SWEET SCIENCE GETS UGLY
STRUTTIN’ HER STYLE
Find out the stunning results from the San Marcos Showdown
Student’s flair for fashion lands her in the pages of Glamour magazine.
SEE SPORTS, PAGE 14
SEE TRENDS, PAGE 5
TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS
www.UniversityStar.com
JULY 26, 2006
WEDNESDAY
VOLUME 96, ISSUE 4
Planning for the future: Texas water conservation
RISING
DANGER David Saleh Rauf The University Star
Editor’s Note: This story is the final part of a series on drought conditions and water conservation in South Central Texas.
It’s been said that water is power and money in Texas — supply is limited and the demand is steadily growing, leaving many to wonder where there primary source of water will be coming from in the future. State planners at the Texas Water Development Board predict that current water supplies will meet only 75 percent of the projected water demand by 2050, resulting in 7.4 million fewer jobs, 13.8 million fewer people and a reduced state income of $238 billion. “The current available supplies would not be sufficient to meet the water demands as a result of the population doubling,” said Comer Tuck, TWDB conservation specialist. “We’re going to double our population in the next 50 years; obviously more water is going to be needed.” With drought conditions persisting for the
past year and water usage increased because of hot weather, municipalities across the state have been forced to invoke mandatory water restrictions, sparking the issue of efficiently managing existing water supplies, and meeting future needs, through statewide and local conservation planning efforts. Water planning first began on a statewide level in the late ’50s as a direct result of the drought on record. Since then, the TWDB has prepared and adopted the State Water Plan as the guide to state water policy to ensure the “orderly development, management and conservation of water resources.” Photo courtesy of Sean W. Claes In 1997, however, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1, which called for local DRIED UP: Summer refuge for families and fishermen, Five Mile water suppliers to develop regional plans Dam, located at Dudley Johnson Park just outside of San Marcos, has had its water level drastically reduced because of the recent drought plaguing Texas.
See WATER, page 4
Development plans move forward on Blanco Riverwalk project City charter Blanco RiverProposed Blanco Riverwalk site walk will offer Theater ‘real’ alternative • 3,200 square feet • 275 parking spaces to San Antonio Riverwalk Medical offices THEATER
• 3,200 SF • 275 PARKING SPACES
MEDICAL OFFICES
• 170,000 square feet • 700 parking spaces • 170,000 SF • 700 PARKING SPACES
By Eloise Martin The University Star San Antonio may not be the only city in Texas with a riverwalk for residents and tourists to enjoy. Plans for a 239-acre development along the Blanco River in north San Marcos have been put into motion for a riverwalk projected to be open to the public by early 2007. Rezoning for the area, located between Interstate 35, south of Yarrington Road and the Blanco River, was approved unanimously by the San Marcos City Council on June 20. The council approval included rezoning and the allowance to build the proposed project. The proposal overview for the rezoning predicts the Blanco 0 Riverwalk project to be one of unmatched proportion in Hays County that will “introduce the densest combination of commercial and residential uses in the county.” The project is being developed by Arizona-based Blanco River Development Company LLC, headed by Christopher Green and Burt Heimlich. Heimlich said it will cost between $350 million and $400 million and is proposed to include 765 condominiums, retail space, restaurants, a 5,000seat amphitheater and more than
Riverwalk Plaza 7-Story hotel • 200 rooms Two levels of live/work • 48,000 RIVERWALK PLAZA square feet 7 STORY HOTEL • OVER RETAIL • 200 ROOMS
Retail • 313,200 square feet 2 LEVELS OF LIVE/WORK • OVER RETAIL • 48,000 SF RETAIL • 313,200 SF
Three levels of residential • 115 Units
Six levels residential • 650 high-density units 6 LEVELS RESIDENTIAL • 1,300 parking garage spaces on two levels
225’
450’
900’
BLANCO RIVERWALK San Marcos, Texas The partners have not finalized designs for building along the river, but Heimlich said they plan to follow a theme of “Old Texas Architecture” that he compared to the historic district of Gruene. “The Gruene look is unique, but that is the concept we are trying to capture,” Heimlich said. The site purchased by the team covers 2.75 million square feet of mixed-use land. Heim-
48,000 SF 200 SPACES
135,000 SF 600 SPACES
lich said he researched the area and found potential for new development set between the larger cities of San Antonio and Austin. “It is a beautiful piece of property,” Heimlich said. Dan O’Leary, San Marcos city manager, said the city will have to wait to see if the development ever reaches the final stage. “This is a great plan, but in my position, I have seen a lot of plans that never reach de-
1,000 SEATS 275 SPACES
By Clayton Medford The University Star
Three levels of office • 135,000 square feet OF OFFICE 3 LEVELS RETAIL • 600 parking spaces • 76,600 SF • 550 PARKING SPACES
• 135,000 SF • 600 PARKING SPACES
velopment and a lot that have,” O’Leary said. “I don’t know which category this fits in yet.” Land development is scheduled to begin within three months and Heimlich said it could be complete in as few as six months. “It is a very aggressive project and we are going to do quality development,” Heimlich said. More information about the project can be found at www.BlancoRiverwalk.com.
5,000 SEATS 800 SPACES
The San Marcos City Council reviewed possible revisions to the city charter at their meeting on July 17. The council approved most of the charter review commission’s recommendations to become ballot initiatives including one item which proposes increasing the minimum age of a council candidate from 18 to 21. “If people don’t want a 19 -yearold on the council, they won’t vote for a 19-year-old candidate,” said councilman and political science professor Ed Mihalkanin. “People at 18 can enter into contracts, they can get married, they can do any number of things, join the military, without their parents’ consent 4-STORY HOTELS (2) and I think we should keep (the requirement) as it is.” Councilman Chris Jones echoed the comments of his colleague. “My old-school thought is if you are able to go to war and fight for the country, I’m sure you are able to focus on seeing local issues and stand up and be counted and run for local office,” Jones said. Commission chair and physical education and recreation professor Moe Johnson explained the logic behind the commission’s recommendation. “A person who is 18 probably has not been involved in city con-
TOTAL PARKING
Source: www.BlancoRiverwalk.com
400 hotel rooms, many of which will overlook the river. A 56-acre area will be dedicated to open space, including walking trails along the river. The Blanco Riverwalk will be comparable to the existing one in San Antonio, Heimlich said, but will offer something unique. “This will be a real riverwalk along a real river,” Heimlich said. “And it will eventually tie into a trail system with the city.”
• LIVE/WORK
• AMPHITHEATER
• 650 HIGH-DENSITY UNITS @ 50 UNITS/ACRE • 1,300 PARKING GARAGE SPACES ON 2 LEVELS
Retail • 76,000 square feet • 550 parking spaces
440 ROOMS 500 SPACES
170,000 SF 700 SPACES
• 180,000 SF • 900 PARKING SPACES
• 266,000 SF • 1,600 PARKING SPACES
765 UNITS 1,530 SPACES
• MEDICAL OFFICE
RETAIL Retail • 180,000 square feet • 900 parking spaces
IH 35
835,800 SF 4,600 SPACES
• OFFICE • THEATER
• 5,000 SEATS • 800 PARKING GARAGE SPACES
Retail • 266,000RETAIL square feet • 1,600 parking spaces
amendments to appear on Nov. 7 ballot
• RESIDENTIAL • HOTEL
3 LEVELS OF RESIDENTIAL • OVER RETAIL • 115 UNITS
Amphitheater AMPHITHEATER • 5,000 seats • 800 parking garage spaces
• RETAIL
9,205 SPACES
• 240 ROOMS • 300 PARKING SPACES
ILLUSTRATIVE SITE PLAN
See CHARTER, page 4
Texas State couple’s time cut short in wake of Iraq war tragedy By Eloise Martin The University Star They met in their 8 a.m. accounting class the first day of fall semester, 1997, at then-Southwest Texas State University. Her last name was Garza and his Funkhouser; the professor’s alphabetical seating placed her in the desk to his left. She did not know that in fewer than 10 years, she would fall in love with, marry, create two daughters with and experience the death of the man she met that day. Last Memorial Day, Capt. James Alexander Funkhouser Jr., who went by Alex, was killed while escorting reporters in Baghdad, Iraq. A roadside bomb took his life on May 29, along with two CBS News crew members and an Iraqi interpreter. Funkhouser was 35. For the Funkhousers, fighting in the Iraq war was about responsibility and duty. “15 years ago, my husband signed his name on a dotted line that said he would do what he
was asked to do, no questions asked,” Jennifer Funkhouser, Alex’s wife, said. “I was 100 percent supportive and proud of him for that.” The marriage started as just two classmates sharing notes. Alex and Jennifer used their fall semester getting to know each other; they studied together and he took her to breakfast after class on her 21st birthday, she recalls. They lost track of each other after finals that December, but when Jennifer’s roommate and Alex found themselves in a class together in the spring, he asked her to give his number to Jennifer so they could reconnect. “I called him that evening and we set up a date for the next day. It just went on from there,” Jennifer said. Alex was attending SWT as part of the Green to Gold ROTC program after spending two years at Stephen F. Austin University and six years in the Army. Major Larry Berkenhoff, assistant military science professor, was at SWT the
Today’s Weather
Afternoon T-storms 92˚/75˚
Precipitation: 60% Humidity: 64% UV: 10+ Extreme Wind: SSE 10 mph
retired colonel, Jennifer said. In addition to classes and the military, Alex also worked full time at Kinko’s, often having to travel to an Austin location. After graduating in August 1999 with a degree in business management, he remained at SWT working with the ROTC. The end of the semester marked Jennifer’s graduation and a new beginning for the two. “We were legally married two hours after my last final on December 13, 1999,” Jennifer said. “We knew he was going to be stationed in Germany in May, so we got married early enough to Photo courtesy of Jennifer Funkhouser have time to do the paperwork we needed to go together.” ONE OF OUR OWN: 35-year old Army Captain James Alexander Their wedding ceremony was Funkhouser Jr. was recently killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb while on May 20, 2000, two days before escorting news reporters in the area. Funkhouser, a Texas State they left for Germany. Jennifer alumnus, was involved in Texas State’s Green to Gold ROTC prosaid although their time together gram and also met his wife Jennifer on campus. was cut short, their six years of marriage created a lifetime of memories. same time as Funkhouser. hoff sad. “We were only married for a “I only knew him for a year; Funkhouser planned to make short amount of time, but we he was a good cadet who never the military into his career and did so much,” she said. “We lived caused any problems,” Berken- eventually retire, like his father, a overseas and we traveled all over.
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We got to do a lot more than most people ever get to do.” Jennifer said Alex had a relaxed personality that could produce good times in any situation. “When you were with him you were always going to have fun. He always had a smile on his face,” she said. Jennifer’s last moment with Alex was on Dec. 9, 2005, the day he left for Iraq. While overseas, Alex had a cell phone provided by the Army and the two talked almost daily. They also sent emails and had webcams available during the weekends for face-toface conversations. Although the distance was hard, Jennifer said the difficulty lessened with time. “Separations can be really hard when a loved one is deployed, but it does get easier,” she said. Jennifer and Alex have two daughters, Kaitlyn, 4 and Allison, 2. Having both been only children, Jennifer said that for her and Alex, family was their top priority. See IRAQ, page 4
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