Cinema
THE GIFT OF HEARING How a Cochlear implant procedure changed a local doctor’s life
STORIES OF SURVIVAL New non-profit brings hope to local community
November – the month that often gets overlooked as more and more folks these days find themselves taking that leap from Halloween straight into Christmas. But before those strands of holiday lights are hung, Seguin Today pulls its readers back a bit to reflect on a month designed around family and our American Veterans. In this issue, we pay tribute to the heroes in our family –those whose sacrifices remind us every day of how truly blessed we are to live in this country. This month, we also share some history into one of Seguin’s iconic landmarks – a marker, that through family, has entertained folks throughout the generations. We’ve also included the introduction of a new member of our community – a non-profit organization where the people that operate it openly serve its clients just as if they were family and who today, can also remember being a mirror image of the people that it now serves.
Cindy Aguirre-Herrera News Director
STORIES OF SURVIVAL
Community welcomes new non-profit
A PALACE OF CINEMA
Seguin’s historic Palace Theatre
COVERSHOT
The
seats
Photo by Lizz Daniels
SALUTE TO VETERANS
Recognizing those who have served
EVENTS CALENDAR
Community events & happenings this month.
TURKEY DAY SCAVENGER HUNT
Find photos in Seguin stores for a chance to win!
RECIPE TO TRY
GENERAL MANAGER
Darren Dunn
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Lizz Daniels
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Nick Spence
WRITERS
Cindy Aguirre-Herrera
Chris Austin
Lizz Daniels
ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS
Laurie Ann Heideke
Linda Duncan
Jarred Kindles
OFFICE MANAGER
Priscilda Rodriguez
Stories of SURVIVAL
Taking personal pain to help others heal, overcome
Community thankful for new non-profit organization
Story by Cindy Aguirre-Herrera
November marks the official start of the holiday season – a season that brings together families. Elements of a family, however, are not always extended to one another simply because of blood.
In fact, Seguin Today praises those who give to this community daily and who become vulnerable for the sake of ensuring the health and safety of others. It’s an extension of love for others that goes beyond an employee handbook – a love not capped by an 8 to 5 schedule.
November in Seguin welcomes what will become one more thing which the locals can be thankful for. Only days into its new beginnings in Seguin, Bluebird’s Hope, Inc.
is the community’s new non-profit offering free forensic examinations to victims of sexual assault.
Located in the former Dilly Deli location at 1117 E. Court St, the founder of the nonprofit organization Crystal Schwerdtfeger is committed to making Bluebird’s services available to as many individuals as possible around the clock. Thanks to Bluebird’s Hope, there is no longer hesitation for men or women to get the help they need.
While similar services exist in the community, Schwerdtfeger says she understands the strong needs for these services and says they work to serve “the gap.” She says
it is also vital that they are provided free and with no concern for insurance.
Although their doors remain open for healing, the challenge remains in convincing both men and women that they will be in good hands once they walk through that door. Taking that first step, however, is not always easy and that’s why in this month’s issue, the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) at Bluebird’s are going above and beyond by leaving their vulnerability at the doorstep as they share their own personal stories of not only pain but of strength, courage and triumph in hopes of helping others heal as they have themselves.
SURVIVORS: You are NOT Alone
Column by Laci Booker
Inever wanted to be a nurse...
As a matter of fact, around the time I made the commitment to become a nurse, I was an 18-yearold, full blown meth addict who had endured numerous interactions of sexual abuse in my life, starting when I was only a toddler and continuing through my adolescence and young adulthood. My decision to become a nurse came after the last communication I had with my late Grandmommy, who had been an influential nurse herself over the course of her career.
I was graduating high school, and she wanted to gift me a pearl ring in honor of my accomplishments. Instead of respectfully answering her questions about my ring size, I was dismissive and short with her and guessed a random number, promptly ending what would be my last conversation with her on this side of heaven. She succumbed to breast cancer that had metastasized to her brain a few months later, just two weeks after my 18 th birthday. That was the summer I swore I would be a nurse by the age of 30, but my journey would prove to take longer than planned. I used for five more years before I sobered up and my life changed for good.
At 23 years old, I found myself immersed in the role of medical assistant, mommy, and was celebrating my 1-year sobriety, all while existing in one of the most volatile, intimate nightmares I could imagine. My daughter’s heroin addicted father had proven to be far less than the prince charming he had charaded to be, and I found myself chaotically navigating months turned years of interpersonal violence- emotional, verbal, mental, physical, and even sexual. I did everything I could think of to appease him and live in peace for my daughter and I, but to no avail. The day finally came that he left for the
last time, and I once again vowed for change in my life.
As I round the final lap of my 30’s, I look back, amazed at the beauty that has come out of ashes. My forensic nursing journey began two years ago, when a spark of interest lit up my career. It all began over a cup of coffee, with someone who has become my mentor and a very best friend. It’s challenging, doing this type of work, but I could never imagine doing anything else.
Some days, I thoroughly examine the patient who walks on eggshells daily to appease their abuser, only to find themself riddled with bruises, suffocated by fear and confusion; other days I treat the middle-aged person who was sexually assaulted when they bravely attended a group outing with new friends, only to find themselves retreating in humiliation and overcome by fear of the potential for judgement and sexually transmitted infections; other days I help a school aged patient to understand that they are nothing short of healthy and that what happened to them doesn’t define who they are-- they still have a bright future ahead of them and they still have purpose and value.
I never initially came forward for help for any of my abuse, though I have worked on healing off and on over the latter most years of my life. Regardless, there have been blessings and miracles sprinkled throughout my journey, none that I could begin to take credit for, but each that I am eternally grateful for. Every day I have the privilege of making a difference in someone’s life and in turn defeating the abuse I, and many, have endured. I get to be there for survivors in a capacity that is rooted in true, empirical understanding and empathy.
I may not get to tell every survivor that walks through our doors the things I wish I could say, but today I can share a glimpse of what I wish every survivor knew and believed: you are not alone- we, the survivors and supporters, are here, ready to walk beside and lock arms with you; you are not broken- there is healing and purpose and value in your life; it’s okay if you’re not ready- many survivors struggle with the decision to come forward, to ask for help, and to accept help, just thinking about it IS taking a first step; you are precious, you are loved, you are chosen. You and I, we, are the difference we hope to see in the world. •
FORGIVENESS: The Ultimate Power Column by Crystal Schwerdtfeger
My name is Crystal Schwerdtfeger, and the truth is that I am many things. I am a wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, friend, and a native to Seguin. I have been a registered nurse since 2015 and specialized in forensic nursing since 2018. I am the Founder, CEO, Forensic Nurse, and Board of Director President for the nonprofit Bluebird’s Hope, Inc. Additionally, I am a survivor of Sexual Assault as a child, neglect as a child, and Domestic Violence as a child.
I recently read a biography by Dr. Gregory Williams, PhD, “Shattered by The Darkness,” where he started the first chapter with, “There wasn’t a day in my childhood that I can remember that I wasn’t abused.” This resonated with me and impacted me so dramatically that I had to immediately put the book down for two days before continuing to read it. This was because I realized he was also speaking about me.
I spent my childhood lost in adult things. I was introduced to sex by my paternal uncle before I was even old enough to go to school and be introduced to reading or math. I didn’t tell anyone about it until I was eleven, and even then, I didn’t know how to have anything done, so I endured family functions with this uncle to keep the family together in peace. I ensured my younger brother ate dinner, took a bath, went to bed, was safe, went to school, had clean clothes, and played a mother to him starting at around second grade because my father was out partying, and my mother was working every chance to keep a roof over our heads. I was introduced to drugs before I was out of elementary school by my
father, who was an alcoholic and drug addict. I remember the fights between my mother and father as I would lay in bed crying, praying to God that it would end and that one day He (God) would bless me with a family that would love each other and support each other and not fight all the time.
But don’t judge my father too hard. I come from generational alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic violence, and sexual assault. He endured so much more than I did. His father beat not only his mother but him and his siblings as well. His father also sexually assaulted my aunt. Back in those days, that was “family business.” Well, I am here to tell you that things have changed! Laws have changed, people have changed, minds have changed, and families need to change with it!
I lost my safe person in 2022- the person who kept me together through all of the trauma in my childhood, which led me to seek mental health care. Mental health is so important in healing from trauma, but I didn’t realize it until I did it! Forgiveness is difficult but is powerful! I forgave my father when I could understand his trauma and considered his point of view and what he went through. I forgave my abuser, my uncle, years before his death, but he never knew. It wasn’t for him. It was for me. It was my freedom from him, my life back, and my control back! When the opportunity came for me to be able to start Bluebird’s Hope, Inc., all I could see was the impact I could make and all the people I could help! I didn’t know anything about running a business or a nonprofit. But 4 years later and 3 locations (almost 4 locations) later, I feel so blessed for all those we have been able to help and will help. I want you all to know that you are not alone. If you are a survivor, if you know a survivor, if you become a survivor, if you don’t know if you are a survivor but think you might be, you are not alone. You will be believed. Reach out to us. Our Hotline number is 830-316-3926. You can call 24/7/365. The Hotline is answered by a Registered Nurse, and we are here for you! Breaking chains like the ones that were around my family takes time and hard work, but you are strong enough, you deserve it, you are brave enough, and you are capable! •
Seguin’s Palace of CINEMA History
Finding film reels & more behind the scenes at the Palace Theatre
Movie theatres are a place where magic happens. The room goes dark, and the smell of popcorn fills the air as the film reel rolls. For as long as cinema has existed, it could teleport individuals away from their lives into worlds of fantasy, whether through silent film or blockbuster adventure flicks like Star Wars or Avatar.
Dan Daniels started his first job popping movie theatre popcorn and cleaning up after movies as a kid. Since then, it has become his lifelong passion.
“The first job I ever had was in this theater,” Daniels said. “I was born into the theater business and did it all my life. I bought and sold first and sub-run motion pictures for hard tops and drive-ins, popped popcorn, mopped the floors, sold tickets, and ran projectors all my life. It’s one of those businesses that when it’s good, it’s great. There’s no getting around it when you can entertain a house full of people on a nightly basis. There’s nothing like it, and I love the
business. I got to watch the movies every day I had to work, but it instilled in me a real desire for entertainment.”
Daniels is nothing short of a film buff and says he has an uncanny ability to figure out the twist to any movie without seeing the film’s beginning. He’s an entertainer at heart and hopes his role in the Palace’s legacy will help keep live theatre and cinema alive.
“I’m telling you one thing,” he said. “I’m really sad and there’s no consoling me over the fact that theaters
are closing right and left, and everything’s being streamed now. All the film companies have their own platforms, and I just think it’s sad. Today’s theaters are very small and compact. It’s something to watch a movie in an auditorium that seats 350 people and have them all enjoy it at the same time, a collective experience. The best Saturday matinee film I ever saw, and I’m not saying it’s the best film –– it’s not a Fellini movie, but still, to this day, the best matinee I ever saw was Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
Other notable films that have graced the Palace’s screen include the Disney classic The Lion King, Indiana Jones, and more.
Dan’s wife, Janis Turk, is just as invested in the Palace as her husband and remembers a particular movie from 1997 that Dan thought would be a flop.
“He almost didn’t get Titanic,” Turk laughed. “He goes, ‘no one’s going to want to see that movie because they all know the ending.’ And I said, ‘Yes, well you’re going to get that movie. I don’t care what you say. We’re getting that one.’ And then look how that turned out. It stayed for like twenty weeks.”
Stepping inside the Palace is like stepping back to a time when Art Deco was all the rage. Geometric designs and bold colors paired with a retro popcorn machine (that still works) create an atmosphere unique from modern theatres. Walking into a movie theatre nowadays can feel like a sensory assault with lights, food smells, and even video arcades making noise. When the Palace was built, however, things were simpler. People went to the movie to watch the film, not have a full meal and video game entertainment –– the movie was the main event.
The Palace has stood in downtown Seguin for nearly 110 years, and for 90 of those, it has been owned by the A.J. Daniels family, making it Seguin’s oldest cinema.
“It’s still the largest,” Turk, said. “The original Palace was built on the site circa 1915 by the Edgar Nolte family and owned and operated by Mr. Hilmar H. Stracke senior and his wife. The Palace has long been integral to the community as a motion picture theater, performing arts venue, and cinema museum. It obviously needs a renovation, and we’re hoping to fix the facade and repaint the building soon, but in the meantime, we’ve just spent a good deal of money on the big marquee, so it lights up again with new neon.
Throughout his childhood in the cinema, Dan met a whole host of celebrities. Dan is pictured here with western movie star Monte Hale.
“Our hope is in the near future, to put the flooring in the lobby and paint, but really, the theater has kind of remained historically unchanged, except in the 1970s, when they closed off the balcony and made it into a separate theater. We also have a very strange thing called the crying room, and also a smoking room. Parents could take their children and listen through a speaker, so the babies were in the soundproof room. Likewise, they had a smoking room on the other side where you could sit and smoke and not disturb anyone else, and it had a ventilation system, so it was pretty modern for its time. They also had things for individuals with hearing impairments, making it very accessible for the time.”
Nowadays, the Palace hosts live theatre events from standup comedians to plays and musicians. Dan and Janis keep an open mind when it comes to hosting events in hopes of introducing a new generation to the historic building. Recently, the Palace hosted a short run of “What the Constitution Means to Me,” starring Ivy Koehler Meehan, but they have also recently hosted a BINGO night.
“Now he’s trying to be relevant by doing things that young people like,” Turk said. “TLU just asked for a Scooby Doo night. So, we had that then a bingo party too. We have birthday parties. For concerts, we had Larry Gatlin –– he was kind of a big country star in the 80s.”
As the Palace marquee lights up downtown Seguin, it illuminates a bright future for the theatre, keeping its history alive while remaining relevant to modern audiences. The magic hasn’t died; it’s just changing with the times. •
NOVEMBER
Featured Events
Operation Blue Santa
Texas Lutheran University is having an Operation Blue Santa Christmas Toy Drive in partnership with KWED’s annual Holiday Food and Toy Drive until Friday, Dec. 6. Donated new, unwrapped toys, crafts, books, and games suitable for ages 0 to 18 will be collected at various points on the TLU campus and in the Seguin community. TLU will also accept cash or check only for Operation Blue Santa. Make checks payable to the Seguin Police Department Blue Santa Program and mail to Texas Lutheran University, Attn: Ali Bratcher, 1000 W. Court St. Seguin, TX 78155 or drop them off at the First Year Experience & Student Engagement Center at TLU.
November 12
Native Plant Society
The Guadalupe Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will have its Monthly Meeting beginning with a plant/ seed exchange and social at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 12 at 1121 E. Walnut St. The program will be Karen Husum Clary, Ph. D., visa Zoom discussing Yuccas, Agaves, Sotols—What’s the Difference? For more information, visit http://npsot. org/chapters/guadalupe/.
November 23
Annual Dia De Los Veteranos
TLU will have its 2nd Annual Dia De Los Veteranos from 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23 in the Langner Hall parking lot, located at 1000 W. Court St. in Seguin. There will be a car show & shine, free food and drinks, TLU Mariachi performance, live graffiti art, photo booth, moon bounce, vendor market, book reading and signing and music by Dj Chuko. There is no registration fee for the car show and check in is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 830-372-6073.
To promote your event on this page contact advertising at 830-379-2234 or email communitycalendar@kwed1580.com
November 16
Cornhole Tournament
The Seguin Fire Alumni and the Seguin Police Alumni will have its first ever Lights and Sirens Cornhole Tournament at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16 at the Starcke Park East Big Pavilion. There will also be food trucks, raffle items, silent auction items, snacks, and entertainment by D.j. Dtrayne. The entry fee is $100 for 2-man teams with cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
November 24
The Table Seguin Free Meal
The Table Seguin offers a free meal from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24 at the Seguin Coliseum, located at 950 S. Austin St. in Seguin. There will be food, fellowship, and activities for children. For more information, visit www.Thetableseguin. com.
November 17
Memorial Car
Show
There will be a Steven Garcia Jr Memorial Car Show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Nov. 17 at the Fiesta Ballroom, located at 735 Interstate Hwy 10. Check-in is at 9:15 a.m. and registration is $20 the day of the event. Early registration is available by calling 830-305-6052 or emailing stefanitrevino22@gmail.com. All proceeds benefit a scholarship for a SHS welding student.
November 30
Toy Assistance Program
The Precious Life Suicide Prevention will offer its Christmas Toy Assistance Program for Comal and Guadalupe Counties until Saturday, Nov. 30. No registrations will be accepted via phone, email the parents full name, full name of each child, age and gender of each child, full address including zip, and phone number, and any assistance currently receiving to registerforchristmas@
Recipe to Try
Make this side dish the Star
on Thanksgiving
Food is foremost on the minds of Thanksgiving guests. While food is a big deal on just about every holiday, the meal really takes center stage on Thanksgiving.
Although turkey can be a delicious main course, many Thanksgiving diners might admit they anticipate the side dishes more than the turkey. Potatoes, soups, salads and dinner rolls are all competing for space on the Thanksgiving table and can be equally tasty. However, perhaps no side dish is more synonymous with Thanksgiving than stuffing.
Though stuffing is sometimes cooked inside the turkey, while others prefer to prepare it in a casserole dish. There’s no shortage of ways to prepare stuffing, and adventurous types might enjoy this recipe for “Stuffin’ Muffins” courtesy of “Lord Honey Traditional Southern Recipes With a Country Bling Twist” (Pelican Publishing) by Chef Jason Smith. In this recipe, stuffing is baked in muffin tins for the perfect portion you can sink your teeth right into.
Stuffin’ Muffins
Makes 1 dozen
1 pound breakfast sausage
2 medium onions, diced
2 cups diced fresh baby portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup butter
8 cups crumbled cornbread Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup shaved or grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups chicken or veggie broth or stock
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 12-hole muffin tin.
In a large skillet, crumble the sausage and cook until halfway done. Add the onions, mushrooms and butter. Cook until tender.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the crumbled cornbread and the sausage mixture. Add salt and pepper. Add the sage, onion powder, parmesan cheese, eggs, and broth. Mix with hands until all ingredients are moist but hold together.
Using a 3-ounce ice cream scoop, place 12 balls into the prepared muffin tin and pat tops flat. Bake for 30 minutes.
When ALL is STILL
TLU Announces Christmas Vespers 2024
Contribution by Tracy Donley
The Incarnation—the mystery of Christ’s holy birth—is the subject of beloved Christmas carols all over the world. Such favorites as “What Child Is This?” and “I Wonder as I Wander” seek to connect the events of the Nativity of Christ to the Pascal Mystery—a paradoxical association of birth and death, joy and pain, and the cycle of life, all of which speak directly to the human experience. Texas Lutheran University’s Christmas Vespers 2024, titled “When All Is Still,” uses this central theme to create a worship service of hope and peace through word and music.
“I think there is something really poignant about linking beauty and awe, suffering and death, the incarnation and the hope of new life,” says Dr. Amanda Kaminski, Assistant Professor of Theology at TLU. “This seems to me to be the greatest mystery of faith: that only through death can we know true life, and only by Christ coming into history and breaking open could the Kingdom of Heaven be inaugurated and could we be reconciled to our divine nature.”
During the service, the TLU Choirs will present the world premieres of three new works:
“What Child Is This?” will be performed by the TLU Treble Choir. It was commissioned “in celebration of the beautiful life of Karin Oliver whose deep love of singing and choral music continues to inspire generations of musicians.” Composed by Dr. William Averitt, this new and thoughtful setting uses the familiar melody and takes the listener on a journey through the deeply moving text.
“I Wonder as I Wander” will be performed by the TLU Choir and is “dedicated, with love, to Deb Mayes, honoring her 25 years as collaborative pianist with the TLU Choirs.” Music and text are by celebrated Minnesota
composer, Kyle Pederson. Pederson also takes the listener on a journey that begins with the familiar melody that grows and develops alongside the newly written text that describes “how the light of the heavens is born in this child.”
“When All Is Still” is the title piece of Christmas Vespers. The music is composed by Susan LaBarr with original lyrics by Charles Anthony Silvestri. Commissioned “in celebration of the life of Adam J. Boyer (July 18, 2000 –August 28, 2021),” the work is a meditation on the “seasons” of life, with this movement representing winter. The work begins with the stillness of the morning cold and moves toward the hope of new life.
Joining the TLU Choir, TLU Treble Choir, and Kantorei Chamber Choir are faculty members Dr. Eric Siu (violin), Dr. Elizabeth Lee (cello), and pianists Deb Mayes and Cristina Castro. San Antonio actress Sam Carter Gilliam will lead the listener through the service of music and word through a series of monologues that reflect on the Incarnation. The TLU Orchestral Winds and Percussion, conducted by Director of Bands Dr. Brett Richardson, will join with the choirs to bring the music of the season and lead congregational singing of favorite Christmas hymns.
Join TLU for a service that seeks to lift hearts and spirits with peace, harmony, and hope.
Performances are scheduled for December 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m., and December 8 a 4 p.m. in Jackson Auditorium. The event is open to the public and tickets are free but required. Beginning November 1, they can be picked up at the TLU Bookstore or reserved online at tlu.edu/vespers. There will be an additional performance on December 15 at 4 p.m. at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church in Austin. No tickets are required for the Austin performance.
