sense that we use different pigment and different needle configurations, and we don’t go so deep into the dermis,” said Anders. “That’s why people need to get the touchups and it’ll kind of organically fade over time versus a tattoo which is deep in there with solid impacted ink, which is going to last you a while. This is really delicate, little lines, almost like a powdery effect. It’s very light.” While the rest of the artists in the studio focus on traditional tattooing, the primarily female environment makes Body Expressions unique for reasons beyond their expertise in permanent cosmetics. Out of the eight artists at the shop, six are women. Traditionally, tattooing and piercing are heavily male dominated, making some women hesitant to step into studios where creative expression is put on exposed skin to display. Tattoo artist April Yrigollen came up in one such shop, where apprentices washed cars and run errands rather than perfecting their craft. “I would sometimes feel like I was left out or put to the side, or not taken as seriously as much,” said Yrigollen. “Whereas a new guy artist would get all this attention, and they’d be uplifting about them whereas I’d be on the sidelines like ‘oh yeah, she’s a tattoo artist.’” Fortunately, as tattoo art becomes mainstream, more female artists are finding their way into this non-traditional career path and making powerful changes to the stereotypes associated with tattooing. For Yrigollen and several of the shop’s other artists, one of the most meaningful pieces they create is memorial tattoos. “I do a lot of sentimental, memorial tattoos and it’s just a good feeling to do a tattoo like that and do it well,” said Yrigollen. “I always put everything into all of my tattoos, but those especially. To see them cry because they’re so happy about it, or even covering scars makes people feel more confident about themselves. It’s not just about having a cool tattoo, a lot of these boost people’s confidence and makes them feel better about themselves. It’s awesome to be a part of that.” Whether clients come seeking an art piece to express themselves, a memorial to honor a lost loved one, or permanent cosmetics, Body Expressions has a team of professionals that are more than up to the task. With music keeping the atmosphere fun, and custom art adorning the shop walls, this local Seguin tattoo shop continues to push the boundaries of the industry while serving the local community through its art. •

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SEPTEMBER

Events and special promotions happening locally this month!

City of Seguin Fall Clean Up The City of Seguin will have its Fall Clean up Day from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Seguin Events Complex (Coliseum), located at 950 S. Austin St. in Seguin. Participants must show a photo ID or utility bill to prove they reside within the city limits. Acceptable items include: junk disposal, scrap metal, appliances without Freon, automobile tires (no larger than 19.5”), and paper shredding.

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

September 2021 5

15 16

12 13 14

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

For more information call 830-401-2416

26 27 28 29 30 HOLIDAYS 6th - Labor Day 20th - Native American Day

Featured Events

Thu, Sep. 16 Third Thursday

This month’s Third Thursday is all about Exploring YOUR Downtown Seguin by participating in the ever-popular SCAVENGER HUNT! Grab a Entry Form and hit the streets to visit businesses and fill in the answer the ‘clues.’ Downtown Seguin 5pm - 8pm

1st & 3rd Sat. Farmer’s Market

The Big Red Barn will have its Farmer’s Market on the first and third Saturdays of the month. There will be various booths featuring local farmers selling vegetables, plants and more. The Big Red Barn 10:00 am - 2 pm texagedu.org

Sep. 18

Annual Membership Art at the Texas American Legion Riders MLNDA The Seguin Commission on the Arts will have Meeting Poker Run The Meadow Lake Nolte Dam Association its Annual Art at the Texas fundraiser from 6 The American Legion Riders 245 will have its 6th Annual Poker Run beginning with registration at 9 a.m. and first bike out at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 618 E. Kingsbury St. in Seguin. The fee is $ 20 per person which includes a meal. Additional meals are $8. There will be lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., a 50/50 raffle, silent auctions, music, and a 52 card raffle.

Sep. 26

(MLNDA) will have its 3rd Annual Membership Meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 18 at the Pat Irvine covered pavilion in Starcke Park East. Anyone who has a vested interest in preserving Nolte Dam for the Seguin community is welcome to attend and encouraged to become a member. Dues & donations will be accepted. Please bring your own chairs. For more information visit www. mlnda.org or the Meadow Lake Nolte Dam Association Facebook page.

to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18 at the Texas Theatre, located at 425 N. Austin St. in Seguin. There will be food, local wine and beer, a silent auction, art sale, and live entertainment. Performances include the Mid-Texas Symphony performers, Craig Sorgi and Laura Scalzo; Teatro de Artes performers, Abraham J. Silva and Isabella Guerra; and the De Leons. Tickets can be purchased a Main Street/Visitor Center, located at 116 N. Camp St, Gift & Gourmet, or Court Street Coffee.

Oct. 9

Nov. 16

Geronimo VFW Cajun Dance Kiki Camarena Red Ribbon Run Chamber Banquet The Geronimo VFW Post 8456 will have a dance featuring Jesse Lege & the Boscoe Stomp Cajun Band from Austin from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26 in Geronimo. Admission is $10. There will be Cajun red beans & rice and other goodies for sale in the Auxiliary kitchen at 1:30 p.m. For reservations or more information, call 830379-0506 or 830-305-8829.

The 2nd Annual Kiki Camarena Red Ribbon Run supporting the Guadalupe Valley Young Marines youth program will be held beginning at 9 a.m. Oct 9 at the American Legion, located at 618 E. Kingsbury St. in Seguin. The registration is $20 for the motorcycle run. The event will feature a plate sale, silent auction, various booths and a great time to visit veterans from Seguin. For more information contact Dina Dillon at 423-227-9610 or email gvyoungmarines@gmail.com or visit Facebook. com/gvyoungmarines.

The Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce will have its Golden 100th Annual Anniversary Banquet from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Seguin Coliseum. Semi-Formal Attire. To ensure non-profit organization’s meetings and events appear in this calendar, send information to: communitycalendar@kwed1580.com, or drop off the information at the Seguin Daily News/KWED offices located at 609 E. Court St. in Seguin. For best results, submit information at least two weeks prior to the event.

Welcome to Pecan Town

FOOD SERVICE

LABOR

CHALLENGES

A Bellwether for Seguin’s Workforce Column by Tess Coody-Anders Photos by Jarred Kindles

elén Ledesma was just eight years old when she asked to go to work with her father, Juan Vasquez, at their family restaurant, El Charro on South Guadalupe Street. She started by washing the “small” dishes, mopping and sweeping. By the time she was 12, she was waiting tables after school. “I still remember my teachers at Vogel coming to the restaurant and saying hi to me!” she said. Over the next 22 years, they built strong relationships with loyal customers and staff, and a steady business that sustained her family and the people they employed. Then COVID hit. Now, Ledesma says they are experiencing a second pandemic: their inability to hire and retain reliable workers. “When the pandemic started, we closed for a month. I had 16 employees begging for us to open back up. Since our dining room was closed, I was splitting hours between all of them so that they could make some money,” Ledesma said. Esther Rodriguez also has been living through the upsand-downs of the pandemic in food service. A career server and now a manager with Rocket Wings and Dixie Grille, she said she worked closely with the owner and other managers to keep the businesses afloat, but eventually they had to close the Dixie Grille and focus efforts on Rocket Wings. “We had to put everyone on hold,” she said. When the lockdown ended and customers returned, getting people back to work turned out to be a challenge. Rodriguez said many of her co-workers had already taken better paying jobs, or did not want to return because of safety concerns over COVID. Like many food service employers, Rodriguez and Ledesma believe the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program that provided unemployed workers an extra $300 per week played a part. “When the government help started, it just completely changed,” Ledesma said. “People didn’t want to come back to work.” But that program ended June 26 in Texas, and food service workers are still in short supply. With demand returning, and plentiful jobs available, what happened to all the labor? As it turns out, hiring is an across-the-board challenge

putting downward pressure on restaurants. “As consumer demand skyrocketed back, employers from across many sectors started scaling up all at once. They are competing for the same segment of workers,” said Joshua Schnueker, director of economic development for the city of Seguin. In our area, this means restaurants and fast food businesses are vying for employees with large manufacturers and warehouses, like Caterpillar or Amazon. “The hiring challenges facing food service are the same challenges facing big employers, too. It’s just that we are more aware of the problems facing the food service sector because it’s more visible to us as customers.” Large employers have raised wages and are offering a multitude of creative benefits - from sign-on and referral bonuses to extra pay for perfect attendance. Even the city of Seguin is offering a refer-a-friend spiff to employees as they struggle to find qualified applicants, Schnueker said. Plus, such employers generally offer other benefits that a small restaurant cannot. “All of this means it is hard for the small mom-and-pop restaurant or fast food provider to compete successfully to hire and retain qualified employees,” he said. Schnueker estimates that most food service and fast food franchises pay between $9 - $12 per hour. Some restaurants in our area pay around $2.25 per hour plus tips. According to Ledesma and Rodriguez, a server working primarily for gratuity may make $15 per hour for a four-to-five hour shift on a weekday, more on a weekend. And while most have raised wages at their restaurants, there’s only so much they can afford. These employers are in hand-to-hand combat with employers like Amazon or the HEB Distribution Center, where starting salaries range from $16 to $17.50 per hour - plus benefits like healthcare. It’s tough to win that fight. And there’s one other thing Amazon and Caterpillar workers don’t have to deal with: rude customers. Becca Johnson is the general manager of an area fast food restaurant, and she says that while workers are becoming more demanding and sometimes difficult to manage, customers are making it harder to retain employees.

CITY OF SEGUIN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DECREASES TO 5.1 PERCENT Workforce Solutions Alamo releases July 2021 Jobs Report Source: Texas Workforce Commission/LMCI/LAUS

The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program produces monthly and annual employment, unemployment, and labor force data for Census regions and divisions, States, counties, metropolitan areas, and many cities.

Highlights

CITY OF SEGUIN

• 5.1% JULY City Unemployment Rate (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

13,083

5.1

• 700 people actively looking and available for work • DOWN from 5.7% in JUNE 700

• LOWER than the 6.0% Unemployment Rate for the State of Texas

13,783

Labor Force

Employment

• LOWER than the 5.4% Unemployment Rate for the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metro Area

Unemployment

Note: Only the actual/unadjusted series unemployment rate estimates for Texas and the US are comparable to substate unemployment rates. Adjusted rates are calculated by smoothing out the changes in unemployment due to the typical seasonal hiring and layoffs. Rates reported are estimates and variations in previously reported rates can occur with BLS readjustments.

“Customers need to realize we are short-staffed, working long hours with no breaks. Some of us don’t get a day off. Trying to do multiple jobs at once...keeping up with the fast-paced demand, trying to get everything perfect, and dealing with rude customers is not as easy as some might think,” she said. The hiring crunch has forced restaurants to make some hard decisions, some of which have long-term implications for the future of the food service workforce. As a start, Ledesma cut back business hours, which means no night or Sunday shifts to fill. Longer term, some server positions may never come back. “I want customers to know that wait times and prices will change. Our systems will change, too. We might not have waitresses anymore, and people may have to order for themselves,” Ledesma said. Rodriguez said they are looking at similar options. “We are trying to prepare for all things unknown in order to keep the restaurant going,” she said, which means changing processes and using new tools to eliminate the need for positions that are hard to fill. “Of course, we still want to try and keep the people who choose to stay.” Employees may no longer specialize in one role, but be trained to do any job at a restaurant. The use of self-order apps and QR codes will continue to accelerate. And when the cost of labor becomes more expensive than the cost of automation - those jobs will go away permanently.

• City of Seguin Unemployment Rate ranked 3rd highest in the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metro Area Workforce Solutions Alamo is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Texas Relay Numbers: 1-800-735-2989 (TDD) or 1-800-735-2988 (Voice) or 711.

“Small and large employers are seeing that it is a viable, sometimes necessary option to replace a human with technology or a process change, and to make that change permanent,” Schneuker said. “We are seeing this in manufacturing, in retail, in restaurants. It really started pre-pandemic, particularly in manufacturing, and is intensifying.” That’s why Schneuker believes workforce development to be his department’s greatest priority, more so even than recruiting new employers. “Even if a human job is replaced by a robot, someone has to work on that new technology. Those are highly skilled jobs that are in huge demand and pay good wages. We have to begin upskilling people who are currently in highly-repetitive, low-skill jobs at risk for automation so that they are prepared for the jobs of the future,” he said. Seguin has many of the tools and resources to do just that. Building new and robust connections between Seguin High School, Central Texas Technology Center, Texas Lutheran College and area employers will ensure that we are truly building a talent pipeline to attract employers that pay a living wage or better. This matters to everyone - especially those who would like to see a thriving cultural life and diversified retail and restaurants in Seguin. “It’s all connected,” Schneuker said. “A skilled workforce will help us attract and keep employers that offer better paying jobs. Workforce development really is the key to improving the quality of life overall in Seguin.”

Tess Coody-Anders is a serial small-towner, 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.

This Month... August

in History! 1783: The treaty of Paris is signed ending the American Revolutionary War. 1939: Great Britain and France declare war on Germany druing World War II. 2001: 9/11 Attacks on World Trade Center and Pentago

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