VOLUME FOURI S S U E 2 205 .28 .15
VOLUME FOURI S S U E 2 205 .28 .15
P a n i c R o o m H o r r o r | C o m m o n S t r e e t H o r r o r | N S A H o r r o r
P LUS : 7 DAY NEW BRAUNFELS L IVE MUS IC GU IDEP LUS : 7 DAY NEW BRAUNFELS L IVE MUS IC GU IDE
"Eve
n th
ough
I a
m a
n ad
ult
man
, I
enjo
y vi
deo
gam
es."
— F
rank
Und
erw
ood
$2
,284
,984
.36
ColoringContestWINNER !
Page 4
Taylor
Mares !
Starring Le Strange“Texas’ Only All-Female Sideshow”
Friday, June 26 at 7pm!
2 AD SALES 830.358.2493
table of contents
11
8CitizenSoundcheckThe ONLY guide of i ts kindfor the NB/SM Metroplex!
12
31st WordLiars rant, media laps it up.What you didn't hear aboutthe "Focus Room Horror".
6Road Warrior
The Trouble withCommon Street
15
Best of theWurst, 2015
RESULTS!
Last WordRand Paul andthe Patriot Act
14
Ask a MexicanGustavo of fends intwo languages.
The County ’sMost Wanted
Look Mommy!Daddy’s in the paper!
SportsI t turns out Brant has an area
of exper tise beyond sport.
ADVERTISE WITH US830.358.2493
2 AD SALES 830.358.2493
TX C
ITIZ
EN11
11 N
. Wal
nut A
venu
e N
ew B
raun
fels,
TX
7813
083
0.35
8.24
93
All
orig
inal
con
tent
is c
opyr
ight
TX
Citi
zen.
TX
Citi
zen
is pu
blish
ed
ever
y Th
ursd
ay.
One
cop
y (p
er p
erso
n) o
f TX
Citi
zen
is av
aila
ble
free
of
char
ge, w
ith th
e pr
ior w
ritte
n co
nsen
t of T
X C
itize
n re
quire
d to
rem
ove
mul
tiple
cop
ies
from
di
strib
utio
n po
ints.
Mul
tiple
cop
ies
and
back
issu
es a
re a
vaila
ble
at
TX C
itize
n of
fices
for $
2.50
eac
h.
STA
FF /
CO
NTA
CT
Publ
isher
/Ed
itor-i
n-C
hief
Mik
e Re
ynol
ds
Dire
ctor
of D
istrib
utio
n C
hase
Coc
hran
Art
Dire
ctor
Kay
la W
alla
ce
Edito
rial:
new
s@tx
citiz
en.c
omA
dver
tisin
g: s
ales
@tx
citiz
en.c
om
Dist
ribut
ion:
dis
tribu
tion@
txci
tizen
.com
910 Gruene Rd. #3 • 830.387.4378grueneroadpharmacy.com
/GrueneRoadPharmacy
Prescription Services, Compounding, OTC Medication & Durable Medical Equipment
"Bringing personalized
service back to pharmacy."
46
337
E COMMON S
THANZ RD
GRUENE RDYou pay the same copay
and get more value!
215 S. Seguin • Downtown NB • 830.620.9188
Join us forLunch!
w w w . o l i v e s i t a l i a n . c o m
Monday-Friday11am - 2pm
/olivesitalianmarket
FRIdayBilly Bacon &
the Forbidden Pigs 9pm
SATURdayPepper’s Blues 9pm
www.rileystavern.com TAVERNSINCE1933
Texas' First Bar After Prohibition!Texas' First Bar After Prohibition!
197 S. Seguin Ave • 830.629.0540 • ludwigsleather.com
Karaoke Thursday & Sunday
DJs Wednesday • Friday • Saturday
989 Loop 337 • 830.626.2253 • /SweetDreamsNB118 Common St.
830.387.4466
Stop by fora BIG, JUICYBURGER!
SP
UD RANCH
Open Mon-Sat 11 to 8NOW OPEN SUNDAYS!
/TXCitizenSTALK usGO AHEAD...
2 AD SALES 830.358.2493 TXCITIZEN.COM 3
The World’s Most Poisonous StoryWell, here’s another one that might blow up in our collective face. It’s likely that by now you’ve heard of “The Focus Room Horror” - a breathless blog post recounting one of several versions of a story that the parents of a Carl Schurz student have been shopping to media both here and in the UK, in what looks to us like a sloppy attempt to shake the NBISD down for a few bucks, you know, to go along with the 15 minutes of fame that they, as modern people, are entitled to.
There original text is below, errors intact. We’re not including the photographs because, frankly, they make us cry, but if you’d like to see the pictures the student’s motha’, Lillian Snowden, posted for the world, then by all means, go to helpingalex.squarespace.com/images-1/ and have a look for yourself.
A small 9 year old boy named Alex was found in tears, confined, and shivering in a small empty room today at Carl Schurz Elementary School. Alex’s mom was taken to this room after being denied five times by the vice principle to accompany her to retrieve Alex. Immediately Alex’s mom pulled out her phone and started taking pictures as the vice principle tried to block her.
Alex was confined to this room for 90 minutes and was told he had to sit in the circle to earn 90 minutes in the classroom. But this wasn’t the first time, far from it.
This room contains nothing but a hastily drawn circle in the center, where the child is expected to sit, and a large ball that serves as a seat for an accompanying administrator. The temperature of the room was frigid. Alex’s mom was denied reentry into the room to take a
photo of the thermostat. Later that same
evening of May 13th 2015, Alex’s parents asked him about this room and his treatment
while in the room. What follows is a synopsis of their
conversation.Here are a few questions Alex’s
parents asked Alex;Parents - What is that room
Alex?Alex - It’s called the “focus room”.
And it’s where bad children go and serve their in-school suspension (ISS).
Parents – How many times have you been in that room?
Alex – Almost every day, once for two straight days.
Parents – is it always cold?Alex – Yes! I asked if I could get
my jacket and was told no, the teach put her own jacket on and said “It’s sure nice to be warm”.
Parents – Are they mean to you in that room?
Alex – Yes, sometimes they shout at me and say rude things.
Parents – What rude things do they say?
Alex – I don’t know, I don’t want to talk about it.
Parents – What if you get hungry or need to go to the bathroom?
Alex – You’re not allowed! You don’t get your regular snack either!
Parents – Are you allowed to get any exercise?
Alex – No, I’m stuck there all day and if I don’t do what they tell me they make me stay there longer, I have to go back tomorrow since I couldn’t sit in the circle because I was too cold…
Continued on page 4.
WORD1STMIKE
REYNOLDSWITH
Memorial Day W�kend has come and gone, and I can say that I experienced the fastest float of my bu�ing river floating car�r. As I made my always graceful dismount from the cu�ents of the Guadalupe, I watched my sandals get ca�ied away,
knowing I would never catch up to them, and I wished them we�. It l�ks like we sti� aren't
quite through this great deluge, but considering the damage in the su�ounding areas I'd say we're holding up pre�y we�, knock on w�d. In fact, come in to Longshot and knock on our beautiful loca�y crafted w�den bar top while enjoying a dry space and a gla� of our carefu�y crafted wine. You might even want to grab a few bo�les to go in preparation for the next big storm. I know I sl�p a li�le easier with a bo�le of Sangiovese in my be�y and one on the shelf. - Josh McFarling
HOURS:Tues-�urs: 12-10pm
Fri: 12-11pm Sat: 10-11pmSun: 10am-4pm
(Brunch: 10am-2pm)
133 Landa Str�t(Across the street from the Landmark)
830.837.5667
NOW OPEN!dancewear
gymnastics wearteamwear
shoesaccessories
gifts& more!
Union StStation
Ducky’s
E.
San
An
ton
io S
t Union St
283 S Union St512.757.7846
foreverdancenb.com
Store HoursTues - Fri: 11 to 6
Sat: 10 to 3Sun & Mon: Closed
Union StStation
Ducky’s
E.
San
An
ton
io S
t Union St
283 South Union St979.450.6473
babycaketruffles.com
DON’T PANIC!DON’T PANIC!
Beat the heat with Clear River Pecan Company
Ice Cream!Fresh From
Fredericksburg!
Our Ice Cream
is from Fredericksburg!
FRIdayBilly Bacon &
the Forbidden Pigs 9pm
SATURdayPepper’s Blues 9pm
www.rileystavern.com TAVERNSINCE1933
Texas' First Bar After Prohibition!Texas' First Bar After Prohibition!
4 AD SALES 830.358.2493
Cheese Chocolate Wine
“Thank you for voting ours the ‘Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich’
in this year's readers poll. Now bring your friends in to try it!”
– Chef Stephanie
Winner!Winner!Downtown New Braunfels,
just steps from the Brauntex Theater
Continued from page 3. If you have a son or daughter
attending Carl Shultz Elementary I strongly encourage asking your child about the “Focus Room”, go to the school and ask to see it for yourself, insist on it. This is where they’re are putting your child when they misbehave, in a freezing room with not so much as a chair, or even a picture on the wall. No snacks, no exorcise, confined to a small circle created by a marker. Is that any place for a 9 year old child?
Isolated, cold, confined to a circle drawn on a floor of a featureless room. Think about that for minute. Who else deploys such tactics? And under what circumstances?
This story is far from over and sadly not very unique. We need to raise more awareness to these sorts of abuses and protect our children. Had the mother of this child not insisted aggressively to accompany the retrieval of her child then she would know any different.
Much is being made of the fact that the mother decided to take photos of her obviously-in-distress son rather than comfort him. We’ll call that Strike One. #momfail
The blog states that the boy was confined to the room for 90 minutes. But in her interview with KENS 5, the mother stated that she had been in class with the boy until lunchtime and came back an hour later to find him in the room. That’s either a 33% (1/3 of 90 minutes) or 50% (1/2 of 60 minutes) lie, depending which direction you feel like doing the maths from, and making the incredibly generous assumption that he was put in the room immediately after Snowden left the school. Strike Two.
Also according to the mother’s statement to KENS 5, The boy was cold and wet because he had been running about this way and that, hither and yon, willy-nilly… even helter-skelter, one might say, in the rain, when he was supposed to be inside the building. He ran out there after throwing something during lunch, and made a break for it as the Vice-Principal was escorting him from the lunchroom, as one does. So, you know. Highly relevant piece of
information left out of the blog account. Strike Three. Remember the TX Citizen motto: An act of omission is an act of intent.
The author of the blog accused the Vice-Principal of attempting to block Mrs Snowden from taking photos. She either wasn’t, in fact, trying to get in Snowden’s way, or she’s the single worst shot blocker since George Zidek played for Charlotte - nine photos of the room and the boy made it onto the blog. We’ll call that Strike… uh, Four.
In the days following the blog’s post we discovered that it was written by none other than the boy’s father. WTF. He sure did go out of his way to conceal that meaty fact. You know, in the way people do when they want to add weight to a questionable story. Strike Five. (Sorry. We probably should have thought the baseball analogy through a little better before starting this piece.)
If you think that maybe an argument can be made that would let him off the hook for that act of omission/intent, let us sweeten the pot for y’all. Here’s what he posted on his Facebook page to promote the blog:
“Unbelievable, and from the same school my kids attend. We are pulling them out tomorrow morning. - :( feeling angry.”
Oh dear. That’s certainly… dishonest. Another poster asked “Is this real?” He responded with:
“Yes, I know the parents. It’s actually worse than this as it was happening for months as the parents were trying to work with the school side by side, then discovered this.”
So if there was any doubt that the guy was representing himself as something other than an interested party, let it be put to rest at this time.
We don’t know for sure what happened at the school, and we may never know. The District isn’t talking. But we do know one thing for sure: Trevor Snowden is a stone cold liar, who realized his story wasn’t strong enough to stand on its own merits. As far as we’re concerned, this is a dead issue until somebody brings us something other than lies
and unsubstantiated accusations. ’Tis a pity. The guy might have had some moral authority had he played it straight.
One more thing. Photos of that distressed little boy will be on the Internet forever. There is no getting rid of them. He gets to live with that. Thanks Dad. You’re a real peach (and by “peach” we mean “lying media whore”). Strike Six. You’re out.
Twice.
\m/
Mike ReynoldsPublisher/Editor-in-Chief
Chase Cochran contributed to this column, and should be named as a co-defendant in any litigation filed as a result of its publication.
Postscript: We Have a Winner!Congratulations to our cover girl Taylor Mares, who knocked it out of the park in our first annual Memorial Day Coloring Contest! Taylor won herself two season passes to Schlitterbahn, and a spankin’ new box of crayons for her efforts. See next week’s issue for the runner-up entries, in glorious full color!
193 W. SAN ANTONIO STWWW.THEPHOENIXSALOON.COM
MAY 30 9 PM
4 AD SALES 830.358.2493 TXCITIZEN.COM 5
NEW BRAUNFELS!we’re OPEN at
1691 North IH 35(830) 629-2772
(Exi t 190A South / 191 North)
6 AD SALES 830.358.2493 TXCITIZEN.COM 7
Common Street HorrorBack in 2012, I made a bold prediction
in this publication about Goodwin
Lane falling apart after the City of New
Braunfels “repaired” it. I even went so far
as to give a time frame. And I nailed it. I’m
going to go ahead and make that two-for-
two now. I’m kinda like the Nostradamus
of street failures.
Six weeks. That was the project time
length that the City reported the repairs
to Common Street, between the Loop and
Gruene Road, would be completed in.
That was on March 16. As of publication,
the project will be finishing out its eleventh
week, and won’t be completed yet. The City’s
propaganda officers public information
department will tell you that the delays are
due to the weather. (Never mind the fact
that Hunter Industries, nor Dean Word, have
stopped work on FM 306 or Walnut up the
hill (respectively) for more than a couple of
days during the last weeks of rain)
What they won’t tell you is that, in true
CoNB fashion, they hired the low bidder.
Again. They won’t tell you that going with
the low bid bit ‘em in the ass. Again. They
hired, and subsequently fired, Ramming
Paving for the project. Ramming got the
boot for dragging their heels, not staffing the
project properly, and generally just wasting
time. If the name Ramming Paving sounds
familiar to you, it should. They’re one of the
many contractors the City burned through
on the Walnut widening project. They were
removed from that project for dragging their
heels, not staffing the project properly, and
generally just wasting time. It’s almost as if
the City wants to get screwed.
Paving roads isn’t inherently hard. In
its most simplistic form, it’s no different than
a house, a career, or even a marriage. If
the “structure” is to last, it must be built on,
and attached to, a solid foundation. This
isn’t rocket surgery, it’s common sense. If a
road is built on top of loose material, it’s
not going to last. If it’s built on that loose
material, and not even “attached”, it’s
going to fall apart even quicker. Such is the
case on Common Street.
To prepare the base of a road for
paving, it must be “processed”. This isn’t an
option. But apparently the CoNB believes
it is, because they allowed the contractors
to pave right on top of unprocessed base.
“Processing” base involves adding water,
mixing it several times, and rolling it
back out until the proper water-to-material
consistency is met (think kneading bread
dough). Properly processed base becomes
as hard as concrete, but remains flexible.
It’s what allows the road surface to remain
in place, but “move” with the weight of the
traffic. If the base isn’t worked correctly,
it’s no different than placing a heavy
object on a pile of sand. Eventually, the
heavy object will settle. This is what will
happen on Common Street. The giant
low spots that were there before the
project, especially on both corners of its
intersection with the Loop, will be back
within a year. Pinky promise.
Another non-option when it comes to
road building is the “glue” that holds it all
together. That glue is oil. Applying oil to
the base prior to paving is Road Building
101. No, check that. If road building were
a college class, the students would have
learned to put down oil prior to asphalt
way back in middle school. That’s how
basic of a step this is. Without any oil, the
asphalt is basically a piece of paper on
the floor. Yes, it’s on top of the floor, but
the second you slide something across it,
it’s going to move. There’s nothing holding
it in place. Apparently, neither the City nor
the contractors went to middle school, or
ever learned about friction, because they
paved right on top of raw base. No oil. No
adhesion. No bueno por caca. The road
is going to slide. This will be evidenced as
cracks and “pumps” (high/low spots where
vehicle tires travel). This will also show up
within a year. Cross my heart.
One would expect professional road
contractors to know all of this. And they
would certainly expect the entity that
constructs the entire infrastructure with their
tax dollars to know this. But this is the City
of New Braunfels we’re talking about. To
expect that would be like expecting to see
a quality Tyler Perry film in the theater. Or
getting a gourmet meal from McDonald’s.
You go in knowing you’ll be getting ####
for your money. The City has a long, long
history of hiring ###### contractors who do
###### work, and not learning #### from
their mistakes. And we have the ######
streets to prove it.
Chase Cochran
Bonus Stupid 4-B Expenditure Update: One of the MKT Railroad plaques that
the 4-B Board spent part of $220,000 to
install on the too-low-for-fire-trucks-and-RV’s
Landa Street underpass has been knocked
off by a high-profile vehicle hitting the
bridge. #shocker
NO OIL! LOOSE BASE!
withChase
Cochran
withChase
Cochran
TXCITIZEN.COM 7
234 8 G ru e ne L a ke D r. Su i t e B in the Vi l lage • 8 30 . 6 4 3 . 13 09
Single Origin Espresso & Brews Handcrafted BlendsHandcrafted Blends
Whole Bean Coffee PastriesPastriessmoothies, teas, & iced coffees
Free �-FiFree �-FiFree �-Fi
Weekdays6:30 - 6:30pm
Weekends7:30 - 6:30pm
Double Winner!
Double Winner!
LONE STAR & LONE STAR LIGHT! ALL DAY, EVERY DAY!
LONE STARFloat House & Grill
$1
830.907.3866 • 7430 River Rd. • Past the 2nd Crossing
Winner!Winner!
8 AD SALES 830.358.2493
Thu 5.28
Adobe VerdeScott Boddicker
6pm
Koozie’sKori Free and the Groove Hounds
7pm
Oma Gruene’s Secret GartenJam Night
6pm
Phoenix SaloonMatt Kersh
5pm
Riley’s TavernAustin Gilliam
9pm
AJ’s Ale HouseRock & Roll Sing Along Piano Bar Show
9pm
Gruene HallSkreamin’ K Phillips & the Concho Pearls
6pm
Hippy GypsyKnotty Grove
6pm
On the RocksBeau Daniels
8pm
The Pour HausIan McFeron
4pm
Jade Marie Patek
8pm
River Road Ice HouseJamie Lin Wilson
8pm
Fri 5.29Adobe Verde
JJ Garrett Band
6:30pm
The Happy CowFools of the Trade
8pm
Koozie’sIsaac Jacob
8pm
Oma Gruene’s Secret GartenArms Length
6pm
Phoenix SaloonScott Boddicker
5pm
The Texacali Resonators
9pm
Riley’s TavernBilly Bacon & the Forbidden Pigs
9pm
Watering Hole SaloonSlim Bawb & the Fabulous Stumpgrinders
8pm
AJ’s Ale HouseRock & Roll Sing Along Piano Bar Show
9pm
Alpine Haus RestaurantOff the Grid Polka Band
6pm
Billy’s Ice HouseNo Dry County
8pm
Gruene HallCharlie Robison
w/ Bri Bagwell
7pm, $25
On the RocksApril Hall Band
7:30pm
The Pour HausOpen Mic
w/ Jon Magill
9pm
River Road Ice HouseJonny Burke
8pm
Vineyard at GrueneBilly Snipes
7pm
Sat 5.30
Adobe VerdeKenndrid Spirits
6:30pm
The Happy CowMoose Fest 2015
Noon-Midnight!
Koozie’sIsaac Jacob
8pm
Oma Gruene’s Secret GartenSA Blues Cats
1pm
Luke Adair & the Big Bills
6pm
Phoenix SaloonBlue Healer, Bird Dog,
The Kinfolk
9pm
Riley’s TavernPepper’s Blues
9pm
Watering Hole SaloonRoadside Libby
9pm
AJ’s Ale HouseRock & Roll Sing Along Piano Bar Show
9pm
YOUR LIVE MUSIC GUIDE
8 AD SALES 830.358.2493 TXCITIZEN.COM 9
Billy’s Ice HouseWhiskey Rodeo
8pm
Gruene HallFlat Top Jones
1pm
Shinyribs
w/ Chris King
8pm, $15
NB Farm to MarketBilly Snipes
9am
On the RocksAdam Johnson Band
8:30pm
The Pour HausTrace Owen Jr
5pm
Jackson Parten Trio
9pm
River Road Ice HouseGranger Smith
w/ Earl Dibbles Jr
8pm, $15
Vineyard at GrueneAaron Hill
7pm
Sun 5.31
Adobe VerdeJonathan Garcia
6pm
Koozie’sKori Free and the Groove Hounds
2pm
Lone Star Float HouseTBA
Oma Gruene’s Secret GartenAdam Johnson Band
1pm
Mothership Connection
6pm
Phoenix SaloonDoug Kent
3pm
Lucas Taylor
7pm
Riley’s TavernWalt Wilkins
4pm
Geronimo VFW #8456Jimmy Sims Band
3pm
Gruene HallSlim Bawb
12:30pm
Guy Forsyth’s Blues Band
5pm
The Pour HausJackson Parten
4pm
Russell Bisbey
8pm
River Road Ice HouseThe Easy Leaves
2pm
Vineyard at GrueneIsaac Jacob
3pm
Mon 6.1Gruene Hall
Warren Hood Band
7pm
The Pour HausTBA
8pm
Tues 6.2Watering Hole Saloon
Kim’s Bear Soul
7pm
Billy’s Ice HouseKyle Reed Band
w/ Steven Roloff
8pm
Bonzai Steak & SushiSmooth Jazz
w/ Sam Harriss
6pm
Gruene HallTwo Ton Tuesday
7:30pm
The Pour HausOpen Mic
w/ Jon Magill
8pm
Wed 6.3Phoenix Saloon
Haley Cole
8:30pm
Riley’s TavernTyler Cannon
9pm
Gruene HallThe Georges
6pm
The Pour HausTBA
8pm
River Road Ice HouseColton O’Neill Band
8pm
Vineyard at GrueneZack Walther
6pm
S O U N D C H E C K B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y:
Special Events Monthly
Private Parties- Catering
Wedding Facilities AvailableNever a Cover!
Kid & Pet Friendly!
1263 Gruene Road • 830.625.1045
Call for Hours!
omalovesyou.com
Special Events Monthly
Private Parties- Catering
Wedding Facilities AvailableNever a Cover!
Kid & Pet Friendly!
1263 Gruene Road • 830.625.1045
Call for Hours!
omalovesyou.com
MAY 28@ 6 JAM NIGHT
MAY 29 @ 6 ARMS LENGTH
MAY 30 @ 1 SA BLUES CATS
@ 6 LUKE ADAIR AND THE BIG BILLS
MAY 31 @ 1 ADAM JOHNSON BAND
@ 6 MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION
JUNE 4 @ 6 JAM NIGHT
Upcoming Events:
BEST OF THE
WURST 2014
double winner!Best Beer Bar
& Best Bartenders
10 AD SALES 830.358.2493
Fri 5.29
Cheatham Street WarehouseDoug Moreland
9pm
The Continental ClubThe Blues Specialists
6:30pm
Alien Knife Fight, Vapors of Morphine
10pm, $15
Robert Kraft Trio, 8:30pm
Mike Flanigin Trio, 10:30pm, $5
Floore’s Country StoreCasey Donahew Band
w/ Bart Crow
7pm, 18+, $15-$300
Luckenbach Dance HallHayden Whittington
1pm
Sam Watson
4pm
Rosie Flores
8pm
Sam’s Burger JointLincoln Durham
8pm, $10-$45
Stubb’s BBQBlue Water Highway
w/ Madisons, Scott Collins
9pm, Inside, $10
Triple CrownPepper’s Blues
6pm
Rock Bottom String Band,
Le Strange Sideshow, Black Water Revival
9pm
Sat 5.30
Cheatham Street WarehouseTBA
9pm
The Continental ClubCornell Hurd, 3:30pm
Eve & the Exiles, Vapors of Morphine
10pm, $15
Hillary York, 8:30pm
Mike Flanigin Trio, 10:30pm, $5
Floore’s Country StoreSam Riggs
w/ Crooks
7pm, 18+ $10-$12
Luckenbach Dance HallJamie Wilson
1pm
Nutty Brown CafeRotel & the Hot Tomatoes
7:30pm
Sam’s Burger JointGuy Forsyth Blues Band
7pm, $13-$60
Stubb’s BBQDrew Fish Band
w/ Thom Shepherd, Coley McCabe
9pm, Inside, $10
Triple CrownThe Organics, Superfoot,
Sabbath Crow, The Red Direct
9pm
SOUND TOWNOUTOF
Freiheit Country Store
KaraokeFriday Nights, 8pm
Happy Cow
KaraokeThursdays Nights
Old Ice House
KaraokeThursdays, Sundays
DJWednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays
Phoenix Saloon
KaraokeThursday Nights
Prickly Pear Lounge
KaraokeThursdays, Saturdays
DJ KCFridays
The Watering Hole Saloon
KaraokeThursdays
DJFridays, Saturdays
diversions
Best Damn Lunch Specialin New Braunfels!
12-4 Monday-Friday $6.99 Lunch Specials
Specials Include Drink and Side
830.620.9091 • www.scoresnb.com223 W San Antonio St, Downtown NB
Live Trivia Tuesdays 7:30 - 9:30
50 Cent WingWednesdays
Your NBA PLAYOFFHeadquarters!
Beer Specials!
Live Trivia Tuesdays 7:30 - 9:30
50 Cent WingWednesdays
Your NBA PLAYOFFHeadquarters!
Beer Specials!
Live Trivia Tuesdays 7:30 - 9:30
50 Cent WingWednesdays
Your NBA PLAYOFFHeadquarters!
Beer Specials!
Party All Night - Sleep Until Noon
All in One SpotTHEnew
Prickly Pear Bar
30 seconds from
Barstool to BedROOM
1051 N. IH-35In The Ramada INN
830.625.8017
PRICKLY PEAR BAR
the new
10 AD SALES 830.358.2493 TXCITIZEN.COM 11
Freemanon SportsFreemanon Sports WITH BRANT FREEMANWITH BRANT FREEMAN
Houston Freezes OverAs I write this week’s column, it’s Memorial Day. The weather outside is reminiscent of what we went through in October of ‘98, except instead of New Braunfels and San Antonio getting the brunt of it, it’s been San Marcos, Wimberley, and Austin. Streets I’ve driven, places I’ve frequented and still do on a daily basis, now underwater. My hope is that as you’re reading this, you, your friends and family in those affected areas are safe.
At the Freeman household, there is no barbeque cookout. Instead, I’m cooped up inside the comfort of my home, doing puzzles and coloring with my 4-year-old daughter (and knowing what colors to use for each My Little Pony in said coloring book. BRONIES FOR LIFE.) After putting down the right Crayola shade of purple for Rarity’s hair, I slump in front of the computer, trying to find something else to distract me from my cabin fever.
I’m reminded again of Memorial Day and the floods in the late ‘90s and it comes to me: The Memorial Day Miracle. So I log on to YouTube, watch replays of Sean Elliott’s miraculous game-winning 3-point shot against the Portland Trailblazers in May of 1999 and take a personal trip down memory lane. (Disclaimer: I may have also done this because I’m undergoing Spurs withdrawals since San Antonio has long-since been eliminated from the playoffs).
I was one of the lucky 35,260 fans to be there. I had just graduated from high school, and, as a graduation present, my father got me two tickets to the game. A lot was going through my mind heading to that game: I can’t believe the Spurs are three wins away from their first NBA Finals, OMG how great is Tim Duncan?, Man the Blazers are stacked, It would really suck to go back to Portland 1-1, etc. You know, important stuff, not “Which institution of higher learning should I go to?” or “Maybe I should have studied harder for the SAT because I’m not sure that 895 is going to cut it”.
Up until that game, my little sports fan heart suffered quite a bit of heartbreak when it came to the Spurs. They hadn’t made any memorable playoff shots, but plenty were made against them,
by players like Charles Barkley, whose game winner in ‘93 closed down Hemisfair Arena. Before my time, there were the 1979 Spurs, who blew a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals against Washington. The best way to sum up San Antonio’s existence as an NBA franchise until the ‘99 season was a bridesmaid, never a bride, and it appeared to be happening again.
The Spurs found themselves down 18 in the second half. But then, instead of folding (which I had seen so many Spurs teams do before in similar situations), the Spurs went to work. By the end of the third quarter the lead was down to seven and the Spurs were down just two with 12 seconds left.
My 18-year-old self was thinking: How much would it suck to witness a loss like this in person? You have to go to Duncan here, right? When does that new Smashing Pumpkins album come out? (90s WILL NEVER DIE BRO). Then, it happens:
Inbound to Elliott (after a near steal by Stacey Augmon).
Corner 3-point shot released (after a near block by Rasheed Wallace and near turnover by Elliott who had to keep his heels off the floor to prevent from being out of bounds).
Swish.I had been in the Alamodome many times
before, but never did I hear it louder than after that shot. After the Blazers missed on the other end, and 35,000+ went into a state of euphoria, the Spurs finally had their moment. They had an even bigger one just weeks later, hoisting their first NBA title in Madison Square Garden after a five-game triumph over the Knicks, and have had several more since then.
But that day, that Memorial Day of 1999 was when everything changed for a franchise which, until then, had always been good but not quite good enough. Ah memories. Now back to Ponies.
Brant Freeman is a seasoned local sportscaster, serving as the radio voice of Texas State University, hosting television coverage of Texas State Athletics and delivering the goods as a reporter for major pro and collegiate sporting events in the greater San Antonio area for over a decade.
MOST WANTED
$300REWARD
COMAL COUNTY ’S
MEDELLIN, JESSE RODRIGUEZMale • 5’07” • 200 lbsDOB: 01/01/1976CHARGE: Possession of a controlled substance pg 1 under 1 gram and theft of property under $1500 with 2 or more previous convictions
HAMILTON, JAMES GILBERTMale • 6’02” • 200 lbsDOB: 11/09/1983CHARGE: Motion to revoke probation- bail jumping and theft of property over $1500 under $20,000
HERNANDEZ,ANTONIO BERMUDEZMale • 6’00” • 210 lbsDOB: 06/11/1942CHARGE: Driving while intoxicated 3rd or more and bail jumping fail to appear felony
NORIEGA, JACOB MICHAELMale • 5’06” • 165 lbsDOB: 01/10/1994CHARGE: Failure to appear- possession with intent to deliver controlled substance
CLARK, JESSICA LAURENFemale • 5’05” • 125 lbsDOB: 10/23/1990CHARGE: Motion to revoke probation- possession of a controlled substance
LUERA,ALFONSO
Male • 5’10” • 214 lbs
DOB: 06/05/1965
CHARGE: Driving while intoxicated
w/child under 15 yoa
RICHEY,JEANNA
Female • 5’06” • 150 lbsDOB: 05/08/1955
CHARGE: Theft over $1500 under $20,000 and motion to revoke
probation- bail jumping/ fail to appear felony
RUNGE,KOBY S
Male • 6’00” • 240 lbs
DOB: 05/17/1987
CHARGE: Driving
while intoxicated 3rd
or more
VANCE, ALBERTMale • 5’10” • 162 lbs
DOB: 07/15/1953CHARGE: Failure to
appear motion to revoke- driving while
intoxicated and motion to revoke- driving while intoxicated
RITCHIE, DOUGLAS WAYNE
Male • 5’07” • 225 lbs
DOB: 03/23/1968
CHARGE: Possession
of a controlled
substance
The names listed have been released in accordance with the Texas Public Information Act. This is a true and accurate account as of Monday, May 18, 2015 at 10:30 am and may not be current by the time it is read. Do not try to apprehend anyone. These are listings of criminal warrants with the Comal County Sheriff ’s Office and are not indicative of guilt or innocence. Officers are to verify the status of each warrant prior to making an arrest. Any person is innocent of wrongdoing unless proven guilty in a court of law.
FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST OF COMAL COUNTY’S MOST WANTED. Callers will remain anonymous. 830.620.3400 - 24-Hour830.620.3411 - Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm
DIXON, ROMAN DAVIDMale • 6’01” • 140 lbsDOB: 01/25/1973CHARGE: Failure to appear- burglary of a building
ARRESTED
12 AD SALES 830.358.2493 TXCITIZEN.COM 13
By Gustavo Arellano
Dear Mexican: From what I’ve seen and heard, Mexicans are very family-oriented. They take the names of their mother’s and father’s, live with extended family, take carpooling to the nth degree, and tattoo the names of their children across their bodies. We recently had a party and invited one of our Hispanic friends. She showed up with her grandmother, mother, sister, and her two kids! What the hell was that all about?
What I don’t understand is this: Whenever I see Mexican men and women walking along busy streets, or through stores, or standing at the bus stops, their little kids are usually more than an arm’s length away, sometimes trailing as much as several feet behind them. It’s also not uncommon to see little kids crawling around in front seats, back seats, and beds of trucks, totally unrestrained! I’m quite sure these are the same people that put the “In memory of...” on the back window’s of their vehicles when their kids die from wandering into traffic or an auto accident. Maybe there is some sort of perverse logic that I don’t understand. Perhaps those decals on the back windows are more highly respected by the Mexican community than raising good, healthy, honest kids. What are your thoughts?
Dingo Gringo
Dear Gabacho: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2013 study “Motor Vehicle Traffic-Related Pedestrian Deaths — United States, 2001–2010” broke down pedestrian death rates for children 1-14 by ethnicity. Findings showed while more niños were involved in fatalities than gabachos, the rate isn’t too far off—1.66 deaths per 100,000 population for gabacho boys compared to 2.61 for Latino boys. On the other hand, rates in the same age group for girls favored Latinas—.62, compared to .68 for gabachitas. Do gabacho parents
not care for their little girls, assuming their sons are going to marry Mexican chicas calientes anyways? Unlike your pendejo ass, the study determined factors other than race skewed death rates a certain way (the most-killed pedestrians statistically? Chinitos 75 and older).Your assumptions just make an ass out of you and tu, but perhaps you respect babadas more than good, healthy, honest facts?
Dear Mexican: Why do Mexicans love to watch American movies with Mexican voices dubbed over the actors when they speak their lines? I find this very irritating. What is this fascination? When Americans watch foreign films, the language is left intact, with only subtitles added at the bottom. There is nothing more amusing than watching Arnold Schwarzenegger speak Spanish.
Gabacho Confundido
Dear Confused Gabacho: In the early days of sound, Hollywood productions would film multiple takes in multiple languages to appeal to their fans worldwide. Moviemakers knew even then that foreign audiences like hearing dialogue in their native language, even if said in a phonetically hilarious tone ala Laurel and Hardy, or dubbed completely to ludicrous results (you think Ah-nuld is funny? You gotta here “Homero” on the Latin American broadcast of The Simpsons). Nowadays, only the biggest foreign films or television shows get dubbed in Mexico, taking into account that children and the poor might not yet have the reading comprehension to understand subtitles. Besides, you’ve never seen The Lion King until you hear it dubbed in Spanish, the way my family did with a piratería copy again and again and again.
Ask the Mexican at [email protected],
be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @gustavoarellano or follow him
on Instagram @gustavo_arellano!
ASK A MEXICAN!
!
Get your AC inspected nowfor ONLY $85!
830.625.2420 • 1617 BUSINESS 35 [email protected]
GUADA • COMA
GUADA • COMA
Get your AC inspected nowfor ONLY $85!
The SUN'S surface is 27 million degrees Summer in Texas is nearly twice that hot
The SUN'S surface is 27 million degrees Summer in Texas is nearly twice that hot
Or get on the waiting list for repairs.
( Free + painful repair expenses )
Or get on the waiting list for repairs.
( Free + painful repair expenses )
Get your AC inspected nowfor ONLY $85!
TXCITIZEN.COM 13
14 TX CITIZEN 14 AD SALES 830.358.2493 TXCITIZEN.COM 15
THE RESULTSARE IN!
Best Dang Margarita Adobe Verde's Dos Rita
Best Cheeseburger Phoenix Saloon
Best Coffee for the Hardcore Java-Head
Kora Kora Coffee
Best Local Treat Too Good to
Waste on Kids Sweet Dreams' Elvis Cupcake
Best Place to Pick Up Essentials Before
One of "Those Kinds" of Dates
The Perky Peacock
Best Baristas Kora Kora Coffee
Best Cheese Steak Spud Ranch
Best Meatball Sub Olive's Italian Market
Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Gourmage of Texas
Best Snackage Phoenix Saloon's
Frito®-Pie
Best Sports Bar The Black Whale Pub
Best First Date Bar Vino en Verde
Best Full-On Texas Style Bar
Phoenix Saloon
Best Place to Pretend You're in a
Really Great, All-Summer-Long Beer Commercial
Lone Star Float House
Your Official Guide to NB's Favorite Every thing$10 Offyour swimsuit purchase!
$10 Offyour swimsuit purchase!
173 S. Seguin St • 830.214.0728
Half-Off One Entreewith purchase of another entree and two drinks.
One coupon per table. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Expires 06/30/15
Huge Play Area for the Kids • Live Music Thursday-SundayHappy Hour Monday-Friday 3:00-6:30pm
830.629.0777 • 1724 Hunter Road, New BraunfelsTEX-MEX COCINA Y CANTINAWinner!
1528 E Common St | 830.608.9111
Massage | Waxing | Facials | Makeup
Meet our therapist!30 min Swedish Massage
Only $25!Limit 1, may upgrade for facial, may only use on first visit with therapist,
not to combine with other offers, exp 6/30/2015
243 N. Union Ave830-629-2662 Like us on
New and Vintage Vinyland Turntables
Classic Rock – Alternative – PunkReggae - Funk – Soul – Country
B U Y • S E L L • T R A D E
LEGAL NOTICEApplication has been made with
the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission for a beer license
by Rumaldo L. Aguirre dba Kings & Queens Ballroom,
to be located at 442 Stolte Rd. New Braunfels,
Comal, TX 78130. Owner of said corporation is
Rumaldo L. Aguirre
PRICKLY PEAR BAR
the new
1051 N. IH-35 • In The Ramada INN • 830.625.8017
ENCOURAGING RESPONSIBLE DRINKING SINCE 1979
COMING TO A PLACE NEAR YOU
OPEN FOR FUN...
MID JUNE +/-now hiring
COCKTAIL SERVERS
CALL, COME BY ORCHECK US OUT ON FB!
TXCITIZEN.COM 15
On Rand Paul and the Patriot ActRand Paul’s “not a filibuster” regarding the Patriot Act and NSA spying on American telecommunications may have been more successful than even he intended. Ultimately, it appears that at least part of the Patriot Act will not be renewed (at least for the moment), and this has already started a wider discussion of what is appropriate when it comes to the government’s attempts to protect us from terrorism. Because the 2016 presidential primary has already started for the Republicans, Paul can expect a lot of heat from his detractors and competitors. I’m not sure that Paul’s stance was a politically smart one, but it is both a brave and necessary one.
I should confess at this point that after 9/11, I supported the passing of the Patriot Act. I considered myself libertarian at the time, and I was warned by those wiser than I that this type of extraconstitutional legislation is dangerous, providing a foot in the door and undoubtedly morphing into something never intended. Like many others at the time, I felt that our country was clearly at war and that certain sacrifices needed to be made. Foolishly, I believed that our representatives would, soon enough, return everything to normal. Today, it’s hard for me to even write this paragraph without trying to explain all the obvious errors in thinking. Paul is brave specifically because he has opened himself up to criticism from people who continue to think what I thought some 14 years ago.
There is no question that we are still endangered by terrorism today. In fact, we are likely in as much or more danger than we were on 9/10/01. ISIS, Iran, and homegrown threats are regularly in the news, and whether we like to admit it or not, people are afraid. It’s one thing to try to argue with your political opponents on constitutional issues and government overreach; it’s quite another to try to convince a well-meaning person who is scared that what is being
proposed to make them safer will, in the long run, make them both less safe and less free.
Paul finds himself in the position of making a solidly intellectual argument to an emotionally charged audience. Worse, the arguments against the Patriot Act continue to sound cynical. Conversely, Paul’s opponents can imply that Paul is hopelessly naïve, dovish, or paranoid without offering any evidence, and if Paul should counter attack, he risks insulting the very people he is trying to win over in the process. Still, the argument is one that needs to be made.
It’s easy to get caught up in a discussion of the efficacy of the current surveillance programs, but Paul should be careful if he does so. Thus far, there is no actual evidence that collection and examination of telecommunication metadata has managed to foil any terrorist attack, but that is unlikely to stop his opponents from insisting it will. In addition, to argue that the surveillance has not worked is to imply that it would be appropriate if it did and invite the argument that the next terrorist attack could somehow be attributed to him for opposing the program.
The best way to approach how well or if the program works is to insist on evidence. It’s not necessary focus on specifics, but individual cases where the program was applied and stopped some intended attack or captured some bad actor would be a good place to start. Paul’s opponents will want to focus on why someone would want to keep this information out of the hands of government, but supporters of NSA surveillance should be the ones explaining, explaining why the government needs this data, and that includes explaining how it will actually make us safer.
More important than the question of whether these programs are effective, though, is the fact that they are a clear affront to the Fourth Amendment. The text of the Fourth Amendment includes security for “persons, houses, papers, and effects,” but this has
always been extended to newer forms of technology. Since this is true, there can be no authorization for broad, unspecified warrants covering huge swathes of the American public barring a constitutional amendment.
As it stands now, the government has admitted to collecting data on phone calls of U.S. citizens. They have been accused of maintaining a record of the conversations themselves and have been somewhat coy about whether this is true. All of this is a far cry from the original insistence that only terrorists and suspected terrorists were being monitored. None of this is what the Patriot Act was intended to do. It is just one of many examples where the authorities have far exceeded the laws original language.
It’s quite possible that Paul’s stance on this issue will cost him any hope of the Republican primary. Politically speaking, this might be the wrong hill to die on. Morally, though, this is exactly the right fight to have. If the Republican Party is going to bill themselves as strict constructionists with regards to the Constitution, someone has to call them on this unexpected flexibility regarding the Fourth Amendment. Paul almost certainly will not endear himself to the whole of the Republican Party, but he should ask if the party would accept similar legislation affecting the First Amendment, or the Tenth, or the Second.
It seems most likely that the Patriot Act will be back in full force very soon. The lapse we’ve seen is mostly an effect of arcane parliamentary procedure. But, that doesn’t mean that it was all for nothing. Nor does it mean that things will never change. What Paul has done (aside from offering ammunition to his critics) is to ensure that we will have a conversation about the Patriot Act, and how it has been applied, this election cycle. Hopefully, that will make some small difference.
Last WordWith Kelly Colby
You can read more from Kelly Colby at yourfirstshrug.blogspot.com.
1390 McQueeney Rd, New Braunfels830-625-0045 or wateringholesaloon.comLike us on FB Watering Hole Saloon & Dancehall
Est. 1986
Dust off your dancing shoes and head over to NB’s largest dance floor.
Saturday DJ Dance @ 9pmSunday
Happy Hour ALL DayMonday
FREE DARTS & POOLTuesday
LIVE MUSIC @ 7pmWednesday
LADIES NIGHTFree Pool & JukeboxThursday
KARAOKE
9103 FM 1102“San Braunfels” (Hunter, TX)
512.667.7510happycowhuntertx.com
HAPPY COWB A R & G R I L L
ThursdayCow-E-Oke
FridayFools of the Trade
SaturdayMoose Fest 2015
Music from noon until midnight!
Watch the NBA Finals on our 125" screen!
Kitchen Hours 11-2 & 5:30-10pm Mon-Thurs
11-10pm Fri-Sun
Between the 2nd & 3rd CrossingOn site at Kane's Ol river Hideawaykooziesicehouse.comkooziesicehouse.com
ISAAC JACOB ISAAC JACOB Kori Free & the Groove HoundsKori Free & the Groove Hounds
THURSDAY Kori Free and the
Groove Hounds @ 7pm Open Mic Night
with "Country" @ 9pm
FRI & SATURDAYTwo Night Engagement w/ Isaac Jacob this weekend!Isaac performs Friday and
Saturday nights @ 8pm
SUNDAY Kori Free and the Groove Hounds are Back for a Second
Time @ 2pm
THE RIVER IS RUNNING! Enjoy the mighty Guadalupe at Koozies Ice House and Grill!
What else is happening at Koozies this week?
Water level permitting, FLOAT from Koozies Ice House and Grill this weekend and enjoy a burger, fries, and iced tea before or after your ride, for only $25! Includes toob and shuttle!
If the flow is RAGIN’, call 830-660-7328 to reserve a spot on a guided raft trip with one of
Koozies expert guides, and enjoy the Ride of Your Life on the Guadalupe River! GUIDED RAFT RIDE SPACE IS LIMITED SO MAKE YOUR RESERVATION TODAY!
OROR
