Seguin Today: May 2024

DOWNTOWN HISTORY

Stories line Seguin’s light posts

ICYMI

Seguin’s squirrel trail expands to TLU

Courts

&

SEGUIN LOVES PICKLEBALL! FIND OUT WHY WITH SEGUIN PARKS

REC DIRECTOR JACK JONES

May may well be the rainiest month we’ve had so far, but that hasn’t stopped locals from shedding spring thoughts and diving headfirst into summer. In this edition of Seguin Today we take a look at the endless possibilities for summertime in Seguin.

Whether you’re taking a walk through downtown, and looking for some historical stories to get your brain going, or grabbing your pickleball gear and heading to the court, Seguin has tons of opportunities to get outside and play.

Summer encourages us to take on new adventures – to take a risk and try something new, and that’s what this issue is all about.

So, dust off your sneakers, gather your friends and family, and get ready to make this a summer to remember. Whether you’re embarking on a Seguin river adventure, or just playing a game with good friends, there’s no shortage of ways to make memories here in Guadalupe County.

Here’s to long days, warm nights, and the endless pursuit of adventure.

Lizz Daniels Creative Director

COVERSHOT

Community members gather at the Seguin Pickleball courts throughout the week to get a few good games in. Pictured, was a member of the Monday

LIGHTING UP HISTORY

Explore how the Seguin Heritage Museum is bringing historical stories to downtown

THE SEGUIN PICKLEBALL PHENOMENON

What’s pickleball and why do locals and visitors love it so much? Exploring the city’s newest obsession

EVENTS CALENDAR

Community events & special promotions happening in the area this month.

DIY: RECIPE TO TRY Ratatouille Pizza

Photo by Lizz Daniels

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Seguin Heriage Museum brings historical stories to lamp posts throughout downtown

IStory by Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

by Lizz Daniels

n Seguin, a lamp post downtown is becoming just as important during the day as it is during the night.

These downtown fixtures are not only permeating a soft glow in the evening –– they are shedding light on some of the city’s most unique and often untold historical stories.

The ability to share these stories found in the deeply rooted chapters of Seguin’s history book is what essentially led to the launch of the Historical Downtown Plaque Project. Inspired by volunteers at the Seguin Heritage Museum, the project works to coin and publicly display tidbits of Seguin’s history throughout the historic downtown district.

All folks need to do is look up the next time they walk around or drive through the various blocks of downtown. Doing so will open up a world of customized plaques hanging, similar to that of some of the city banners, on the first initial set of sponsored lamp posts.

Among the favorites for Donna Brawner, a museum volunteer who helped bring the project to reality is the spotlight of the Seguin Street R.R. as sponsored by The Daughters

of the Republic of Texas Seguin Chapter-Abishai Mercer Dickson.

The plaque reads:

“Getting to and from the depot along North Austin Street was often challenging. The dirt road would turn into a muddy quagmire when it rained. Passengers were then forced to take a detour through the pasture behind the buildings on the main street. In 1886, to make the one-mile trip from the courthouse easier, light rails were installed and the mule drawn streetcar service began. It never got beyond mule power, but the trolleys improved over time changing from open passenger compartments to fully enclosed ones. ‘Maud’ the mule pulled the trolley. All total, ten Maud’s were rotated for the job. By 1915, with more and more people buying automobiles, and with the main road finally paved, the streetcar service was no longer required.”

Brawner says she credits fellow museum volunteer Douglas Manger for the initial inspiration for this project.

Photos

She says while on a visit to San Angelo, working as a curator with the Fine Arts Museum, Manger couldn’t help but be drawn to the large silver switch boxes wrapped with black and white historic photographs.

However, after TxDOT turned down efforts for a similar project here in Seguin, Brawner and Manger say they eventually stumbled onto an even “brighter” idea.

“Doug and I were strolling around downtown Seguin, and we were looking at our switch boxes and we decided they weren’t in good locations,” Brawner said. “People would never see them so we were standing across from the courthouse. I remember this and we were like, how we can make this work?  And, we were both looking at the lamp posts and we went, ‘the lamp post!’ because they had the little banners hanging from them that they put up occasionally.”

Although the stories stood strong on their own, Brawner felt that the design of the plaque had to be equally as important.

“I wanted to make sure that people knew that the Seguin Heritage Museum was sponsoring this because I don’t feel that people in Seguin -- half of them know we have a Heritage Museum,” Brawner said. “So my main thing was to make sure at the very top, it said Seguin Heritage Museum and we have Juan Seguin as part of our logo and so when I started playing around with the layout, I matched the brown to the brown signs that were already downtown and then I researched typefaces that were prevalent at the turn of the century and I used combinations of those and then Douglas suggested the Sepia Tone (effect) on the pictures so they looked old timey. It was very simple. We had the copy about it and then we had the sponsored by. But I think the absolute killer part of this is the job that Douglas does on the pictures. He will take pictures that have cracks, that have tears, that the exposure is so blown out on one end and so dark on the other and when they come back, they are perfect. They are beautiful.”

While they would love to share the entire story on each plaque, Manger says they are limited to only providing a small glimpse into the past.

“This is the purpose of it all -- to bring up this history and they are soundbites,” she said. “It’s not an elaborate copy but it is enough for people to say ‘hey, I never knew that. I had no idea.’ Manger said. “And we keep discovering some gems.”

Brawner, who oversees layout, says there is always something new to learn about our local history and, without fail, is always in awe.

“We were working the power plant and Saffold Dam -- bought by Steve Parker (Seguin City Manager) and so what we discovered was Seguin was probably one of the fourth cities in the entire United States and Canada that had hydroelectric power. I mean little Seguin -- New York, Niagara, somewhere in Wisconsin, Austin but Seguin also had this power, and it was one of the first cities in Texas that had this power. I mean that’s amazing,” Brawner said.

With nearly 35 of the 55 lamp posts still needing a sponsored plaque, Brawner remains optimistic that the telling of the area’s great stories will continue as it has with another favorite historical posting. This one involves a recognizable name in San Antonio but whose legacy reportedly began in Seguin.

“An interesting one was when we did Guadalupe College, the Black College,” Brawner said. “That was fascinating and just what an amazing thing it was at the time that Seguin had, I think one of two black colleges in the whole state, and that college was going to be the premier black college in the state but unfortunately, it caught fire and another fascinating aspect of that sign was that George W. Brackenridge out of San Antonio, he saved it from financial ruin at one point. He just took the whole thing and said, here’s money. I’ll fix it, and they were able to keep going, and so you just look at what different people did at different times because George W. Brackenridge had an office here in Seguin, and that’s probably how he got involved in it before he went to San Antonio.”

Manger says the stories that the community can select from are limitless. Plus, he says individuals can sponsor their own family contributions to Seguin.

“Just the overarching message here is that we care. We care about Seguin,” Manger said. “We care about its history, and we want people to have a broader understanding of what has transpired through the generations. The second thing is we’ve got all these people coming into this area. They are setting up shop or moving into homes that are stark, no landscaping, nothing stimulating to speak of right now -- maybe later when things mature but they need something to give them heart -- something that has a soul to it, so these signs do (that). They are very soulful. They are very engaging. So, I think that’s important for a community.”

Although the plaques have been designed for lamp posts, Brawner says the project also allows for building display. An example currently sits outside Vogue Shoes, the site of an early-on smoke house operated by the Turner Family.

“If they don’t want to put it on a lamp post, they can have it mounted on the building with the building owner’s permission if they don’t actually own the building,” Brawner said. “It will be the same size, but they will only get one side unless they want us to mount two of them together.”

There is still plenty to celebrate, uncover and/or discover about Seguin. Brawner says the cost of each plaque is $500 with the turnaround for install roughly four months if not sooner.

“People were so thrilled that they were contributing to their part of Seguin history and I think that is what is so wonderful about this,” she said. “It’s a community project. It highlights Seguin’s history. It shows how historical Seguin really is and how it’s really a little gem of a town as far as history goes.”

Meanwhile, there’s no doubt that the launch of the museum’s plaque project in the 2020s will also one day find its way into our history books. But until then, the Heritage Museum celebrates the “now” and “today” of just finding our way under one of those lamp posts. •

The Seguin Heritage Museum is located at 114 N. River St. The museum can be reached at 830-372-0965.

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PICKLEBALL PHENOMENON The Seguin

Story by Darren Dunn & Lizz Daniels

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the nation. Don’t believe us? Drive past the city of Seguin Pickleball Courts across from the Saegert campus on Mountain Street, and you’ll see just how popular this game has become. It’s a game that can be played by just about anyone, which is why it’s attracting families, senior citizens, and just about anyone who wants to get a little exercise outside.

Seguin Parks and Recreation Director, Jack Jones, provided some insight into the local pickleball scene and explained why the sport was such a good fit for the city.

“What’s making pickleball such a great fit for Seguin is those who have been sharing their love and knowledge of pickleball to promote and grow the sport here in our community,” Jones said. “They have been volunteering their time, talent and resources to others wanting to join in on the fun. I have heard so many good things about the courts being a great place to meet new friends and share a laugh or two. The courts are bringing not only families together, but also the community.”

Part of that community is comprised of local certified instructors as well as pickleball ambassadors online. One of his favorite local spotsfor pickleball gear and knowledge is Pecan City Disc Golf. While the shop primarily focuses on disc golf, owner Jericho Lomas is familiar with pickleball and keeps equipment that is USAPA tournament-approved in stock, so residents don’t have to travel for gear.

Since the city of Seguin invested heavily in its pickleball courts, they regularly draw in local players and folks from out-of-town who are looking for a nice place to play.

Photos by Jarred Kindles & Lizz Daniels

“

Courts are available for open play 8 a.m. to 10pm daily. Overall, in the evenings alone, the courts see about 50-60 players a night and the extreme heat/cold does not scare anyone away! ”

- Jack Jones -

Here in town, players tend to prefer the evening, with paddles clacking long after sunset and shoes squeaking across the courts.

“Monday’s and Thursday’s after 6:30 p.m. appear to be our busiest times. There is also a group of ladies that play on Tuesday mornings,” he said. “Families are there as well on Saturday mornings. Texan Lutheran University has some of their students out there Tuesdays/Thursdays from 2:303:30pm. Courts are available for open play 8 a.m. to 10pm daily. Overall, in the evenings alone, the courts see about 5060 players a night and the extreme heat/cold does not scare anyone away! There is rarely a time I drive by, and the courts are not in use. The courts are getting a lot of traffic from those of all ages and abilities.”

According to a 2023 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, approximately nine million people played pickleball in 2022, which marked a stunning 159 percent increase in participation over just a three-year period.

The Seguin Parks and Recreation Department offers spring and fall leagues for adults, which are open for everyone with categories from beginner to advanced. Jones is excited about what the Parks and Recreation Department has planned for the rest of the year.

“We have adult clinics for those wanting to learn to play this fall,” he said. “In addition, we also offer Youth ClinicsLearn to Play Clinics in Spring and Fall as well as Youth CampsBeginners Camp this June and Advanced Camp this Fall.”

So, as days stretch into golden evenings this summer, look to find plenty of locals at the Seguin Pickleball Courts where Seguin is at the forefront of this nationwide sports trend. •

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

Featured Events

Featured Events

Your Best Life Festival

The Nami Guadalupe County will have its Your Best Life Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at the Seguin Coliseum, located at 950 S. Austin St. in Seguin. This will be a free health and wellness event with an opportunity to learn about community resources, insurance, mental health, nutrition, physical fitness, safety and more. There will also be free activities for kids and adults, including a bounce house, face painting, chair massages and fitness demos. For details, visit www.NAMIGuadalupeCounty.org/festival.

May 21

Tai Chi Tuesday

The Seguin Public Library and GRMC Inpatient Rehabilitation will host Tai Chi for free at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21 at the Seguin Public Library. Classes are led by Tai Chi instructor Barry A. Jackson for all skill levels. Call 830-4012422 or visit www.library.seguintexas. gov for additional information.

May 23

Caregiver Cafe

There will be a Caregiver Cafe at 9 a.m. on the 1st Thursday of the month at Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church and at 2 p.m. on the 3rd Sunday of the month at Emanuel’s Lutheran Church. This will be an informal gathering for caregivers to share with each other over a cup of coffee and refreshments while learning stress-relieving, relaxation techniques or hearing from guest speakers on helpful subjects. For more information, call 830-272-0040, ext. 104 and leave a message.

May 28

Chamber May After

Hours Mixer & Media Night

The Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce will have its May After Hours Mixer & Media Night from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 28 at Smokey Joe Williams Field, located at 637 Midway Dr. in Seguin. The event is sponsored by the Seguin River Monsters.

June 1

Summer Reading Experience Kick Off

The Seguin Public Library Summer Reading Experience kicks off with John O’Bryant the Magician at 10 a.m. and at 11:15 a.m on Saturday, June 1. Register to participate for the 2024 Summer Reading Experience, it is open to all ages, just track your reading to enter raffles to win cool prizes. The summer reading experience encourages children to read during the summer months to promote summer learning and to help prevent the

12th Mother’s Day 27th Memorial Day

May 24

Summer Reading Experience Registration Opens

Grab your suitcase, grab your passport, and get ready because the free Summer Reading Experience registration opens Friday, May 24 at the Seguin Public Library. Participants of all ages can track their reading to enter raffles to win cool prizes. Call 830-401-2422 or visit library.seguintexas.gov for additional information

June 22

Build for Better Bash

The Guadalupe Valley Habitat For Humanity will have a Build for Better Bash from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 22 in the Seguin Hall parking lot on the campus of Texas Lutheran University, located at 1000 W. Court St. in Seguin. Tickets include a meal, ticket, and t-shirt and are $25 for individual and $15 for youth (16 & under). To purchase tickets visit https://tinyurl.com/betterbash24 . For more information, call 830-401-0422.

Scratch-made Scratch-made Pizza time! Pizza time!

Pizza tends to be a one-size-fits-all meal. One would be hard-pressed to find an individual who doesn’t like pizza in all of its many iterations.

Preparing homemade pizza is an activity the entire family can get behind, with each person customizing his or her toppings and flavors accordingly.

This recipe for “Ratatouille Pizza with Chicken,” courtesy of “Cooking Light Dinner’s Ready” (Oxmoor House) from the Cooking Light Editors, is a satisfying pizza that is a complete meal with all of the vegetables and chicken as a protein source. Using a pre-made crust or dough ensures that it can be prepared in no time at all.

Ratatouille Pizza with Chickens Serves 6

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4inch strips

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 10-ounce Italian cheeseflavored thin pizza crust

1 cup chopped skinless, boneless

rotisserie chicken breast

1 cup (4 ounces) pre-shredded reduced-fat pizza-blend cheese

3 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Cooking spray

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add eggplant, bell pepper and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until eggplant begins to soften. Reduce heat to medium. Add

mushrooms; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add Italian seasoning, salt and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

3. Place crust on a baking sheet. Spread vegetable mixture evenly over crust, leaving a 1⁄2-inch border. Arrange chicken over vegetable mixture; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Arrange tomatoes over cheese, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and tomatoes are softened. Sprinkle with parsley. Cut pizza into 6 wedges.

In Case You Missed It

This story originally ran in the Seguin Daily News on May 8, 2024

SQUIRREL TRAIL MAKES ITS WAY TO TLU

TLU is no longer home to just the Bulldog. It’s also now home to the Squirrel.

Bright, bold, and powerful are the words being used to describe the city of Seguin’s 12th and newest Squirrel, recently unveiled on the Texas Lutheran University campus. Seguin’s Squirrel Trail program promotes the fiberglass squirrel statues that are sponsored publicly, painted and then placed at various locations around town. At TLU, folks can find “Buddy” the Squirrel nestled under the trees at the

Story by Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

historic Fritz House near the corner of Prexy and West Court Streets.

TLU President Dr. Debbie Cottrell helped unveil “Buddy” to the university and Seguin community. Cottrell says the unveiling is extra special because it honors one of their beloved groundskeepers, who died this past year.

“Just so happy that we can pay tribute to our colleague Buddy Landrum with this squirrel as well,” said Cottrell. “Buddy was a longtime colleague, and he was very attentive to keeping our campus beautiful. He was known for the

gardens and for just a lot of tender care at TLU’s campus and so, as I said, when we decided that the squirrel should have a name, it just seemed so completely appropriate to honor Buddy with this squirrel and he was also someone as I said who just brought a lot of joy to our hearts and we have no doubt that Buddy has a big smile today thinking about this squirrel being here and being named for him.”

Cottrell says the creativity behind Buddy is also a showcase of the many talents that can be found at TLU.

“I think he’s beautiful. I think he captures the spirit of TLU. I think he is a beautiful example of public art. So proud that we have two young alums who worked hard on this and had the vision to make the design like it is,” said Cottrell.

Responsible for Buddy’s bright, bold, and powerful presence are those two young alums, Mia Ramirez and Emi Aubin. Both currently work for TLU and were handpicked for the opportunity to display their artistic ability.

Ramirez, who currently works in the TLU Admissions Department, says she not only wanted Buddy to set the tone for the campus but also wanted every part of him to be reflective of the campus community.

“My favorite part is the tail. It’s all the little paw prints and then like the ombre of oranges and yellows -- it just really kind of pulls them all together. I also like the eyes. If you get really up close to them, you can see that there are little stars in the eyes – just to be kind of star struck, I guess. I want our students to feel like that when they come on campus to visit us, (I want them to say) – ‘Wow, this is the place for me to be. This is like my home too,’” said Ramirez.

Like Ramirez, Aubin, who works as the administrative assistant for Student Affairs, agrees that Buddy’s eyes will do most of the talking when visitors stop by for a visit.

“Me personally, I’m obsessed with the eyes. Mia put such a lovely little twinkle into them. It’s very whimsical and kind of ‘fairytale-ish’ and disclaimer, Mia is the real traditional painter of the two of us. I am a digital illustrator so I really could just assist her where she needed me to. She would just kind of let me know what she needed help with,” said Aubin.

Aubin says the hope now is that the squirrel will bring some much-needed attention to the TLU Art Department and its talented pool of students and staff.

“I also really hope that it makes people kind of take notice of the art department that TLU has. With the mural unveiling (across Langner Hall) and things like that, I feel like there’s been a little more light shown on the art department as a whole which brings me such joy. It just makes me happy at the idea that things like this and the mural and all of that will get more eyes on the art department and make people realize more that TLU’s art department is actually pretty good. There’s a lot of genuine love and passion for the artworld and I learned so so much as a student here,” said Aubin.

Although Ramirez and Aubin have non-art-related jobs on campus, TLU officials say they are both actively making art. “Aubin regularly produces digital art and Ramirez is a hyper-realistic artist who works on commission and is also studying to become a tattoo artist.”

Approximately a dozen more squirrels are still scheduled to be unveiled over the next year throughout the city of Seguin. Squirrel sponsorships are also still available for $2,500. Those interested in participating in the program are asked to contact the Seguin Main Street Program at 830-401-2448.

Other squirrel locations include the Seguin Public Library, Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, Schertz Bank & Trust; Seguin’s Central Park, Seguin’s Hike & Bike Trail just behind St. James Catholic Church, the Meservey Group PLLC, Starcke Park East, Park West and Bauer Park, the Women’s Federated Club Building and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. •