DISCOVER

Gabriel Horstmann,dressed as peas in a pod,

takes time to pet Lola dur-ing a previous Foodstock

event.

— See page 14

Summer 2014Summer 2014

DESIGN — Kaitlin SchmidtCONTRIBUTORS — Anita Miller, Chris Pike, Candice Brusuelas and Richard Parrish

PHOTOS — David Short and Candice BrusuelasCOVER PHOTO — Gabriel Horstmann, dressed as peas in a pod, takes time to pet Lola during a previous Food-

stock event. Photo by Candice Brusuelas.

San Marcos Daily Recordsanmarcosrecord.com

SMCISD Summer Food Program — 4Camp HeartSong — 6

Water Conservation Tips— 8Eat Healthy this Summer — 12

SummerFest— 13Foodstock— 14

Girl Power: Brenda Bell— 15

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page 2

Feeding the future

TARA POHLMEYER•• •

The San Marcos CISD Summer FeedingProgram is bigger than ever this year with13 local stops planned to ensure school-agechildren and their families have propernutrition.

Meals are offered for free to anyone 18years of age or younger, and adults maypurchase a meal for $3.

Mike Boone, associate director of ChildNutrition Services for San Marcos CISD, hasbeen with the school district for eight and ahalf years.

“It’s a very rewarding career,” he said.During the school year, some students

rely solely on the breakfast and lunch servedduring the day for their source of food andnutrition.

“Our school district is 74 percent eco-nomically disadvantaged,” Boone said.

When Boone first started with the dis-trict, the summer food program was justbeing held at the schools.

According to him, the idea to have differ-ent locations came from Jim Lanning, whoBoone and the community refer to asBrother Jim.

“I’d see him and Brother Keith coming inevery day in these rickety old vans,” he said.“I don’t know how they made it fromRedwood to the high school every day, but

they did. They’d bring in probably 15 kids ineach van — just packed to the brim.”

One day, Lanning approached Boone andasked if it was possible to have a food serv-ice location at Redwood. Boone looked intoit, and got approval.

“Why don’t we go where the kids hangout in the summertime, instead of havingthem come to us?” Boone said. The programhas grown exponentially since that firstmeeting with the Redwood location.

“We went from serving basically 30 kids aday, that they would pack in these vans thatlooked like clown cars,” Boone said. “We’reup to 100 kids a day (at Redwood) andthere’s definitely a need in that area.”

The program goes for 10 weeks over thesummer, beginning on June 9 and runningthrough Aug. 15, and serves meals five daysa week except for July 4. They serve bothhot and cold meals, and everything is home-made.

Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 8:30a.m. and lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1p.m. at the San Marcos High School, Bowie,Crockett and Travis cafeterias.

Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. atthe Martindale Three Rivers Church, RioVista Park Pavilion, Redwood BaptistChurch, CM Allen Housing at the KADKorner Store and at Allen Wood Housing atthe PODER Learning Center, Building 177.

Purple Bus Mobile Meals will be deliver-

ing lunch at 10:30 a.m. to Morning WoodNeighborhood, 11:15 a.m. to Regency MobileHome Park on Post Road, noon toRiverview Apartments and at 12:45 p.m. toCuauhtémoc Hall Parking Lot.

Redwood Baptist Church, MartindaleThree Rivers Church, Allen Wood Housingand CM Allen Housing locations also offeran optional Bible Study and reading pro-gram for children separate from the meal.

“A lot of disadvantaged families in thesummertime, if we weren’t doing this… It’stough out there,” Boone said. “Theywouldn’t have food to feed their kids in thesummertime. A lot of these kids, it’s nottheir fault that they’re born into this situa-tion.”

The Mobile Meals bus program was cre-ated when the school realized that a lot ofareas had a great number of kids whoweren’t able to make it to the planned loca-tions.

“If the kids can’t come to us, we’ll cometo the kids,” Boone said. The Child NutritionServices department bought a bus to bringthe meals to the underserved areas.

“We’ve got national recognition for doingthis bus,” he said. “We painted it purple. Wegot snake eyes on the front, fangs aroundthe grill, snake tail on the back and it’s

SMCISD Summer Feeding Program helpschildren stay healthy during summer months

•••Continued on pg. 5

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called SMCISD Mobile Meals.”Boone said that the program

is expanding all the time.“We served over 8,000

breakfasts last year and 30,500lunches,” he said. “Majority ofthese kids, if they didn’t havethis program, they’d be goinghungry. It’s very rewarding. Ilove what I do.”

Boone said that one grand-mother in the Morning Woodneighborhood said, “I don’tknow what I’d do if theyweren’t coming out here,

because we don’t have themoney to feed our kids.”

Every penny that the pro-gram does make on meals goesback into the program itself,which is 99.96 percent federallyfunded, Boone said. The pro-gram also helps to ensureschool staff can continue towork over the summer.

“One hundred kids at ourhigh school are consideredhomeless,” Boone said. “We’rehere for the kids.”

CANDICE BRUSUELAS• • •

This recipe is courtesy of myaunt Dalana in Florida. Needlessto say, I haven’t eaten this, butI’ve tried the honey lime dress-ing and have used it on saladsbefore. Nothing says fresh likelimes!

Ingredients:TomatoesOne avocado

Two ears of fresh cornTwo tbsp fresh chopped cilantroHalf red onion, choppedOne lime, juicedThree tbsp vegetable oilOne tbsp honeySea salt and fresh cracked pep-perOne chopped (or crushed) garliccloveCayenne pepper

Avocado, corn, tomato salad recipe

•••Continued on pg. 13

A different kind of

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summer campDAVID SHORT•• •

Employees making a differ-ence in their community is whatmakes San Marcos strong and aprime example is CTMC’sCampHeartSong andCampHeartSong, Too.

Funded almost entirely viathe contributions of CTMCemployees’ annual Seasons ofSharing campaign, the annualcamps are very special and fill acritical need in the lives of manychildren.

“CTMC Hospice Caredesigned these two camps tohelp children and teens who’verecently lost a loved one,” AbelRodriguez, LMSW andBereavement coordinator atCTMC Hospice, said. “Here thekids gather together with others

who’ve endured a similar loss intheir lives and they learn, shareand let go.”

CampHeartSong has beenrunning 10 years now for chil-dren ages eight to 13 and sadlysometimes has to turn awaykids due to space.

“We createdCampHeartSong, Too a coupleof years ago because we foundan equal need for children in the14-18 age range,” Rodriguezsaid.

While the younger childrenspend their time at a three-daycamp at the John Knox Ranch,the older kids inCampHeartSong, Too have adifferent situation.

“Theirs is two days, but it’s aday camp, not overnight. Thefirst day is about grievance sup-port and learning to understand

that it’s a process. One of thebiggest things facing them isthis age group is approaching orentering adulthood and thedeath of a loved one can becomeemotional baggage that burdenstheir lives if not dealt with at anearly age,” Rodriquez said.

And having others who arethe same age around can makethe dealing process much easier.

“It gives the children a safeenvironment to work, share andfind a place for grief in their life,avoiding the denial of grief,”Rodriguez said. “On day two wego to the San Marcos Academyropes course where they developskills from within. They look athow to develop and grow intoadult roles. And they take onchallenges they didn’t think pos-sible and learn to overcome.”

“We end the two days with a

balloon letting go ceremonywhere they talk about theirgrief, the person they lost andget to say the things they didn’tget to before the person passedon. And they write a brief noteon the balloon before letting itgo. It becomes an emotional liftfor them.”

CampHeartSong andCampHeartSong, Too are heldin early June each year. Formore information, either todonate needed funds or toinquire about sending a child orteenager to next year’s camp, goto www.ctmc.org/care-ser-vices/hospice/camp-heartsong.

There is also a very well done,yet emotionally touching, videoabout the camps on the websitewhere you can see the valuableservice this ministry provides tothe community.

Camp HeartSong helpschildren, teens overcome grief

•••‘Here the kids gather together with others who’ve endured asimilar loss in their lives and they learn, share and let go.’

RICHARD PARRISH•• •

Summer is here, and there is no apparentend in sight to the summer heat and theongoing drought. Because of the increasedwater usage and decreased water supplybrought on by the drought, San Marcos isamong many cities that are implementingdrought plans and water restrictions. Theserestrictions are put in place to help ensurethat there is enough water to meet thedemands of all people using the water.These drought plans have stages and eachstage adds more requirements to conservewater. No matter what stage of restrictionthe city is in, there are numerous things youcan do to prepare and help your landscapesurvive a drought.

Drought is simply defined as less thannormal precipitation based on a 30-yearaverage. Droughts are classified as longterm, lasting for several months/years, orshort term, lasting several weeks.

Since water use increases anywhere from30 to 60 percent during the summer, there

are many opportunities to conserve water ina landscape with efficient irrigation. Studythe city’s drought plan and make immediateand long-range plans to conserve outdoorwater. New irrigation technologies andother water-conserving landscape practicesallow landscape water conservation to beeasy, affordable and rewarding.

Properly designed water efficient land-scapes need one inch of water per week.Many homeowners water their landscapetwo or more times a week which can actual-ly damage the landscape by supporting ashallow root system. Frequent watering pro-duces shallow roots whereas infrequentdeep watering will produce deeper roots.Deep roots have water available for anextended period of time.

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS TO PREPAREFOR DROUGHT

• Mulch All Planted AreasMulch is like icing on a cake because

mulch keeps the soil moist the same wayicing keeps a cake moist. Mulch slows evap-oration of water from the soil, allowing

water to infiltrate the soil efficiently; moder-ates the soil temperature; and breaks downinto nutrients for the plants. Maintain a twoto four inch mulch layer in all planted bedsand containers.• Efficient Irrigation Is Essential

If your irrigation system is not workingproperly, no matter how much you water,the landscape suffers and water is wasted.Check for pipe and valve leaks (indicated bygreener faster growing grass), breaks,clogged heads, sprinkler heads not working,misaligned heads, misting versus sprayingdue to too much pressure, water sprayingonto hard surfaces and runoff into thestreet. If possible, get these problems fixed.• Judge Irrigation Requirements InThe Morning

High afternoon summer temperaturescause plants to wilt, be off color, drop leavesand/or shrink even if there is significantmoisture in the soil. Once the sun sets, thelawn and plants look normal; if in themorning the lawn and plants look like wateris required, irrigation is justified. If indoubt, use a long screwdriver to test formoisture in the soil. Push the screwdriverinto the soil (like a toothpick into a cake) tosee how much moisture is in the soil. Thescrewdriver will push easily into moist soiland will not push easily into dry soil.• Catch Can Test

A catch can test is used to determine howlong to run an irrigation system or hose-endsprinkler and how well the water is distrib-uted over the landscape. The root zone(where water and nutrient absorbing rootsgrow) is typically six inches deep in CentralTexas soils. Usually one inch of water willfill this root zone, but in many cases irriga-tion systems apply water faster than theground can absorb. During a summerdrought with high temperatures, the waterrequirement may be higher. Each type ofsprinkler (spray, rotors, multi-stream, drip)applies water at different rates, therefore acatch can test is essential to determine therun time and efficiency of the system. Todetermine the runtime of your irrigationsystem:

1. Place five to nine catch cans (tuna orcat food cans work well) in each irrigationzone or station.

2. Run each zone for three minutes todetermine how much water is applied ineach zone by measuring the amount ofwater in each catch can.

3. To determine the run time (time eachstation should run) use this example: ifthere is 1/4 inch of water in each catch canafter running for three minutes, to applyone inch of water set the run time for 12minutes. (This is just an example; yourmeasurements could vary greatly). Someirrigation systems apply water faster thanthe ground will absorb one inch of the

Page 8

Water conservation tips for landscape

•••Continued on pg. 10

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water. To avoid water runningoff the landscape into the street,you many need to run these sta-tions several short times insteadof one long time. With thisexample, set the controller torun six minutes two times.

4. If the water levels in thecatch cans are equal or nearequal, your irrigation system isworking efficiently (distributingwater evenly). If the water levelin each catch can varies greatly,take the steps to get this prob-lem corrected.

5. Test each zone. Waterapplication and distribution canvary by zone.• Soak And Cycle OfIrrigation Method

Some irrigation systemsapply water faster than theground will absorb one inch ofthe water. This is especially truein lawn areas. Mulched areasabsorb water more efficiently.To avoid water running off thelandscape into the street, youmay need to run these stationsseveral short times instead ofone long time. Use soak andcycle method by:

1. Determine how long to runeach zone. (Use the Catch CanTest)

2. Water these areas in two orthree short cycles or four cyclesis on a slope instead of one longcycle.

3. Wait 20 to 30 minutesbetween cycles

Most irrigation controllershave a way to set different starttimes. If you have trouble pro-gramming your controller, visitthe irrigation controller compa-ny’s website or contact theircustomer service for instruc-tions for soak and cycle.

Some newer controllers havea soak and cycle setting, so thismay be a good time to upgradeyour irrigation controller.

• Always water after 8 p.m.and before 10 a.m.• Mow At Higher Settings

Adjust the height setting onyour mower up one or twonotches. Taller grass will createshade which will reduce evapo-ration of water from the soil andprotect the roots from excessiveheat.• Do Not Fertilize

Plant growth naturally slowsdown and/or plants go dormantduring a lengthy drought. Donot encourage new growth by

fertilizing.

Irrigation and ManagementTips for No Landscape

WateringBuffalograss, bermudagrass

and some of the zoysia varietieswill probably survive a droughtwithout irrigation. These grasseswill go dormant until thedrought ends, at which timethey should green up again.

Grass varieties such as St.Augustine grass, centipedegrass, tall fescue, and someother species may be severelydamaged or die during extendedperiods of drought. You mayhave to replant dead areas afterthe drought ends.

Tree and Shrub IrrigationDuring a Drought

During a severe drought, thegoal for tree and shrub irriga-tion is two-fold: Reduce wateruse to save precious water andmoney, yet use enough water topreserve your substantial invest-ment in your landscape treesand shrubs.

Irrigating large trees is oftenmisunderstood. Laying a hose atthe trunk of a large tree and let-ting it run for hours does notwater a tree and can waste hugeamounts of water. In addition,sprinkler irrigation systems donot water trees. They simply donot apply enough volume ofwater to meet the tree’s require-ment.

To irrigate trees and largeshrubs within a lawn area, applywater just inside and a littlebeyond the “dripline,” not at thetrunk. The dripline is the areadirectly below the outermostreaches of the branches. This iswhere the feeding root system ofa tree or shrub is located.

Simply lay a slowly runninghose on the ground and move itaround the dripline as each areabecomes saturated to a depth ofeight to 10 inches. For largetrees, the watering techniquemay take several hours.

In the continued absence ofsignificant rainfall, large treesand shrubs will benefit from atwice a month watering to helpthem survive drought and heat.

Long Term Plans forLandscape Water

Conservation• Change Nozzles

Change sprinkler head noz-zles to water conserving multi-stream nozzles which applywater in heavier droplets, so lesswater is lost due to displace-ment by wind and evaporation.• Replace Controller

Replace an older irrigationcontroller with new models withwater conserving settings (soakand cycle; seasonal adjustment)or with a smart controller whichuse evapotranspiration or mois-ture sensors to determine run-time.• Install A Rain And FreezeSensor

This sensor prevents an auto-matic system from applyingwater while raining or duringfreezing conditions to avoid lossof water and prevent hazardousice conditions.• Drip Irrigation

Install drip irrigation (manyexisting irrigation systems canbe converted to drip irrigation).

Drip irrigation is 90 percentefficient compared to spray irri-gation which is about 65 percentefficient if designed, installedand maintained property. Thereis now sub-surface drip tubingavailable for lawn areas. Dripirrigation tubing is available foryou to do-it-yourself or hire alicensed irrigator.• Plant Drought TolerantPlants

Utilizing native and adapteddrought tolerant plants reducesthe amount of landscape waterneeded. However changesshould not be made to yourlandscape during a drought.Wait until drought conditionsand water restrictions have beenlifted before making anychanges. The best time to plantis during the fall, winter or earlyspring.• Plant Trees

•••Continued on pg. 11

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Shade trees cool the land-scape and therefore lower theevapotranspiration rate.Evapotranspiration is the loss ofwater from the soil due to evap-oration and from plants due totranspiration. Plant trees on thewestern side of your landscapeto receive the most benefit fromshading (this will also save elec-tricity). Select species that arenative or adapted to the centralTexas area.• Aerate Lawn Area

Clay soils become compactedover time from activities, rainand irrigation. To increase thesoil’s ability to absorb water,aerate the lawn area in thespring and apply about 1/4 inchof compost. Do not however,aerate your lawn during adrought. It will cause unduestress to the root zone.

When you are irrigating yourlandscape, it is important thatyou abide by any wateringrestrictions that might be inplace.

Other Water ConservationPractices

In addition to more efficient

landscape practices, there aremany ways that water can beconserved inside the home.These conservation practiceswill not require drastic lifestylechanges. But by making a con-scious effort to reduce waterconsumption in the home, alarge amount of water can besaved. And that savings could bereflected in your pocketbook.

Some simple steps that youcan put into practice indoorsinclude:

• Check your water meter tomonitor water use.

• Run dishwasher and wash-ing machine only when full,using the short cycle.

• Take shorter showers,instead of baths. Turn off thewater when lathering up in theshower.

• Don’t let water run whilewashing dishes, washing foods,shaving, washing hands orbrushing teeth.

• Fix any leaky toilets orfaucets.

• Don’t use the toilet as awastebasket.

These are not all of the in-home conservation tips that can

be used to save water, but it is astart. Many more ideas on howto save water both in the homeand in the landscape can befound at the 40 GallonChallenge website (www.40gal-lonchallenge.org). The 40Gallon Challenge is a call forresidents and businesses toreduce our region's water use onaverage by 40 gallons per per-son, per day. The challengebegan in 2011 as a voluntarycampaign to increase water con-servation. The 40 GallonChallenge encourages people tosave a minimum of 40 gallons a

day by adopting new water-sav-ing techniques. The pledge cardoutlines water-saving practicesand the daily water-savings toexpect. People can use thepledge to review the water-sav-ing practices that they are cur-rently using.

Water is a precious yet limit-ed resource. Conservation iseveryone’s responsibility.Remember: Do one thing eachday to conserve water. Everydrop counts.

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Beat the heatby eating healthy

CANDICE BRUSUELAS• • •

It’s summer, and you know as well as Ido how exhausting the summer sun andhumidity can be! It takes motivation toget out and do the things you need to dofor your busy day — and why not eat tomake your day the best, and most produc-tive, it can be? Especially in our go-go-golives, we need all the help we can get tokeep ourselves from dragging to a haltmidday. Well, we’re here to help you pickthe most nutritious and delicious food topump you up for all of your summeradventures, whether it be another day ofwork, or a high-powered fun day in thesun!

For starters, keep hydrated. It’s easy tolet yourself go with too little water, butdon’t let that happen. Even a little dehy-dration can take a lot out of you. Keep awater bottle with you at work and remindyourself to keep drinking throughout theday.

Though vitamins and minerals arenutritious and needed in your day-to-daydiet, they aren’t always energizing. Ifyou’re looking for energy, look for carbo-

hydrates, fats and proteins. It’s best tolook for healthy fats and combine com-plex carbs with your protein.

Some fruits and veggies can also helphydrate you as well as providing energy.Oranges and citrus fruit can often beenergizing as well as apples, berries,mango, cantaloupe, tomatoes and avoca-do.

As far as veggies go, dark, leafy greens,peppers, broccoli and sweet potatoes areamong the most energizing.

Fish (particularly salmon) are full ofomega-3s – the good kind of fats that helpyour mood and brain function, instead ofthe kind that make you sluggish.

Low-fat dairy products, whole grainsand oatmeal also provide energy.

Many people are iron deficient anddon’t know it. According to the Center ForDisease Control, iron deficiency is themost common nutritional deficiency inthe U.S. Not having enough iron cancause you to feel weak and not-so-ener-getic. Don’t be afraid to have some redmeat every now and then. Some otheroptions to boost your iron are egg yolks,iron-enriched grains, turkey, beans, soy-beans, lentils and artichokes. Dark, leafy

greens like spinach are also full of ironand provide antioxidants to keep youmoving. If you commonly experiencefatigue, try adding some of these optionsto your diet, you may just need more iron!(The CDC also says consuming vitamin Cwith iron also helps you absorb it better.)

Dark chocolate is, of course, delicious,and has some serious nutritious benefits.Dark chocolate is filling, and a food thatcan help you feel full longer. Dark choco-late has also been found in recent years tobe beneficial to your heart health andlower blood pressure. That being said,dark chocolate is also full of antioxidants.That doesn’t mean eating dark chocolatefor breakfast, lunch and dinner is ok. Likemany things, dark chocolate is best eatenin moderation, but don’t feel bad for hav-ing a couple squares between meals.

If you’re snacking during the day(which is healthiest — you’re less likely tolet yourself get very hungry and thereforeeat less at meals, staggering your nutri-tion throughout the day), here are someideas for for a tasty snacktime.

•••Continued on pg. 13

SERIES SPONSORSGrande Communications,

San Marcos Lions Club James Walker

Wonder World ParkTXI

Academy Sports + Outdoors

June 5 . . . . . . . Derailers Performance Sponsor: McCoy’sJune 12 . . . . . . . Ponty Bone and the Squeezetones Performance Sponsor: Emeritus at San MarcosJune 19 . . . . . . . Shelley King Performance Sponsor: Corridor Primary CareJune 26 . . . . . . . Walt Wilkins & the Mystiqueros Performance Sponsor: Sage Capital BankJuly 3 . . . . . . . Pianorama Performance Sponsor: Frost BankJuly 10 . . . . . . . Soul Track Mind Performance Sponsor: Horizon BayJuly 17 . . . . . . . Midnight River Choir Performance Sponsor: MedPark PharmacyJuly 24 . . . . . . . Willow Creek Project Performance Sponsor: Cental Texas Medical CenterJuly 31 . . . . . . . Brave Combo Performance Sponsor: Ozona National BankAug 7 . . . . . . . Terri Hendrix Band (w/Lloyd Maines)

Performance Sponsor: Price Senior CenterAug 14 . . . . . . . Two Tons of Steel Performance Sponsor: Broadway Bank

For more information call 512-393-8400 or www.smpaa.com

Presented by the San Marcos PerformingArts Association and San Marcos Parks and Recreation with generous supportfrom the San Marcos Arts Commission

Page 13

Veggies and hummus dip —My favorite is baby carrotsand hummus, but you can eatyour favorite hummus withpretty much any veggie. Sliceup some red peppers or chopsome broccoli to take withyou and eat at work.

Peanut butter and appleslices — I eat this whenever Ifeel faint (which happens tome quite often in-betweenmeals). This is usually aquick-fix for me and gets mefeeling better sooner thanlater.

Low-fat yogurt and berries

— Buy a container of vanillalow-fat yogurt at the store andsee what all you can eat withit. I typically chop up somestrawberries and put themand blueberries in my yogurt.If peaches are in season, I’lldo the same thing. It providesboth the proteins and sugarsfor a midday pick-me-up andis filling and delicious.

Almonds and dried fruits —Almonds are less fatty thanother nuts, yet still providethe proteins and carbohy-drates to pick you up from amidday crash.

DAVID SHORT•• •

Few cities can hold a July4th Independence Day celebra-tion the way San Marcos does.

With live music, kid’s activi-ties, a parade, costume contestand fireworks it’s the perfectway to spend a holidayevening.

But it’s Texas. And it’s hot.And therein is what makes SanMarcos’ celebration special.SummerFest has the beautiful,cool San Marcos River flowingright through the middle of thepark inviting all to take a dip oreven a leisurely float trip beforeor during the celebrations.

Activities start at 6 p.m.when the festival grounds openalong with food and activitybooths lining the area.Entertainment by singer/song-writer Cheryl Murdock kicksthings off with her originalsongs. Later headliner David

Ybarra hits the stage and willplay “a variety of genres andold familiars, with a touch ofnew.”

Registration for the everpopular Children’s Paradestarts at 6:30 p.m. with theactual parade getting underwayat 7 p.m. There will also be achildren’s costume contest.

Of course, no 4th of July iscomplete without fireworks,and the sky will light up justafter 9:30 p.m. with the SanMarcos display.

Free parking is available atboth the San Marcos ActivityCenter and Library complex aswell as at Texas State’s StrahanColiseum parking lot.

Remember, no alcohol, glasscontainers or Styrofoam isallowed as well as no smokingof any kind including vapor/e-cigarettes in San Marcos parks.

For more information, go towww.summerfestsmtx.com.

Celebrate with a bangSummerFest

recipe continued from pg. 5Directions:

1. Grill your corn overmedium heat. Not for toolong, just enough to brown it alittle and make it tender.

2. Take it off the heat andcut the corn off the cob.

3. Cut up your tomatoes.Cut up the avocado. Chopyour cilantro. Chop youronion. Wipe away your tears.Put all of these and the corn ina large bowl.

4. On to the dressing.Combine your spices, oil, limejuice, garlic and honey in abowl and stir thoroughly. Testand adjust the spices to yourliking.

5. Pour this mixture overyour veggies and mix gently asto not smush your avocadoes.And now, you have the perfectdish for entertaining out onthe patio, enjoying your sum-mer in the sun!

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The party of the summerThe party of the summer

CHRIS PIKE•• •

July 26 promises one of thebest parties San Marcos has tooffer. And it’s all for a goodcause.

Foodstock, a celebration ben-efiting the Hays County FoodBank, is a tri-annual event heldin the center of the Square onthe courthouse lawn. It’s pur-pose is to entertain, educate andnourish the county.

“We just want to provide afun atmosphere where the com-munity can come together,enjoy themselves and give tothose in need. It’s not afundraiser, but an event of giv-ing” Jenny Leidecker said.Leidecker serves, along withKyle Mylius, Ian Lee, AdamLilley and Nathan Todd, on theboard for the celebration.

Foodstock is held every April,July and October. The Can DoFood Drive contest runsthroughout each event everyyear. The contest encouragesbusinesses and organizations toraise canned goods and mone-

tary donations to be given to theHays County Food Bank. Thegroup that gathers the mostdonations wins bragging rightsand the chance to display thelegendary traveling Can Do tro-phy until the next Foodstockevent. The current reigningchampion of the Can Do FoodDrive is AAA Storage who beatout Little Guys Movers lastApril.

Each event also has its ownunique individual contests. Aprilhas the Bake for the Bank PieBaking contest and, of course,the Pie Eating contest. July hasthe Watermelon Eating andWatermelon Seed Spitting con-tests as well as the SalsaShowdown. Cafe on the Squareis the current champion of theShowdown and will be back thisyear to defend its title. Octoberhas the Children’s PumpkinPainting area hosted by the FirstUnited Methodist Church aswell as several other fall themedcompetitions.

For businesses or individualswho would like to get involvedin the celebration in a more

hands on way, there are manyopportunities.

There are several sponsorshippackages for local businesses tochoose from. Participating com-panies will have the chance tobe honored as a PresentingSponsor on the main stage ofthe event and on all advertisingand media, including severallocal newspapers.

“We are always looking forsponsors, without themFoodstock could not exist,”Leidecker said.

Businesses and nonprofitorganizations can also partici-pate as vendors at the celebra-tion by setting up a booth andselling or giving away goods oreven by facilitating a game toentertain the public.

Foodstock always needs vol-unteers as well. Such a largeevent requires a lot of coordina-tion so there are ample volun-teer opportunities, from helpingat recycling stations, to volun-teering in the childrens area orin one of the many competi-tions.

Aside from the booths and

contests, several bands will pro-vide musical entertainment onthe main stage. The headlinerfor July is 2007’s Austin MusicAwards Album of the Year win-ner Del Castillo. Formed bybrothers Rick and Mark delCastillo, the Austin based Latinrock band is expected to releasea highly anticipated new albumthis year.

The ever-enthusiastic KoryKelly will be back again this yearto MC the event, as well as Chiefand the Doomsday Device as theresident DJ. Officials from thecity of San Marcos will also bein attendance to supportFoodstock and present theTransportation Master Plan tocitizens.

Don’t miss out on the bestparty of the summer in SanMarcos, Saturday, July 26, 1-6p.m. on the courthouse lawn.And don’t forget to bringcanned food or monetary dona-tions to help the Hays CountyFood Bank nourish those inneed around the city and coun-ty. For more information visitwww.foodstocksmtx.com.

Foodstock, benefiting the Food Bank,promises good eats, music and fun

The Grant Ewing band playing at a Foodstock event. (Submitted photo)

Page 15

DAVID SHORT•• •

She graduated from SanMarcos High School, earnedtwo black belts, for a time wasthe sparring partner of LailaAli (yes, Muhammad Ali’sdaughter and a top profession-al boxer in her own right), andshe’s seen the world in uniqueways.

Brenda Bell, retired profes-sional boxer and one of thefirst women licensed in theprofession, has returned home.And she is sharing her vastknowledge now through a newprogram called TigerlilyMental Training.

“It’s about balanced mind,strong body and a place tochallenge yourself,” Bell said.Being offered for free at theCephas House on MLK Drivethrough San Marcos Parks &Recreation, Bell’s class wasdeveloped in her days inCalifornia where she spent 12years as a world rated profes-

sional boxer and martial artist.“The program is 70 percent

mental and 30 percent physicaland uniquely different frommany out there. Anyone of anyage, even up to 90 years oldcan participate and benefit.We get into the breathing, clearour minds of all thoughts.”

Bell used the program withstreet gangs in California andsaid the change was remark-able in their lives.

“Young people are movingtoo fast... you have to slowdown,” Bell said. “All we doeveryday is constantly moving,we all need to learn to slowdown. What I teach is brokendown into two concepts. Themental focuses on respect,determination, patience andconfidence. In the physical welearn speed, power, coordina-tion and control.”

Having traveled around theworld in her professionalcareer, Bell said she’s comehome to stay.

“This is home, yes, I’m stay-

ing here in San Marcos.”Bell hopes to expand her

classes into the schools andother parts of the community,taking life lessons she’s learnedand helping others.

“The philosophy of TigerlillyMental Training is a simple

one. To constantly strive tobetter yourself. You makeyourself good or you makeyourself bad,” Bell said.“Whether for better or worse,you control your life. Thechoice is yours. This is yourfreedom of choice.”

Girlpower

One of first women licensed in professionalboxing returns to San Marcos, teaches others

Brenda Bell (forefront) instructs Diana Juarez (left) and Robin Blackburn. (Photos by David Short)

Brenda Bell.

To learn more, go to www.�naid.txstate.edu/bobcatpromise. To apply, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid before March 15. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov.

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