Seguin Today: October, 2021

OCTOBER 2021, Vol 1 l Iss. 9

THE FOOD TRUCK TREND Talking delicious local eats with Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen

Community

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at First United Methodist Church’s Pumpkin Patch

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THIS ISSUE

13 OCTOBER 2021, Volume 1 l Issue 9

It’s Fall ya’ll! We’ve already had our first cool front of the year, the leaves are changing and the Holidays are just around the corner.

The hustle and bustle of the Guadalupe County Fair is underway, and soon the carnival lights will be but another cherished memory until. as timely as the seasons, they make their way back around next year.

In this month’s Seguin Today we celebrate the changing of the seasons by taking a behind-the-scenes look at the First United Methodist Church annual Pumpkin Patch. You’ll see what it takes to put on the event, and how much work goes into moving all those GIANT pumpkins.

We also take a look at the local food truck trend that is growing in Guadalupe County and surrounding areas. Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen shares her love for good food, and explains how food trucks are great for business owners and locals on the search for delicious food!

This month’s community calendar is also loaded up with fun for fall, and a special invite to this year’s upcoming Pecan Fest. So reader, flip the page and get to reading this month’s features.

As always, we are so happy you are here.

facebook.com/KWEDradio kwed.seguindailynews @kwed

COVERSHOT FUMC church members and community members all came together to bring the pumpkins to Seguin. Inside the truck. Pictured Jesse Leal helps unload pumpkins from the delivery trucks

Photo by Lizz Daniels

Go behind the scenes at one of Seguin’s favorite fall traditions the FUMC Pumpkin Patch!

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

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Welcome to Pecantown!

This month Tess talks local branding, marketing and more!

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Food Trucks

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Inside Seguin’s growing food truck trend with Mayor Donna Dodgen.

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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Local food trucks gathered around the downtown square at this year’s Freedom Fiesta Food Truck Festival. The delicious eats and treats were so popular, in fact, that multiple trucks sold completely out!

The FOOD TRUCK D N E R T

with Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen Story and Photos by Lizz Daniels

S

eguin Mayor Donna Dodgen loves food trucks. Whether it’s the homemade hotdog buns at TNT Dogz or the freshness of a chalupa from Susie Q’s, Dodgen,much like other locals, can’t get enough of the artisanal food offeringsfrom the area’s growing number of food trucks.

“I had one of my first Cuban sandwiches, and probably one of the best I’ve eaten at a food truck that was here,” said Dodgen. “I just like to try different foods. There’s really nothing I don’t like. I have to tell you, I’m really not fond of brussel sprouts the way my mother did them. Bless her heart, but she would do them like little cabbages and I just didn’t like them. But when I’ve had them in a salad kind of shaved, or grilled they’re just amazing.”

Dodgen loves to follow her adventurous palette to new and exciting flavors –– even ones she thought she didn’t like. Food trucks tend to focus on a few signature dishes instead of extensive menus, which is a growing trend in the food industry. Food trucks themselves are also experiencing explosive growth as more small business owners try their hand at the business format.

“I think they are popup meals on wheels and probably one of the most interesting small business ven-

tures that has begun,” said Dodgen.

“I think they are amazing. They add things, they add value. And if anything Freedom Fiesta, with all those food trucks running out, told us that, and they were all from around here.”

Back in July, the food trucks rallied for Seguin’s first Freedom Fiesta Food Truck Festival. Attendees swarmed the trucks forming lines that stretched across the downtown square and helped keep the Fourth of July festivities going all evening.

It was so successful that, as Dodgen said, most of them sold out, which she attributes to the carefully curated menus offered by the area’s food truck owners.

“I’ll tell you one of the most interesting places is BS Brewing. He has a different food truck every weekend. I think he’s a food truck connoisseur. They’re there from Friday afternoons and Saturdays, and they’re from all over. But they’re all families and small businesses. The Backyard and putting the food trucks there is another example of how that goes. It’s a real savings for him, plus it makes other people some money.”

While the food truck business is great for the downtown economy, the artistry behind the menus and ingredients makes food trucks truly special.

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“It’s like a chef ’s special on wheels,” said Dodgen. “And they get to do different things and that’s kind of trendy. I don’t think it takes away from the other restaurants at all. I think it enhances whatever activity you’re going to have, and our Food Truck Fridays downtown are kind of an example. How they affect us in the city is, they’ve brought more people in. They’ve added some quality of life. They’ve added something that the younger people want. We may not have as many restaurants as they want, but we have food trucks that have a lot of different things.”

Seguin’s food trucks cook up everything from street tacos to Wagyu beef in small, locally sourced batches allowing locals to try a wide variety of new foods. It’s great for families because when the food trucks gather, the sky is the limit on options.

“It’s meant to be walkin’ food, street food. That’s how it started, but I think it’s also meant to stop by, get something and go home. I think families go up, and the kids get to pick, and then they leave. So it’s not like you have a turnover in tables. It may take a little longer, but food truck aficionados know that. They know the quality they’re going to get, and they don’t mind the price or the wait.”

For foodies like Dodgen, the local offerings are both affordable and delicious. And while she loves them all, she does have some personal favorites that she recommends to her friends.

“I will tell you, I keep thinking about Susie Q’s –– they have the best chalupa I’ve ever eaten in my life, and I eat a lot of Mexican food, but

that chalupa is dang good,” said Dodgen. “It’s fresh. I’m telling you. I think he takes two little corn tortillas, fries them together. And the hamburger meat is not greasy at all, it’s dry. And then he puts fresh tomatoes, lettuce , onions, it is so good. And he probably uses a longhorn cheese or something to give it a snap, but it is so good. I think the creativity is what I just love. “ With the local food truck scene multiplying, some favorites are even looking to expand into storefronts, which will give locals more opportunities to try them out.

“The TNT hot dog truck, that company is amazing,” said Dodgen. “They’re always looking for something downtown. They want a building they can afford. They want to stay here. I think there’s a lot of people who couldn’t afford a whole restaurant, but yet love food. Look at Ernest at Burnt Bean. He did popups, which is kind of a food truck stationary.”

Since starting as a popup, Seguin’s Burnt Bean Co. has gone on to receive statewide acclaim with lines wrapped around the building as restaurant-goers wait to get a taste...a lot like the food trucks at Freedom Fiesta.

As the city works to make it easier for new businesses to operate, the food truck trend shows no signs of slowing down, which means good things for the local economy, and even better things for foodies eager to fill their bellies with something new. •

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T

he three most popular places in Seguin might as well be HEB, Walmart and The Pumpkin Patch. That’s how legendary the lawn of First United Methodist Church has become throughout these past 27 years of hosting Seguin’s very own pumpkin patch each October.

The patch known for welcoming thousands of families from the start of October to midnight Oct. 31 has become more than just a holiday favorite, it’s become a tradition. The patch is open seven days a week at the church located at 710 N. Austin St from dusk to dawn.

Before taking a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to host the patch, Seguin Today is sharing a few facts behind its history. The then church youth director Katie Arnold brought the idea home in 1995. The partnership was and still is with Pumpkins USA. Pumpkins USA has been helping churches and non-profits like FUMC host patches since 1974.

However, after Hurricane Hugo wiped out the crop from its original farming location in North Carolina in 1989, the organization moved its crop production to the Navajo Indian Nation in New Mexico. Today, close to 2,000 loose pumpkins –- that fill up two 18-wheelers – are delivered to Seguin. A variety of pumpkins and gourds are received within a few days of being harvested and are trucked to the local church for unloading.

Perhaps what is most unique about this partnership between FUMC, and Pumpkins USA is the trust built into the deal. Pumpkins are delivered with no contract or legal proceedings. It’s merely a handshake and trust that those pumpkins will be sold, and money will be collected. It’s the faith and assurances that FUMC will be “diligent in selling their pumpkins, honest in reporting their sales and attentive” to paying Pumpkins USA its percentage of sales. What initially started as a fundraiser for the youth ministry is now a church-wide effort with proceeds going to several church programs and community-wide organizations.

Layered on top of that foundation of trust is the people and volunteers at FUMC who today work harder and harder to continue this rare and unique way of doing business for the common good.

Terry Webb, who has served on the pumpkin committee since 1999, says the pumpkin patch is truly the heart of the community each fall.

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A Fall

Tradition

Sowing the seeds of the season Story by Cindy Aguirre-Herrera Photos by Lizz Daniels

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Although, it’s quite a large operation now, Webb says it’s still centered in creating those special family memories.

“One family from Dallas and another from Houston and they meet here for a family reunion, and they always take their pictures here. I was going through the files, looking at the pictures of the children who have grown up in the patch – the Holt Family girls (Kamdyn and Keaghan) have been photographed every year in the patch with the exception of 2020. I’ve got the ones where they were two years old all the way to when they were 17 and then I found a picture of Hunter Hewell as a toddler leaning over trying to pick up a huge pumpkin and now, he is an attorney here in Seguin. Children in our community have just grown up in the pumpkin patch,” said Webb. “The heart of it is reaching out to the community and always having someone there to smile and say ‘hi, welcome to the patch and if you need help taking pictures – as long as I can use your cellphone, I can take the picture.”

Some of the most precious moments in a person’s life have also forever been rooted in the patch.

“We’ve had one young couple, he popped the question and then the next year, they had wedding photos and then a few years down the line, they brought their newborn baby to be placed in a big old pumpkin for a photo. It’s making happy memories around a vegetable called a pumpkin,” said Webb.

Over the most recent years, the patch, however, has become more than a photo backdrop. Webb says it’s become a childhood favorite.

“We’ve always had story time, but we observed in other pumpkin patches that a lot of community schools would come for story time, and we said, ‘well, we can do that.’ It was a low cost field trip like from Weinert, from Ball and at the time from Juan Seguin – these three and little four year-olds could walk to the patch, get some fresh air, get a pumpkin, hear a story, learn about pumpkins and then walk back to their classes and then, we had a new leader that was more into explaining all the growth and the ins and outs of the science of pumpkins and so we really developed learning centers. It was no longer just a place to buy a pumpkin, a place to take your pictures, it was a

learning opportunity for the children of Seguin, Marion, La Vernia, Navarro and all around,” said Webb.

The pumpkins, of course, aren’t the only things that attract plenty of attention at the patch. Webb says creating those family memories wouldn’t be made possible without the creative holiday pieces that outline the church lawn.

Webb says behind those scarecrows and custom photo areas is Vicki Spradling, a longtime committee member and creative brainchild for the patch.

“Vicki has been incredible. Once, she caught the Orange Fever, she was very feverish with it. She thinks about it all year long and creates things -- the scarecrows and the signs and she put hours upon hours both physically and mentally about ways to enhance the appearance and how we can best serve the community. She has been an incredible asset once she joined the team several years back,” said Webb.

Spradling says she has enjoyed piecing together the props for the patch and coming up with new concepts each year. However, she says in order to be ready; her work must begin in June.

“I started just the first few years just setting up and maybe going in and sitting there at the table and working with customers. I come from a background of 30 plus years doing craft shows and I’ve always been a creative person. That’s just how God made me.

I just have this mind and I’m like ‘oh, we can do this, or we can do that,” said Spradling. “The first couple of years, I took all the scarecrows home with me and just fluffed them up and I was like we can do better than this. I was like no, next year, I’m just going to make new scarecrows and each year, I got a little more brazen and then the next thing I know, they were asking me ‘where do you think we should put this?’ And, so then I was kind of directing where they put things. I was kind of directing them and arranging the patch and then each year, I’ve just done more and more and then for three years, I was patch chairman and boy I took over then.”

If you ask her, Spradling says every day of the year is a day to dream of the patch.

“For me, I’ve always said, ‘if I can dream about it, I can make it,’” said Spradling.

Page left photos courtesy Stacie Spradling

Clients at Body Expressions show off their art. From memorials to best friend tattoos, people use tattoos to express themselves and honor loved ones.

Just know that everything that is there in the pumpkin patch is for them and it’s made with love.

- Vicki Spradling

.

Church members and community volunteers worked together to unload the massive shipment of pumpkins which arrived at First United Methodist Church on October 3.

Spradling, known for spending hours in her craft and woodworking shop preparing for the patch, says the time dedicated to this effort is truly a passion – a passion that she hopes resonates with folks every time a family takes a trip to the patch.

“Just know that everything that is there in the pumpkin patch is for them and it’s made with love, and it’s love that I feel comes from God. I get excited when we sell a lot of pumpkins and when our numbers are really good because I know where that money goes. It goes out to all these different ministries in the community so I’m excited about that, but it’s never been for me -- the money or about the selling of the pumpkins. It’s about sharing this love with our community and the outreach that our church has for this community.

So, I want them to know that when they come to the pumpkin patch, they don’t have to buy a pumpkin. It’s nice if they do but I want them to come and make the family memories,” said Spradling.

Like Spradling, Webb says the other batch of volunteers that come together to host the patch is just phenomenal. Of course, she also gives kudos to an ongoing core of folks who each year have an ongoing role in making sure the tradition returns year after year.

“It’s an interesting group of people that have Orange Fever. Bill Hughson is a businessman, and he has the big picture and makes sure that all the entities are being taken care of. He understands the business angle of it in making sure that the money is done just so. Vicki has the creative part. I have been involved with the recruiting of volunteers.

We each have our niches. My husband likes to figure out how to put out the pallets. It’s just interesting how it all comes together,” said Webb.

Webb says what some folks might also not know is that pumpkins are never thrown out. She says all are put to good use.

“Those that do start spoiling, we put them aside and different hog farmers or deer feeders – I’m not sure who it all is, they come by and pick up all the poopy ones and take them away, so we don’t have messes in the patch. There’s a constant calling in the patch in keeping everything fresh but yet, the ones that do go bad benefit the farmers in the area,” said Webb.

Webb says to be a part of such a trusting and dynamic partnership with Pumpkins USA is what in the ends helps make the benefits come full circle. She says it’s a gift of giving, trust and a true reflection of Christ.

“That trust thing where Pumpkins USA says how many pumpkins and what kind and we say what we want, they deliver it on trust, and we simply fulfill our part, and they fulfill their part. There is no reason for that to stop working because it just works,” said Webb.

Today, the lawn is a sea of orange – a color that Webb says she hopes never fades away and is marked for generations to come.

“I hope that it will always continue because there is always a need for children to see something that is wholesome and good and be a part of something that helps other people,” said Webb. •

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OCTOBER

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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PECAN

FEST

OCTOBER 30th

Fall Trade Days Downtown | Wet Paint Sale Vendors at the Big Red Barn | Film & Arts Festival

SEGUINGONUTS.COM

31 HOLIDAYS 11th - Indigenous People’s Day 31st - Halloween

Featured Events

Oct. 9 On Going Sneaker Drive

The Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce is helping the CCSCT in its Sneaker Drive to collect new and gently used athletic sneakers and cleats.

Donations are accepted at the Chamber during normal business hours through Friday, December 31.

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

Oct. 16

Oct. 16

Kiki Camarena Red Ribbon De Mano A Mano Open Air Matador Theatre Run Season Tickets Artisan Market 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

The Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin will have its De Mano A Mano Open Air Artisan Market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16 on the historic Plataforma Hidalgo on the grounds of Teatro’’s Cultural Art Center, located at 921 W. New Braunfels St. in Seguin. Vendor selection is limited to handmade and homegrown items only. Deadline to Register to be a vendor is Friday, October 8. For more information and a complete listing of items accepted, restrictions, and eligibility, call 830-401-0232 or email teatrodeartes@gmail.com.

Season Tickets for Seguin High School Matador Theatre are now available with check or cash for $60 at Gift & Gourmet and Keeper’s. The season opens with Madagascar Jr. Wednesday, Oct. 20 and Thursday, Oct. 21. In Jan, Disney’s Broadway musical, Into the Woods will be performed Jan. 21 through the 23, on Feb. 24 the one act play troupe will present a public showing of its competition piece. The season ticket includes concession service through a dedicated line including one free snack and one drink per show. For more information, call 830-556-9467 or emaildanniljw29@yahoo.com.

Oct. 24

Oct. 31

Nov. 16

Outdoor “Plein Air” Painting Event

Crossroads Church Trunk or Treat

Chamber Banquet

The Seguin Art League will host an Outdoor “Plein Air” Painting Event on Sunday, Oct. 24 and Friday, Oct. 29. 2021. Artists are free to paint in our Historic District and beautiful downtown parks both days. Their art will then be for sale on Oct. 30 during the Pecan Fest. For more information and entry forms, please visit www.seguinartleague. com.

The Crossroads Church will have a Trunk or Treat with trunk or treat games from 6 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31 at 3455 US Hwy. 90 W. in Seguin. There will be a prize giveaway from 7 to 7:30 p.m. followed by the worship and message from 7:30 to 8 p.m. There will also be popcorn, pickles, and water available for a $1 each. Bring a family-friendly costume, trick or treat bag, lawn chairs, and your friends and family.

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.

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Welcome to Pecan Town

SEGUIN’S

Brand

Influencing What Other People Say About Us (When We Are Not In the Room) Column by Tess Coody-Anders Aerial photo by Nick Spence

By virtue of simply being alive and American, we see an average of 10,000 marketing messages each day. Our brains are wired to filter, block and sort information so that only that which resonates, sticks. In this world of too much information, branding matters - and not just for products and services. Cities and downtown neighborhoods need to cultivate brands, too, to compete for employers, visitors, new taxpayers, and to unite and galvanize their own citizens. Think of it this way: most companies have 3-5 competitors. A city has almost 20,000 in American alone.

It’s called place branding, and it’s about far more than a logo or tagline. Here’s a great definition from an expert named Bill Baker: “A place brand is the totality of thoughts, feelings and expectations people hold about a location. It’s the character, reputation and enduring essence of a place and represents a distinctive promise of value and a sense of place. Most importantly, it’s a valued promise that is grounded in truth and reality.”

Our community’s growth and expansion creates a real opportunity - and an imperative - for us to develop our own story. That’s what a brand does. It becomes a rallying point for its citizens (Sword’s Up, Matadors!) and a guiding light for decisionmakers to stay “on brand.”

Ultimately, in the absence of efforts to cultivate a brand (not just a tagline or a logo), one will develop organically. What three words would you use to describe Seguin to someone? What about downtown Seguin? Imagine the same

exercise for a neighboring community, like New Braunfels.

Where do your impressions of that community come from?

Consider the example of Georgetown, north of Austin, which began a branding campaign in 2004 following their city’s long-range visioning process. The result was an iconic script “G” and a focus on messaging Georgetown as the city with the “most beautiful town square in Texas.” Their subsequent communications, logo, tagline and marketing efforts were centered around the following core values: • Respected • Intimate Quality – of accomplishment, fulfillment, realization • Familiarity/Familiar • Community – family • Friendly • Harmonious • Thinking ahead • Progressive • Gracious • Informal • Discriminating • Finest neighbor/ good neighbor • Small town • Nostalgia • Distinctive • Continuity • Deep roots

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“The primary reason for developing the new logo and accompanying “Sincerely Yours” tagline was to create an image that represents Georgetown’s essential identity in order to create a consistent message for the City’s tourism and economic development efforts,” writes then-Mayor Gary Nelson.

Even small towns and downtowns like ours can benefit from comprehensive and visionary branding. But building a place brand is not the work of an advertising agency or a designer.

Ingenuous, meaningful and lasting brand identities are built in collaboration with community stakeholders. We have a strong foundation in our “It’s Real” tagline. Let’s build on the momentum of this good work to amplify pride in our community. Here are the components of a successful brand, for a whole city or neighborhood, like a downtown: • The city or downtown’s brand evokes emotion

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• • • • •

The brand story is about citizens, not just about city leaders The brand communicates a “why” The brand identity is iconic and timeless The brand narrative involves simple storytelling The brand captures history as well as a vision for the future

Think more about what you believe our brand to be, intended or unintended. I would love to hear from you, my neighbors and readers, as we continue the conversation about how to guide Seguin and downtown into a future where we realize our full potential. Here’s a little exercise to help: If Seguin were a car, what brand of car would we be? How about our neighboring cities of New Braunfels, San Marcos, San Antonio and Austin? I’d love to hear what you come up with! •

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!

1940: The first edition of Ernest Hemingway’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ was published.

1959: The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art open in New York.

October is National Down Syndrom Month. Events to support people with Down Syndrome take place all month long.

CRUST

Crunchy, cooked dough

ANSWER: Pizza

Kids’ Corner PRESENTED BY

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ENGLISH: Cheese

SPANISH: Queso ITALIAN: Formaggio FRENCH: Fromage GERMAN: Kä CHINESE: Nǎilào

Can you guess what the bigger picture is?

ANSWER: Pepperoni Pizza

This food is thought to have been invented in Naples, Italy in the early 1500s.

FUN! Where going to the Dentist is

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DIY: Recipe to Try

Whip up a FALL

Favorite!

Old-Fashioned Caramel Apples Makes 12

12 medium apples 2 cups granulates sugar 1 cup packed light brown sugar 2/3 cup light corn syrup 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 cup half-and-half (10%) cream or evaporated milk 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups chopped pecans, 11⁄2 cups sweetened flaked coconut or 2 cups crisp rice cereal (optional)

Directions:

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1. Wash and dry the apples. Remove the stems. Insert a popsicle stick into the stem end of each apple, using a twistlike motion so that the apple will not split.

2. Cover a large countertop area or a large baking sheet with waxed paper.

3. In a large heavy kettle over medium-low heat, bring the granulated and brown sugars, corn syrup, butter, half-andhalf and salt to a boil, stirring until the sugars dissolve and the mixture begins to boil. Cook, gently stirring to prevent scorching, to the firm ball stage (246 F). Stir in the vanilla.

4. Remove from the heat. Cool until the mixture thickens slightly. Hold each apple by the wooden skewer and quickly twirl into the caramel, tilting the pan to cover the apple with caramel. Remove the apple from the caramel, allow the excess caramel to drip into the pan and then twirl the apple again to spread the caramel smoothly over the apple. Use a spoon to coat any part of the apple not covered with caramel. If desired, roll the coated apples in the toppings before the caramel sets. Place on the waxed paper until the coating is firm. Store in a cool place.

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In Case You Missed It

A Space of their Own Story by Cindy Aguirre-Herrera Photos by Lizz Daniels

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Investment of senior’s money goes toward graduation night activities

A

favorite senior tradition has made its return to Navarro High School. After a few weeks of enjoying their new claimed spot on campus, Navarro seniors are sharing their thoughts thus far of their own painted and personalized parking spaces. The tradition which fizzled out over the past couple of years has returned thanks to this year’s Project Graduation committee.

Committee member Michelle Cunningham says it was important to not only fundraise but to help rebuild those senior traditions – traditions that unfortunately have taken a backseat throughout this pandemic.

“It’s been a couple of years since Navarro has done the parking lot painting for Project Graduation. It’s a fundraiser.

The students were able to pay $100 and put their name in a drawing for a specific parking space and once, they got their parking space, then they were allowed to paint and decorate it however they wanted to so over the course of about two weeks, they got their parking spot identified. They came and drew it out. They painted and we came up with this amazing -- it’s probably about 66-67 parking spots that are just beautiful and funny and creative and the kids had a great time. They were able to spend time with their families when they were painting when they were painting....”

“They were able to spend time with their friends. So, it was a good way to get some of these seniors together, to do something creative and to enjoy that time and also start raising for the Project Graduation event that we are planning for the night of graduation for these youth,” said Cunningham.

Among those enjoying a space of her own is Senior Sabrina Sneed. Sneed says her space reflects her journey prior to

arriving to the Navarro ISD as a seventh grader.

“We were given the option to like express ourselves, pick anything we want.

We just had to turn in a rough draft to make sure it was appropriate, but it was a lot of fun. I picked a sunset with waves since I am from Hawaii. I was raised in Hawaii, so I just wanted to put a little bit of myself on there, so I drew a sunset and some waves and wrote my name at the bottom. It was so fun. I really enjoyed it,” said Sneed.

Senior Emily Cunningham says not only was she able to share some of her favorite things, but she was also able to kick off her senior year with family and friends.

“I just decided to go ahead and include my personality and I’m really into cows and cactus and that’s been my theme for a while so being able to include my theme and then have my family come out and help me especially my senior year, it was really meaningful, and it was a lot of fun to have especially with friends around to help as well,” said Cunningham.

While some seniors admit it took them some time to come up with an idea, others like Senior Justin Hawes says they couldn’t wait to get started.

“I thought it was really cool because I could pull in as late, I want to and no one is going to be in this spot. I thought it was going to be like really fun and express myself and like make it funny in a way.

It’s a handicap sign and it says, ‘Hawes Parking Only.’ It’s got like flames coming out the back. I’ve had it since like freshman year because I heard they were going to be doing it and I got really excited and I thought it was going to be super dumb to do that and so I was like ‘I’ve got to live my life making freshman Justin proud,’ so that’s how I did it,” laughed Hawes.

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Aerial photography by Jarred Kindles

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For some, like Senior Jacqueline Springs, customizing their parking spot was not as easy as they imagined but believe that in the end, it was well worth the effort.

“I really like nature and flowers are like my favorite plants.

So, I did Dogwood flowers because I think those are really pretty every year and it was kind of a fun activity to do – getting to paint them. Just my mom and I came out here and I think we were out here like seven hours or something trying to paint it. It took forever but it was still fun,” said Springs.

The pops of art seem to have also lessened the stress of being a senior student. At least that’s the case for Senior Cole Mouser.

“I personally like the parking spots because last year, I had a big problem with showing up like pretty decently – I wasn’t late – I showed up on time for my class, but I always had to park in the back lots and everything. I think it’s pretty solid to have my own little spot to come here like if I was to be a little late because these are like always taken.”

So, I am just glad I have my own spot,” said Mouser.

Senior Grace Hambric says the works of art have no doubt made senior year fun again and thanks the Project Graduation Committee for returning the tradition to the students.

“I think it’s a nice tradition for us to start as seniors so that the grades after us can do it and it’s nice to raise money for Project Grad,” said Hambric.

Brandi Stringer, high school librarian and a senior parent, says the committee has hit the ground running to ensure that seniors celebrate with a party of their own the night of graduation. She says while specifics for the event on May 27, 2022, are still being planned out, the committee has already committed to a list of fundraising activities to help make that night happen.

“Project Grad is so important simply because that event keeps them off the roads that night. It keeps them safe. We don’t want our kids to miss out on the important activities because of a pandemic so we are just trying to modify what we are doing so that what we are doing still enables them to be able to participate in the events,” said Stringer.

Stringer says she reminds other senior parents that although graduation is not until May, the memories of their child’s senior year are well underway.

“Don’t sit back and wait for things to happen for your kids because if somebody does not step up and work towards getting things done, it might not happen. So, we encourage every parent to jump in and help us because it’s important for these things to happen and if they are not helping, it makes it difficult especially with us being a smaller district. We don’t have as much funds as other districts do to do things like this. So, we need parent involvement to make them happen. We definitely want their support,” said Stringer.

The group this past Friday held a bake sale and silent auction at the home football game. Other events currently on schedule include a BBQ Dinner, Washer Tournament and Silent Auction at the Geronimo VFW on Feb. 5 and the annul Senior Serve on Feb. 27. Parents, donors and supporters wishing to contribute to the project are asked to visit the Project Graduation page found under the parent’s tab at nisd.us. •

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH SEGUIN

Pumpkin Patch October 2 through October 31 Monday - Saturday 10:00am - 7:00pm Sunday: 12:00pm - 7:00pm

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Stars Over Seguin

LIBRA

Sep 23 - Oct 23

Libra, you may be quick to dismiss insights that come your way via a hunch or a feeling. You tend to value logic, but go with your gut on this.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

Capricorn, double-check all of the numbers in your budget because you want to be sure you are accounting for every penny.

This isn’t a time to estimate.

ARIES

Mar 21 - Apr 20

There may be a lot of visitors in your life lately, Aries. You might need to play host at work or at home. Keep the mood light and enjoy this chance to reconnect.

CANCER

Jun 22 - Jul 22

You have quite the gift of gab when you feel comfort able with someone, Cancer.

Just be sure to come up for air and let the other party get a word in edgewise .

OCTOBER, 2021 SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Oct 24 - Nov 22

Scorpio, you have a plan and it includes new friends, a new attitude and a new location. It may take you a little while to achieve all of this, but remain patient and focused.

Nov 23 - Dec 21

Sagittarius, you love to ex periment with new ideas and discover new people. You will be excited to find yourself in a burgeoning romance. Enjoy the ride.

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Jan 21 - Feb 18

Confusing signs could be com ing from friends or coworkers, Aquarius. Don’t be afraid to seek some clarity. Others will appreciate your honesty.

Feb 19 - Mar 20

Communication is the name of the game this week, Pisces. It may come in the form of a speech, email or even a handwritten letter.

TAURUS

GEMINI

Apr 21 - May 21

Taurus, this week you may be feeling a little on edge and you won’t be able to pinpoint why.

Put yourself into quiet situations where you can unwind and decompress.

May 22 - Jun 21

Gemini, you may need a break from the pressures of your life, especially if you’ve felt tired or strained lately. Too much focus on responsibilities can do that.

VIRGO

LEO

Aug 24 - Sep 22

Jul 23 - Aug 23

Leo, pay attention to psychic impressions this week as things that seem random may actually be telling you something. Don’t hesitate to lean on others for their interpretations.

Virgo, you may get a call from someone this week that catches you off guard. The conversation may prove inspiring and open doors to new opportunities.

Tarot Reader & Energy Healer with over 20 years of experience.

Get clarity and healing on: Love & Relationships, Career & Work, Life Path

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9/16/21 9:04 AM