June/July 2013

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SMTX | Tidbits

Caldwell County Judge Denies “Float Fest” Residents of a subdivision in Caldwell County have recently been calling their section of the San Marcos River anything but a “slice of heaven.” There was a hearing in May on whether or not a promoter should be given a permit to hold a festivallike concert on the river. Sheriff Daniel Law of Caldwell County told the judge that there was only so much they could do to regulate the loud commotion on the river. The judge denied the permit for “Float Fest.” So for now, riverside residents have the upper hand.

Food On The Move New Trailer Park at Tanger Outlet Mall

Have you driven past Mimi’s Trailer Park or The Hitch recently and noticed that certain trailers have suddenly up and disappeared? Well, the new food trailer park at Tanger Outlet Mall has lured many food vendors such as Pedestrian Café, The Local Smoke and The Caboose away from downtown. You can find them next to the Tommy Hilfiger store feeding hungry shoppers.

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4.91 Percent

The United State Census Bureau rated little San Marcos, Texas as the Fastest-Growing Large City in the country. The population increased an estimated 4.91% over the last year. The best kept secret in Texas is officially out of the bag.

The Sun Belt Changes Its Logo The Sun Belt Conference officially changes it logo on July 1, just in time for the joining of Texas State University to the league this summer. The new Sun Belt logo will be colored according to its member school’s official colors and will appear on playing courts, uniforms, and fields. Ehh, it looks okay.

| By Kayleigh Soukup |

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Sauce...Texas barbecue purists may not use it on brisket, but it’s great for spare ribs.

The BEND TEST... gently bounce the meat with a pair of tongs. If you see a big crack or tear on the surface, the ribs are ready for consumption. Small tears mean a little more time on the grill.

Foil...Its optional and often debated.

No Poking...Use tongs to flip the slab.

Notes | The Rib Rub

Difference between “Done” and “Ready?”

Meat is “done” when the temperature at its thickest point reaches the point at which it is safe to eat (USDA says 145°F). That doesn’t mean it’s “ready.”

Take temp up to 180°F for 30 mins to ensure tenderness. Overall cooking time is 3-5 hours at 225°F.

Salt & Pepper...

The perfect rub base, if not rub itself. Apply liberally to both sides.

Sharp Ass Knife...It’s an unsung hero professionals never overlook.

The finer points

Of Spare Ribs It takes a lot more than just a piece of meat and some wood on a grill to create a masterful rack of ribs...but these delicious boney treats are a little easier to prepare than most rookies think.

Fear not, pork is very forgiving.

Post Oak Wood...Popular in Texas. Has a mild smoke flavor when burned.

SMTX | Interesting Object

LIGHT UP LBJ MUSEUM If you don’t know where the museum is located, it’s on the square, and that’s exactly why it needs a sign that creates awareness. A new bright and eyecatching sign will lend a little light to the dark Guadalupe side of the square and bring more attention to the non-profit museum where many artifacts from LBJ’s time in San Marcos are housed. Only money stands in the way.

Speakeasy On The Square On June 27, a private fundraiser hosted at the museum will unveil other sign designs where guests will be asked to vote on what style they feel suits the square best. Attendees will be served Pre-Prohibition cocktails from LBJ’s era with a Gatsby-esque twist.

Event and ticket information LeadershipSM.com

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Notes | Sign me up

The Leadership San Marcos Class of 2014 saw the sign, or lack there of, and enlisted the bold and unique designs of local artist Jay Gordan, owner of Blackout Signs, to create a new sign for the LBJ Museum of San Marcos.

Anyone who has ever bought a sign knows they ain’t cheap. LBJ designs range from $10,000 illuminated versions to $30,000 signs (pictured above), complete with wrap around marquee, allowing visitors and residents to know of special exhibits and events.

The building, home to the LBJ Museum of San Marcos, was once known as the Palace Theater. It sported a large neon art deco sign spanning the front center (vertically) of the building’s second story.

| Illustration by Jay Gordon |

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Pitmasters Omar Serna & Aaron Hernandez spend hours in a smoke filled room preparing mouth watering meats.

In less than six years Hays Co BBQ has gone from an often confusing, unknown and unappreciated San Marcos hole-in-the-wall, to a barbecue joint worthy of being named to Texas Monthly’s Prestigious Top 50 BBQ Joints in the Lone Star State.

By Rick Koch Photos Eric Morales & Luciano Guerra

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Pitmaster Michael Hernandez

Clockwise, Top Right: Three Pitmasters & “Boss Lady” (Asenette Hernandez), A group of hungry Texas State students, Fire Marshal Will Schwall, Secret jokes between father and son.

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In a dimly lit screened-in room Michael Hernandez leans back against a pile of post oak wood and surrenders an exhausted but happy smile. It’s been a grueling five and a half years since he and his wife first decided to trade in their corporate careers for a world of aprons, tongs and slabs of beef. They discovered success in the barbecue business is more than pits, wood and cooking meat, it’s about perfection.

I

It’s a cold early morning at Hays Co BBQ. Michael Hernandez goes about his chore list, piling wood into the pits using embers still glowing from the previous night to ignite a flame. For a barbecue joint, the surroundings are exceptionally clean, a reflection of the owners’ intensity, some might say obsession, for “doing things the right way.”

He walks about his model car filled restaurant cleaning and preparing for another day of serving smoked meat loving customers, and the lunch rush is only getting busier. As he sips on his morning cup of joe, he reflects on what the business, and his wife, mean to him.

“When I had the opportunity to purchase this place, I cashed in all of my 401K and put in all the savings we had.

I knew it was a good business model with a lot of potential. I had to eliminate all the ‘shoulda, woulda and coulda’s’ from the get go. If this was where we were going to make our mark, there would be no ‘What if’s?’ I needed Asenette to quit her job and give everything she had to help build this business.”

Determined to make a leap of faith, the vast majority of people were not cheering them on, rather cautioning them about making a huge mistake. “The majority of people did not support us.

I even had a current San Marcos city councilman tell me I was crazy. ‘Don’t you know that 95% of restaurants fail?,’ he would say. People had a hard time catching the vision, but your business is what you make of it,” says Michael.

“Failure was not an option.”

It’s certainly not easy to pit smoke a tasty brisket, even more difficult to do it day in and day out. It’s an art that is celebrated in our region, and Michael realized what he was up against the first time he tasted Lockhart barbecue.

Once he found himself in the business, it presented an awesome challenge. He knew what was possible but he was going to have to find the way to first match it, then exceed it, and do it consistently.

“I had to learn everything about a pit, and I learned the hard way. We were up and running for several months and cooking decent meat when we received what at the time to us was a big catering order. We were so excited! I had all the meat on the pit, and nothing was cooking; hours went by and the meat was raw. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I piled on more wood, used fans to get the heat up, nothing was working and time was running out. I became frantic, the order was close to pick up time, and I had no cooked meat. I called up Woody and explained everything.

What could I possibly be doing wrong?”

He said, “Ummm, It’s pretty simple, Michael, you start a fire and heat up the meat.” Finally he asked me if I had cleared out the smoke stack. Smoke stack? What? After figuring out what he was saying, I hit the smoke stack, heard it clear out and watched the fire begin to roar. I had to send our first big catering order somewhere else. I was so embarrassed—it’s a lesson I look back on and laugh at now.”

Years passed, six to seven days a week of cooking brisket, along with

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various other meats, was beginning to show remarkable improvement. Michael obsessively and intently manned the pit, taking careful note of every variable that would affect the final outcome, working to get the most out of the meat without drying it out, or God forbid burning it. He also carried on the Central Texas tradition of making sausage in house (beef & pork), which today has many regulars proclaiming it the best they’ve ever had.

Two years into business, the customer base started to shift and grow. Michael needed more help, and his 15 year old son, Aaron, was next in line to learn the pits. His young and sometimes arrogant bravado was humbled when he would ignore the insights of his father and whole briskets were discarded, but he too began to come into his own, making customers rave.

Standards were high, and word was beginning to spread against some unfortunate odds.

The long rocky history of the Woody’s BBQ name and the exit of Southwest Market, it’s prior name, left many potential customers confused and uninterested. Just about the time the battle of cooking consistency was winning over skeptical customer taste buds, the restaurant received a cease and desist letter demanding a name change. What was perceived as another set back at the time turned out to be a blessing. The business was delivering a product that could stand on its own, and it needed a new name that could do the same.

He grew up a dirt poor kid in Lamesa, Texas. Nothing was easy for Michael Hernandez- in the card game of life - he was dealt the hand of an underdog.

A strong work ethic developed quickly when during adolescence he began to take note of what it meant to own something. A love for automobiles drew him to high school buddies with souped up muscle cars and other unattainable luxuries. The more he hung out, the more he understood how 17 year old kids could possess such fine automobiles. Their parents owned businesses and Michael began to equate that with success. “I had no interest in attending college because I couldn’t sit still in a classroom and I couldn’t afford it. I took a very close look at what was attainable for me to reach success without a college degree and went that route,” explains Michael.

In 1988 Michael was working his first job ever at Long John Silver’s. During a frequent trip to the local grocery store to pick up 16 BOBCATFANS | SMTX | 06-07.13

Aaron Hernandez, son of Michael, has been working the pits since 15 years old.

lemons for the day, he became infatuated with a check-out girl - who wouldn’t pay much attention to him. After repeated trips and growing frustration, Michael asked the store manager for a sacking position and quit his job. Soon he was bagging groceries next to his future wife of 21 years, Asenette Hernandez. “It’s simple, if you know what you want in life, then you have to be willing to go get it. I’ll always believe that,” Michaels laughs.

Various employment opportunities, including restaurant management, sales and banking, led the couple from one Texas city to another, until a small vacation made them decide to call New Braunfels home. Life was good and both had worked hard to provide themselves with great paying jobs and benefits. It wasn’t enough for Michael, his goal was to own a restaurant, and he’d wait patiently for the right opportunity to come along.

Only months after opening, Michael and Asenette discovered their peers on the pages of Texas Monthly’s 2008 BBQ issue. On the cover was a beautifully rustic vintage style sign with big and bold yellow neon letters shouting “BBQ” and proclaiming the Top 50 joints in the state. The prized list recognized the top contenders in Texas BBQ, the best of the best. The mountain they wanted to climb was clear, making the list would exemplify barbecue excellence. They had five years before Texas Monthly released another Top 50 list.

Obsessed, Michael poured his soul into the craft, serving only what met his highest expectations. But Hays Co BBQ wasn’t located in the attention-loving foodie crazed capital of Austin, nor was the unknown joint detouring travelers headed to Lockhart

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or Luling. But the barbecue underdog was growing stronger.

First time visitors became regulars, and business was booming. Michael had done it.

He had a product worth talking about. He knew it because he’d take road trips to eat at the Top BBQ joints in the state on his days off, stopping at up to five places in one day.

On one occasion a customer who frequented Hays Co BBQ called him out while he was ordering brisket at City Market in Luling.

“Hey, hey, your competition is here,” he yelled loudly towards the pit crew as they cut Michael off a few slices of brisket, “He’s from Hays Co BBQ in San Marcos.” A little embarrassed, Michael sat at a table, ate his food and quickly moved on. He had to know where his BBQ stacked up among the greats.

The more places he visited, the more confidence he built.

Then came a conversation had over countless mornings.

How does a barbecue joint make sure it’s not overlooked

by Texas Monthly? It’s more important than one might realize. You see, Texas Monthly is deliberately positioning their brand right next to Texas BBQ, working diligently to become the undisputed authority on the subject, admittedly saying they are building a franchise around it. The magazine launched a new website (TMBBQ.com) complete with tour bus, created a barbecue finder smart phone app, and is hosting a yearly festival in Austin allowing serious smoked meats connoisseurs to taste travel the state’s best barbecue in one day. It’s a delightfully gut busting experience.

The answer was simple, Michael needed to feed them, as many of the Texas Monthly staff as he could. There was no way around it; his piece of mind rested on a bold measure. Hays

Co BBQ was going to cater lunch. He picked up the phone and fought the little voice in his head that said, “You’re crazy, don’t embarrass yourself.” He sweet talked his way through the awkward request, through the “no’s” and “we-don’t-do-that’s” until they either felt pity on him or understood the flattery of the request, no strings attached.

On that special day, four very excited souls piled into a truck full of hot juicy BBQ and headed to Austin. With nervous hearts racing, Michael and company walked through the halls of Texas Monthly. The preparation leading to this day would put a boy scout to shame. Nothing was left to chance. A carving station was set up in an area usually home to an office ping pong table. Every second of setup weighed heavily as the TM staff began to chatter as the smell of slowly smoked meat permeated the office air.

“I knew we did good when I watched the editor [Jake Silverstein] eat standing up, using the top of a nearby shelf to rest his plate. He was standing directly underneath a BBQ neon sign hanging on the wall, the one they use for the 2008 cover. I’ll never forget watching him take several bites and with a mouth full of food turn to me and give me a thumbs up,” said Michael.

“I just wanted them to know we existed.”

All the hard work and long hours was beginning to take its toll.

Michael was reaching burnout, long days with little time off was proving exhausting for him and his now 18 year old son, Aaron. They say good help is hard to find, which is why when Omar Serna came knocking for the job he held in 1990, during the joint’s early years as Woody’s BBQ, he had

Two Sauces The debate over whether it’s proper to use them is up to you.

Pitmaster Omar Serna returned to cooking bbq after an almost 20 year absence

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Tangy (left) - A mustard based sauce with a mild spice finish.

It’s heaven paired with the homemade sausage.

Sweet (right)- More of the traditional barbecue classic people expect, with plenty of pepper.

no idea how welcomed he would be the second time around.

Omar wasn’t the first one to try his hand in a pitmaster apprenticeship under Michael.

Others came and went, leaving Michael to wonder if he’d ever find his guy. “Within a month I knew, he caught on so quick and asked all the right questions. Mistakes made were corrected and never repeated. He has the attention and focus needed to cook our barbeque. He is a God-send,” says Michael.

Omar’s mastering of the pit allowed for Michael to do the unthinkable, leave Hays Co BBQ and go manage a mechanic shop. After taking the advice of a close friend, he decided to let go and empower his budding pitmaster.

If he had built a successful business and trained his people well, it would run without him. After five years of shaping and molding Hays Co BBQ, Michael vacated the building.

False rumors of separation and divorce began to spread around San Marcos as Asenette received calls from friends inquiring about marital problems.

The business kept growing while Michael was away. Some might argue that the food got even tastier in his absence. Omar had taken what he had learned and only got better. It was a heavy burden to hand over to Omar, but the result was only proof that Michael made the correct decision to “season” his new counterpart.

Six months later Michael returned energized with a restful disposition on his face. The lines at Hays Co BBQ are still growing, but in his opinion, lines suck! Countless magazines glorify and celebrate a line of people waiting to be so lucky to have a taste of deliciousness before it sells out. It makes for a better story, until you’re the one waiting in the hot Texas sun hoping for a turn.

That Little Barbecue Joint Off Hunter Road Established 1987

Lines are loathed at Hays Co BBQ. It genuinely drives the owners crazy that such an idea is celebrated, because really, who likes to wait in line? It’s a contradiction to the idea of customer service. “The king of Texas cuisine deserves Texas hospitality,” says Michael. He understands the flattery of a line forming before you open your doors, but once the open sign is lit, it’s your obligation to be respectful of your customers’ time and move quickly. According to him, if the line were to dissipate fast once the doors opened, the need to wait in line before opening would greatly diminish. Same theory applies to food shortages and constantly running out before the customers do, when barbecue, by its very nature, is a food prepared for the masses.

Hays Co BBQ looks to stay ahead of their demand. Two more pits have been added to their arsenal with more on order, a wall was knocked down to make room for more seating, and a second register is on the way. It’s clear this is a barbecue joint that hasn’t forgotten what it means to be a true restaurant. “I’ll tell you what. If you spend two hours at my place, it won’t be spent standing in line. It’ll be enjoying barbecue with your family and friends,” says Michael, as he smiles and takes a bite of his homemade jalapeno & cheddar sausage.

“That little barbecue joint off Hunter Road” is how many have been referring for decades to what is now Hays Co Barbeque & Catering.

The difference now is that it is considered one of the Top 50 in the state, if not the world, by Texas Monthly. It’s a journey that is less than six years in the making, out of a building that has been serving BBQ in San Marcos for over 25 years, just waiting for just the right people to come along.

In 1987 Woody High opened Woody’s BBQ & Deer Processing in a tin shed he built right next to his home off Hunter Road in San Marcos. Longtime locals tell stories of walking into Woody’s BBQ only to see hanging deer carcasses in plain view right next to the service counter. Rustic, to say the least.

A little over a decade later, Woody decided the better option was to hang up his apron and collect rent. In walks Tony Martinez, a Lockhart local and longtime disciple of Kreuz Market. He struck out on his own and took over Woody’s BBQ, changing the name to Southwest Market.

What Tony lacked in business acumen, he made up for with his mastery of a fiery pit, at least for a while. Southwest Market ran for several years until disputes over rent and utilities created animosity between Tony and his landlord, Woody. Fed up, he shut down his operation and retreated back to Lockhart, never to be heard from again.

Woody quickly resumed running the business and reverted back to the old Woody’s BBQ name. Michael Hernandez, a local credit card merchant and avid cook, had been keeping his eye out for a good restaurant opportunity and purchased Woody’s BBQ. Three years later, a Florida company by the same name who owned the national trademark, opened a location in Arlington, Texas in 2011 – which has since closed.

They used legal means to force a name change and Woody’s BBQ became what we know it as today – Hays Co BBQ.

The Menu: Brisket, pork ribs, sausage, chicken, pork chops, turkey & more.

Michael enjoys a meal and a laugh before opening the doors.

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SMTX | chewed and brewed | June - July 2013 |

Pedestrian Cafe 4015 I-35 South SMTX 78666

Summer Cool Down

Parking

What could be better on a hot Texas day than ice-cold lemonade?

If you’re looking to cool down with a creamy shake or a frosty lemonade, head over to Pedestrian Café Food Trailer at The Tanger Outlets.

Private lot, plenty of space

Ordering (512) 618-5411

Hours 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., daily

Serving Pasta Paninis Soups Shakes Specialty Coffees

Events & Specials Facebook/PedestrianCafe

How Cool?

Ice Cold!

When it’s hot, there’s nothing like an ice-cold drink rushing through your body. Bring on the ice cubes and whatever refreshing liquid can be poured over them.

The Good Grub Guide highlights the dishes and neighborhood favorites in the area’s food scene. They are reviewed and selected by the editorial staff.

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KEY

Delivery Happy Hour Outdoor Seating

$$$ Most Entrees over $20 $$ Most Entrees $10 - $20 $ Most Entrees under $10

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BOBCATFANS | SMTX | Good Grub Guide Mon-Sat. 1917 Dutton Drive, Ste 104 San Marcos (512) 396-9919 $ BYOB

BARBECUE Cooper’s Old Time Pit BBQ Talk about amazing dry-rub barbeque.

Served on the weekends is the ever so popular off-the-bone pork chop, which is so flavorful you don’t even need the sauce. Lunch and dinner daily.

1125 Texas 337 Loop New Braunfels (830) 627-0627 $$

Premium Iced Tea @ Stellar Café Next level tea. All summer long Stellar Café is selecting premium iced tea to serve every day of the week.

Located on LBJ across from Paper Bear.

AMERICAN Cool Mint Café Just off campus is a slightly hidden 1920’s Arts and Crafts Bungalow style café. With fine dining in mind, Cool Mint chef serves only the freshest ingredients. Lunch and dinner Tues-Sat. 415 Burleson St, San Marcos (512) 396-2665 $$ Gills Chicken A San Marcos original Gill’s serves crisp and golden, yet juicy, fried chicken. Not to mention, the fried okra is something to rave about. Lunch and dinner daily.

2550 Hunter Rd, #1112, San Marcos (512) 353-3113 $ Grins A true San Marcos icon that has been enjoyed by several generations of stu-

dents and locals. Order a juicy burger or chicken fried steak with a margarita and dine on their outdoor patio. Lunch and dinner daily.

802 N LBJ, San Marcos (512) 392-4746 $

tent, fresh and inspired. The Guadalupe Roll is very popular and a hefty size, and the egg drop soup is one-of-akind. Lunch and dinner daily.

1528 Common Street, New Braunfels (830) 620-1888 $$$

Gristmill Located along the Guadalupe River in historic Gruene, this massive restaurant is perfect for a family outing. It has a cheerful atmosphere, and as for the food, well, it’s just plain deliciousness.

There is usually a wait, but it’s indeed worth it. Lunch and dinner daily.

1287 Gruene Rd, New Braunfels (830) 625-0684 $$

How Do You Roll?

A fusion sushi joint where you pick the ingredients, and it’s made for you quickly right before your eyes. Choose from a large selection of sauces, wraps and toppings. Try the 420 roll.

Delicious and inexpensive. Lunch and dinner daily.

420 University Drive, San Marcos (512) 393-2221 $

ASIAN A-Tan Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar This little bistro has flat-out the best sushi in New Braunfels, always consis-

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Prik Nam Pla Thai Cuisine With especially fantastic curry dishes, this Thai restaurant in San Marcos is a gem. Try the Pad Thai and fish cakes.

The service is consistently accommodating and friendly. Lunch and dinner

Hays County BBQ & Catering With excellent reviews across the board, this is pit Barbecue done with Central Texas tradition. The homemade cheddar & jalapeno sausage is simply amazing. Slow smoked brisket, turkey, ribs and chops satisfy.

Lunch and dinner Mon-Sat. 2601 Hunter Road, San Marcos (512) 392-6000 $ Milt’s Pit BBQ Located in the downtown district, it’s barbeque Kyle residents visit over and over again. They’re the ones with the finest sauce you never saw coming.

Lunch and dinner Tues-Sun. Cash only.

208 W Center Street, Kyle (512) 268-4734 $ BYOB

BREAKFAST & TACOS Lolita’s Café This taco stand is arguably the mecca of San Marcos breakfast tacos. Two drive-thrus and a walk up window make it easy to grab and go. With ingredients made fresh bright and early, you’ll never be disappointed. If you’re really hungry, try the Burrito California, and ask for lots of napkins.

Breakfast and lunch daily.

1501 Aquarena Springs, San Marcos (512) 392-3441 $ Pike Restaurant & Antiques Formerly an old Ford dealership, the transition to a restaurant turned out to be vintage and exciting. This place is fantastic for brunch, especially their omelets. Breakfast and lunch daily.

386 W. San Antonio St, New Braunfels (830) 387-4594 $$

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BOBCATFANS | SMTX | Good Grub Guide GLOBAL Euro Café & Market Here’s a local joint where you actually want to try something new for every visit. Featuring authentic Mediterranean style entrees including Gyros, kebabs and Greek yogurt for dessert.

Lunch and dinner daily.

350 North Guadalupe Street, San Marcos (512) 392-6044 $ Vodka Street Located on The Square, this classic bistro and bar serves up amazing tapas, burgers, and brunch on Sundays. The food is beautifully presented and serves old-fashioned favorites as well as tasty global dishes that make it stand out.

Dinner daily. Sunday brunch.

202 North LBJ Drive, San Marcos (512) 396-4260 $

ITALIAN ilario’s This quaint little trip to Italy is great for any occasion. The menu features old style pizzas and an array of popular Italian dishes with delicious garlic bread at a reasonable price. Local TX wine. Lunch and dinner daily.

5401 S. FM 1626, Kyle (512) 268-3300 $ Italian Garden Located right next to campus, this little restaurant has become a local staple.

Serving delicious dishes that are easy on the pocketbook. Lunch and dinner daily.

415 North LBJ Drive, San Marcos (512) 392-8730 $

MEXICAN Chimy’s Cerveceria It’s what you get when you blend a bar with a tasty Mexican joint. Perfect for a quick bite or relaxing with a strong margarita after a long day on the river.

Watch the game while scarfing down a ridiculous portion of fajita nachos.

Lunch and dinner Mon-Sat. 217 E. Hopkins, San Marcos (512) 216-6175 $

Sweet Tea by the Gallon @ Golden Chick

No doubt Golden Chick is known for their SWEET Tea, which is why they sell it by the gallon. It’s a summer drink we Texans enjoy year round, but is especially delicious when used to quench your thirst on a hot day. Make your own or let the pros handle it for you.

Garcia’s Mexican Food Restaurant Now with two locations in San Marcos, this is Tex-Mex at its finest. They have terrific chips and salsa to start off with and great fajitas and enchilada entrees.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

1917 Dutton Drive, San Marcos (512) 353-0099 $ Zookas Ultimate Burrito Most common response: obsessed!

With unusual sauce options, this local burrito shop puts other chains to shame. Serving up endless combinations, this is truly the ultimate burrito shop. Lunch and dinner daily.

312 University Drive Ste A, San Marcos (512) 353-3913 $

PIZZERIA Brewster’s Pizza Take a drive through the hill country and stop for an amazing pizza pie, and an even more amazing beer, many of

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which are brewed on site. The Omnivore with spinach is a top preference, substitute wheat crust for a slight flavor twist. Lunch and dinner Tues-Sun. 9595 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley (512) 847-3299 $$ Gumby’s Pizza & Buffet Here’s a typical college pizza joint, but with a lunch buffet and striking salad bar, always with daily specials and the famous Stoner Pie. Here’s a place perfect for some after-the-bar grub.

Lunch buffet daily.

403 North Guadalupe Street, San Marcos (512) 754-8629 $

PUB/SPORTS BAR Center Field Sports Bar & Grill This sports bar is warm and inviting with the delicious array of wings and burgers. With their huge portions and addicting french fries, you’ll have plenty to sit through an entire game.

Lunch and dinner daily.

200 West Center Street, Kyle (512) 268-1400 $ Mozie’s Bar & Grill Located in the cozy town of Gruene, you’ve found yourself standing among history. Mozie’s is very narrow and long, and the food is always enjoyable, especially the Shiner battered onion rings and famous fish tacos. Lunch and dinner daily.

1601-A Hunter Road, New Braunfels (830) 515-1281 $$ Sean Patrick’s Located on The Square, this beautiful Tex-Irish pub features the largest tap beer selection in all of Hays County.

From their delicious Guinness Burger to the more traditional Bangers & Mash, Sean Patricks has something for everyone to enjoy.

Lunch and Dinner Daily 202 East San Antonio Street, San Marcos (512) 392-7310 $

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BOBCATFANS | SMTX | Good Grub Guide SANDWICHES Mochas and Javas A local favorite for studying, web surfing, or catching up with friends, this coffee shop serves a variety of heavenly panini sandwiches. Breakfast and lunch daily.

700 N LBJ Drive #103, San Marcos (512) 396-5282 $ Pedestrian Café Located in Mimi’s Trailer Park, this food truck combines an array of robust and fresh flavors to form an epic meal. Each dish is hearty with various sides to accompany whatever your heart desires. Lunch and dinner daily.

301 N Guadalupe St., San Marcos (512) 618-5411 $ Which Wich Sure, here’s one of your typical sub sandwich food chains, but they really do have a crispy style and distinct zest of their own. Which Wich is quick, close to campus and, of course, affordable on any budget.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

302 University, San Marcos (512) 396-4924 $ The Leaning Pear Venture out into the beautiful hill country and make sure to stop at The Leaning Pear. The chef has the gift of fusing flavors that will surpass your imagination. There isn’t a dish that will disappoint.

Lunch daily, dinner Fri-Sat. Closed Tuesday.

111 River Rd, Wimberley (512) 847-7327 $ Naturally Featuring outstanding homemade quiche and yummy sandwiches, this place is great to take the edge off during your lunch break. The salads and smoothies are a great alternative for a healthy meal as well. Lunch Mon-Sat. 1102 N. Walnut, New Braunfels (830) 214-6300 $

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STEAKS & SEAFOOD Bordeaux’s Serving up filet mignon and fresh seafood like it’s nobody’s business with sides that are just as scrumptious. Located in the heart of Kyle, Emeril Lagasse has dined there to enjoy Chef Larson’s menu. Dinner Mon-Sat. 108 West Center Street, Kyle (512) 268-3463 $$$ KOBE Steakhouse Hibachi grill for Steaks & Seafood, terrific sushi, happy hour and Asian cuisine all in one! KOBE serves up any combination you’re craving.

Lunch and dinner daily.

515 Springtown Way, San Marcos (512) 396-7200 $$ McAdoo’s Seafood Company This Cajun style seafood restaurant and bar has wonderful food and impeccable service to go along with it. Have a drink at the bar while you wait to be seated, then enjoy fresh oysters, fish, or crawfish. Overall, it’s a great fine dining experience for a night out on the town. Lunch and dinner daily.

196 Castell, New Braunfels (830) 629-3474 $$$ Myron’s Prime Steak House Sophisticated and upscale, yet relaxed, this prime steakhouse offers succulent steaks and seafood. The menu is a-la-carte, so everyone can experience a little bit of everything.

Dinner daily.

136 North Castell Avenue, New Braunfels. (830) 624-1024 $$$

34

Rick Bell of Leadership

San Marcos executive Director Organization founded: 1985 Mission statement: The mission of Leadership San Marcos is to identify, inform, educate, and motivate individuals to participate in programs and activities that will improve the San Marcos community.

“I see Leadership San Marcos as a sort of internship in civic engagement.�

What separates Leadership San Marcos from other community based organizations?

I think the thing that sets us apart from other organizations is that we have a broader mission and no particular agenda. We are not here to preserve local heritage, support the parks, support the schools, run the city, or advocate for development or the environment. We are here to familiarize our classes with differing viewpoints and interests surrounding these local issues and others, to introduce them to the people who are dealing with the issues, and to expose them to the fundamentals of civic engagement and community leadership which they will need should they choose to become involved themselves.

You were elected Executive Director of Leadership San Marcos (LSM) in 2011. What is the purpose of the organization as you see it?

I see Leadership San Marcos as a sort of internship in civic engagement. We are a 501(c) (3) educational non-profit organization. Our two-year program exposes people to community leaders, community issues, community resources, and community needs. Our classes have access to local businesses and to topical presentations that they might not otherwise have. This can be eye-opening at the very least.

How does LSM impact the community of San Marcos?

Each year our classes work on a project that will in some way be of benefit to the community. The project invariably requires engagement with local government, oversight commissions, and social service agencies, presentations to city council meetings, other civic organizations, fundraising, and publicity. In most cases people began with Leadership San Marcos and “graduated”, so to speak, into these local organizations and governing bodies.

How would you rate the work of LSM?

Okay, how do you define leadership?

I would hesitate to rate the work we’re doing because I would be unabashedly biased, for obvious reasons. I believe we serve a need, and we are meeting it, albeit with limited resources, both in terms of time and funds. Our biggest achievement, in my view, is that we continue to earn the support and respect of the community.

Our presenters come back year after year, because they recognize that we are giving them a highquality audience.

My own working definition of leadership is one word: responsibility. To me that often means responsibility for the actions of others. A close relative of “responsibility” is “duty,” which suggests to me the idea of a commitment which cannot be shirked. You’ll probably notice that my working definition doesn’t mention charisma or passion, though these words always show up in the lists our classes put together. There are obviously different styles of leadership, as there are different priorities for leaders.

What drew you to the organization?

LSM has been around for 28 years this spring. I was invited to apply in March, 2006. It was good timing. I’d been involved in some of my kids’ activities at school, and after years of living literally under a rock, realized that I might have something to contribute. I felt simultaneously daunted and privileged to be asked to join LSM. As I went through the class and then through the year of facilitating the class, I began to understand that Leadership San Marcos was, in and of itself, one of those civic organizations that I might become involved with. I saw it, as I described it earlier, as a way to serve the community in an objective way, helping others to obtain the tools to carry on our local civic discourse.

How does LSM define leadership?

Leadership San Marcos actually does not define “leadership.”

We hope to spot its potential in the community, nurture it when we find it, and provide some principles that will enhance its eventual practice. We ask each class to provide us with a list of characteristics they associate with it. And in doing these things, we hope that each class member will formulate his or her own definition, with the expectation that the definition will most likely change with time and experience.

One of our mottos is “Discovering the leader within you.”

Leadership San Marcos is an all-volunteer organization and can be reached through leadershipsm.com, or by email at leadershipsm@grandecom.net | Interviewed by Johnell Huebner Photo Eric Morales |

Who are the ideal candidates?

Ideal candidates are people who honor their commitment to the program and to their class. They should have a sincere interest in personal development, in community involvement, and they should be willing to step outside their comfort zones.

Any famous LSM grads?

Mayor Daniel Guerrero is an LSM Alumnus, as is Councilwoman Kim Porterfield. Rodney van Oudekerke was our class project leader and has continued his interest in the history of San Marcos by authoring a book, Historic San Marcos: An Illustrated History. I would be seriously remiss, however, if I didn’t mention Jane Hughson. She is a former city council member and has served on too many committees, commissions, and boards to mention. She remains an example of the kind of civic involvement we hope to encourage in all our graduates.

Tell us about some of the projects LSM has been associated with over the years?

Though LSM began in 1985, the first class project was completed in 1996. It was a large scale project, quite expensive, and required serious contributions from local businesses and other donors. Since then there has been a friendly competition among the classes regarding whose was the best. My

favorite project, of course, was the statue of Tonkawa Chief Placido.

The project was led by Rodney van Oudekerke, who brought the idea to our very first class, and who had to fight pretty hard to convince us that it was a good idea. It was made possible by a number of donations (I believe we had over 100 individual donors), a grant from the Parks Commission, and the donated services of a talented local sculptor named Eric Slocum. It came in on schedule, under budget, and the dedication was attended by a large contingent of the Tonkawa tribe from Ponca City, Oklahoma. It was a great experience.

For the readers, what stands out as the reason every professional should do this at one time or another?

Time can be a serious constraint when work and family commitments are heavy, however, Toqueville wrote, in Democracy in America, of civic engagement as being one of the hallmarks of our democracy. I can’t say how things are done in the rest of the world these days, but there remains a serious need for people of good will to preserve the institutions of civic life here in America. That is most readily accomplished locally with the accessibility of local government.

Our national politics has become something of a blood sport, but at the local level, I think people still try to find common ground that everybody can live with.

Leadership San Marcos and the many other local organizations it showcases offer a way for a citizen to become more informed and to give something back to his or her community. I also happen to think it’s good for kids to see their parents engaging in, and discussing, issues that have local importance. Ultimately I think our form of government requires that kind of direct involvement.

It’s a step up from voting, and a step below running for office, but it teaches you things about yourself and your responsibility to the community that you don’t get out of a book, or maybe even a smart phone.

06-07.13 | SMTX | BOBCATFANS 31

Contents | GrillING & Giving | June - July 2013 |

12

18 @bobcatfans

/bobcatfans

BOBCATFANS Magazine Happenings................................................................ 06 Animal Shelter............................................................ 08 Health......................................................................... 10 Fast Cars.................................................................... 12

27

McCoy....................................................................... 18 Cheatham................................................................. 24 Nealy......................................................................... 27 Boxing....................................................................... 32 SMTX Magazine The Tidbits................................................................. 06 Finer Points................................................................ 08 LBJ Museum.............................................................. 10 BBQ Underdog........................................................... 12 Chewed & Brewed..................................................... 22 Leadership................................................................. 30

4 BOBCATFANS | SMTX | 06-07.13

12

30

(formerly Aspen HeigHts)

text

TellURiDe

to 47464 for info

About The Covers Summer time is when we celebrate giving.

Hays Co. BBQ gives San Marcos its first ever barbecue joint to earn the Top 50 in the state.

And on the flip side, we learn what “Giving First” truly means, especially when it comes to business.

BOBCATFANS Cover Photo of Brian McCoy SMTX Cover Photo of Omar Serna Photographed by Eric Morales

under new

ManageMent

Publisher Rick Koch @rickkoch Art Director Will Bowling @wbcreative Photo Editor Eric Morales @ericmphotoTX Events Johnell Huebner @johnellhuebner Development Steve Huskey @wizardofgoogle

Feature Writer Diana Hendricks Contributors Katie Lewis Kayleigh Soukup Zak Dennis Luciano Guerra Tiffany Matthews Torrie Martin Jay Gordan Rick Bell Advertising 361.236.5624 rick@ bobcatfans.com Feedback bobcatfans@ gmail.com

Copyright 2013, BOBCATFANS LLC 139 E. Hopkins Suite B San Marcos, TX 78666.

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited.

BOBCATFANS | SMTX Magazine is a privately owned publication and is not affiliated with Texas State University - San Marcos

@VillageTXSTaTe

512.667.6064 201 Telluride ST

San MarcoS TX villageontelluride.com 06-07.13 | SMTX | BOBCATFANS 5

Events & Happenings

| JUNE - JULY 2013 |

3DAYS 3 NIGHTS OF GREAT TEXAS MUSIC JUNE 28TH SATURDAY JUNE 29TH SUNDAY JUNE 30TH FRIDAY

13

BIG‘

FEST

CHEATHAM STREET WAREHOUSE - SAN MARCOS,TX all proceeds benefit the Cheatham Street Music foundation.

BIG FEST 2013

It’s back! The festival raises money for the Cheatham Street Warehouse Music Foundation (see page 24), a non-profit foundation in San Marcos, TX that promotes the advancement of education in songwriting by conducting songwriting classes, workshops, seminars, public forums, panels, lectures, concerts and similar programs. The festival also doubles as a birthday celebration for Texas legend and guitar virtuoso, Big John Mills. Radio Free Texas will be broadcasting the event live, and a silent auction will be held.

Starting Friday, June 28-30 @ Cheatham Street Warehouse, San Marcos

Mobil One Challenge Race

Do you love the exhilaration and excitement of going to a car race? Come on out to Central Texas Speedway to get your adrenaline fix! Gates open at 4 p.m., and the engines will start at 5 p.m. There will be live music, volleyball and delicious concessions. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online or at the door. Children 12 and under are FREE! Saturday, June 1 &29, July 7 @ Central Texas Speedway

Movies in your Park

What could be more fun than watching movies in the park? FREE movies in the park! Bring a blanket and claim a spot.

Concessions will be available for purchase.

Every Tuesday in June & July . Start at dusk. @ San Marcos Plaza Park

Summer in the Park

Kick off summer with a celebration of live music and much more fun for the whole family. Free concerts all summer long.

Every Thursday in June & July . Starts 7:30 @ San Marcos Plaza Park

6 BOBCATFANS | SMTX | 06-07.13

Texas Water Safari

They don’t call the Texas Water Safari ‘The World’s Toughest Canoe Race’ for nothing! In addition to the race-length, the challenges also include whitewater rapids, multiple portages, and not to mention, the relentless, soul-sapping Texas heat. While there is no prize money for the winners, there’s the Texas-size bragging rights for life.

Saturday, June 8, 9:00am @ San Marcos-Aquarena Center

of Jeffrey “Yappo” Boruff, one of the dedicated volunteers that made a real difference working side-by-side with the professionals at the epicenter of this effort in Rancho Nuevo, Mexico.

Saturday, June 8, from 1 - 7pm @ San Marcos Plaza Park

Live Music Fridays at Three Dudes Winery

Live Music Fridays: Come on out to Three Dudes Winery on the first Friday of each month from 6pm to 8pm.

Friday June 7 & July 5 @ Three Dudes Winery

Yappopalooza

Come kick-off the summer at the San Marcos Plaza Park at the 3rd annual Yappopalooza, a fundraiser to benefit the Bi-national Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery Project. This event is sponsored annually by the Wildlife Conservation and Education Society, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, and many others.

The festival also honors the memory

7th Annual Salsa Festival

Come enjoy as much salsa as your mouth can endure! Entrants in the salsa competition are firing up those recipes and will be bringing their favorite salsas to compete for fantastic awards. The variety of categories span from the Best Traditional to the Most Unique, but everyone will be fighting for the coveted Top Dog award!

Saturday, June 8 @ Eye of the Dog Arts Center For more information, call (512) 754-8171.

Art Unhitched Art Market Come out to Art UnHitched on the second Saturday of each month and browse the booths where local artists will have their work on display and for sale. While you shop, enjoy live music and exciting performance artists.

If you get hungry, grab a bite at one of the unique food trailers.

Saturday, June 8 & July 13, 11am - 4pm @ The Hitch, 312 East Hopkins Street

“BBQ Capital of Texas” Championship & Chili Cook-Off

It’s the kickoff to the Chisholm Trail Roundup. Enjoy the very competitive and exciting chili cook-off with a 100 team limit.

After you’ve had your fill of some of the best chili around, enter the horseshoe and washers tournament. For more info, visit chisholmtrailroundup.com.

June 7 & 8 @ Lockhart City Park

Summer Camp for ages 3-10

SCION Sound Party

Dance the night away at San Marcos’ only 18 & up club on The Square. Hip Hop artist Ray C hosts a night full of drink specials and body shaking tunes. Get a closer look at a few of Scion’s sweetest new rides while you’re there.

Every Friday night in June & July @ Texas Music Theater

Comedy In The Lounge

If you don’t like to laugh, then this isn’t for you. Those of you with funny bones will piss your pants at the comical stylings of multiple acts.

Every Thursday in June & July, 9pm @ Taxi’s Piano Bar

Early Childhood Play and Inquiry Workshop is an annual enrichment camp for children ages 3-10 years. Offered by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas State University, students will enrich children through activities in art, music, woodworking, and much more! Contact Diane Osborne @ 512-245-3680 for registration information.

Mon-Thurs beginning June 10, 8:30 -11:30am Hernandez Elementary School, San Marcos

Juneteenth Celebration

Enjoy the oldest known annual celebration to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. Festivities include a BBQ cookoff and family fun. Free admission.

June 21-22, 10am @ Veramendi Plaza

Speakeasy On The Square

The LBJ Museum of SMTX needs a real deal sign. Enjoy a fundraiser where you are served Pre-Prohibition style cocktails to raise funds.

June 27, 5:30pm @ LBJ Museum on SQ

SummerFest

The City of San Marcos is hosting the most exciting community independence celebration along the banks of the beautiful San Marcos River. This FREE event will feature live entertainment, food booths, children’s activities, children’s costume competition and parade.

Thursday, July 4, from 6 to 10pm @ San Marcos Plaza Park

06-07.13 | SMTX | BOBCATFANS 7

SMTX | inside look

San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter They take care of every dog and cat like it was their own. When animals come in, they leave clean and happy.

Find the cat you’ve been looking for. You can find cats of all shapes and sizes that are looking for a friend.

They accept lost and owner surrendered animals from all cities within Hays County.

Notes | Man’s Best friend

City of San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter & Adoption Center 750 River Rd SMTX 78666 (512) 805-2650

Hours Mon, Tues, Thur & Fri 11:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday CLOSED Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Sunday CLOSED

View Adoptable Pets

All pets adopted from the facility are microchipped, spayed or neutered and vaccinated for rabies prior to being released to their adopter.

8 BOBCATFANS | SMTX | 06-07.13

| Model Torrie Martin Photos Eric Morales |

06-07.13 | SMTX | BOBCATFANS 9

SMTX | health

DRINK UP It’s summer and we’re in Texas, you know it’s gonna get damn hot! Whether you spend your free time drinking by the pool or slapping the bag while floating the river, dehydration is lurking just around the corner.

We don’t even notice that our bodies need to consume water when we’re sitting in it.

As temperatures get into the high 90’s and escalade into the triple digits, we sweat out more water than on a “comfortable” day. In this case, we need to drink more than the average 91 oz. (women) or 125 oz. (men) of water that is recommended. This summer remember to take a break here and there and drink a little more H20. Your body will thank you later.

Water keeps you hydrated and regulates your body temperature.

Coconut water replaces electrolytes, excellent after a long day in the sun.

Gatorade is best when you’re working out for a long period of time and sweating a lot. It provides sodium, which helps the body hold onto water.

Dehydration Symptoms -Dry or sticky mouth -Extreme thirst -Lack of sweating -Few or no tears -Sunken eyes -Dry skin -Rapid heart rate -Little or no urination

10 BOBCATFANS | SMTX | 06-07.13

notes | deHydration is 100% Preventable

Liquid Recovery

| Photo William Bowling |

06-07.13 | SMTX | BOBCATFANS 11

Racing Fast, Giving Back

By Katie Lewis Imagine sitting in the passenger seat of a souped-up Corvette. You adjust your helmet, cinch up the six-point harness you’re strapped into, and take a deep breath. You have nothing to hold onto except for your two stopwatches, a GPS device and a road chart with a variety of notes like,“Six Shooter Draw Bridge” and “Blind right hand turn over crest into downhill straight.” Oh, and by the way. You’re going 115 mph on an unfamiliar highway through mountains, around sharp curves and into blind dips. And you’re doing it to raise money for education.

“Not Half Bad” Racing Sponsors Blue Sky Mortgage Gulf Business Forms Subway Cody’s Bistro McNabb & Company 3D Welding Supply SMTX Magazine

Corvette Z06 7-liter engine and 515 horses

12 BOBCATFANS | SMTX | 06-07.13

| Photos Eric Morales |

“There’s nothing like going out there and going as fast as you can for 118 miles, for an excellent cause.”

-Mike Davis

Mike Davis Driver

Lee Porterfield Navigator

06-07.13 | SMTX | BOBCATFANS 13

Meet Mike Davis and Lee Porterfield, San Marcos natives who find their excitement in going fast. Driver, Davis, and navigator, Porterfield, make up the “Not Half Bad” racing team, whose logo is a cherubic devil donning a halo. These men have racing in their blood. They met in college racing motorcycles and have been racing forever.

They just have a need for speed. “Speed isn’t something new to us. It’s a challenge to go out there and accomplish something,” said Davis.

This isn’t NASCAR, folks. There’s no track or spectators, no beer and nachos.

These guys ride two deep in their car, zipping around dangerous blind curves and speeding over hills with no foresight as to what’s coming up next. Their car, a 2009 Corvette Z06 with a 7-liter engine and 515 horses under the hood, has been lowered 2 inches and has a front splitter to keep the car on the ground and to enhance aerodynamics. The team also added a cold-air induction system and a tuned computer, both with the purpose of enhancing horsepower. For safety’s sake, they added roll bars, a set of 6-point harnesses and a fire extinguisher system, just in case.

“Besides giving us something to do, it’s just plain exciting.”

“Yes, it’s tons of fun, but it’s also very serious what we do”

“Besides giving us something to do, it’s just plain exciting,” said Davis. “There’s nothing like going out there and going as fast as you can for 118 miles for an excellent cause.” The cause is education; the event is the annual Big Bend Open Road Race, where some of the coolest sports cars you’ll ever see hit the pavement on U.S. Hwy. 285 in West Texas. Because most of the land in Ft. Stockton and Sanderson is made up of tax-exempt ranches, there’s little money for schoolteachers and books. That’s where the race comes in. All of the money collected through each of the $1000 team entry fee goes straight to the schools.

Racing for education is a great reason to go fast.

Davis and Porterfield joined forces and headed out to the Big Bend Open Road Race challenge for the first time in 2012. They raced in the Rookie Class, but they didn’t stay there for long. They moved up 7 classes, picked up new sponsors and entered the Grand Touring Class in 2013. Their new goal was to maintain an average of 115 mph throughout the whole 118-mile course and complete this challenge in about 30 minutes.

The best part of this kind of racing, besides quenching their thirst for speed, is getting away from it all. “You can’t think of business going 140 through the mountains,” said Davis. “It’s exhilarating, challenging and scary. I won’t lie to you.

It’s very scary.”

When these guys say what they do on the road course is challenging, they’re not kidding. While the driver takes on the deadly curves, blind dips and sudden sharp turns, the navigator works two stopwatches and uses a variety of other techniques to calculate how fast the driver must go at any given moment to gain distance while maintaining the 115 mph speed average, all on two-lane public highways.

Most of the teams that show up at the Big Bend Open Road Race and other highspeed road races come prepared with fancy, high-tech navigation equipment to give them an advantage on the unpredictable course. “Not Half Bad” has a different set of equipment to aide in their journey. “It’s fun to see these other guys we’re up against, with the tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment in their cars, and all we’ve got is a stopwatch, the timer on my iPhone and a GPS device,” said Porterfield. “They’re like, ‘Who are these guys?’”

It’s important to remember that going fast in some of the most precarious driving situations can be very challenging. “Yes, it’s tons of fun, but it’s also very serious what we do,” says Porterfield. Davis concurs, “When you’re going fast, a lot of bad things can happen really fast.”

When push comes to shove, Porterfield and Davis both agree that the challenge, the cause and the speed make what they do worth it. As Porterfield says, “There’s nothing like sitting in the middle of nowhere, hitting the highway for 118 miles at 115 mph. It’s a blast.”

14 BOBCATFANS | SMTX | 06-07.13

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06-07.13 | SMTX | BOBCATFANS 15

SMTX | happy hour Restaurants

Notes | Riley’s Tavern

Riley’s Tavern

In September of 1933 J.C. Riley, at the age of 17, drove to Austin from his home in Hunter, Texas, just south of San Marcos. The purpose was to obtain the first beer license granted in Texas following the end of Prohibition. The rest is beer joint history.

8894 FM 1102 Hunter, Texas 78132 (512) 392-3132 info@rileystavern.com

Bobcat Nation

Grin’s

Los Cucos

Sean Patrick’s

$3 Chips & Queso $2 Wells, Frozen ‘Ritas, Domestic Bottles & Cans Daily @ 3pm – 7pm 700 N LBJ (512) 667-6393

Food specials $.99 Margaritas $5 Baby Beer Buckets Mon-Th @ 2pm – 10 pm 802 N. LBJ Dr. (512) 392-4746

$1.99 Margaritas 99¢ Domestic Pints Mon-Tues all day Wed-Fri ‘til 7pm 1617 Aquarena Springs Dr. (512) 805-2444

Chimys Cerveceria

Gumby’s

Half Price Appetizers 50¢ Wings $1 Off Drafts & Wells $1.50 Margaritas Mon-Fri @ 3pm – 7 pm 202 E. San Antonio St (512) 392-7310

$.99 Crispy Tacos Wells & Margarita specials Mon–Fri @ 4pm – 7pm 217 E Hopkins (512) 216-6175

$1.50 Ziegenbock Daily 403 N. Guadalupe St. (512) 754-8629

Cody’s Bistro

3 for $25 Select Sushi Rolls 2 for $10 Appetizers $2 and $3 drink specials Everyday @ 2pm- 6pm 1328 N. I-35 (512) 878-1455

$1 Off Appetizers $1 Off Draft Beer $.50 Off Craft Bottles $4 House Wine Everyday @ 1pm- 6 pm 690 Centerpoint Rd. (512) 393-2867

Japan Latino

16 BOBCATFANS | SMTX | 06-07.13

Palmer’s $3 and $5 specials Mon-Fri @ 3pm – 6 pm 218 Moore St. (512) 353-3500

Railyard $1 Off Appetizers $1 Off Mixed Drinks & House Wine $.50 Off Beer Everyday @ 3pm- 7 pm & during train 116 S. Edward Gary St (512) 392-7555

Tres Hermanas $2 Drafts, $2.50 Wells $7.50 Pitchers Mon-Fri @ 4pm – 7pm 2550 Hunter Rd. (512) 878-2405

Vodka St. Half Price Appetizers $3 Wells, $1 Off Drafts Mon-Fri @3pm - 7pm 202 N LBJ Dr. (512) 396-4260

Bars Black Rabbit Saloon

Harper’s Pub

Taxi’s Piano Bar

$1 Off Everything $2 Off Specials

$2 Wells & Dom Bottles

$1 Jello Shots, $2 Wells

139 E. Hopkins St. (512) 878-2448

202 N. LBJ Dr. (512) 392-3031

Jack’s Roadhouse

Treff’s Tavern

$2 or less specials

$1.75–$3 specials

Mon-Fri @ 5pm – 8pm

127 E. Hopkins St (512) 667-6313

Barfish Lounge $3 Kamikaze Shots $3 Red Snapper Shots All Day, Everyday

3pm – 7pm Daily

Mon-Fri til 7pm

Mon-Fri @ 6pm - 8pm

Daily @ 1pm – 8pm

1625 Hunter Rd. (512) 392-3340

804 Chestnut St. (512) 353-1594

141 E. Hopkins (512) 558-7399

Riley’s Tavern

Triple Crown

Various specials

Gray Horse Saloon

Daily

$1.75 Shiner & XX $2.50 Big Bark & Guinness $1.75 Wells

$2–$5 specials All day, Everyday

1904 Rand Road 12 (512) 878-8080

8894 FM 1102, Hunter TX (512) 392-3132

Showdown Happy Minutes specials 3-3:15pm, 5-5:15pm, Daily

207 E. Hutchison St. (512) 392-7282

Mon-Fri @ 5pm - 8pm

206 N. Edward Gary St (512) 396-2236

Zelicks Various specials

Mon-Fri @ 3pm - 7pm

336 W. Hopkins St. (512) 757-8787

Riley’s Tavern

Fun and games inside and out.

Live music - Shuffleboard - Horse Shoes

06-07.13 | SMTX | BOBCATFANS 17

Giving First; It’s Good Business

By Diana Finlay Hendricks

His business card may read President and CEO, but Brian McCoy likes to think of himself as the Chief Encouragement Officer of McCoy’s Building Supply. In a recent commencement address, he said, “Our world needs more celebration. I truly believe sincere encouragement can have an incredible impact on those around us.”

In San Marcos and Hays County, The Emmett and Miriam McCoy Foundation has long been synonymous with “Anonymous Benefactor.” Emmett and Miriam McCoy, founders of McCoy’s Building Supply, began their tradition of generosity long before they relocated their business in San Marcos in 1972.

Photos Eric Morales

18 BOBCATFANS | SMTX | 06-07.13

Building Family Values: President Brian McCoy is committed to continuing the traditions that Emmett and Miriam McCoy (pictured above) built their company upon. Many of those family | SMTX 19 values come from06-07.13 Brian’s parents and| BOBCATFANS their example.

McCoy Building Supply Corporation shows a spirit of integrity and shared values.

In the atrium of the corporate headquarters is a long wall with five hundred names engraved on laminated plaques. The 500 Wall celebrates the 500 employees who have been with the company the longest.

One of the earliest significant gifts in San Marcos was when the local hospital foundation was starting up, and the hospital was moving to the new location.

That was the start of a lot of giving back to the community. “My parents did that in a bunch of different ways. It’s one thing to write a check for something. That’s really important, but I was thinking back to when my dad supervised the Kyle log cabin restoration. That is an example of being really involved in something important, beyond writing a check.”

the community and making it rewarding and fun. Beyond their generous family financial support for state-of-the-art shelter construction, for many years Miriam McCoy hosted style shows and luncheons that featured local clothing stores and “adoptable” pets on leashes being walked by local community leaders.

Birthdays and other celebrations would encourage donating canned or dry pet food for the shelters, in lieu of gifts.

Everyone can get caught up in the spirit of giving on whatever level they can afford.

Brian’s mother, Miriam, has long been a passionate animal lover. “Yes. The PAWS animal shelter in Kyle was a significant gift, and then they came back and supported the San Marcos Animal Shelter as well,” he recalls. On several of those building projects, Emmett brought a network of contractors together who were already working for McCoy’s, and they were able to get things done well, and fast.

Other major gifts from the McCoy family include the largest single gift in the history of Texas State University—$20 million.

The university named the Emmett and Miriam McCoy College of Business Administration in honor of their leadership, integrity, and generosity.

The animal shelter is a good example of encouraging the spirit of giving across

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Brian recalls lessons learned along the way to the success of the family-owned business. “Some years back, we were closing locations rather than expanding, and it was during that time my brother

and I realized our company needed to change…in both our business plan and leadership development.

Our internal management and leadership training is called ‘Business as UnUsual,’ and what makes it unusual is that at the core of this training is a ‘Giving First’ mentality.”

The “Giving First” concept involves serving others, and an integral part of that service is to be a good listener. Serving others and giving first are good concepts for living, and ultimately very good business models, as is evident by the thriving industry that has been built on the McCoy name.

“Giving First.” Caring about employees, co-workers and customers. Walk in the door of any of their 84 locations around the southern United States, and you will be greeted with a sign that announces that the store is closed on Sundays, “building family values.” Many of those family values come from Brian’s parents and their example. They are instilled into the corporation and built into the fabric of the extended employee family.

When Brian spoke to the graduates at Texas State, he shared a bit of his personal history and philosophy that is well worth sharing.

“Our world needs more celebration.

I truly believe sincere encouragement can have an incredible impact on those around us.”

Brian McCoy and his company show that spirit of integrity and shared values. In the atrium of the corporate headquarters is a long wall with five hundred names engraved on laminated plaques.

The 500 Wall celebrates the 500 employees who have been with the company the longest. Brian asked me to pick a name. I did, and he told me about that employee. And then another and another. Relationships are important to this CEO. And in a world where people tend to use jobs as stepping stones to the next big thing, loyalty is celebrated.

Every employee in the corporation wears a nametag – first name, job title and a little green sticker with a number on it – whether you are stacking 2x4’s in the lumber yard or vice president of marketing.

Brian’s sticker says “3.” He has been with McCoy’s for 41 years. Still, two employees have worked for the company longer than he has. He smiles and says, “We’ve grown.

We’ve adapted. And yes, we need to make a profit. But along the way, we also need to make a difference. And I give to credit my mom and dad as tremendous examples of that legacy.”

I grew up in our family business, McCoy’s Building Supply, and that meant I worked part-time during junior and senior high school and college loading lumber, making deliveries and serving customers while learning the business from the ground up. I skipped my last year of high school, graduated college in three years, and so, at 20 years old, I became the manager of our Austin store.

It was several years later at a company gathering of our Assistant Store Managers that one young man came up to me and asked this question, “Tell me, Brian, what do I need to do to be successful?” And with all the wisdom I could muster from my short few years in the business, I gave him a most simple and woefully incomplete answer—“Well, you’ve got to work really hard!”

You very likely have asked yourself the same question. What do you need to do to be successful? And while you may find a lot of sources for your answer, I think it is the wrong question to ask.

Hear me clearly: a strong work ethic is incredibly important. I love to work hard.

It’s something I’ve learned from my dad, and I credit his example as one of the reasons our business and our leaders have grown. And, considering all of that, I still think it is the wrong question to ask.

If that young man asked me the same question today, I’d challenge him, as I challenge you, to ask not what do you need to do to be successful, but rather, who do you need to become to be successful.

That’s the question. Who do we need to become to be successful?

You need to become a person of integrity.

It’s a word that’s tossed around all the time, but I still want to talk about it. There is such a lack of integrity in our workplaces that unless you commit to having it, you will certainly be pulled from demonstrating it.

Integrity is telling the truth. Sounds easy, but it isn’t. Sure, it’s reporting financial statements accurately and citing references in papers honestly, but don’t miss that it is much more than the obvious. It is telling the truth even when it’s embarrassing, awkward, inconvenient, or even when it may impact your job promotion. Integrity despises gossip. It gives credit to others when that credit is due. Interestingly, integrity is on display when we ask for help in the workplace.

Integrity battles the inappropriate kind of pride inside each of us. Integrity is not something you do. It is a part of who you are, or who you are becoming.

We know getting things done is important, and doing them with integrity is a must, but the people who I see becoming truly successful have gone a step further. They are consistently giving to others, and they take the initiative in their giving and serving.

What are they giving? I’m glad we can talk about that. They are giving care, encouragement, support and respect to the people they encounter.

“Giving First” involves putting people first.

That’s radical in business. The business world is cutthroat, underhanded, selfish… right? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way.

In fact, a “Giving First” mentality is radical in life, because if you believe it, it means people come before job titles, projects, objectives, and if you’re in business like me, even before profits.

At our company, it is displaying care for Mike Keegan, a McCoy veteran who lost his father earlier this year. Mike has many friends at McCoy’s, and it always blesses me to know our folks don’t have to face life’s hardest days alone. I know I’ll be connecting with Mike next month on Father’s Day, knowing he’ll be missing and remembering his dad.

I’m excited to share with you the thought of giving and serving others, because for too many years right after my graduation, I was so focused on just the doing that I was missing out on being engaged in the relationships in my life, both personally and professionally.

In today’s world we have access to tremendous technology. I couldn’t connect

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Brian’s sticker says “3.” He has been with McCoy’s for 41 years, since he was in junior high school.

Still, two employees have worked for the company longer than he has.

with the many people in my life without voice mail and email, that’s for sure. But please hear me. Guard yourself against the danger of hiding behind the technology.

Some communication should be live on the phone, when two way conversation is a must, and sometimes, it is critical that we be in person, face to face, for the very best in serving one another.

Be a person of integrity, strive to give mightily to others, but I’ll be honest with you, it is difficult to do either without courage. And courage today is displayed through our communication.

Am I willing to share my disappointment with someone, and will I vulnerably share my needs with another rather than resent what they’re doing, or not doing, for me?

For instance, if someone repeatedly fails to

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follow up on a commitment, or constantly turns in work late, am I committed to appropriately confront them, rather than talk about them behind their back? Will I conduct my life to invite others to share vulnerably with me when I need valuable feedback? I hope so. Be courageous.

You need to know your “to do” list will never get completely done, so for you perfectionists out there…get over it! Work toward “weaving” your giving opportunities into daily life, not when everything on your list is done, which I’ve found is impossible.

Your life won’t be all success. In my lifetime I’ve failed often. Early in our marriage, my emphasis on getting things done left not nearly enough time for my family. I am

grateful for my wife Wetonnah, my brother Mike, my sister Brenda, and my good friend, David Ferguson, for sharing with me the need for more balance in my life.

I have failed in business too. Early in my career, as I emphasized “working hard” for myself, I failed to properly develop others around me as I should.

Getting things done is important, but that cannot be what it’s all about. Today, graduates, it is all about you, as it should be. You’ve worked hard, and you’ve earned it. And when today’s celebration is over, and with the rest of your life beginning, please remember, while we’ve got things do, let’s also strive to become.

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The Cheatham Street Music Foundation A memoir by Gregg Andrews Gregg Andrews is a history professor emeritus and founder of the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University. He and his wife, Vikki Bynum, are considered the Godparents of the Cheatham Street Music Foundation, for their generosity, foresight and financial leadership in preserving the historic building and establishing a foundation for the preservation and promotion of Texas music. Gregg Andrews speaks from the heart about how the Cheatham Street Music Foundation came to life.

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In a nutshell, the Cheatham Street Music Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting and preserving the history of Texas music. Drawing on the legacy of Cheatham Street Warehouse as a mecca for songwriters since 1974, the CSMF takes as its particular aim that of nurturing the art of songwriting.

had developed a deep interest in Texas music, particularly the progressive country genre that became popular in the early to mid-1970s. I should mention that the first song I ever learned to play on the guitar was by Jimmy Rodgers, “Waiting for a Train.”

In some of my classes at the university, I There are other Texas music foundations. would take my guitar and perform about For example, when we set out to create once a year, singing songs from whatever the CSMF, we drew inspiration from Rod period we were studying at the time.

Kennedy’s prestigious and internationally acclaimed Kerrville Music Foundation, Finally, I saw an opportunity to launch an which dated back to the mid-1970s, and initiative that would fulfill a longstanding from the Texas Folk Music Foundation, determination of mine that the dynamic which in 1999 was created as an cultural cross-fertilization of Texas music outgrowth and affiliate of the Kerrville deserved recognition and study by an Folk Festival begun by Kennedy. academic entity. In 1999, I proposed to create the Center for Texas Music At the time I first got attracted to History in the History Department Cheatham Street Warehouse, I was the and successfully shepherded the Assistant Director and Co-founder of the proposal through the appropriate Center for Texas Music History (1999) in channels. the Department of History at Texas State University. As I recall, Rod Kennedy and As a historian, I especially developed Kent Finlay teamed up in early 2000 to an interest in historical preservation host a fundraiser for our newly-created related to Texas music. In the years that CTMH. Rod brought some of the Kerrville immediately followed, I served on the artists to Cheatham Street Warehouse, Board of Directors of other non-profit which hosted the fundraiser. organizations such as Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc. and the Texas Heritage From that point on, I started going to Songwriters’ Association, as well as the Cheatham Street for Songwriters Circle Cheatham Street Music Foundation. on Wednesday nights. I was particularly impressed by the atmosphere of In the case of Cheatham Street reverence, awe, and respect given to Warehouse, the building itself represents those who came to play their original an important slice of San Marcos’ songs. For about six to eight months, economic history, dating back to the first I continued to be part of the audience decade of the 1900s. For many years, there on Wednesday nights without Kent Finlay had leased the building from telling Kent that I had written a few George Gilbert and a business partner, songs and performed much earlier in my but in 2005, George let Kent know that life. After he found out later, he gently he’d be putting the property up for sale. nudged me to do one or two of my songs This happened during the early stages of one Wednesday night. I soon became a the formation of the CSMF board (Kent regular performer there.

Finlay, Bill McNeal, John Gilliam, Gary

Hickinbotham, Sage Allen, and myself).

So, from the standpoint of a History professor affiliated with the CTMH, my We were stunned by the turn of events, interest in Cheatham Street Warehouse but George Gilbert told Kent he would as the musical birthplace of George give him first crack at the property but Strait and many other greats soon led would need to know within several me to reconnect with songwriting and weeks if he could arrange to buy it at performing under the nurturing guidance a certain specified price. If I remember of Kent Finlay. I haven’t been able to stop right, George told Kent that he already writing songs ever since! had a proposed offer from someone to buy the property at that price and Long before I moved to Texas in 1988, I bulldoze Cheatham St. Warehouse in

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order to develop a strip mall of sorts.

At that time, of course, the Foundation had no money, and neither did Kent have the wherewithal to purchase the property. As things got down to the wire in late 2005, Victoria Bynum (my wife) and I decided to step in and buy the property to save it from destruction.

Our purchase of the property, which included the San Marcos Thrift Store, went through in early March 2006, after we secured a mortgage on it.

From the beginning, we made it clear that our only purpose in buying the property was to preserve it for the Cheatham Street Music Foundation, which would then in turn buy it from us at an unspecified time. Vikki and I spurned overtures from others who sought to become partners in the property, and we rejected letters of inquiry regarding our willingness to sell the property to other interested parties.

Upon my retirement from the university in September 2009, I resigned as Vice President of the CSMF and moved to Hannibal, Missouri, in April 2010.

In November 2010, the Foundation purchased the property from us.

Vikki and I now live in Hannibal, Missouri (my hometown), where we recently bought a historic home built in 1895.

Vikki continues to be very active on the speakers’ circuit (U.S., Canada, and The Netherlands) related to her books on the Civil War. She’s currently writing a family memoir.

Since retiring, I’ve published a new book and put out a new CD, “My Daddy’s Blues.” I’m currently trying to finish up a new CD, “Swampy Tonk Blues,” produced by Kent Finlay. We get back to Texas at least a couple of times a year, sometimes as “snow birds.” I take advantage of every opportunity to reunite with the Mudcats to play gigs at Cheatham St. Warehouse and to work in the recording studio. I’m looking forward to bringing the band to the Hannibal area in mid-July to play a few gigs, including an outdoor concert hosted by the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum.

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“For three years the community accepted me as a member of the family.”

Barrick Nealy : A “Communiversity” Leader

By Diana Hendricks Barrick Nealy:

A Family Member Barrick Nealy talks to Diana Hendricks about his new foundation – and what it means for kids and the future of this community.

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| Words & Photo Eric Morales |

Barrick Nealy grew up in inner-city Dallas on the dividing line of Oak Cliff and West Dallas. He admits that he had the best and worst of both worlds. “It was a tough part of town, and there were not a lot of resources for kids. But we had a lot of love in the midst of a lot of violence,” he says. “We knew drug dealers and users by name, and we never knew when random violence was going to break out.“ But athletics was a Godsend for Barrick. He talks about the climate of the community. “If you were a great athlete, you were protected by the hustlers in the neighborhood from outsiders, because the neighborhood hustlers saw you as the one kid that would make it out and have a better future.”

While a lot of the kids in his neighborhood followed the path of the older hustlers, Barrick was led down a much narrower path—thanks to the discipline and guidance of his greatest mentor, his mother. “I learned from my mother that regardless of your circumstances, with passion, dedication, perseverance and sacrifice you can achieve. She didn’t have it easy. It still amazes me to this day how I have never seen my mother cry and how she never complained. She seemed to always make the best out of every tough situation.”

Athletics was a way for Barrick to focus on a place that seemed like paradise. “When I immersed myself into athletics, I worried less, and I stayed out of trouble. Athletics kept me busy. I gravitated towards a sport that I really disliked.

I realized that the sport of football was much like my life—the ups, the downs, and the challenges.

In football, I had to actually work day in and day out to get better.

It was not like basketball, which came really easy to me. I decided to take the tougher route with a little guidance from my high school football coaches.”

After a stellar high school football career at W.H. Adamson in Dallas, Barrick took on another challenge and left one big city for another, agreeing to play for the University of Houston. Houston was a program that had been on a downslide for several years. Barrick wanted to attend Houston and be a part of a turnaround, instead of a school like Texas or Purdue, which had well-established programs.

After his first year, Head Coach Dana Dimel was fired, and Barrick chose to leave the University of Houston as well. He landed at Texas State University in San Marcos and became one of the university’s most legendary quarterbacks.

Today, Barrick smiles as he admits that coming to Texas State was the best decision of his life. “For three years, this community accepted me as a member of the family, as I led the maroon and gold every Saturday evening. As a team, we had ups and downs, but we finished my final year as champions. While I received a lot of credit for our football accomplishments, I have to say that all the credit should go to a wonderful team of men led by Coach David Bailiff.”

In 2005, Coach Bailiff and his staff created a team motto: “We Live For Each Other.” But it wasn’t just a saying as a team. Barrick says, “We actually believed it, and our work ethic was proof.”

Today, Barrick is celebrating seven years of marriage to his college sweetheart, Tiffany, and he says, “She is my rock, my friend, and my world.” They have three children: Sir Isaac is five years old and aspires to play Bobcat baseball, Sage Simone is three and already the best athletic of the bunch, and the baby, Isaiah McCoy (named for Colt McCoy), at one year and 33 pounds, appears to be developing the physique of a lineman rather than a quarterback.

| Photo Eric Morales |

After a four year professional football career, Barrick and Tiffany decided to move back to San Marcos, a community that is dear to their hearts. Barrick was hired

by Dr. John Garrison, (former Dean of Students at Texas State University and current President of San Marcos Baptist Academy), to mentor students and help with their athletic program. He has also worked with other coaches and students from around the area including San Marcos, Wimberley, and Canyon high schools. Also during this process, Barrick decided to take his youth mentoring efforts to another level. In January 2013, he launched a non-profit organization called Perform4School.

Their mission is to assist local schools and communities in a very direct way by helping to reduce the socioeconomic challenges youth face today. This process will be achieved by fostering a proactive engagement that demonstrates the connection and benefits between Education, Health and Personal Development.

Barrick says, “Young people today have lots of choices, and some spend a lot of time in unproductive activities. They fail to realize that they will never get to where they want to go until they decide to work on their will. They have to have heart. They need to learn that when things get tough, you can’t give up. You have to have the will to win. And directing that will is what we believe Perform4School can teach our youth.”

Barrick’s new foundation, Perform4School, is hosting its first Charity Golf Celebration on June 3 in Austin at Onion Creek Golf Course. He is encouraging support in anyway that you wish. View their website at Perform4School. org to make a donation and sign up for the newsletters.

Perform 4School Q&A Perform4School?

What’s in the name?

The name came about in a very unique way. When you really sit and think about it, it’s performance. No matter what any of us do in this life, we will always be judged by how well we perform.

Whether it’s in the classroom, on the job, on a stage, on a field, or even at home, we have to perform. And since I believe the most important institutions in our communities are our schools, we have formed a unique way to teach and transfer the best efforts of our youth’s performance into their everyday school life. We believe meeting this challenge is the first building block to life long success.

Another non-profit organization? What makes this different?

To be honest with you I knew that there was not a shortage of non-profit organizations. If you ask me there’s not a bad cause out there. But I realized that there is a need for an inclusive organization - for something that accepts all young people without prerequisites.

This is not just for one group or another. This is a leadership building program for underprivileged and privileged, skilled, and unskilled, boy or girl.

Perform4school has no walls, everyone is accepted. I feel that all kids need improvements in some area and that there should be no division among our youth. Through Perform4School, we can encourage leadership traits and team building and open doors for dreams to come true.

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You mentioned the economic impact of student success?

Perform4school will have a huge impact on our youth and community, as well as our economy, because we are able to motivate young people in ways in which they respond and grow from trials and challenges in a positive way. They will learn life lessons to help them persevere and achieve their dreams when life gets tough. This year, Perform4school will serve and benefit thousands of individuals from several communities and school districts from across the state of Texas and soon, across the nation.

knowledge and practical solutions that make a real difference. Our organization teaches the “process” that all of young people are going through in this marathon of life. We show them how to view the bumps and failures as a process in which helps them to develop a strong work ethic at education, health, and personal development that is second to none.

Who’s on your Team?

I have teamed up with several community leaders and business owners including Shane Fraser-Subway, Ed Bolton-Nexus, John Navarette-Century Link, Earl StuddardNorth Carolina Furniture, John Garrison- President of San Marcos Baptist Academy, David Case-Wells Fargo, and Brenda Healey of Duggins Wren Mann & Romero,LLC . Each of these board members shares this vision of a new approach to empower our youth through leadership, will and dedication.

Lessons learned and relevant influence?

When I was younger, my mother | Photo Luciano Guerra | and grandmother use to tell me that I’d “been blessed with a substantial In 2005, Barrick Nealy led Texas State to within Tell us more -amount of influence.” I really didn’t one game of the FCS National Championship.

If you are wanting to assist with our efforts to understand what they meant. But empower our children to success in some way now I do. And I understand now that or just want to know more about Perform4School, please view our young people just won’t listen to any old average Joe. The message website at preform4school.org has to be relevant - to their lives, to their future, and most importantly, to their understanding. And that is exactly what we do as an organization. Lessons learned in Perform4School will provide relevant

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SMTX | train hard. Eat fresh.

Profiles

Blake Eureste

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as he entered the ring and fell in love with the sport.

| By Katie Lewis Photo Eric Morales |

Fight Factory texasfightfactory.com Head Coach Manny Sepeda 167 South L.B.J. 512-665-7865

Notes | Where to Train

It’s about what he learns in the ring. “I’ve changed and adapted through this sport, and adaptation to new and different situations has Any given day of the week, you been the most beneficial thing I can find Eureste at Texas Fight Factory, a boxing academy in San could take away,” said Eureste.

Marcos. Aside from working on Lessons from the ring - discipline, strength, agility and endurance, Eureste will go 4 to 6 rounds in the focus, determination and hard ring, three times a week, sparring work – have shaped who Eureste is, and he will be taking all of these his teammates to fine-tune his technique and perfect his moves. things with him in the fall as he becomes a Texas State University Bobcat. “I’m so stoked [to go to It would be easy to think that Texas State.] I’ve always wanted Eureste loves boxing for the Eureste, 18, started his career to go there, and now I am,” he excitement, adrenaline rush as a boxer at 9-years-old, after said. It’ll be a knockout. asking his older brother, “What’s it and awesome work out, but he like to get hit?” He soon found out explains something very different.

The crowd roars, and the smell of sweat lingers in the air. The lights are bright and hearts pound.

When the bell rings, everything changes. Everything disappears, except for the voice of your coach, your thoughts and complete concentration on the fighter across from you. “I block everyone out and do what needs to be done,” says young, up-and-coming boxer and San Marcos native, Blake Eureste.

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