Seguin Gazette August 28, 2022

12 cases dismissed after Schertz evidence purge

Dalondo Moultrie

Seguin Gazette

The

Officials recently completed a deep dive into the reported erroneous destruction of evidence at the Schertz Police Department and determined the situation was bad, but maybe not a bad as originally perceived.

Results of a review into purging at the Schertz Police Department property room showed that evidence was destroyed or comingled in error, Schertz Public Affairs Director Linda Klepper said in a written statement.

“SPD had previously identified this processing error in January 2022 and it was believed to have

impacted 1,376 cases from 2007 to 2018,” she said. “Upon completion of the review, it has now been confirmed that there were 1,047 cases impacted.”

Of the 1,047 cases impacted, most fell within Guadalupe County’s jurisdiction, Klepper said. However, some affected cases were in Bexar and Comal

counties’ jurisdictions as well, she said. Attorneys in each county completed reviews and determined they will dismiss 12 cases as a result of the error, all of which are from Guadalupe County and are a combination of misdemeanor and felony cases from 2002 to 2013, Klepper said.

The situation is disappointing, Guadalupe County Attorney David Willborn said.

“It’s a really big mistake that fortunately culminated into minor problems,” he said. “We have put the old systems back in place and the administration

EVIDENCE - 10

The Seguin Gazette

Police arrested a man who allegedly barricaded himself in a house after fleeing from a reported burglary Thursday morning in Schertz.

Law enforcement from several area agencies responded to a situation that started about 4:32 a.m. in the 2100 block of Windy Meadow Court and ended about a block away in the 300 block of Crepe Myrtle Lane, the Schertz Police Department said in a news release.

Police initially responded to a home on Windy Meadow for a reported burglary in progress, the release read.

ARREST - 11

Pair arrested in park on drug charges

The Seguin Gazette

A pair of San Antonio residents are facing drug charges in Guadalupe County after they allegedly tried to sell drugs Wednesday afternoon in a Seguin park.

The arrests stemmed from an investigation that led the Guadalupe County Narcotics Task Force to the two suspects, Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Narcotics Lt. John Flores said.

“The Guadalupe County Narcotics Task Force had reason to believe that 31-year-old Blake Fisher Grimes, of

DRUGS - 11

Empowered

Conference highlights Women of Influence

Photos by Felicia Frazar -The Seguin Gazette Area women gather to inspire and empower at the first Texas Women of Influence Conference on Thursday, Aug. 25 and Friday, Aug. 26 at the Seguin Coliseum. BOTTOM: Guadalupe County Woman of Influence Deana Henk thanks her family, friends and community for the honor as she’s recognized. BOTTOM

LEFT: Retired Secret Service Agent Kathryn Childers reads an excerpt from her book “Scared Fearless: The Book!” LEFT: An attendee at the Women of Influence’s Hats Off To Her Gala shows off her balloon animal hat during the hat contest.

Deputies arrest man on drug charges, find $750K in cocaine

Felicia Frazar

The Seguin Gazette

Guadalupe County

Sheriff’s deputies say a canine officer sniffed out about $750,000 worth of cocaine on Thursday in a pickup truck heading east on Interstate 10.

A Laredo man was arrested after a traffic stop led officers to discover two duffle bags of narcotics in the vehicle he was driving, Guadalupe County

Sheriff’s Narcotics Lt. John Flores said.

Guadalupe County Sheriff’s K9 Cpl. Dustin Crawford reportedly found the drugs when he stopped a 2017 Dodge pickup traveling east on Intestate 10 for a traffic violation about 1:54 p.m. Thursday near the 622 mile marker, Flores said.

While Crawford spoke with the driver — identified as 32-year-old Armando Castillo, of Laredo — he noticed several possible signs of drug trafficking, Flores said.

“Cpl. Crawford utilized his K9 partner Eddie and conducted a free-air sniff around the vehicle,” he said. “K-9 Eddie made a positive alert to the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle.”

During a search of the truck, Crawford noticed two large duffle bags behind the back seat. When he opened them, he found a large, cling-wrapped cluster of multiple smaller bundles inside, Flores said.

Upon closer inspection, it appeared the smaller packages had a white substance that

DEPUTIES - 11

Seguin school board votes to adopt 3.5 cent lower tax rate

The Seguin Gazette

Recent growth in the area is helping to give Seguin ISD taxpayers a 3.5 cent decrease in the tax rate.

The Seguin ISD Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve the 2022-23 tax rate of $1.2496 per $100 valuation, a drop from the $1.2846 rate they saw this

year. Residents are seeing the decrease coming on the maintenance and operations portion of the tax rate, which was .8996.

“The approved tax rate made up of two components, the M&O tax rate is 86.46 cents and the I&S (debt service) rate of 38.50 cents for a total tax rate of $1.2496,” Seguin ISD Chief Financial Officer Tony

Hillberg said.

The reduction comes from a legislative requirement that sets the district’s maximum collection rate through calculations based off growth and property tax values, Hillberg said.

“What they’re trying to do is stabilize the assessment of taxes on any given tax payer across the state,” he said. “They do that by compressing the rate as

necessary, depending on how much growth the area has had. In Seguin’s case, we have outpaced much of the state and as a result have experienced additional compression of the M&O tax rate to the extent of 3.5 cents.”

The reduction of the tax rate comes at a time when Seguin ISD is looking to SISD - 10

Felicia Frazar & Dalondo Moutlrie

Felicia Frazar

Kodee Lee Dunfee

Felicia Frazar

Felicia Frazar - The Seguin Gazette

Felicia Frazar - The Seguin Gazette

Texas Woman of Influence Lisa Falkenberg speaks with a guest at the Women of Influence Conference on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022, in Seguin.

Courtesy Photo - Special to The Seguin Gazette Guadalupe County Sheriff’s K9 Eddie sits next to the cocaine deputies say he helped locate in a pickup truck during a traffic stop on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, in Guadalupe County.

Armando Castillo

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28

3 to 6:30 p.m. SUNDAY DANCE

The Geronimo VFW Sunday Dance will feature Glen Collins Alibis at the Geronimo VFW Hall, 6808 N. State Highway 123. Admission is a $10 donation. The kitchen opens 2 to 4:30 p.m. For reservations or more information, call or text 830-305-8829.

MONDAY, AUGUST 29

All day JURY CANCELLED County Court at Law No. 2’s jury is cancelled. Jurors do not need to report to the Guadalupe County Justice Center. For more information, call 830-303-8861.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31

7 to 8 p.m. SUICIDE MYTHS VS FACTS

Precious Life Services is hosting a conference call on Myths vs. Facts Surrounding Suicide. The event is free and is accessible by calling 774-2902200 access code: 3933208.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. SAUSAGE FESTIVAL

The annual New Berlin Sausage Festival will take place at the New Berlin Community Club, 8815 FM 775, New Berlin. The event will include sausage plates for $15, live and silent auctions, Bingo, games, country store, raffle and a free dance with Clint Taft and the Buckwild Band. Proceeds will benefit the New Berlin Volunteer Fire Department and the Community Club.

3 to 6:30 p.m. SUNDAY DANCE

The Geronimo VFW Sunday Dance will feature Paul Sanchez Wrangler County at the Geronimo VFW Hall, 6808 N. State Highway 123. Admission is a $10 donation. The kitchen opens 2 to 4:30 p.m. to serve hamburgers. For reservations or more information, call or text 830-3058829.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

7 to 8 p.m. ART CLASS FOR TEENS

The Seguin Art League is hosting a class, Life Drawing for Teens, at the Klein Opera House, 104 S. Austin St. For more information or to register, visit seguinartleague.com or call 830-305-0472.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

5 to 7 p.m. FALL FLING

The Seguin Noon Lions Club hosts its Fall Fling including a pork steak dinner prepared by Troy Brown and Next Door Catering. The cost is $15 for presale and $18 at the door for the drive-thru only event. Visitors are asked to enter from the San Marcos Street side of the Silver Center, 510 E. Court St. Tickets are available from any Noon Lion or at the Silver Center, Starcke Furniture at 300 S. Austin St., Ascot’s Custom Travel at 825 N. Camp St., or Tri County Air at 510 N. Austin St., all in Seguin.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

1 to 3 p.m. PRINTMAKING

The Seguin Art League is hosting Printmaking With Found Objects for adults at the Seguin Art League studio, 104 S. Austin St. Cost is $30 per person. Supplies are included.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

1 p.m. HERMANN SONS LIFE

Laubach Lodge, Hermann Sons Life, gathers for its quarterly meeting at Rocket Wings/Dixie Grill in Seguin. Members are encouraged to attend and will receive a meal.

3 to 6:30 p.m. SUNDAY DANCE

The Geronimo VFW Sunday Dance will feature Bob Appel at the Geronimo VFW Hall, 6808 N. State Highway 123. Admission is a $10 donation. The kitchen opens 2 to 4:30 p.m. For reservations or more information, call or text 830-305-8829.

ONGOING HAPPENINGS

PLANT SALE: The Guadalupe County Master Gardeners is hosting an online plant sale at www.gcmgtx.org . Available for purchase are Roma tomatoes, tycoon tomatoes, celebrity tomatoes, national pickling cucumbers, straight eight cucumbers, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini and rosemary. The organization also will have a variety of succulents available for purchase. Customers can pick up orders the following day between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 4037 Stockdale Highway, Seguin. For directors call 830-379-7203.

ART LEAGUE TEEN TUESDAYS: Teens are invited to join the weekly Teen Tuesday program from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Seguin Art League, 104 S. Austin St. Cost is $60 a month and supplies are included.

PET FOOD PROGRAM: Seguin Animal Services has a pet food assistance program available to provide dog and cat food to low-income and government-assisted families. Donations can be left at Seguin Animal Services, 555 Fred Byrd Drive.

GOVERNMENT MEETINGS

MONDAY, AUGUST 29

6:30 p.m. NAVARRO ISD

The Navarro ISD School Board will host a special meeting in the Intermediate School Cafeteria, 588 Link Road, to discuss and take possible action on the annual budget and tax rate. For more information, visit www.nisd.us .

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30

10 a.m. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

The Guadalupe County Commissioners Court will meet in the Guadalupe County Courthouse, 101 E. Court St. The meeting can be viewed live through Zoom or listened to through conference call. For more information, visit www.co.guadalupe.tx.us .

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

10 a.m. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

The Guadalupe County Commissioners Court will meet in the Guadalupe County Courthouse, 101 E. Court St. The meeting can be viewed live through Zoom or listened to through conference call. For more information, visit www.co.guadalupe.tx.us .

5:30 p.m. SEGUIN CITY COUNCIL

The Seguin City Council will meet for its regularly called meeting in city council chambers, 210 E. Gonzales St. For more information, visit www. seguintexas.gov .

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

6:30 p.m. MARION CITY COUNCIL

The Marion City Council will meet for its regularly called meeting in the Marion Public Library, 303 S. Center St. For more information, visit www.cityofmariontx.org .

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

10 a.m. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

The Guadalupe County Commissioners Court will meet in the Guadalupe County Courthouse, 101 E. Court St. The meeting can be viewed live through Zoom or listened to through conference call. For more information, visit www.co.guadalupe.tx.us .

Dallas school administrators hold signs with teaching positions and other staff they are looking for during a job fair at Emmett J. Conrad High School in Dallas on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022.

Texas schools grapple with teacher shortages as students return to class

Talia Richman and Meghan Mangrum

The Dallas Morning News

Principal Rocio Gardea sat at a folding table near the front of the auditorium, shuffling her papers. The pressure was on.

A sign hanging above her spelled out the stakes. “We are looking for… 2nd gen ed, 3rd-5th ESL, 5th bilingual.”

It was less than two weeks before her school opened to children, and this Dallas ISD job fair was Gardea’s last shot to find the educators needed to staff each classroom. Nine Seagoville North Elementary teachers — out of a 43-person force — decided not to return this fall.

“There’s always a lot of anxiety around the first day of school, and they want to know that this is the person that’s going to be with them all year long,” she said.

Schools across Texas are feeling the same squeeze amid a national teacher shortage. Administrators have upped recruitment efforts with multiple job fairs; offered signing bonuses; leaned into shorter work weeks; and turned to retirees and careerchangers — or even noncertified candidates — to fill the gaps.

Texas — and the nation — doesn’t track shortages in real time, and numbers fluctuate daily. But teacher retirements and attrition rates have risen in recent years.

Texas employed 376,086 classroom teachers for the 2021-22 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency. But nearly 12% of them left the profession during that same year, up from about 10% in recent years.

The state had more than 8,600 teachers retire in 2021 — about 1,000 more than the previous year. Retirement data is not yet

“We have had situations where I recommended someone, but then an hour later, they got called by a school that was closer to them or offering them a grade level that they were more interested in. So then I’m back to the drawing board.”

Rocio Gardea, Principal

available for 2022, though it appears to be tracking closer to average, according to an agency presentation to the state’s Teacher Vacancy Task Force.

Meanwhile, districts across the state reported ongoing hiring efforts well into the 2021-22 school year.

The pandemic put added pressure on educators who have long said low pay, deep student needs and political pressures make their jobs more difficult. School leaders said they’ve lost staff to neighboring districts as gas prices cause employees to seek jobs closer to home.

The Texas State Teachers Association on Monday released results showing that 70% of members surveyed said they “were seriously considering leaving the profession as they ended a difficult school year” last spring.

At DISD’s recent hiring event, principals like Gardea carried legal pads, posters and dry-erase boards, all scrawled with open positions: English, Algebra, special ed, librarian, art teacher.

And like Seagoville North, many schools are desperate for bilingual educators or those who can teach English as a second language.

As of the first week of August, DISD officials said they had about 98% of teaching positions filled with roughly 220 vacancies remaining, though the numbers continue to shift.

Long-term substitutes are on standby in case

Woman arrested after racist rant, assault in restaurant lot

Associated Press PLANO, Texas (AP)

— A woman was arrested and faces a possible hate crime charge after she was captured on video in a racist rant and assault on women of South Asian descent in a suburban Dallas parking lot, in another disturbing example of anti-Asian violence seen across the U.S.

On Aug. 24, the Seguin Cattle Company reported the following market trends: 412 cattle and 317 sheep and goats. Runs lower due to local showers. Packer cows and bulls $5 better with stocker cattle $5-$7 better.

Medium and Large Frame No. 1 Steers: 200-300 lb., $1.20-$2.05; 300-400 lb., $1.12-$2.07; 400-500 lb., $1.30-$2.24; 500-600 lb., $1.21-$1.92; 600-700 lb., $1.10-$1.76; 700-850 lb., $1.00-$1.58.

Medium and Large

Frame No. 1 Heifers:

Gardea can’t fill every spot by Aug. 15. But she knows that families want consistency when it comes to who is responsible for their little ones’ learning.

Garland ISD is looking for about the same number of teachers as Dallas, superintendent Ricardo López said. Still the district, which employs about 3,600 teachers, struggles with “constant turnover” as do many area schools.

“We’re hiring retirees from anywhere,” López said. “So if you’re a retiree, we’re hiring. We’re hiring degreed people. Everybody’s been innovative in their pay structures.”

Gov. Greg Abbott recently assembled a task force to develop solutions addressing teacher shortages.

TEACHERS - 11

200-300 lb., $1.10-$1.71; 300-400 lb., $1.12-$1.78; 400-500 lb., $1.26-$2.04; 500-600 lb., $1.20-$1.72; 600-750 lb., $1.40-$1.83. Cows: utility and commercial, $70-$97; cutters, $58$69; canners, $35-$57; palpated cows (young), none; middle aged, none; cow and calf pairs, $875$1,000. Bulls: heavy high yielding, none; light and low yielding, $75-$90; feeder bulls, none. Sheep and goats: nannies (young) $170-$330; nannies (thin and old), $120-$165; kid goats (fat), $2.60-$3.15; kid (small and thin), $2.00-$2.55; wethers, $1.15-$1.55; billies, $1.20-$2.45; pairs, none; barb ewes (young), $110-$135; ewes (small and old), $85-$105; barb lambs (fat), $2.30$2.75; lambs (small and thin), $1.80-$2.25; ewes (wooled), $90-$110; wooled bucks, $1.50$2.00; lambs, $1.50$2.35; barb bucks, $200.

Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News

Newspaperman writes best-seller in spare time

On Aug. 28, 1959, a book reviewer had nothing but the highest praise for a newspaperman’s first novel: “It may be a long time before a better one comes along.”

Allen Stuart Drury was born in Houston during the First World War and grew up in a small California town. After earning a degree in journalism from Stanford,

the cub reporter’s first job was on a weekly paper, where he won in 1940 a national award for editorial writing. Following military service in World War II, Drury moved to Washington, D.C. During the next decade, he covered Capitol Hill for United Press, Pathfinder Magazine and the Washington Evening Star before joining the

Washington bureau of the New York Times in 1954. For seven long years, Drury worked in secret on an epic tale. Then one day in 1958, he shoved a cardboard box containing the first draft into the hands of a fellow Times staffer with the modest announcement “I’ve written a novel.”

“I groaned silently,” Russell

Baker remembered many years later. “I took it home, ate, fixed a drink, sat down and, with a heavy heart, reached into this box for a fistful of manuscript. Good Lord! You couldn’t put the thing down!”

The newspaperman took readers on a 616-page magical mystery tour of Cold War Washington giving them a

Parenting comes with many of its own unforeseen joys and pleasant surprises

“While we try to teach our children all about life; our children teach us what life is all about.”

— Angela Schwindt, a mom

My niece who lives in Houston picked up her son, Drew, after school following his first day as a third grader. Talking about his day, Drew informed his mom that his school friend is going to Stanford, and she had offered him a ride, and now he wants to go to Stanford too when he goes to college. Then Drew quietly looked at his mother and asked, “Is college after sixth grade?”

As I chuckled after hearing my niece’s story, it reminded me of something a friend told me years ago about how his daughter, who was 7 or 8 at the time, asked him if

he would buy her a large can of bug spray for school.

“What on earth for?” her father asked.

“Well, there’s this boy who sits behind me in class named Malcolm and he keeps bugging me, so I want to spray him all over so he won’t do it anymore.”

I’ve always believed there should be an appropriate name for all those unexpected, unrehearsed, unforgettable and totally unique yet heartfelt moments that come along with being a parent. They become imprinted on the brain and usually bring an instant smile whenever recollected.

Even though it’s been well over 30 years ago, my wife and I still chuckle and sometimes shed a joyful tear or two whenever we think about the evening we were traveling with our daughter and young son Matt, from East Texas to Houston.

Driving in the dark along a long country highway, I announced that we were coming to Houston very soon. It must have been four or five miles later that Matt looked out the car window into the blackness of the night and the tree filled forest

beyond and announced “Who-stun closed. Who-stun closed!”

As parents, it’s very much those unforgettable yet cherished moments that are rewarded to us during those unavailable and stressful times that accompany parenting and often cause us, at least momentarily, to say to ourselves, “God help me.”

When I first learned that I was going to become a father, I did what I usually do when something new comes into my life. That is to read books on the subject. Searching for a bunch of easy tips on parenting and how to become the best father I could be, I don’t ever recall reading about the countless and unexpected rewards that accompany that role.

Certainly, those rewards are the compensation engraved in my brain and a constant reminder that, although as a father I was far from doing everything right, I never failed to tune in to those moments that I will cherish in my mind and in my heart forever.

Mike Fitsko is a retired principal and longtime columnist from New Braunfels.

Man reveals honest opinion about friend’s brother

Dear Abby: My husband, “Alex,” and I are close friends with another couple who live out of state. During a virtual happy hour, our friend “Darlene” advised us that her brother “Roy” is moving to our area, and she suggested we become friends. She assumed my husband likes Roy. My husband answered honestly and said he doesn’t particularly like Roy. When Darlene pressed, wanting to know why, Alex again answered honestly. He said he thinks Roy is obnoxious.

apologize. I just didn’t know Alex didn’t like Roy.”

Two weeks later, she confronted me about it. She said my husband was rude and her brother had done nothing to him to deserve being called obnoxious, adding that Roy is a great person. We went back and forth, and I gave her a couple of days’ break from communication because she was clearly upset.

behind-the-scenes look at politics in the raw. For his title he borrowed a phrase from a sentence in the Constitution: “The Senate shall advise and consent to the president’s nominations to the cabinet.”

Unlike other novels with a Washington setting written before and since, “Advise and

Pantry makeover doubles as safety measure at home

I have never been one of those people who could open her pantry in front of strangers. No, this is not a metaphor. My pantry has always been 50/50 — 50% organized; 50% LOOK OUT, THAT’S GOING TO FALL ON YOU!

Okay, who am I kidding. We’re all friends here, right? It’s more like 30/70. Granted, no one has been hospitalized from interacting with my pantry but that’s more a testament to our superior reaction times and survival instincts. It’s not that I haven’t tried. I have purchased many hook thingies, lighting systems, and sworn that I was going to recycle every plastic bag

Winter Prosapio Crib Notes

the same week I received it. So far, the hooks have either fallen off or not fit through the hole of the item they were supposed to hold. The lighting systems were thwarted by all the things blocking them (you know, the things that were supposed to be on the hooks). And the bags? I believe plastic bags are capable of reproducing on their own, especially given dim lighting conditions. However, I’m excited to announce that a new player has entered the pantry game. Actually, it’s an entire team, with matching uniforms and everything. I’m talking about a

PROSAPIO - 5

WATER DISTRICT NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON TAX RATE

The Lake Dunlap Water Control and Improvement District will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2022 on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. The hearing will be conducted within the boundaries of the District, at Marriott New Braunfels River Village, 750 I-35 North, New Braunfels, Texas 78130. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. The change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property owners. Visit Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes to find a link to your local property tax database on which you can easily access information regarding your property taxes, including information about proposed tax rates and scheduled public hearings of each entity that taxes your property.

(Names of all board members and, if a vote was taken, an indication of how each voted on the proposed tax rate and an indication of any absences.)

FOR the proposal: Directors Harrison, Harmon, Schaub, Moeller and Johnson

AGAINST the proposal: None

PRESENT and not voting: None

ABSENT: None

Abigail Van Buren

Dear Abby

We have spent time with Darlene’s family and generally enjoy them, but we wouldn’t seek out a relationship with Roy. It does not mean Alex HATES him. When my husband made the comment, she didn’t respond or seem upset. I texted her to apologize, and she replied, “No need to

We revisited the issue today, and she’s still upset. She is not upset with me, though. I suggested she reach out to my husband, but she believes that he should reach out to her. Truthfully, I don’t think my husband did anything wrong, although he could have been more diplomatic. What do you think? — Stuck In The Middle

Dear Stuck: Your husband was honest about his feelings, but he should have been more tactful than to accuse Darlene’s brother of being “obnoxious.” If you and

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

Total tax rate (per $100 of value)

Difference in rates per $100 of value

Percentage increase/decrease in rates (+/-)

Average appraised residence homestead value

General homestead exemptions available (excluding 65 years of age or older or disabled person’s exemptions)

Average residence homestead taxable value

Tax on average residence homestead

Annual increase/decrease in taxes if proposed tax rate is adopted (+/-) and percentage of increase (+/-)

$39,154 $161,353

$497,468 $576,222

$994.94 $1152.44 $157.50 15.83%

If the proposed combined debt service, operation and maintenance, and contract tax rate requires or authorizes an election to approve or reduce the tax rate, Lake Dunlap Water Control and Improvement District proposes to use the tax increase for the purpose of providing payment of costs to the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority pursuant to a contract for financing improvements to the Lake Dunlap Dam, and to fund District administration costs.

NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS’ RIGHT TO ELECTION TO REDUCE TAX RATE

If the District adopts a combined debt service and operation and maintenance tax rate that would result

Nine-pound Scott Anthony Kolbe, born to Mrs. Alfred Kolbe, became the first baby born in the modern Guadalupe Valley Hospital.

SPEAK UP

This is your page. Use it

LETTERS:

SEND IT TO US

e-mail: letters@seguingazette.com mail: PO Box 1200, Seguin, TX 78156-1201

Women’s conference inspires strength

This week a group of dedicated volunteers brought forth an event that highlighted women in our community and our state who influence others in various ways.

The first Women of Influence Conference held at the Seguin Events Complex kicked off Thursday night with the Hats Off To Her Gala, where organizers presented their first Guadalupe County Woman of Influence, native Seguin resident and Navarro alum Deana Henk.

inspiring story to tell. The event culminated with the presentation of the Texas Woman of the Year award and keynote address from Lisa Falkenberg, the vice president – Editor of Opinion for the Houston Chronicle.

Falkenberg’s speech was empowering as it encouraged women to know their worth.

Our Voice

The following day, women from Seguin, Guadalupe County and beyond took time out of their day to speak with guests about who they are and what they’ve done to get to where they are in life. Among them were an executive from A&T, a small town business owner, administrative staff from the local hospital and a retired Secret Service agent.

Each woman had a unique and

The event was created to give women the opportunity to realize their worth and inspire them to better themselves and lift up others in the process, and it did just that.

The more women have these conversations with their family and friends, the stronger role models they can become for the younger generations and take steps forward in truly creating a more equal world.

Our Voice is the opinion of the editorial board of the Seguin Gazette.

August closes with changes at chamber

Where did August go?

Did August have fewer days this year than in the past? Or, were we just that busy at the chamber that we blazed through the month!

Kidding aside, August had to be one of the busiest months at the chamber as we wind down from summer and wind up for a new school year.

Chamber is growing August has indeed been a great month at the chamber (not that any other month is not great at the chamber). The chamber is averaging the addition of about 7.8 new chamber members per month — August has not closed yet and we currently have 12 new chamber members this month. As summer comes to a close, the chamber Membership Committee has begun planning Surprise Patrol stops. These “surprise” chamber member visits provide the chamber an opportunity to drop in on a member and tell them how much we appreciate them being chamber members — but more importantly, it gives us a chance to showcase to the community and social media followers what these chamber members do.

Advocacy is one of the items that chambers should do for their members — locally, statewide and across our nation.

Several years ago, there was a bill passed in the U.S. House and Senate that provided encouragement to re-shore or reduce the dependency on semiconductor chips from manufacturers outside of the United States.

Chester Jenke Chamber President

While the bill had the best intentions, there was never any funding to provide the jump start to bring the manufacture of those chips back to the United States. In 2020 during the onset of COVID, the United States realized how much we were dependent upon those chips from other countries — to the point that the demand by chip users depleted the stocks of these chips in less than 60 days.

Be fierce but fair

Donald Trump’s third try for the White House will pose “a major professional dilemma for American journalism,” writes Marvin Kalb, whose political reporting earned him a cherished place on Richard Nixon’s enemies list.

it. But the fact is not true; it demands correction — clearly and immediately.

Chamber Member of the Week

This fall, there will be a new social media showcase that will highlight a Chamber Member of the Week. The feedback we have received from social media followers is that they really like to see what people and businesses are doing in our community.

Our weekly chamber member spotlight will provide a little more information about those businesses around town and what they do. If you are not following the chamber on Facebook and/or Instagram, you are really missing some valuable information and some really cool things that are happening in our community.

The bill was resurrected in early 2022 and had several versions circulated, but really had no future. The United States Chamber of Commerce organized several local chambers that had manufacturers within their communities that were dependent upon these chips for their product manufacturing — your Seguin chamber was one of those. We are happy to say that the bill (with bipartisan support) passed both the House and Senate. The next step is locating the new semiconductor chip manufacturing facilities throughout the United States, and we certainly hope that Seguin is on their radar.

Randolph AFB new partner

Speaking of radar, Randolph Air Force Base’s 12th Flying Training Wing has a new commander. The change of command saw an old friend, Col. Scott Rowe, hand over the reins of the 12th Flying Training Wing to Col. Taylor Ferrell. Rowe has been a huge supporter of the Randolph AFB

“How will Trump be covered?” Kalb asks in an essay for the Brookings Institution. “Editors know Trump makes news. He is outrageously controversial, and, though no one knows yet, he may actually be indicted for criminal activity relating to the 2020 election and his personal finances. How do you cover such a presidential candidate, who has been widely accused of undermining American democracy?”

The answer is that journalists need to be vigorous and rigorous, tough and tenacious, relentlessly calling out Trump’s falsehoods and fabrications and his systematic attempts to destabilize the electoral process. But journalists must also be as careful and accurate as possible.

Since Trump regularly derides the media as “scum” and “enemies of the people,” it’s understandable that many journalists deeply despise the man. But that human reaction should not poison their professional performance.

The press can’t be antiTrump. It has to be protruth. And there is a big difference.

I covered the Reagan White House for The New York Times, and I have taught journalistic ethics at George Washington University for more than two decades, so I’ve been watching closely as Trump

altered the basic relationship between the press and the presidency. He lies continuously, never corrects his errors or apologizes for them, and assiduously discredits any person or institution that tries to hold him accountable. In reaction, journalists have taken a far more aggressive — even adversarial — posture toward Trump than toward previous administrations.

“We are much tougher about calling out falsehoods from (this) president,” Elisabeth Bumiller, the Times’ Washington bureau chief, told me during Trump’s administration. “In the old days, we would say, ‘The president said this, but Democrats said this.’ We don’t do that anymore. ... You can’t just say, ‘He said.’ You have to say, ‘He falsely said.’ Trump has uttered so many falsehoods, so often, that to just report what he said, like we have covered other presidents, seems like a falsehood in itself.”

In my 25 years at the Times, I never wrote words like “He falsely said,” but I think the change is essential, and it comes down to the difference between facts and truth. If a reporter writes, “President Trump said yesterday that the 2020 election was stolen,” that’s stating a fact. Trump said

Another positive journalistic shift is the widespread rejection of both sides-ism or false equivalency. President Biden occasionally gets facts wrong. For Trump, deception is doctrine, part of his core being. To simply call both men “liars” conveys a profoundly inaccurate impression.

In his previous campaigns, Trump was masterful at commanding free coverage of his live events by media outlets that loved the ratings he produced and the ad revenue that followed. And since fact-checking Trump, or any politician for that matter, in real time is very difficult, his strategy of manipulation and misinformation flourished.

Today, the networks — including Fox — are far more wary of playing into his hands.

Margaret Sullivan, the outgoing media critic of The Washington Post, made this point about future campaign coverage: “One thing is certain. News outlets can’t continue to do speech, rally and debate coverage — the heart of campaign reporting — in the same old way. They will need to lean less on knee-jerk live coverage and more on reporting that relentlessly provides meaningful context.”

All true. But there are major counter-pressures coming from the left, urging the mainstream media to join the “resistance” to Trump, to take sides, to accept his worldview that there is no such thing as independent, verifiable

President Joe Biden MAIL: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500 PHONE: 202-456-1111

WEB: www.whitehouse.gov/ contact/

Vice President Kamala Harris MAIL: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500 PHONE: 202-456-1111 WEB: www.whitehouse.gov/ contact/

Senator John Cornyn MAIL: 517 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 PHONE: 202-456-1111 (D.C.), 210-224-7485 (SA) WEB: www.cornyn.senate.gov

Senator Ted Cruz MAIL: 185 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 PHONE: 202-224-5922 (D.C.), 210-340-2885 (SA) WEB: www.cruz.senate.gov

Congressman Vicente Gonzalez MAIL: 113 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 PHONE: 202-225-2531 (D.C.), 956-682-5545 (Edinburg) WEB: gonzalez.house.gov/ contact

OUR COUNTRY STATE LEADERS

Governor Greg Abbott MAIL: Office of the Governor, P.O. Box 12428, Austin, Texas 78711-2428 PHONE: 512-463-1782

WEB: gov.texas.gov

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick MAIL: Capitol Station, P.O. Box 12068, Austin, Texas 78711

PHONE: 512-463-0001

WEB: www.ltgov.state.tx.us

State Senator Judith Zaffirini

MAIL: P.O. Box 12068, Capitol Station, Austin, Texas 78711 PHONE: 512-463-0121 (Austin); 956-722-2293 (Laredo)

WEB: senate.texas.gov/member.php?d=21

State Senator Donna Campbell

MAIL: P.O. Box 12068, Capitol Station, Austin, Texas 78711 PHONE: 512-463-0125 (Austin); 830-626-0065 (N.B.)

OFFICE: 229 Hunters Village Suite 105, New Braunfels

WEB: senate.texas.gov/member.php?d=25

State Representative John Kuempel

MAIL: Room E2.422, Capitol Extension, P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768

PHONE: 512-463-0602 (Austin); 830-379-8732 (Seguin)

OFFICE: 200 N. River Street, #100-E, Seguin WEB: house.texas.gov/members/ member-page/?district=44

Maximum of 350 words; include author’s name, town and phone number for verification purposes.

GUEST COLUMNS: Maximum of 600 words; must include photo and information about writer’s relevant background and location.

Steve Roberts Political View

Groups partner to deliver more for local education

Special to the Seguin Gazette

With an assist from GVEC Internet, Texas Lutheran University (TLU) has joined the Lonestar Education and Research Network (LEARN).

Established by the Texas Legislature in 2004, LEARN is a collaboration of 300 educational, research and community anchor institutions that share a fiber-based network infrastructure. The statewide, member-driven network is highly scalable and capable of speeds up to 100 and 200 Gbps, making it ideal for scholastic collaboration and research data sharing among institutions.

In September 2021, LEARN

ABBY

received its second grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a lead organization. The next step was to identify LEARN candidates among Texas colleges and universities.

GVEC Network Engineering Manager Albert Villarreal has a history of working with LEARN. He met with associates from the organization to explore possible candidates in the Cooperative’s service area. TLU, as it happens, was not only a strong contender, but also located next door to GVEC’s Seguin Customer Service Center.

LEARN - 15

PROSAPIO

Courtesy photo - Special to The Seguin Gazette Texas Lutheran University (TLU) Director of Information Technology Rob Spence (left) shares a lighthearted moment with GVEC Network Administrator Jim Petty during the fiber build-out process that enabled TLU to connect to the Lonestar Education and Research Network (LEARN).

From page 3

From page 3 your husband value the relationship you have with her and her husband, then he should reach out to her and apologize for his lack of tact. However, neither of you should allow yourself to be guilted into interacting with Roy against your better judgment.

Dear Abby: I am broke and disabled and live far from friends and family. They know I live alone and that I’m lonely with no friends nearby. Every time I try to save up the $1,000 I need to visit, some urgent expense takes it away. I haven’t been home in 10 years, and it’s killing me.

Two of my best friends recently came into a good sum of money, around $100,000 or more. Neither one has offered to give or lend me a dime. I’m very hurt by this because I was always generous when I had money. Do I have a right to feel hurt? How can I let this go so it doesn’t affect our friendships? —

Suffering In Colorado

Dear Suffering: Your feelings are your feelings, and you have a right to them. However, it is unrealistic to expect your friends to give you the money to visit them. You might have better luck if you invite them to visit you.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www. DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

HAILE

From page 3

Consent” was not a fictionalized version of actual events. Drury, who took life and politics quite seriously, used a plausible plot and believable characters to explore issues with staying power and to put human nature under the microscope.

Here’s “Advise and

Consent” in a nutshell:

The president nominates Robert A. Leffingwell, a polished but arrogant liberal, as secretary of state much to the dismay of an old southern senator from the conservative wing of his own party. Convinced Leffingwell is soft on the Soviets, if not a subversive himself, Sen. Seabright Cooley moves heaven and earth to block his confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

When Brigham Anderson, an idealistic young senator from Utah, makes up his mind to cast the decisive vote against Leffingwell, a columnist digs up a hidden homosexual encounter from his past. Anderson cannot live with the scandal and commits suicide.

Drury did not let his high opinion of the senate as an institution stand in the way of exposing cynicism in the cloakroom. In a revealing exchange that pulls back the curtain, the majority leader tells the head of the opposition, “I’ll have to give the papers

48-piece set of airtight food storage containers. With labels. And a chalk marker.

I’m telling you, it’s just as awesome as it sounds. And if it doesn’t sound awesome to you, well, I’m guessing you’ve never been hit by a box of raisin bran falling off a high shelf.

I spent the better part of Sunday night deboxing cereal, spaghetti, cookies, snack bars, and even tea bags and sorting everything into these completely matching containers. I wrote the content name on the containers as if the containers weren’t already clear because that’s what you do when you’re organized apparently. While I haven’t cleared out the pantry all the way yet, it’s now something I’m actually looking forward to doing. It’s so weird!

After 24 hours I can now report that we have all opened the pantry and not only managed to avoid injury, but even stood there, admiring the containers. Frankly, my greatest concern is that we won’t want to eat anything because it just looks so pretty in there. Already it’s so much more beautiful that now I’m thinking of buying things I don’t eat, just so I can use my three left over containers.

The good news is by this time next week you’ll be able to come over and not only will I be willing to show you my pantry, I’ll also likely make sure it’s a mandatory stop on the tour. Even better: I’ll be able to offer you cereal without risking bodily harm.

Winter Prosapio is a writer, a wife, and a working mom of two girls, two cats, and one ridiculously enthusiastic terrier mix.

a statement charging an unprincipled, underhanded coalition against the people’s interests, you know.” “Go ahead,” the second senator says with a shrug. “We’ve all survived that one before.”

Like a man who still eats sausage after seeing it made, Drury loved Washington warts and all.

“It is a city of temporaries, a city of just-arriveds and only-visitings, built on the shifting sands of politics, filled with people passing through. They go home... but hurry back to their lodestones and their star, their self-hypnotized, selfmesmerized, self-enamored, self-propelling, wonderful city they cannot live away from or live without.”

The phenomenal success of “Advise and Consent” was due in part to perfect timing because it happened to hit bookstores during the presidential campaign of 1960, which revived public interest in the political process. A priceless piece of free publicity was a photograph of candidates Kennedy and Nixon looking at a copy together.

“Advise and Consent” stayed on the New York Times best-seller list for a record 102 weeks and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. It was made into a Broadway play and a motion picture directed by Otto Preminger starring Henry Fonda as Leffingwell, Charles Laughton as Sen. Cooley and Don Murray as Sen.

Anderson.

Drury quit The Times and never worked another day for a newspaper. He became political correspondent for Reader’s Digest, a high-profile position that provided a steady income, and went right to work on his next novel.

In 1964, Drury bought a house with a breathtaking view of San Francisco Bay. The early riser wrote in the mornings and spent his afternoons researching and editing.

A bachelor who lived alone his entire life, Drury put a premium on privacy. According to a nephew, one of the few people ever to get close to him, “Quality time with Al meant you read your book while he read his.”

Allan Drury wrote 18 more novels as well as five works of nonfiction on subjects as wide ranging as ancient Egypt and the Nixon White House. But none compared to his first book. In 1995, three years before the author died on his 80th birthday, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich included “Advise and Consent” on a must-read list for new Republican congressmen.

Bartee Haile writes This Week In Texas History which appears every Sunday. He welcomes your comments and questions barteehaile@gmail.com or P.O. Box 130011, Spring, TX 77393 and invites you to visit his website at barteehaile.com.

Trio of homers in first 3 innings help Rangers beat Tigers ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nathaniel Lowe, Ezequiel Duran and Mark Mathias homered in the first three innings, and the Texas Rangers held on to beat the Detroit Tigers 7-6 on Friday night.

Bulldogs eclipse Owls in narrow victory

Dalondo Moultrie

The Seguin Gazette

A fast start in the first and a struggle to score in the second half of the football game led the Marion Bulldogs to escape Friday night with a one-point win in their season opener at home.

The Bulldogs snuffed out the Hondo Owls’ go-ahead two-pointconversion attempt and secured the ensuing onside kick to put away their non-district match up at 21-20 in Marion.

After scoring three touchdowns before intermission, Marion failed to cross the goal line the rest of

the game and allowed two fourthquarter touchdowns from the visitors to make the game a nail biter. But when Hondo called timeout before the point-after attempt on its second touchdown of the quarter and third of the night with the score at 21-20, Marion head coach Ryne Miller knew something was afoot.

“They called the timeout and we knew it was coming,” he said of the two-point attempt. “We put our guys in the best position to be successful and they executed the game plan.”

MARION - 15

Panthers fall to Rattlers, 41-14

Scot Kibbe

Seguin Gazette Correspondent

NAVASOTA — Champions are not crowned in August.

That might be the only silver lining the Navarro Panthers can find from the 41-14 drubbing they received Friday night from the Navasota Rattlers. It was the season opener for both teams.

Navasota did not look anything like the team that finished 5-6 last year with a 56-0 loss to Wimberley in the first round of the playoffs. They showed impressive speed and were by far the more physical team in this game. As for the Panthers, they did not look like the team that came into the season ranked 10th in the state and expecting to compete for a regional title. A defense that returned seven starters got pushed around and gave up three one-play touchdown drives in the first 13 minutes of the game. Their offense sputtered behind an offensive line that looked overwhelmed and committed unforced errors

with seven false start penalties.

But injuries did not help their cause. Standout running back Antoine Mebane suited up but did not play. Offensive lineman Paxton Santone also did not play. And they lost linebacker Case Monroe, who Navarro head coach Rod Blount calls “an outstanding leader and an outstanding player,” in the first minutes of the game. Blount does not use those injuries as an excuse, however.

“We knew they would be a great team and they got right after us,” he said. “And we hurt ourselves in ways that we can’t afford to do against a team with their speed and talent.”

The Panthers were forced to punt after a three-and-out on their first series. Navasota then scored on its first play from scrimmage as running back Deontray Scott took a reverse 73 yards for a touchdown.

Navarro answered that with a three-play, 87-yard scoring drive. The first play was a 31-yard pass from

PANTHERS - 11

Close call

Mats corral Mules with 42-39 win

Nolan Alexander

The Seguin Gazette

A slow offense for both teams in the first quarter led to a fourth quarter shoot out as the Seguin Matadors took care of business Friday when they defeated Alamo Heights 42-39.

A kickoff return for a touchdown and a trio of back-to-back touchdowns had fans on their edge of their seats in the first and second quarters. But a bulk of the excitement came at the end.

The first two drives for the Matadors were a mess for the defense and offense.

Freshman quarterback Corey Dailey struggled a bit on his first two drives. The first one resulted in a fumble with all the pressure from the Alamo Heights defensive line. The second drive didn’t fare any better for the quarterback as he threw a pass that got tipped in the air and intercepted. Defensively, the team

could not stop the legs of Alamo Heights’ Terry as he recorded a rushing touchdown, along with the visitors’ running back in their first two drives.

“The first couple of series on offense, we dropped the ball, then we had a holding penalty, then we fumbled,” Matador head coach Craig

ON THE SCHEDULE

*The Sports Calendar is subject to change.

August 29

Lifegate Volleyball vs. Sunnybrook, 6 p.m.

August 30

Navarro Volleyball @ Steele, 6 p.m.

Marion Volleyball @ Bandera, 6:00 p.m.

Seguin Volleyball vs. Southwest, 6:30 pm

August 31

Navarro Team Tennis vs. Gonzales, 4:30 p.m.

September 1

Seguin Football @New Braunfels, 7 p.m.

September 2

Marion Volleyball vs. Natalia, 5 p.m.

Lifegate Volleyball vs. Town East, 6 p.m.

Navarro Volleyball @ Jourdanton, 6 p.m.

Marion Football vs. Natalia, 7 p.m.

Seguin Volleyball @ East Central, 7 p.m.

Navarro Football @ Cuero, 7:30 p.m.

September 3

Navarro Cross Country @ FEAST- San Antonio

September 6

Navarro Volleyball vs. Devine, 6 p.m.

Lifegate Volleyball vs. First Baptist, 6 p.m.

Marion Volleyball @NBCA, 7:30 p.m.

September 7

Dailey said. “It was just us hurting ourselves more than anything in the first half.”

Seguin made its mark in the first half after trailing Alamo Heights 13-0.

Senior Devin Matthews took one to the house on a

MATADORS - 16

Navarro Team Tennis @ Pleasanton, 4:30 p.m.

September 9

Marion Volleyball vs. Nixon-Smiley, 5 p.m.

Navarro Volleyball vs. Canyon Lake, 6 p.m.

Marion Football @ Gonzales, 7 p.m.

Matadors win hard-fought 5-set match against Floresville

Area teams nearing closer to district play

The Seguin Gazette

The Seguin Lady Matadors (11-10) rallied until the end Tuesday as they defended their home court against Floresville and won in five sets (25-16, 14-25, 25-22, 22-25, 15-10).

Head coach Ashley Farris was excited for the team’s win and highlighted the girls’ performance after the long match.

“It’s a really good opportunity to see what we can do while we are physically and emotionally tired,” she said.

“I thought we did a great job of overcoming the mental toughness we have been talking about. These seniors have been waiting for a moment like this.”

Junior outside hitter Elizabeth “Lizzie” Suarez was all over the court as she accounted for 14 of the teams 52 kills while only committing one error. Her play definitely caught the coach’s eye.

“Hats off to Lizzie Suarez our outside hitter,” Farris said. “Any ball you gave her, she had the right place to put it. She took care of business for us today.”

Behind Suarez, senior middle hitter Julie Kocian contributed 12 kills, followed by junior outside hitter Keighly Dailey with 11. The three players combined for a total of 37 of the teams 52 kills.

The Lady Matadors would not have been successful in the back and forth third and fourth sets without getting the ball to sophomore setter Karina Lerma, Farris said.

“Karina is our lone sophomore on the team,” she said.

“She did a great job at running the floor tonight. She

V-BALL - 15

Nolan Alexander

Nolan Alexander. - The Seguin Gazette

Lady Mats Karina Lerma and Regan Schmidt make a crucial block in the win against Floresville Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, in Goldie Harris Gym.

Melanie Krause - Special to The Seguin Gazette Marion running back Dominic Castellanos makes his way through a parliament of Owls during the Bulldogs’ game against Hondo on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022, in Marion

Allison Magin - Special to The Seguin Gazette Navarro running back Colton Chambers breaks free from the pack and lands in the end zone for a Panther touchdown against the Navasota Rattlers on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022 in Navasota.

Felicia Frazar - The Seguin Gazette Seguin senior running back Devin Matthews cruises his way into the end zone for a Matador touchdown on a kickoff return during Seguin’s game against Alamo Heights on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022.

Felicia Frazar - The Seguin Gazette Seguin junior John Jackson makes his way into the end zone for a Matador touchdown against Alamo Heights on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022, in Matador Stadium.

Illegal dueling occurred in Republic of Texas

Editor’s Note: Floyd McKee is taking a break from writing his weekly column while he works on Vol. 2 of “Snapshots of Seguin and Guadalupe County.” This article originally published on Feb. 7, 2016.

The great southern vogue in dueling reached its peak in Texas in 1837 and 1838. The practice, though strictly forbidden by regulations and laws, was most popular among the officers of the Army of the Republic of Texas. The editor of the Austin Texas Sentinel said there was enough fighting to be had on our frontier without resorting to private combats.

According to the law approved by the Texas Congress on Dec. 21, 1836, “Every person who shall kill another in a duel shall be deemed guilty of murder, and on conviction thereof, shall suffer death,” and “Every person who shall assist in any duel, shall be the bearer of any challenger for a duel, or shall in any way assist in any duel, shall, upon conviction, be fined and imprisoned at the discretion of the court.”

Nonetheless, a high percentage of army officers and national officials were either killed or received debilitating wounds in duels. In 1836, Captain Graham killed Captain Stanley on Galveston Island over the question of choosing cuts of beef for their units. Maj. Stiles Leroy killed Maj. James Tinsley in a dispute over a horse. In May 1840, two heroes of San Jacinto, Col. Lysander Wells, one of Sam Houston’s favorites, and Capt. William Redd, a protege of Mirabeau Lamar, both died after meeting on the field of honor over some unimportant matter. The first fire was simultaneous from both pistols. Redd was shot through the heart as his bullet went through the brain of Wells.

The most famous duel fought between officers of the Texas Army involved Sidney Johnston as a principal. In December 1836, Felix Huston was appointed brigadier

general of the army. He held that position briefly until superseded by Johnston, commanding general of the Texas Army in 1837. Huston considered Johnston’s appointment an attempt to ruin his reputation and inflict a stigma on his character. Accordingly, on Feb. 4, 1837, Huston issued his new commander a challenge. Huston and Johnston met the following day on the Lavaca River. After three exchanges of fire, Johnston was seriously wounded by a bullet passing through his hips. He lingered near death for several days and eventually recovered months later.

Sam Houston was challenged by Commodore Edwin Moore, David Burnett, Mirabeau Lamar, Albert Sidney Johnston, and others. The most representative of these challenges was between Houston and Vice President Burnet. In 1841, each cursed and attacked the other verbally. Burnet called the hero of San Jacinto “Big Drunk,” “Half Indian” and other insulting names. Houston accused Burnet of being an ex-hog thief. Burnet sent a challenge but Houston refused to accept the note and the matter was allowed to drop.

Texas Rangers were also affected by the dueling manner. When Ben McCulloch of Seguin ran for a seat in the House of Representatives against Alonza Sweitzer, Sweitzer accused McCulloch of moral cowardice. Three weeks after the election, Comanches raided Gonzales. Mathew Caldwell called the Rangers from Seguin and Gonzales together to pursue the Comanches and assigned McCulloch and Sweitzer to pick up the raiders’ trail. Both claimed credit for finding the trail first and a bitter dispute arose between them. Sweitzer challenged McCulloch to a duel, but McCulloch declined, stating that personal quarrels while on a campaign must be put aside in the face of the immediate problem. The duel was dropped for the time the Rangers pursued the Comanches. The Comanches soon outdistanced the Rangers and they turned back toward the settlements of Gonzales and Seguin. As the company camped on the banks of the Blanco River, Ben and Henry McCulloch approached Sweitzer’s

campfire. After joining the group around Caldwell’s fire, Ben asked if the pursuit of the Comanches was over and Caldwell told them the expedition was ended. Ben then declared that the time had come to settle his grievance with Sweitzer and with rifle in hand called upon him to defend himself. Sweitzer rose, leaving his rifle and pistols on the ground, claiming he was not ready to fight. McCulloch declared him to be too cowardly to fight except when he was drunk. Since Sweitzer would not fight as a gentleman and since McCulloch could not just shoot him, McCulloch had to be content with calling him a “black hearted, cowardly villain, in every aspect beneath the notice of a gentleman.”

The next day, Reuben Ross delivered a formal challenge to McCulloch and the meeting was arranged. On Oct. 6, 1839, they faced each other with rifles at forty paces in a field two miles north of Gonzales. Ross, a trained duelist, fired at the word. His ball struck the under portion of McCulloch’s right arm, passing from wrist to elbow, and causing him inadvertently to fire. Although McCulloch was severely wounded, some believed mortally, both men declared their honor satisfied, and Ross told McCulloch that he regretted the circumstances that compelled him to “meet so brave a man in a private encounter” and expressed hope that the wound was not serious as he claimed to have never been McCulloch’s enemy. “I assure you,” Ross told him, “that it would afford me great pleasure to henceforth claim you as a friend.”

The two shook hands. The antidueling law caused McCulloch to be indicted for “Contriving and intending to break the peace of the Republic by accepting Ross’s challenge. However, the district attorney chose not to prosecute and the case was discharged.

I hope we’ve come a long way since those days.

Floyd McKee is a native of Seguin. He is a retired Air Force Colonel and eight of his ancestors were among the 33 Rangers that organized and developed Walnut Springs and Seguin.

Snapshots of Seguin History

Floyd McKee’s book “Snapshots of Seguin and Guadalupe County”

Vol. 1 is available at Parker’s Pharmacy drive-through window, Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce, Keepers Interiors, The Coffee Shop in the Aumont, Gift and Gourmet and the Heritage Museum for $25. Make checks payable to “The Heritage Museum.” For more information, call John Martin at 713-703-0608.

Today in History

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Aug. 28, 1955, Emmett Till, a Black teen from Chicago, was abducted from his uncle’s home in Money, Mississippi, by two white men after he had supposedly whistled at a white woman; he was found brutally slain three days later.

On this date:

In 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run (also known as Second Manassas) began in Prince William County, Virginia, during the Civil War; the result was a Confederate victory.

In 1922, the first-ever radio commercial aired on station WEAF in New York City; the 10-minute advertisement was for the Queensboro Realty Co., which had paid a fee of $100.

In 1941, Japan’s ambassador to the U.S., Kichisaburo Nomura, presented a note to President Franklin D. Roosevelt from Japan’s prime minister, Prince Fumimaro Konoye, expressing a desire for improved relations.

In 1963, more than 200,000 people listened as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

In 1968, police and antiwar demonstrators clashed in the streets of Chicago as the Democratic National Convention nominated Hubert H. Humphrey for president.

In 1988, 70 people were

killed when three Italian stunt planes collided during an air show at the U.S. Air Base in Ramstein, West Germany.

In 1996, the troubled 15-year marriage of Britain’s Prince Charles and Princess Diana officially ended with the issuing of a divorce decree.

In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered everyone in the city to evacuate after Hurricane Katrina grew to a monster storm.

In 2013, a military jury sentenced Maj. Nidal Hasan to death for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood that claimed 13 lives. On the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, President Barack Obama stood on the same steps as he challenged new generations to seize the cause of racial equality.

In 2016, six scientists completed a yearlong Mars simulation in Hawaii, where they emerged after living in a dome in near isolation on a Mauna Loa mountain.

In 2018, a white former police officer, Roy Oliver, was convicted of murder for fatally shooting a Black 15-year-old boy, Jordan Edwards, while firing into a car packed with teenagers in suburban Dallas; Oliver was sentenced the following day to 15 years in prison.

In 2020, Japan’s longestserving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he was stepping down because a chronic illness had resurfaced. (Abe was succeeded by his right-hand man, Yoshihide Suga. Abe was assassinated in July 2022.)

Art & Wine Walk Coming to Downtown Seguin

By: Kyle Kramm,

Main Street & CVB Director,

A brand-new event is coming to Downtown Seguin on Saturday, October 1, as the Seguin Commission on the Arts hosts its inaugural Art & Wine Walk from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event will feature artists displaying and performing their art and area wineries serving their wines all inside downtown stores.

Guests to the event will check in to the event in Central Park where they will be given their tote bag, wine glass, map, tasting tickets, and more. From there, attendees will make their way around downtown to shop inside the stores, taste some wines, and view the artwork from area artists.

“This is an exciting new event that we are pleased to be bringing to Seguin,” said Kyle Kramm, Main Street & CVB Director, “The Commission on the Arts has been working hard to develop a unique event that supports local artists and our downtown merchants and will be exciting for the public to participate in.”

There are still opportunities for local artists to get involved in the event. If an artist is interested in setting up a display or performing inside one of the stores, all they need to do is visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P53K93P to sign up and you will be assigned a place. The artist will be responsible for providing their own table and equipment.

In addition to the wine, food, and artists, the Commission will be presenting their annual art awards for Outstanding Contributor to the Arts, Youth Artist of the Year, and Art Organization of the Year. The presentation of the awards will occur at approximately 7:00 p.m. in the Texas Theatre.

Also at the Texas Theatre will be a silent auction with proceeds supporting the various art organizations within Seguin.

Tickets to the Art & Wine Walk are $45.00 each and are on sale at https://2022ArtandWineWalk.eventbrite. com. But hurry, the price per ticket will increase to $55.00 on Sept 18. All proceeds from the event support Seguin’s public art program.

You won’t want to miss this fun, exciting event.

A great haircut doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Our students will fix you up with a cutting-edge look for less.

Floyd McKee Snapshots of Seguin History

COMICS COMICS

BY STEPHAN PASTIS PEARLS

BY NATE WRIGHT

BY BOB THAVES FRANK

BY JIM MEDDICK

BY JIM UNGER

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Take the world by storm, make a positive move and follow your heart. Don’t let anger set in when change is what you need. Trust in your intuition to gather the information that will help you overcome any challenges. A financial gain is within reach, but first, you must eliminate what’s unnecessary and reduce your overhead. Moderation is encouraged.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -Feel your anxiety dissipate once you start to get organized and give away what you no longer need. Take control, make a difference and put your energy into something that brings you joy.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

-- Use your intelligence to find your way. Refuse to let outside influences lead you astray. Making personal improvements and spending time with a loved one will inspire you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

-- Tone down the dialogue, simplify your life and lower your overhead. Your lifestyle will influence your emotional well-being. Pay attention to the changes around you so you can take advantage of an opportunity.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

BY LUIS CAMPOS © Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

-- Seize the moment and follow through with your plans. Trust your instincts and put your energy where it counts. Take care of money matters swiftly to avoid stress and worry.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -You have the resources to reach your goal. Don’t feel pressured into something that leaves you feeling uncertain. Focus on what you know and want to do and refuse to let anyone take advantage of you.

-- Offer others something to think about, and you’ll discover how best to get your way. An energetic approach to home improvement and financial aptitude will change how you use your cash.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20)

-- Do things your way. Let your uniqueness be your calling card, and onlookers will take note and watch your every move. Accept suggestions, but don’t let anyone steal your thunder.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -You know the drill, so what’s stopping you from vying for the prize? Think big and gain momentum. Use strategies that work consistently

to eliminate stress. Focus on obtaining happiness.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- A change is favored. Put some muscle behind your plans, and don’t stop until you reach your destination. Protect yourself by sidestepping negativity and people who make your life difficult.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Channel your energy into something meaningful. Volunteer for something you care about and make improvements. Take pride in what you do and how you handle others. Don’t let emotions get in the way.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Take nothing for granted. Face dilemmas with curiosity, and you’ll figure out the best way to solve problems. Don’t let anger stand between you and a solution. Work alongside others.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Be receptive to new ideas and concerns brought to your attention. Work to fix what’s wrong instead of replacing it with another set of problems. When in doubt, sit tight and see what happens.

CELEBRITY CYPHER

HERMAN® BY DAVE WHAMOND

REALITY CHECK®

BEFORE SWINE®

MONTY®

AND ERNEST®

BY ART AND CHIP SANSOM THE BORN LOSER®

BIG NATE®

HOROSCOPES BY BERNICE BEDE OSOL © Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

BY PAUL TRAP

HEART OF THE CITY®

BY MARK TATULLI

BY RICK STOMOSKI

AND JANIS®

BY JIMMY JOHNSON ARLO

Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ANSWERS

Raye Marie Blount Elliott

Raye Marie Blount

Elliott died on Monday, August 22nd, 2022. Her legacy is love — she loved generously and with gusto and was loved in return by all who knew her.

Raye was born in Houston, Texas on July 2, 1935, to Reverend Raymond W. and Willie Marie Blount. She lived the first six and a half years of her life in relative peace, until the birth of her younger sister, Pamela Ann Blount Shurtleff, her first soul mate. Pamela lit up Raye’s life from the beginning with her spirit and her sass and Raye loved her little sister Pam fiercely.

Raye met C.G. Elliott, her other soul mate, in May of 1953. They were married not long after, on August 23rd, 1953. Their marriage spanned almost seven decades — they traveled the world together, making countless friends and memories along the way. Their love for each other is everlasting and not bound to this earth.

Raye provided an atmosphere of love and fun as her children grew up. She was usually in a “highheeled good humor,” so her house was the one where all the kids wanted to hang out. She didn’t even mind speeding over the big dip on the way to the ice cream shop so they could bang their heads against the ceiling of the car! She made Christmas bright with music playing throughout the house, the smell of cooking in the air, and Raye singing alto along with the music to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Much of Raye’s joy in life came from bringing comfort and love to others and she had a true gift for it. No one passed through her doorway without a friendly greeting, a genuine “make yourself at home,” and almost always

Creek, Cibolo, TX. It was here that he developed his love for math and baseball at recess. He graduated from Marion High School in 1971.

After graduation, he served his country in the United States Air Force Reserves, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Allen Neil “Fuzzy”

Wiederstein

Allen Neil “Fuzzy”

Wiederstein, age 69, passed away peacefully, August 24, 2022 at his home on the family farm in Schertz, Texas. He was born to Lee and Lucille (Moltz) Wiederstein on January 6, 1953 in Seguin, TX.

His early school years were spent at the 2 room Lower Valley School on the banks of the Cibolo

ROBERTS

Fuzzy married his high school sweetheart, Kathy Schumann on April 14, 1973. Three months later on July 9, 1973, Fuzzy began his 34 year career working for CPS Energy. Upon retirement, Fuzzy continued working for CPS as a contractor until 2011. Never one to be idle for too long, he was hired the next week by TRC Engineering and working until the time of his death.

Fuzzy loved hunting, bowling, and fishing with his buddies at the coast. Throughout his life, his passion was making homemade sausage. At the age of 14, he began helping

a sumptuous snack or meal. Her culinary feats have been savored and enjoyed by many. And the truly lucky experienced the delicious bounty of her boiling pot full of freshly caught crabs, which was one of her many specialties.

Raye’s endearing sense of humor with a touch of naughty was another gift enjoyed by those around her. She was quick to laugh and to enjoy her loved ones and was a good sport when her gullibility sometimes made her the target of C.G and family teasing.

Raye’s family and friends meant the world to her. She truly never met a stranger; someone she couldn’t get to know (and eventually worry over!) Though she was a teenytiny little thing, she would gladly shoulder the burdens of anyone she met. Raye had so many fond memories of time spent with her loved ones: at Aggie games, on the river, at their kitchen tables, in RV parks, and with her dear Mimosa Mamas. She also cherished the time she spent with her treasured nieces and nephews.

Raye leaves behind her three beloved children,

his Dad make sausage for the Bexar Bowling Club Annual Sausage Supper, as did his Grandfather, Alfred Wiederstein. Fuzzy mixed the recipe, organized his devoted crew to make 22,000 pounds of sausage over the years. He also served as Club President for 9 years as well as the Board.

Fuzzy is preceded in death by his parents, Lee and Lucille Wiederstein; grandparents Alfred and Leonie Wiederstein; Louis and Antonie Moltz.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Kathy Schumann Wiederstein, daughter, DeAnne Hulett and husband Ronnie; son Michael Wiederstein and wife Meagan and his 3 beloved granddaughters, Hailey and Ryleigh Hulett and Sawyer Wiederstein. Also, sister Jeanne Rawe and husband Reagan, nephew Brandon Rawe and wife Neely and their 3 children Finley, Wylie, and

whom she thought of as the pride and joy (as well as pain in the rear) of her life; son Claude Ray Elliott and wife Grace Rodriguez Elliott; daughter Karen Elliott Morello and husband Les Morello; and son Douglas Edward Elliott and wife Barbara Brittain Elliott. She also leaves behind four heartbroken grandchildren whom she spoiled beyond reason — granddaughter Katie Elliott; grandson Will Elliott and partner Meredith Allen; grandson Paul Goodrich and wife Ryann Goodrich; and granddaughter Raye Morello.

Raye will be missed beyond description. If you’d like to honor her memory, simply reach out and care for someone else.

Services will be held at Goetz Funeral Home on Monday, August 29, 2022. Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 pm. A Celebration of Life will begin at 2:00 p.m. Interment will follow at Guadalupe Valley Memorial Park.

Services are under the direction of Goetz Funeral Home, 713 N. Austin Street, Seguin, Texas 78155. 830-379-2313

Auggie.

Fuzzy considered himself blessed to have his family and so many friends. He was happiest being with them or just by himself driving his tractor on the 107 year old family farm.

Visitation for Fuzzy will be held at Schertz Funeral Home on Monday, August 29, 2022 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM.

Funeral Services will be on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at 2:00 PM at Redeemer United Church, 7415 Gin Road, Marion, TX with Pastor Gerry Metzger officiating. Interment to follow at the Redeemer United Church Cemetery. Reception to follow at Bexar Social Hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Bexar Bowling Society at 15681 Bexar Bowling Rd. Marion, TX 78124 or Redeemer United Church 7415 Gin Rd. Marion, TX 78124.

Hall of Fame Chiefs QB Len Dawson dies at 87

Dave Skretta AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

(AP) — Whether it was in the huddle during the early days of the AFL or behind the microphone as the NFL grew into the behemoth it is today, Len Dawson carried himself with an unmistakable swagger and self-assurance that earned him the wellworn nickname “Lenny the Cool.” He was a Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl championship, then a Hall of Fame broadcaster who brought football into the homes of millions on the iconic HBO show “Inside the NFL.”

“Len was my first sports hero and he remained someone I admired and respected his entire life,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said. “His impact on the Kansas City Chiefs and everyone who has worked for the organization cannot be overstated.”

Dawson’s family announced his death Wednesday at the age of 87. No cause was given, though Dawson had had prostate cancer and quadruple heart bypass surgery over the years. He had been in hospice care since Aug. 12.

The Chiefs intend to honor Dawson during their preseason finale against Green Bay on Thursday night, Hunt said, though the details were still to be decided. Other memorials will be arranged according to the wishes of his family.

“With wife Linda at his side, it is with

much sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Len Dawson,” his family said in a statement issued by KMBC, the TV station where he worked as an anchor. “Len was always grateful and many times overwhelmed by the countless bonds he made during his football and broadcast careers.”

Dawson’s career was going nowhere when he joined the Hunt family’s nascent AFL franchise, then located in Dallas. But along with Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram, Dawson led it to three AFL titles and two Super Bowls; the Chiefs would lose to Green Bay in the inaugural one before beating Minnesota three years later at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. He was the MVP of that 23-7 triumph over the Vikings in January 1970, then proceeded to set numerous franchise records that only now Patrick Mahomes is surpassing. Dawson was enshrined in Canton as a player in 1987, then received the Pete Rozelle RadioTelevision Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

“I’ve been blessed for what I had the opportunity to do,” Dawson said told The Associated Press in 2017. “I could not have accomplished so much without my teammates and colleagues, and I’m grateful for each of them.”

Dawson remained a beloved figure in Kansas City, even as his health declined and he cut back on public

From page 4

the administration to account. If you’re independent, that’s what you do.”

JENKE

From page 4

reality, just partisan and subjective posturing. As Dean Baquet, who recently retired as editor of the Times, once put it, “our readers and some of our staff cheer us when we take on Donald Trump, but they jeer at us when we take on Joe Biden. They sometimes want us to pretend that he was not elected president, but he was elected president. And our job is to figure out why, and how, and to hold

As I warn my ethics students, one of the most dangerous pitfalls is wanting a story to be true, allowing confirmation bias to infect your reporting, twisting your professional standards to fit your personal prejudices. Be fierce. But be fair.

Steven Roberts teaches politics and journalism at George Washington University. He can be contacted by email at stevecokie@ gmail.com.

EVIDENCE

From page 1

He plans to have the 12 impacted cases dismissed by Tuesday and then provide details about them, Willborn said. Most of the 12 don’t have named victims, he said.

The majority are for crimes like driving while intoxicated, drug possession and similar offenses, Willborn said.

“Fortunately, there aren’t any homicides,” he said. “We do have a couple felonies that are impacted, two of which are assault on a public servant charges that have to be dropped.”

The Schertz Police Department

landing strip that we have in Guadalupe County and we wish him Godspeed as he moves on to the newest adventure the Air Force has provided him. At the same time, Ferrell, you are welcome in Seguin anytime and we hope to keep the great relationship that we have with our flying training neighbors growing strong.

in September with its orientation and introduction to our public officials. The class has the potential to do some great things for our community — we are excited to see what you bring. Congratulations to the 17 newest Leadership Seguin selectees! In case you missed it, teachers and students are back to school. The chamber staff wishes teachers and students a great year!

Leadership class is selected

The newest class of Leadership Seguin begins

and city of Schertz worked through an accreditation program to review policies, procedures and more, Klepper said in July when news of the evidence purge began to spread.

Schertz Police Department hired a consultant to help improve efficiency in its evidence room, including completing an inventory and purging of old evidence, she said.

Staff members began getting rid of evidence in January, but later discovered they were not following proper procedures.

Willborn sent the department a letter dated Feb. 15 demanding it stop its disposal of evidence. Mark Bane was serving as interim police chief at the time Willborn sent his letter and Chief James Lowery Jr. has since taken over the department.

He said the department will use the incident as a learning tool and a chance to get better.

Chester Jenke is the Seguin Chamber of Commerce president. Jenke’s column will run the fourth Sunday of the month.

“We have implemented new protocols and processes that will require county attorney review and a signed court order to be in hand before any evidence is purged,” Lowery said. “Additionally, all department personnel will complete in-house training pertaining to property and records retention. (Schertz Police Department) has also reached out to each of the victims of the 12 cases to notify them of their case dismissal. We will continue to work with our three county attorneys to complete the property room purging that was halted upon discovery of this error, and we appreciate their assistance and guidance throughout this process.”

Dalondo Moultrie is the assistant managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at dalondo.moultrie@seguingazette.com .

SISD

From page 1 over there is 100% on board with doing things right. It’s a really large mistake with much smaller consequences.”

DAWSON - 15 voters to approve a $138.5 million bond referendum, which could realize a 2 cent increase on the debt service side of the bond, Seguin ISD Superintendent Matthew Gutierrez said.

“When you look at a 2 cent increase, a 3.5 cent decrease, there is still an overall decrease,” he said.

In 2019, the community approved a bond with a potential increase of 5 cents on the debt service. However, because of continued growth and increased property values, the I&S rate only increased 2.5 cents over the past two years and is holding steady this year.

“There are developments on almost any corner you turn and we ended up only going up 2.5 cents versus the five cents we went out and asked for,” Gutierrez said. “We’re going out and asking for a 2 cent increase but we’re also asking our voters to keep in mind the growth that is here now and that is continuing.”

The tax rate was approved under a motion by Trustee Alejandro Guerra and a second by Ben Amador.

Prior to approving the tax rate, the board passed a measure to use additional tax money collected on the I&S side to pay down debt obligations, Hillberg said.

“We will leave the I&S

rate at the same rate it has been for the last two years at 38.5 cents,” he said. “By doing that, we will actually collect more than what is necessary for the current debt obligation. But what we will do with that residual collection is buy down existing debt. We’ll buy it down early, thereby saving the community the interest we would otherwise be obligated to pay.”

Preliminary calculations show the district can pay off at least $2 million in debt, Hillberg said.

With large percentages of property values under protest, it is difficult to calculate the exact amount, Hillberg said.

“As those appeals are settled, it is presumably at a lower rate than what the assessed value was,” he said. “But as those appeals are settled, the amount of additional revenue that we estimate is able to increase.

The reason for that is because we are presuming zero collections on any of the properties under appeal right now. We’re giving you the bare minimum of what we expect to be able to collect.”

The board passed the measure unanimously under a motion made by Trustee Glenda Moreno and a second by Trustee Linda Duncan.

Felicia Frazar is the managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail her at felicia.frazar@seguingazette.com .

From page 2

The vacancies this year aren’t a surprise for most school leaders. The number of new educators graduating from teacher prep programs has been on the decline nationally for years.

A report by the American Federation of Teachers found that 40% of the union’s members surveyed in June said they may leave their job in the next two years. Meanwhile, Texas teachers reported they were considering leaving the profession at an even higher rate.

TSTA’s recent survey echoed results from a November poll by the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers that found 66% of respondents had considered leaving the profession within the past year.

Just because someone indicates on a survey they plan to leave does not mean they will end up doing so.

Teacher burnout isn’t the only challenge for districts, though. The number of people wanting to go into teaching is also declining. Meanwhile, efforts to recruit teachers, especially bilingual teachers from other places or internationally, are often held up by red tape.

“Our biggest dilemma is that the university systems are not developing [new] teachers,” López said. Fierce competition

Gardea, who is starting her fifth year as principal, said it’s unusual to have so many vacancies so close to the first day of school. The competition is fierce.

“We have had situations where I recommended someone, but then an hour later, they got called by a school that was closer to them or offering them a grade level that they were more interested in,” she said. “So then I’m back to the drawing board.”

She’s refined her pitch for why teachers should choose Seagoville North, a school where more than half of students are learning English as a second language and about 90% come from low-income families.

Seagoville has a small-town feel, she stresses. It’s tight-knit but still seeing rapid growth. Hundreds of new homes were just built behind her school, she adds.

And she’s working with the district to revamp the campus courtyard and turn it into a massive garden and outdoor learning space.

“The parents are great. The students are great,” Gardea told

DEPUTIES

From page 1

deputies said field tested positive for cocaine, Flores said.

In total, deputies found 27.95 kilograms of cocaine, Flores said.

Castillo was arrested and booked into Guadalupe County Jail on a charge of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance penalty group 1 more than 400 grams. He remained held Friday at the jail on $750,000 bond. Manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance penalty group 1 more than 400 grams is a first-degree felony and, if found guilty, is punishable by a sentence of between 15 and 99 years or life in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Felicia Frazar is the managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail her at felicia.frazar@seguingazette. com .

ARREST

From page 1

“The suspect fled the scene and wrecked his vehicle a few houses down,” it stated. “The suspect entered a residence through an unlocked door in the 300 block of Crepe Myrtle Lane. The homeowners were able to get out safely, and the suspect barricaded himself inside.”

Officers identified the suspect as Kodee Lee Dunfee, 26, of San Antonio, the release stated. Law enforcement offi-

potential teachers. “They’re eager to learn.”

A week before the job fair, she interviewed two candidates in one afternoon. One told Gardea that the hour-long commute to Seagoville would be too much. Another was quickly offered a position at a different school that was a better fit.

On a recent weekday, Gardea sent six emails to bilingual candidates. She didn’t hear back from most of them.

The need for teachers who speak Spanish is deep, especially in a district like Dallas that serves huge numbers of immigrant families. The district is recruiting internationally and sponsors visas for educators.

At the last job fair, as soon as one woman walked through the auditorium doors — wearing a name tag that indicated she was bilingüe — a DISD staff member swooped in, whisking her away immediately for an interview.

District incentives

Many Texas school districts have raised salaries and doled out bonuses.

Richardson teachers saw up to a 5% pay increase depending on their years of service as well as a $1,500 to $2,000 retention bonus this year.

“Our teachers play a critical role in supporting students, and we don’t take that for granted. Once a teacher has chosen [Richardson ISD], it’s critical that the district provide a compensation and benefits environment that encourages those years of experience to remain in [the district],” Chris Goodson, assistant superintendent of human resources for RISD, said in an email.

RISD has about 130 vacancies, spread across elementary, middle and high school campuses. That’s about 4.6% of all teacher positions, Goodson said, and similar to what vacancies have looked like the past two years within weeks of the new school year.

Fort Worth offered new educators a variety of sign-on bonuses to encourage them to commit, including a $1,000 bonus for all new teachers, early signing bonuses and a $500 incentive for those who are graduates of a FWISD high school.

Other districts aren’t as concerned.

Frisco has hired more than 800 new teachers for the coming school year, with only about 80 vacancies left, according to Meghan Cone, assistant communications director for the district.

PANTHERS

From page 6

quarterback Bryce Nall to receiver Landry Blackburn. Nall followed that with a 38-yard run. A personal foul call on Navasota — one of four they had in the game — tacked on yardage before fullback Diego Chapa scored on a nineyard run to tie the score.

Chapa had a team-high 103 yards on 20 carries in the game. The Panthers ran for 248 yards total.

But the Rattlers scored the next three times they had the ball. The first was on a nineplay drive. The next two were on one-play drives with touchdown runs of 38 and 49 yards.

The Panthers’ offense pieced together a 77-yard drive late in the second quarter, scoring on a six-yard run by halfback Colton Chambers.

Navasota put in one more score before the half, however, and took a 34-14 lead into the locker room.

cers from the SWAT team, Crisis Negotiations Team, Selma Police Department, Converse Police Department and the Guadalupe County Constable Pct. 3’s office responded. Officers tried communicating with Dunfee, but he refused to cooperate and wouldn’t respond, the release said.

“At approximately 7:22 a.m., SWAT entered the residence after several failed communication attempts and placed Dunfee into custody without further incident,” it read. “Schertz EMS was called to the scene to check

“It is not unusual for us to be hiring up to the first day of school, after the school year has started and mid-year,” Cone said, though the district is seeing fewer applicants than in years past.

Keller increased its first-year teacher salary to $59,000 annually this spring. As of Aug. 1, that district only had 39 staff vacancies out of about 2,600 classroom positions.

DISD boosted its starting teacher salary to $60,000 and is offering a $2,000 hiring incentive. On top of that, new hires can earn bonuses for teaching in high-need subjects.

The district is also reimbursing candidates for some of the costs of going through an alternative certification program, a pathway for people who are changing careers to start teaching if they didn’t go through a traditional college program.

DISD trustees approved a waiver in June that allows elementary schools to hire recruits without a teaching certification, as long as they do training during the school year and hit certain academic benchmarks, such as having a college degree.

Some board members worried about the idea of putting uncertified educators into the youngest grades, where children are building crucial academic foundations.

“We are going to do everything possible to make sure that, with our own training program, they’re going to have the skills they need to manage a classroom,” said Robert Abel, human capital man-

agement department chief.

Recruiting certified teachers remains the goal, Abel said, but the waiver will help reduce vacancies. He noted other nearby districts made a similar move.

“We’re not choosing this alternative because we don’t want certified teachers in every single classroom,” trustee Dan Micciche said. “We’re choosing this as a tool because we can’t get enough certified teachers in every classroom. So what’s better?”

Filling slots

Gardea’s head swiveled, taking in the packed Conrad High School auditorium. She locked eyes with a woman in a green dress — Seagoville North’s color — and waved her over.

The candidate clicked instantly: Alexzandria Barrett is a product of Dallas public schools, just like Gardea.

Barrett worked as a Dallas substitute teacher right out of college and later shifted to a job with a federal school readiness program. She recently earned her master’s degree, she told Gardea, as she handed over her resume.

Barrett is working on getting certified, meaning she could come into the district under the waiver.

Shortly after she sat down, Gardea knew Barrett was the right fit for her second graders. The two women shook hands: “I’m looking forward to working with you,” Gardea told her.

The next person to sit down was a certified teacher who recently

moved from a different part of Texas. She speaks Spanish and lives just a short drive from Seagoville. With another handshake and a hug, two of Gardea’s positions were tentatively filled.

After securing job offers at the fair, soon-to-be DISD teachers must pass background checks and other processes. It’s not guaranteed the paperwork will be done in time for the first day of school, though district staff is working to get it done quickly.

With 12 minutes left in the job fair, the folding chairs across from Gardea were empty. Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” started playing over the speakers.

Gardea packed it in shortly after. Two teacher slots remained unfilled.

The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from The Beck Group, Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Todd A. Williams Family Foundation and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.

Navasota then put the game on ice seven plays later when Scott went untouched into the end zone on a 38-yard run for his fourth touchdown of the night.

Scott ended the night with 225 yards on just 10 carries.

“We knew going into this game he was special,” Blount said of Scott. “He is a big, fast, physical guy,”

That was the only score for either team in the second half.

It was the Panthers’ third straight season opening loss and their biggest margin of defeat in an opener since 1997. It was also their lowest point total to start the season since 1999.

The second half opened with some hope for the Panthers as they forced a Navasota punt on the visitors’ opening series from their own six-yard line. That set Navarro’s offense

for injuries, and Dunfee denied care.”

Police say there was no threat to the community.

The incident remains under investigation.

Officers took Dunfee to the Guadalupe County Jail facing one charge each of burglary of a habitation, criminal mischief between $100 and $750 and criminal mischief between $2,500 and $30,000, Schertz police said.

Felicia Frazar is the managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can reach her at felicia.frazar@ seguingazette.com .

up at the Rattlers’ 36-yard line for their best field position of the game.

But two false start penalties placed them in a fourth-and-10 that they could not convert.

DRUGS

From page 1

San Antonio, Texas, and 32-year-old Antonia Marie Gonzalez had traveled to Seguin to sell a large quantity of methamphetamine,” he said.

Officers reportedly found Grimes and Gonzales in possession of illegal narcotics about 3:55 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot at Manuel C. Castilla Park, Flores said.

“The (task force) made contact with Grimes and

The Panthers have little time to right the ship as they travel to Cuero next Friday to face the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Scot Kibbe is a regular contributor to the Seguin Gazette. He has covered Navarro football for 31 years.

Gonzalez, which led to a probable cause search of the vehicle,” he said.

Officers reportedly found 68.7 grams of crystalized methamphetamine and 2.7 grams of Alprazolam, Flores said.

Task force members arrested the two on charges of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance penalty group 1 between 4-200 grams in a drug free zone. Gonzales also was arrested for a pair of active Bexar County warrants and failure to identify as a fugitive after allegedly giv-

ing investigators a false name, Flores said.

The pair were booked into Guadalupe County Jail.

Gonzalez remained held Friday under bonds totaling $77,000 as well as the warrants, according to Guadalupe County jail information online. Grimes was still at the jail under $75,000 bond, the online records showed.

Felicia Frazar is the managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can reach her at felicia.frazar@seguingazette.com .

Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News

Rocio Garden, Seagoville North Elementary School principal (left), shakes hands with Alexzandria Barrett after recommending her for a job during a job fair at Emmett J. Conrad High School on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, in Dallas.

Allison Magin - Special to The Seguin Gazette Panther defenders Gabriel Rangel and Jacob Arias take down a Rattler during Navarro’s game against Navasota on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022, in Navasota.

Legal Notices

supplement to the Seguin Code of Ordinances; and declaring an effective date of August 27, 2022

Donna Dodgen Mayor

Attest: Naomi Manski City Secretary

PUBLIC NOTICE

The property commonly known as 351 River Bend Road, New Braunfels, TX 78130 is scheduled to be sold at public foreclosure auction on 9/6/2022 at 11:00 AM or no later than 3 hours thereafter at the North porch of the Guadalupe County Courthouse in Guadalupe County, Texas, or if the preceding area is no longer the designated area, at the area most recently designated by the Guadalupe County Commissioner’s Court. The Substitute Trustee will be Troy Martin, Deborah Martin, Alexis Martin, Cassie Martin, Shelby Martin, Bob Frisch, Wayne Daughtrey, Vicki Rodriguez, Selim Taherzadeh, Mo Taherzadeh, or Michael Linke, any to act. The winning bidder buys “as is” and must pay at the auction with certified funds.

PUBLIC AUCTION OF ABANDONED VEHICLES

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 683.014 , Chapter 683. Transportation Code, the following vehicles will be auctioned. This Section also provides that the purchaser shall take title to these motor vehicles free and clear of all liens and claims of ownership and is entitled to register the purchased motor vehicle and receive a certificate of title.

Monday August 29, 2022

8:00 am @ Barry’s Towing 2021 Honda VIN# MLHP C6356M5200533

Sales conducted by Barry’s Towing PUBLIC

NOTICE OF A MEETING FOR CONSIDERATION ON A TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the Seguin City Council will consider the approval of a tax abatement agreement on September 27, 2022, with the applicant, Maruichi Stainless Tube Texas Corporation. Said property subject to the agreement is located between 8th Street and Guadalupe Street, just south of Interstate 10 in Seguin, Texas, and is comprised of two tracts of land currently owned by the Seguin Economic Development Corporation. Said property subject to the agreement is described as follows:

Land and improvements described by property ID number 51563 in the Guadalupe Appraisal District consisting of approximately 30.5963 acres in Seguin, TX; and

Land and improvements described by property ID number 51121 in the Guadalupe Appraisal District consisting of approximately 2.642 acres in Seguin, TX.

Said proper-

AGREEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the Seguin City Council will consider the approval of a tax abatement agreement on September 27, 2022, with the applicant, Maruichi Stainless Tube Texas Corporation. Said property subject to the agreement is located between 8th Street and Guadalupe Street, just south of Interstate 10 in Seguin, Texas, and is comprised of two tracts of land currently owned by the Seguin Economic Development Corporation. Said property subject to the agreement is described as follows:

Land and

improvements

described by property ID number 51563 in the Guadalupe Appraisal District consisting of approximately 30.5963 acres in Seguin, TX; and

Land and improvements

described by property ID number 51121 in the Guadalupe Appraisal District consisting of approximately 2.642 acres in Seguin, TX.

Said property subject to the agreement is located within Seguin Reinvestment Zone #5. Seguin Reinvestment Zone #5 is made up of approximately 60.95 acres of land, more or less, located north of the Union Pacific Railroad east of Guadalupe Street, and west of 8th Street Street, more particularly described below:

Land and improvements described by property ID number 175706 in the Guadalupe Appraisal District consisting of approximately 27.27 acres in Seguin, TX; and

Land and improvements described by property ID number 51563 in the Guadalupe

Appraisal District consisting of approximately 30.5963 acres in Seguin, TX; and

Land and improvements

described by property ID number 51121 in the Guadalupe

Appraisal District consisting of approximately 2.642 acres in Seguin, TX.

The applicant is proposing to build a new manufacturing facility at the subject property. Said property improvements will cost an estimated $55,000,000.00

For further information, please contact:

Josh Schneuker Director of Economic Development City of Seguin

Phone: 830-4012476

Email: jschneuker @seguintexas. gov

Legal Notices

ber 51563 in the Guadalupe Appraisal District consisting of approximately 30.5963 acres in Seguin, TX; and Land and improvements described by property ID number 51121 in the Guadalupe Appraisal District consisting of approximately 2.642 acres in Seguin, TX.

The applicant is proposing to build a new manufacturing facility at the subject property. Said property improvements will cost an estimated $55,000,000.00

For further information, please contact:

Josh Schneuker Director of Economic Development City of Seguin

Phone: 830-4012476

Email: jschneuker @seguintexas. gov

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Navarro ISD is accepting qualifications for the project listed below on the date and time indicated.

RFQ No. 22-006

2022 Navarro High School Commissioning Services

September 7, 2022

Qualifications

Due at 2pm.

Legal Notices

Qualifications

Due at 2pm.

Design Firm: Claycomb Associates

The purpose of this solicitation is to receive qualifications from professional firms for the Navarro ISD 2022 High School Project Commissioning. All proposals must be delivered to Navarro ISD Central Office, 6450 State HWY 123, Seguin, TX 78155 on or before the above date and time set to receive the proposals.

Digital proposal documents will be available at no charge starting 
August 17, 2022 on the district website https://www.nisd. us/page/bidsand proposals or by contacting Sarah Santone, sarah. santone@nisd. us. No partial or paper sets will be issued. Digital files will be available in PDF format only during the proposal period. Digital files on disc will not be available nor will other digital file formats be available during the proposal period. Plans are not available at the office of the Owner.

Advertise in the Classifieds at 830-463-0760

Design Firm: Claycomb Associates

The purpose of this solicitation is to receive qualifications from professional firms for the Navarro ISD 2022 High School Project Commissioning. All proposals must be delivered to Navarro ISD Central Office, 6450 State HWY 123, Seguin, TX 78155 on or before the above date and time set to receive the proposals.

Legal Notices

santone@nisd. us. No partial or paper sets will be issued. Digital files will be available in PDF format only during the proposal period. Digital files on disc will not be available nor will other digital file formats be available during the proposal period. Plans are not available at the office of the Owner.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Navarro ISD is accepting qualifications for the project listed below on the date and time indicated.

RFQ No. 22-007

2022 Navarro High School Material Testing Services

September 7, 2022

Qualifications

Due at 3pm. Design Firm: Claycomb Associates

The purpose of this solicitation is to receive qualifications from professional firms for the Navarro ISD 2022 High School Project Material Testing and Special Inspection Services. All proposals must be delivered to Navarro ISD Central Office, 6450 State HWY 123, Seguin, TX 78155 on or before the above date and time set to receive the proposals.

Legal Notices Legal Notices Legal Notices

AGENDA AND PUBLIC NOTICE

Pursuant to Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, the public is hereby given notice that the Board of Directors of the Guadalupe County Groundwater Conservation District will convene in regular session on the 8th day of September 2022 at 4:30 p.m. at 200 N. Austin St., Ste. #301, Seguin, TX 78155. At an appropriate time, the Board will announce and recess into a public hearing to receive public comment on redistricting of political boundaries of director single member districts of the Guadalupe County Groundwater Conservation District to comply with federal law and other authority.

No action will be taken during the public hearing.

The Public is invited to attend and participate in this meeting. Proposed Plan(s) for consideration can be viewed on District website www.gcgcd.org. Anyone wishing to address the Board must do so in writing and must be delivered by the end of the public hearing. The hearing will be conducted under rules of judicial decorum.

After the close of the public hearing, the Board of Directors will reconvene in regular session to take up for consideration and possible action regarding one or more alternative plans, including the acceptance of new political boundaries, modification of any boundaries, and/or tabling the pending proposals for later consideration and/or action.

Digital proposal documents will be available at no charge starting 
August 17, 2022 on the district website https://www.nisd. us/page/bidsand proposals or by contacting Sarah Santone, sarah. santone@nisd. us. No partial or paper sets will be issued. Digital files will be available in PDF format only during the proposal period. Digital files on disc will not be available nor will other digital file formats be available during the proposal period. Plans are not available at the office of the Owner.

AGENDA Y AVISO PÚBLICO

Digital proposal documents will be available at no charge starting 
August 17, 2022 on the district website https://www.nisd. us/page/bidsand proposals or by contacting Sarah Santone, sarah. santone@nisd. us. No partial or paper sets will be issued. Digital files will be available in PDF format only during the proposal period. Digital files on disc will not be available nor will other digital file formats be available during the proposal period. Plans are not available at the office of the Owner.

De conformidad con el Capítulo 551 del Código de Gobierno de Texas, por la presente se notifica al público que la Junta Directiva del Distrito de Conservación de Aguas Subterráneas del Condado de Guadalupe se reunirá en sesión ordinaria el 8 de septiembre del 2022 a las 4:30 p.m. en 200 N. Austin St., Ste. #301, Seguin, TX 78155. En el momento apropiado, la Junta anunciará y realizará una audiencia pública para recibir comentarios del público sobre la redistribución de los límites políticos de los distritos directores de miembros únicos del Distrito de Conservación de Aguas Subterráneas del Condado de Guadalupe para cumplir con la ley federal y otra autoridad. No se tomará ninguna acción durante la audiencia pública. Se invita al público a asistir y participar en esta reunión. Los planes propuestos para su consideración se pueden ver en el sitio web del distrito www.gcgcd.org. Cualquiera que desea dirigirse a la Junta debe hacerlo por escrito y debe ser entregado al final de la audiencia pública. La audiencia se llevará a cabo bajo las reglas del decoro judicial. Después del cierre de la audiencia pública, la Junta Directiva volverá a reunirse en sesión ordinaria para considerar y tomar posibles medidas con respecto a uno o más planes alternativos, incluida la aceptación de nuevos límites políticos, la modificación de cualquier límite y/o la presentación de las propuestas pendientes para su posterior consideración y/o acción.

Legal Notices

Special Inspection Services. All proposals must be delivered to Navarro ISD Central Office, 6450 State HWY 123, Seguin, TX 78155 on or before the above date and time set to receive the proposals.

Digital proposal documents will be available at no charge starting 
August 17, 2022 on the district website https://www.nisd. us/page/bidsand proposals or by contacting Sarah Santone, sarah. santone@nisd. us. No partial or paper sets will be issued. Digital files will be available in PDF format only during the proposal period. Digital files on disc will not be available nor will other digital file formats be available during the proposal period. Plans are not available at the office of the Owner.

2022 on the district website https://www.nisd. us/page/bidsand proposals or by contacting Sarah Santone, sarah. santone@nisd. us. No partial or paper sets will be issued. Digital files will be available in PDF format only during the proposal period. Digital files on disc will not be available nor will other digital file formats be available during the proposal period. Plans are not available at the office of the Owner. Call the Seguin Gazette Classifieds at 830-463-0760 WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED

City Council Chambers, 210 East Gonzales, Seguin, Texas 78155.

The proposed tax rate is not greater than the voter-approval tax rate. As a result, City of Seguin is not required to hold an election at which voters may accept or reject the proposed tax rate. However, you may express your support for or opposition to the proposed tax rate by contacting the members of the City Council of City of Seguin at their offices or by attending the public hearing mentioned above.

YOUR TAXES OWED UNDER ANY OF THE TAX RATES MENTIONED ABOVE CAN BE CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS:

Property tax amount = ( tax rate ) x ( taxable value of your property ) / 100

(List names of all members of the governing body below, showing how each voted on the proposal to consider the tax increase or, if one or more were absent, indicating absences.)

FOR the proposal: Joe Rea,Sonia Mendez, Chris Rangel, Jeremy Roy, Monica Carter, Chris Aviles, Mark Herbold

AGAINST the proposal:

PRESENT and not voting:

ABSENT:

Visit Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes to find a link to your local tax database on which you can easily access information regarding your property taxes, including information about proposed tax rates and scheduled public hearings of each entity that taxes your property.

The 86th Legislature modified the manner in which the voter-approval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state.

The following table compares the taxes imposed on the average residence homestead by City of Seguin last year to the taxes proposed to the be imposed on the average residence homestead by City of Seguin this year.

For assistance with tax calculations, please contact the tax assessor for City of Seguin at (830) 379-2315 or daryl.john@co.guadalupe.tx.us, or visit www.seguintexas.gov.

$.0086/$100

From page 6

A pass from the Hondo quarterback to a receiver sailed wide and ended the visitors’ hopes of going up one point in a tight contest.

It was that way most of the night.

Marion hopped on the board on the Bulldogs’ opening drive after winning the coin toss and electing to receive. After a decent kickoff return, a few nice running plays and a costly penalty called on Hondo, the Bulldogs looked to a second down and 9 from around the Owls’ 17 yard line.

That’s when senior Dominc Castellanos took a handoff around the left edge of the line and into the end zone for the game’s first score. The Bulldogs were up 7-0 with 9:51 left in the first period and never relinquished their lead.

On the first play of Hondo’s opening drive, senior Bryce Birdwell and a teammate got to the Owls’ quarterback for a sack. The defense continued applying pressure on the drive before an Owls punt.

The ensuing drive included penalties, a

V-BALL

From page 6

Marion fake punt attempt and plays for positive yardage taking the Bulldogs to the Hondo 11 yard line. From there, junior Bryce Stahl, in at quarterback, threw a pass to senior Kade Murdoch’s first touchdown of the season and the 14-0 lead for the home team.

Marion blanked Hondo in the first period but that didn’t last long as the Owls crossed the goal line on a first-and-goal carry for points for a score of 14-7 with 11:35 remaining in the half.

Senior quarterback Dillon Sanchez’s touchdown pass to junior Chase Hallmark and the point after touchdown kick at 6:31 remaining in the quarter ended the scoring for the first half at 21-7, Marion.

Hondo came out of the locker room playing hard and a running play ate up a bunch of territory as the Owls had a first and 10 at their own 46. After an illegal motion call pushed the visitors back a bit, Hallmark closed the door on Hondo’s possession with an interception he took to the Owls’ 20 yard line.

Failing to get into the end zone on several attempts and a play that lost yardage, the Bulldogs faced a

did a great job on knowing who needed the ball to make plays.”

Lerma had a team-high 42 of the team’s 47 assists, solidifying Farris’ confidence in her as an on-court leader.

Defensively, the Lady Matadors put on a show versus a young but powerfully-hitting Floresville team. Senior libero Ashlie Aguilar led the team defensively with 23 digs. Dailey contributed 16, Lerma had 13 and senior Lauren Baker dug up 11 for the Lady Matadors.

Farris said the match gave her and her team a lot to take away.

“I think we need to carry that mentality of refusing to lose with us during our season,” she said. “We know what we need to do to win. Even if we drop a set, we have the mentality of a winner.”

The Mats will return to action this weekend as they host their own tournament Friday and Saturday.

Marion Bulldogs

The Lady Bulldogs (6-7)

DAWSON

From page 10

appearances. He would go out of his way to make time for fans, whether it be a photograph or signature. The latter often was scrawled upon a seminal photo from halftime of the first Super Bowl: the exhausted quarterback, white uniform covered in grass stains, sitting on a folding chair with a cigarette in his mouth and a bottle of Fresca at his feet.

It perfectly captured a time and place. And it perfectly captured “Lenny the Cool.”

“He was always under control,” Stram recalled years later. “I said to him once, ‘Leonard, make sure that you never let them see you sweat.’ And he said, ‘Coach, quarterbacks don’t sweat. Quarterbacks perspire.’”

Sophisticated yet bluecollar to his core, Dawson was born June 20, 1935, the ninth of 11 children of James and Annie Dawson in the manufacturing town of Alliance, Ohio. He was a three-sport athlete at Alliance High School, setting records in both football and basketball, but turned his focus to the gridiron with a scholarship to Purdue.

Dawson led the NCAA in passing efficiency as a sophomore while also

fourth down and goal from about the 12. Feeling some pressure, Sanchez sprinted toward the end zone but was stopped just shy of the goal, turning the ball over on downs.

Hondo opened the fourth quarter with a touchdown and successful point after kick to tighten the margin at 21-14. Marion punted away the ball on its next possession.

Starting at their own 20, the Owls began to march,

fought hard but ended up losing to San Antonio Wagner in four sets (24-26, 19-25, 25-22, 20-25).

Offensively, the Bulldogs were led by junior outside hitter Meghan McClain. She put on a clinic at the serving line Tuesday, serving up five aces to Wagner. Behind McClain, senior outside hitter Hayley Mabee caused loads of trouble for the Wagner front.

Mabee totaled eight kills throughout the four sets, but none of those would have been possible without the help of the setter junior Kacee McLendon, who facilitated for her teammates all night, tallying 18 total assists to her hitters.

Defensively, net responsibilities went to junior middle hitter Maggie Rudisaile and junior setter Ellery Twitter. They were able to find some success on the night, tallying three blocks each. Sophomore Bristin Birdwell led the back row’s defense. She was able to scrape together an impressive 28 digs against a hard-hitting team in Wagner.

The Lady Bulldogs are back in action Tuesday, as they travel to take on the Bandera Bulldogs at 6 p.m. at Bandera High School.

playing defense and kicking. And by the end of his college career, he’d thrown for more than 3,000 yards in an era defined by ground-and-pound football. He was chosen by the Steelers in the first round of the 1957 draft, but wound up riding the bench behind Earl Morrall as a rookie and then failed to beat out Bobby Layne for the starting job the following season. When the Steelers traded him to the Browns, Dawson was unable to beat out Milt Plum for the job and was summarily released. With the sudden freedom to play anywhere, Dawson jumped to the upstart AFL and the Texans, lured in part by the chance to play for one of his old Purdue coaches. It was Stram who managed to tap into his talent, helping Dawson become one of the league’s prolific passers, as the Texans went 11-3 in 1962 and won the first of three titles together.

The second came in 1966, when Dawson led the Chiefs to an 11-2-1 record and a 31-7 blowout of the Bills in the AFL title game. That earned the Chiefs the chance to face the powerhouse Packers of coach Vince Lombardi in the inaugural Super Bowl, where Dawson threw for 210 yards and a touchdown in a 35-10 defeat.

aided by a facemask call against the Bulldogs.

He plans to have his players pay close attention to fixing such errors as the facemask penalty throughout the week, Miller said.

“There’s a lot of things we gotta get corrected,” he said. “That’s the good thing, to come out with a win and go back and correct those things for the next game.”

After the penalty, one of the Hondo runners took

Navarro Panthers

The Lady Panthers (5-12) battled it out against Poth, but the high-powered offense from Navarro lifted the team to victory in three sets (25-17, 25-21, 25-21).

The Panthers’ offense proved prevalent against Poth. Leading the charge was junior outside hitter Taylor Helms who tallied 18 total kills and two aces. Behind Helms, senior hitter LeAnne Rodriguez contributed four kills and a pair of aces, while making some big plays on defense. Senior setter Tatum Harborth delivered the ball across the court the whole night. She put the Lady Bulldogs in perfect positions to make plays with her 16 total assists. The win broke their five-game losing slide.

Navarro looks to continue its winning momentum Tuesday when the Lady Panthers travel to Steele Knights (11-12). Varsity is slated to start at 6 p.m.

Nolan Alexander is a sports reporter/staff writer for the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at nolan.alexander@seguingazette.com or at sports@seguingazette.com .

off on a big gain headed for the end zone only to be stopped by Castellanos at about Marion’s 16 yard line. Hondo was threatening to tie or take the lead with under 5 minutes left in regulation. Several short runs pushed the ball into the end zone and the Owls coaches called timeout and decided to forgo the extra point kick and unsuccessfully go for the win. It took all of his player to pull out

LEARN

From page 5

As LEARN President and CEO Akbar Kara explained, TLU warranted consideration because of its participation in significant STEM-based (science, technology, engineering and math) programs. “STEM participation is a critical part of what we promote,” he said.

“And TLU is particularly capable in training future scientists, engineers and the next generation of Texas workforce.”

Added Villarreal, “GVEC was well-positioned to construct the infrastructure necessary to support LEARN’s speed and bandwidth requirements.”

The cooperative spent several months building a fiberoptics “on-ramp” for TLU to join LEARN. Construction wrapped in early April, with TLU connecting to the network at that time. The university entered a three-year agreement to use cooperative infrastructure for connecting to LEARN.

Kara applauded GVEC’s partnership with TLU, describing it as an important development not only for local education but

CITY OF SEGUIN

Seguin Gazette

Marion’s senior tight end Kade Murdoch hauls in a pass and fights for yardage during the Bulldogs’ close season-opening win against the Hondo Owls on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022, at Marion.

the victory, Miller said.

“Whew, we had a good one there,” he said. “That was a true team effort.” The Bulldogs prepare to host Natalia for a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday at home in another non-district contest.

Dalondo Moultrie is the assistant managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at dalondo. moultrie@seguingazette. com .

also for Texas higher learning. William Senter, TLU vice president for administration and chief technology officer, noted LEARN’s capacity to improve TLU’s overall connectivity and to vastly expand research opportunities. “TLU is now part of a statewide organization dedicated to education, research and networking. This creates numerous opportunities for collaboration, grant funding and relationship-building — both the virtual and in-person kind. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of LEARN through partnership with GVEC.”

Added GVEC General Manager and CEO Darren Schauer, “The cooperative has spent nearly a decade building a robust fiber network across the Guadalupe Valley. Plus, we are deeply committed to supporting local education. The LEARN project presents a compelling opportunity to provide that support while also expanding GVEC Fiber’s reach. We’re thrilled for this opportunity to help empower TLU to further enhance the quality of education they are serving to their students.”

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022-23

The City Council of the City of Seguin will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed 20 22-23 City Budgets at a City Council Meeting on September 6, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 210 East Gonzales Street, Seguin, Texas. All interested citizens are invited to attend and provide the Council with oral and/or written comments concerning the budgets. This is a proposed budget and is subject to change as a result of the public hearing.

The budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $2,093,914, or 16.10% and of that amount $971,028 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the roll this year.

MATADORS

From page 6

kickoff return bringing the Matadors within a touchdown of the Mules.

Matthews made a repeat trip on the same play following a Heights touchdown in the second inning with a second touchdown, only to be followed by a kickoff return by the Mule’s sophomore quarterback Michael Terry III, who made his way onto special teams.

The two teams battled back and fourth the third quarter, but ramped things up in the fourth.

Starting the fourth quarter, Seguin was up 35-32 with the ball on offense looking to close out the game by running out the clock. Seguin had the ball on the 48 yard line starting its drive before junior running back John Jackson had his number called again by the coaching staff and did not disappoint. On the first play of the drive, Jackson performed a few nifty moves to find the end zone on a 52-yard rushing touchdown, putting the

Matadors up 42-32.

On the ensuing kickoff, Alamo Heights was back deep to receive, with their big playmaker, sophomore quarterback Michael Terry III ready for the return. Upon the return, a couple of Matadors forced the ball loose and recovered it around the 35 yard line. The Seguin offense trotted back on the field with less than five minutes remaining. The plan here would be to run out the clock without giving the opponent another drive. Unfortunately, a penalty on third down cost the Matadors their drive and they were forced to punt. The Matadors lined up in punt formation but as soon as the play started, the center snapped the ball too high over the punter’s head, forcing him to kick the ball in a hurry. The bad snap allowed Alamo Heights’ pressure to get to the back field and block the punt. The Mules were able to capitalize on the mistake as they returned it for a touchdown, making the score 42-39. As the Matadors trotted out on the field, presumably to run out the clock, they knew first downs would be

crucial. Having only been able to get a couple of first downs, the team was forced to hand the ball back to Alamo Heights and see if the defense could come up with one more stop.

Alamo Heights’ quarterback had a little under two minutes and no timeouts to drive the length of the field in hopes of settling for a field goal to send the game to overtime. The Mules completed a couple of passes, making their way to midfield. Time was not on their side as the clock struck zero and the drive ended.

“It was good for us to be back on the playing field,” Coach Dailey said after the game. “A lot of hard work this offseason and a lot of joy from the guys on our sideline.”

The Matadors had to claw their way back from adversity in the second half, Coach Dailey said.

“Everybody makes mistakes, student or coaching staff,” he said. “We should have done a better job at practice this week to handle different schemes.”

The Matadors have learned a lot from the first game of last season to the

first game of this one, the coach said.

“Last year, when adversity hit, we kept snowballing,” he said. “There were a lot of times tonight my team could have quit, but they kept fighting until the end.”

Standouts for the Matadors on Friday night include Devin Matthews, who returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the first

half. Matthews ended the game with two catches for 29 yards and two carries for a loss of a yard. John Jackson was the biggest contributor to the offense Friday night with 20 carries for more than 200 yards and four total touchdowns, all of them coming on the ground.

Seguin is back in action Thursday in one of the oldest rivalries in Texas high

Enrich

school football as the team travels to take on New Braunfels. The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Unicorn Stadium.

Nolan Alexander is a sports reporter/staff writer for the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at nolan. alexander@seguingazette. com or at sports@seguingazette.com .

Felicia Frazar - The Seguin Gazette

LEFT: Seguin senior running back Jakyari Matthews fights off a tackle as he gains extra yards during the Matadors’ game against Alamo Heights on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022, in Matador Stadium. ABOVE: A pack of Matador defenders stop Alamo Heights’ playmaker sophomore quarterback Michael Terry III from reaching the end zone.