Life in the Flow Lane

Messages from the Chairman and the President

Dr. Longley Helped Initiate Tubing the River

NewDocumentary ‘Yakona’ Explores River

Eyes on the Sky - Commemorative Air Force

TXI Cementing Their Legacy

Nothing but Blue Skies at Airport

Star Park to House Cutting Edge Researchand Entrepreneurial Businesses

No Place Like Home forMark Eads

High Atop the Hill, University Continues to Grow

New Performing Arts Center State of the Art

SanMarcos CISDBuilding Bright Futures

Private Schools Serving Families for Generations

Greenspaces Add Quality of Life

SanMarcos Outlet Malls Our Tourism Treasure

Guide to the Arts

Texas State Movin’ on Up to FBS

Fun Places to Visit in SanMarcos

TexasMusic Theater Makes Good Use of Old Space on the Square

Alphabetical Directory of Members

Classified Directory of Members

Advertiser Index

Tae of ContentsThe GUIDE is published

and provided free of chargeto all visitors and newcomers

as part of the Chamberʼsrelocation packets.

Copies are available at the:

San Marcos AreaChamber of Commerce202 N. C.M. Allen Parkway

P.O. Box 2310San Marcos, TX 78667

512-393-5900www.SanMarcosTexas.com

chamber@sanmarcostexas.com

The GUIDE is produced anddistributed as a service to

the members of the San Marcos AreaChamber of Commerce,

their friends and customers.

Partnering OrganizationsSan Marcos Convention

and Visitor Bureau617 IH 35 North

San Marcos, TX 78666512-393-5930

www.toursanmarcos.com

Greater San Marcos Partnership1340 Wonder World Drive, Suite 108

San Marcos, TX 78666www.greatersanmarcos.com

San Marcos Daily RecordGUIDE Editor

JEFF WALKERGUIDE Contributors

ANITA MILLERDAVID SHORT

BIB UNDERWOODRANDY STEVENSMICHELE MILLER

GUIDE Creative DirectorKAREN RAY

GUIDE DesignersBRANDON BOWLING

LEA ANN WATSONPHOTOGRAPHY BY

JEFF WALKERDAVID SHORT

GERALD CASTILLOKEVIN STILLMAN

***** www.SanMarcosTexas.com

Photos courtesyof the San Marcos Convention

and Visitor Bureau& The San Marcos Daily Record

On the cover: Tubing the San MarcosRiver continues to be a refreshingtradition for San Marcos residentsand visitors alike. The spring-fedwaterway lures thousands of river

enthusiasts every year.

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GuideThe 2012

To EverythingSanMarcos

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Lifein the

FFlloowwLane

he water that flows in thecrystal-clear San MarcosRiver is ever-changing; yetthe stream itself is a pres-ence eternal.

It was flowing when the GreatPyramid of Egypt was built; it washere to greet Native Americans whoarrived about that same time andwho, upon discovering the richresource, abandoned their nomadicways where the great springs, somebelieve, bubbled above the surfacein a fresh-water geyser.

GUIDE TO RECREATION

BY ANITA MILLER

The San Marcos River has, is and always will be the

lifeblood of the community

T

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The river was here whenEuropean settlers first arrived andrealized they could dam it andharness the energy of the 72-degree water to power gristmills.

It was here when Texian armiesbattled Santa Anna’s forces for thefuture of Texas; in fact, much ofthe land near the springs and thelake the dam formed were given inland grants to Juan Veramendi,who was the father-in-law ofAlamo hero Jim Bowie.

It is normally placid, with longstrains of Texas Wild Rice andother aquatic plants gently wav-ing. The stream — at certain times— actually babbles, soundingalmost like a soft voice of a beck-

oning human.Dubbed the “River of Innocence”

by the Tonkawa and other tribeswho settled here, the river thatserves as the city of San Marcos’lifeblood was renamed for St.Mark by a Spaniard who cameacross it on that saint’s Feast Day.

On occasion it turns angry, ris-ing in a brown tide when rainsinundate the Hill Country and thewatershed of Sink Springs.Floodwaters and debris surgedownstream during those events,leaving the riverbed scoured andthe plants that

7

See RIVER page 12

The San Marcos River is a place of ever-changing beauty, andwas here when the pyramids in Egypt were built.

(Photos courtesy of yakona.org)

n behalf of the Membership, Board of Directorsand Staff of the San Marcos Area Chamber ofCommerce, welcome to the beautiful San Marcosarea. Inside this Guide, you’ll find informationabout member businesses and organizationsrelocating to the San Marcos area and articlesabout some of the people who call our area

home. Please use this guide as your resource forlocating and contacting businesses in our community.It’s a “one-stop” publication for both residents and futureresidents.The San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce is a thriving

700+ member organization with programs and eventsdesigned to involve our members no matter the size of theirbusiness. If you’d like to consider joining the Chamber,simply call 512-393-5900 or log on to our website atwww.SanMarcosTexas.com; there you will find more informa-tion about the San Marcos area.Whether you are visiting or relocating, thank you for

reading through The Guide to Everything San Marcos.

Dan Stauffer

Letter from the Chairman of the Board

San Marcos Daily Recordsanmarcosrecord.com1910 IH 35 South

San Marcos, TX 78666 512-392-2458

100 Years of Service Our family invites your family to join us for a special celebration of community

Tell us about your family history and let us include your story in our special centennial book. Readers whosubmit stories can, for $90, secure a copy of this historic hardback as well as a year’s subscription to our printand digital editions. Start writing your story today, be sure to include pictures.Share your family’s storywith San Marcos.

O

Letter from the Chamber Presidents President of the San Marcos Area Chamberof Commerce, it gives me great pleasure tointroduce you to the dynamic San Marcosbusiness community through the pages of ourGuide to Everything San Marcos. As you lookthrough the pages of this book, you’ll seemember businesses who actively want to do

business with you! You’ll find organizations waiting to getyou involved! You’ll learn about some of the women andmen who make a difference in our community, and finduseful information, especially if you’re looking to relocate.Don’t hesitate to keep your copy of The Guide to

Everything San Marcos; feel free to pass it on to someoneyou know who may want to learn more about our tremen-dous community. San Marcos, We’d Love Your Company.

A

Brian J. Bondy, I.O.M.

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BY JEFF WALKER

n both recreation andresearch, Dr. Glenn Longleyhas been a special friend tothe San Marcos River fordecades.In 1977, the then-presi-

dent of the San Marcos LionsClub was sitting out on a

deck over the Comal River watchingtubers go down, when he decided thatSan Marcos could do something simi-lar. With his help, it did.He was also featured in the 1982

film “The River of Innocence” aboutthe San Marcos River.And as the director of the Edwards

Aquifer Research and Data Center atTexas State University, Longleyremains devoted to protecting and bet-ter understanding both the aquiferand the river.“The river has been very much a

part of my life for a long time,”Longley said.Longley first came to San Marcos

with his wife in 1961 as a student.After graduating in 1964, he returnedto teach biology in 1969, about thesame time the Aquatic Program wasstarting at the Old Fish Hatchery.Longley says he’s always taken an

interest in the well being of things inand around the river.“I got started studying the aquifer

organisms back in the mid 1970swhen no one else was particularlyinterested in what was coming out ofthe artisan well out here,” he said.In 1977, Longley and other Lion’s

Club members were at a mid-winterconference in New Braunfels whenthey noticed tubers paying money toride down the Comal River there.“I got to thinking, ‘our river is pret-

tier, why can't we do something likethat to make money?” Longley said.“When we got back at our next Lionsmeeting I suggested members look intheir garage for old innertubes andeveryone brought them.”One of the members, a local veteri-

narian, even donated a cattle trailerthat Longley chained to the light poleon the corner of University and

Sessom. It was there that the 200 orso tubes were stored every night.“As you can imagine, we had to let

the air out of them every day. It wasnot the ideal situation, but it wasworth it. So anyway, that summer Ithink we made $5,000 or so,” Longleysaid.The next summer, the Lions Club

converted the old ice house to a roomto store tubes, and a Southwest TexasState ag student converted a flat bedtrailer to a river taxi.After the university bought the old

house, the Lions moved to city park,where they rented tubes until a fire atthe facility in the spring of 2009.In 1979 Longley was named director

of the Edwards Aquifer Research andData Center. Longley became one ofthe first aquatic biologists to begincollecting samples from the aquifer,with some very exciting discoveriesfrom the beginning.“Some people have heard the story,

I placed a pair of my wife’s panty hoseover the discharge from the Artisanwell, that was our first net, and it wasquite successful,” Longley said. “Webegan catching critters coming out ofthe aquifer — we got blind salaman-ders that hadn't been collected sincethe turn of the century. We got 40 orso species of invertebrates, many ofwhich were new.”Most recently, Longley has been

involved with the Edwards AquiferRecovery Implementation Program, acollaborative plan to protect federally-listed species in the Aquifer and main-taining its flow. Longley credits thework of Dr. Robert Gulley of theEARIP board and others for the workthat continues to be done.Recently, the Edwards Aquifer

Authority approved a HabitatConservation Plan designed to specifi-cally protect threatened and endan-gered species in the Comal and SanMarcos springs.“It’s just amazzing to finally get peo-

ple in the region working together. Thebiggest issue is trying to keep the riverflowing. This EARIP process is thebest thing that’s happened, because italmost ensures that this will happen,”Longley said.And Longley glances briefly out his

window, situated across the road fromthe headwaters of the San MarcosRiver — an entity he’s been so close tofor so long.“The river is still a beautiful

resource,” he said. “It’s always been abeautiful place to recreate and abeautiful natural resource that needsto be preserved.”

GUIDE TO RECREATION

Longley helped initiate tubing on river

IDr. Glenn Longley has loved theriver since he came here in 1961.

Glenn Longley was one of the firstbiologists here to study the organ-isms found along the San Marcos

Springs in the 1970s.(Photo courtesy of yakona.org)

12

GUIDE TO RECREATION

once waved beneath it hanging from tree limbs.As American troops were returning from combat in

World War II and American families began birthing theBaby Boom generation, the San Marcos River was a sceneof recreation. In the area now known as Rio Vista Parkthere were pavilions and organized water games.Upstream, of course, was Aquarena Springs, the world-known resort where Mermaids drank Coca Cola underwa-ter and Ralph the Swimming Pig performed for folks seatedin the Submarine Theater.During the 1960s and early 1970s, homes along the San

Marcos River through the city were torn down as part ofUrban Renewal, and neighborhoods were replaced by aseries of parks. Today, there is public access at numerouspoints along the stream, allowing residents and visitorsalike the ready opportunity to swim, snorkel, canoe, kayak,fish or simply peer into the hypnotic waters.Those waters house some important life forms. The

Fountain Darter is on the federal Endangered Species list,as are the San Marcos Salamander, Texas Wild Rice andthe Texas Blind Salamander — the latter a snow-whiteamphibian without any eyes that lives solely in theEdwards Aquifer.The presence of the species that exist no where else on

earth has limited some forms of development near and upthe watershed from the San Marcos River; yet the influx ofmore and more people, homes and vehicles continues.In 1996 the old Aquarena Springs resort was acquired

by Texas State University, which set out to change its mis-sion to education. In 2002, the university established theInternational Institute for Sustainable Water Resources.Three years later, the name was changed to the RiverSystems Institute, dedicated to “projects and programs onthe primary importance of river systems in the hydrologiccycle.”The San Marcos Springs, unlike their cousin Comal sys-

tem to the south, have never been known to fail. Theirpreservation in these times of record-setting drought hasengaged residents, cities and law makers. Currently, fin-ishing touches are being put on an Edwards AquiferRecovery Implementation Program (EARIP) that, once stateand federal authorities sign off, would enact measures toensure the stream will survive and carry enough waterdownstream so fragile coastal estuaries will also thrive,while at the same time satisfying the thirst of a growingpopulation.Another major change surrounding the headwaters is

now underway at Aquarena Center. Virtually all structuresexcept the old hotel, where the River Systems Institute isnow housed, will be removed, and the area restored to amore natural state.Unchanged, though, will be what’s always been — clear,

cool water gushing from the earth.

New film captures beauty of riverBY ANITA MILLER

ne of the most beauti-ful things about theSan Marcos River isthat anyone can enjoyits cool, clear waters.A series of public

parks makes for readyaccess and a constant72 degree temperature

allows swimming year-round. Forexample, each New Years Day, resi-dents “leap” into the spring from thebank at Texas State University’sSewell Park.There’s a similar opportunity for

residents regarding a film about theriver now in production.“Yakona,” which means “rising

waters” in the language of theTonkawa, won’t debut until the fall of2012. But filmmakers Paul Collins,Dean Brennan and Anlo Sepulvedaare hoping to engage residents wholove the San Marcos River — andperhaps to coax a little bit of cashfrom their pockets.“We’re just kind of doing it slowly,

going through a pledge campaign,”Collins said. Those who wish tobecome part of the film can do so in

a number of ways.For example, there’s a page on

Facebook that goes to the film’sbreathtaking trailer. From there it’sjust a couple of clicks to a site wheredonations can be made.Collins noted that a similar link

exists on the web page of the AustinFilm Society, an organization thathelped provide initial grant fundingfor the venture.The filmmakers have shot more

than 100 hours of footage on, alongand under the river and the surfaceof Spring Lake.They’ve filmed at night and in

slow-motion. They’re getting the wordout, Collins said.And for those who’ve heard and

seen what they have to say, next fallseems like a very long time fromnow.View the trailer, and learn more, at

www.yakona.org.

RRIIVVEERR

(Continued from page 7)

Texas Wild Rice, above, is one of thetreasured life forms in the river.(Photo courtesy of yakona.org)

OMORE ABOUT YAKONA: View the

trailer and learn more about the filmat www.yakona.org.

www.toursanmarcos.com | 512.393.5930 facebook.com/toursanmarcos

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14

GUIDE TO RECREATION

Commemorative Air Force Museum storesmemories, legacies of World War II pilots

BY JEFF WALKER

ost every visitor saysthe same thing whenthey’re inside theCAF museum andsee the photographof the P-38 planefrozen in Ice.“Everybody’s reac-

tion is, ‘What is that?’” Col. ClintEpley, Navy Vietnam Veteran and res-ident museum expert, said.And, rest assured, Epley is happy

to oblige. He never tires of telling thestory of “Glacier Girl.”On July 15, 1942, six American P-

38s and two B-17 bombers took offfrom Presque Isle Air Base in Maineheaded for the UK. After a life-threat-ening landing of the entire squadron

on a Greenland ice cap, the crew wasrescued and returned home safely,leaving the planes behind.But 50 years later, a group of avia-

tion enthusiasts set out to locate theplanes, now buried under 25 storiesof ice and driven more than a milefrom their original landing spot. Oneof those planes was removed from theice and eventually completely restoredto flying condition.The story’s just one of countless

that Epley can share at the museum,located inside the Commemorative AirForce Hangar at the San MarcosMunicipal Airport. The museum — aswell as the vintage planes constantlybeing worked on inside the hangar —are filled with treasures from theWorld War II era, keeping the memoryof the soldiers and their stories alive

and well.“They were called the Greatest

Generation for a reason,” Epley said.

Eyes on the Sky

The CAF is home to restored planesand artifacts of all kinds. (Photos byDavid Short)

See AIR FORCE page 25

M

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ustainable manufacturingand continuous improve-ment of efficiency in opera-tions is a key reason thatTXI Hunter Cement hasbeen a leader in thecement industry. And withexpansion of a second line

nearing completion, overall productionwill soon double.“We’ve been here over 30 years and

been a good neighbor of our sur-rounding communities,” CliftonStapleton, plant manager, said, “andwe intend to be forever.”“We’re building a waterline to us,

effluent water from San Marcos, thususing less from the Edwards Aquifer.And we’ve been using materials thatwould otherwise have gone to landfillsas alternative energy sources here atthe plant.”

Some of the materials which TXIHunter Cement has recycled as energysources include tire chips and pecanhusks as well as other non-hazardouswaste materials.“CemStar, which uses a waste by-

product from steel manufacturingcalled slag, was developed and patent-ed by TXI and is used as a raw mate-rial for making cement today,”Stapleton said.Efforts like these resulted in recog-

nition by the EPA, which has honoredTXI with awards including the 1999Climate Protection Award and ClimateWise Special Recognition award,among others.With 106 current employees,

Stapleton said the plant will hire anadditional 25 employees once theexpansion is complete.“And we have good jobs ranging

from chemical engineers, mechanicalengineers and others with specializeddegrees to jobs for those with just ahigh school diploma. Many of ouremployees have been with us for sev-

S

CCeemmeennttiinnggtheir Legacy Production will soon double

at TXI with ongoing expansion

Limestone, clay and sand arestored in a raw materials barn at

TXI.

See TXI page 27

GUIDE TO MANUFACTURING

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For more information or to schedule your personal visit, call (512) 392-7200 today!

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BY DAVID SHORT

edbird Skyport is nowthe largest manufactur-er in the world of flightsimulators, a remark-able start for a compa-ny in less than threeyears.

And they are gainingan international presence too as morethan 200 flight simulators have beensold in more than 24 countries todate.

With the new facility at San MarcosMunicipal Airport, the future is verybright for the company which is onthe cutting edge of new technology inthe aviation industry for trainingpilots.

“Besides simulator training, whichsaves potential pilots thousands ofdollars in license costs, RedbirdSkyport has a conference room,restaurant, pilot lounge and full serv-ice FBO (fixed base operator) to meetthe needs of aircraft owners cominghere,” Randy Clark, general managerof Redbird Skyport, said.

Clark said Redbird Skyport is inmany ways an aviation laboratorywhere new designs and modificationsto flight simulators will continuouslytake place, all with the aim of cuttingcosts for those wishing to earn theirprivate pilots license.

Training and certification at thefacility ranges from basic private pilotall the way up to Airline TransportPilot, and the learning process foreach is accelerated through the use oftheir flight simulators, all FAAapproved.

A full service FBO is designed com-pletely with pilots in mind. State-of-the-art facilities including weatherand planning information, mainte-nance and fuel or just a lounge torelax in are just some of the optionsavailable.

Whether students in flight training,corporate gatherings or just individu-als visiting, the Skyport Galley is anon site restaurant that provides sever-al menu options to accommodate thehungry.

Redbird Skyport is also fast becom-ing a “destination site” for other gath-

erings too. The large accommodatingfacilities are open to companies andorganizations which can hold gather-ings, training sessions and teambuilding events at Redbird. Whilethere the visiting companies can usepart of their day to experience the

thrill of flight, both in simulators andin the air, if they choose.

“It’s the kind of experience that willhave people talking about companyevents for years to come,” Clark said.

Clark said the facility is also avail-able for individuals and other groupsincluding birthdays, graduations andwedding receptions.

And Redbird represents a financialboon to the city of San Marcos too.Not only will the city benefit from theincreased sale of aviation fuel and ajobs payroll at Redbird estimated tobe in the $1.2 to $1.5 million per yearrange locally, but with students com-ing for training Clark estimates theywill fill upwards of 4,500 local hotelnights in San Marcos each year.

GUIDE TO MANUFACTURING

Nothing but blue skies at airportBusiness is soaring for Redbird Skyport withmore than 200 flight simulators sold in three years

Housed at the San Marcos Municipal Airport, Redbird Skyport is in manyways an aviation laboratory where new designs and modifications to flightsimulators will continuously take place, all with the aim of cutting costs forthose wishing to earn their private pilots license. (Photo by David Short)

“...Redbird Skyport has aconference room,

restaurant, pilot loungeand full service FBO (fixedbase operator) to meet theneeds of aircraft owners

coming here.”— General Manager

Randy Clark

R

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BY DAVID SHORT

tar Park may not be a wellknown name right now,but soon it will be and notjust in San Marcos.

Located at the corner ofHunter Road and McCartyLane, the Texas StateUniversity property will

soon house a new $7 million buildingnow under construction that willturn out cutting edge technology andentrepreneurial businesses.

Texas State will also be offering aPh.D. program in Materials Science,Engineering and Commercializationdesigned “to produce doctoral levelscientists who will contribute to theresearch and development of materi-als to be used in the next generationof electronics, medicines, plastics,sensors and renewable energy”according to the university.

“This exciting new doctoral pro-gram couples commercialization withscience and engineering, exemplify-ing Texas State’s focus on appliedresearch and industrial outreach,”Dr. Eugene Bourgeois, Texas Stateprovost and vice president of aca-demic affairs, said. “Graduates ofthis program will be tomorrow’s sci-entific innovators and entrepre-neurs.”

The 38-acre Star Park is designedto give both university and commer-

cial tenants the availability of officespace, clean rooms and wet labs.Serving as an incubator, and with

interdisciplinary partnership with theMcCoy College of Business at TexasState, the facility will be an incuba-tor for start-up and early-stage busi-nesses including those in the greenand bio-technology fields.

“This building will house ‘spin-offs’from research conducted and intel-

Tech world on the rise in San MarcosTexas State University-owned Star Park to housecutting edge research and entrepreneurial businesses

Texas State University president Denise Trauth speaks about the newtechnology center now being built on McCarty Lane.

GUIDE TO TECHNOLOGY

The 38-acre Star Park isdesigned to give both universityand commercial tenants theavailability of office space, cleanrooms and wet labs. (Photos byChandler Prude)

S

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See STAR page 31

GUIDE TO EDUCATION

BY JEFF WALKER

ark Eads and his wifeShawna had onlybeen in town a fewweeks when, oneafternoon, they werewalking arounddowntown SanMarcos. Multiple peo-

ple, presumably unaware of who hewas, stopped to ask if they could helpthe couple find their destination.

In the first month of his job as SanMarcos CISD superintendent, parents,business owners and even former par-ents of students were stopping by hisoffice offering their services.

It’s that kind of welcoming attitudeand community support that makesEads feel at home.

And it’s precisely why Mark Eadsconsiders San Marcos one of the bestkept secrets in Texas.

“That first month, people were com-ing into the office, sitting down andtelling me they were here to help,” Eadssaid. “That is unprecedented. That’snever happened to me in my career.They weren’t trying to get my business.They were just offering their help.”

Eads, who took over superintendentduties in May 2011, hopes to continuethe momentum of recent years with

HOMENo Place Like San Marcos CISD Superintendent Mark

Eads, welcomed by supportivecommunity, looks to stay awhile

Mark Eads fist bumps Travis Elementary Kindergartengraduate Alyssa Herrera. (Photos courtesy of San MarcosCISD)

22

See EADS page 24

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San Marcos CISD, by both dispelling oldimages about the district and implementingnew programs that he says will continue tobring positive attention to San Marcos CISD.One of the new initiatives Eads inherited

is the Academy program at the high school,in which students, after their freshmanyear, choose one of four areas of study(applied sciences, business law, health serv-ices and hospitality). This allows the kids tohave many of the same teachers and workamongst a smaller community of students,“individualizing their educational plan.”“The Academy program is going to put

us on the map at the high school,” Eadssaid. “I think you’re going to see a lot moresuccess with students, and that’s going tofeed off into college and career paths.”The San Marcos CISD Superintendent

also hopes to build on relationships withTexas State University. He mentions theuniversity’s award-winning MathWorksProgram going on at Miller Junior High asjust one example of the two entities work-ing together.“Texas State is in our back yard and

that’s a gift to us. We are using them —and we’re going to use them a lot more,”Eads said. “I’m talking with people at theuniversity weekly on one project or anoth-er.”Eads earned a Bachelor of Business

Administration from Corpus Christi StateUniversity (now Texas A&M CorpusChristi) and a Master of Science inEducation from A&M Corpus. He wentinto the banking field and stayed there forfive years before deciding to teach. He wasa classroom teacher and assistant princi-pal with Tuloso Midway ISD in CorpusChristi, from 1990-1995, and taught fortwo years with the Alice ISD in Alice.In 1995, he took a principalship in

Medina. In 2000, Eads went to work forRegion 20 of the Education ServicesCenter, which services all the school dis-tricts in the state.“There was a disconnect there, because I

was not tied to any district. I wanted oneto call my own,” Eads said. “The superin-tendent in Medina Valley offered me a jobthat grew into an assistant superintendentposition.”He promised his kids he would never

become superintendent while they werestill in school. In December 2008, afterhis son graduated from high school, hetook the Superintendent job in Snyder.He and his wife have been married for

30 years. They have two daughters and ason: Amanda, Megan, and Tyler — allgraduates of Texas A&M.He and Shawna feel fortunate to be in

San Marcos: A place they proudly callhome.“The fact is, it’s fun here. San Marcos

is just a fun place to be,” Eads said.

Mark Eads(above), dressedin karate attire,leads the Fall intoReading Paradeat HernandezElementary. Atleft, Eads speakswith membersof theSuperintendentStudent AdvisoryCouncil (SAC)that meets sever-al times a yearduring lunch todiscuss campusissues.

EEAADDSS

(Continued from page 22)

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“The mission of the CAF is to restore and maintain theaircraft from World Word II, and to educate people aboutthat period of time. We need to keep the memory of thoseplanes that were flown and the people who flew them aliveso we won’t forget.”The Centex Wing, located in a 1943 vintage wooden

hangar, offers visitors a WWII Artifacts Exhibit and a dis-play dedicated to the Doolittle Raiders.Aircrafts on site include a very rare flying P-39 Bell

Airacobra, P-40 Warhawk, Lockheed T-33 jet trainer, PT-17 Stearman WWII trainer, two WWII Liaison spotterplanes and a T-34 Mentor trainer. Replicas include a CAFJapanese "Kate" torpedo bomber and a Japanese Zero,built for the movie, Tora, Tora, Tora.Admission is $3 per person (kids under 6 are admitted

free). Located on the grounds of the San Marcos Airport;follow the Perimeter Road along the fence to the end tofind the big Centex hangar.Epley, who enlisted into the Navy in 1968 and flew a

EP-3 in Vietnam missions from the Philippines toThailand, joined the CAF in 1999 and has become theunofficial tour guide inside the CAF’s museum. There areartifacts, almost all of them donated, from the DoolittleRaiders, the Tuskegee Airmen, items from the old EdwardGary Air Force Base and a model from the aircraft carrierthat particpated in the Battle of Midway.“I could spend three hours taking you through there

and explaining things,” Epley said. “World War II was atremendous effort. People need to know what happened,and what the people went through.”

AAIIRR FFOORRCCEE

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26

exas StateUniversity offersthe opportuni-ties and excite-ment of a largeuniversity in arelaxed and

friendly setting on the mostbeautiful campus in the state.With 32,572 students,

Texas State is the sixth-largest university in Texas,offering 97 bachelor’s, 89master’s and nine doctoraldegree programs in disciplinesas diverse as geography,aquatic biology, electrical

High atop

HILLthe

Texas State University remains alarge university in a relaxed setting

T

GUIDE TO EDUCATION

The castle-like Old Main Building was the firstfacility built on campus in the fall of 1903.

THE HISTORYBEHIND OLD MAIN

See HILL page 31

• This red-roofed, castle-like landmarkwas Texas Stateʼs first building — anduntil 1908, the only campus structure.Designed by architect E. Northcraft,Old Main was built in a style known asVictorian Gothic.

• The building opened in time for thefirst classes in fall 1903. As other build-ings were added, Old Main served asTexas Stateʼs administration building.

• Old Main has undergone many reno-vations. Originally, most of the secondfloor was a large auditorium/chapel,with an ornately carved and filigreedcathedral ceiling. With a stage at oneend and a balcony at the other, this iswhere general assemblies, plays andpresentations were held.

• The auditorium was subdivided intosmaller rooms in the 1972 renovation,and in 1988, a floor was added at thebalcony level. However, the remnantsof the ornate ceiling are still visible onthe third floor. An extensive restorationin 1993-94 returned the famous roof toits original style and color.

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eral years,” Stapleton said.Beyond efficiency in actual plant operations, the compa-

ny is committed to providing clients with environmentallysound products. SuperSlurry is a cement based liquidslurry used to recycle worn asphalt pavements and can doso without the necessity of hauling large amounts of mate-rial to off-site locations.Minimal dusting, lower emissions impact with hauling

equipment, faster turnaround on repair projects, lowercosts and improved performance of the resurfaced layers

are just some of the benefits from SuperSlurry.TXI Hunter Cement also has a new type of concrete that

is fast becoming popular with clients and holds tremen-dous benefit to the environment. Pervious concrete pave-ment is manufactured so that it will allow water to actuallypenetrate the concrete and go directly into the ground.In so doing, it means there is less stormwater runoff into

area lakes and streams, improved water quality throughinfiltration, conservation of water and help in replenishingaquifers and less need for retention basins.Sustainability. Recycling. Eco-efficiency. Environmental

responsibility. Words that TXI Hunter Cement is commit-ted to and lives by on a daily basis.

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27

GUIDE TO EDUCATION

State of theARTS The new facility, set to open in Spring

2014, will include a 400-seat theatreand a 300-seat recital hall.

BY JEFF WALKER

hen the doors open to the newPerforming Arts Center at TexasState University in Spring 2014,it won’t be just any door thatswings open.

Spanish artist Miguel Zapatais traveling back and forth from Spain to Texasto work on a 12-foot bronze “Texas Door” thatwill depict the proud history of Texas when it

welcomes visitors to the new center. Scenes illustrated onthe sculpture will include The Alamo, General Sam Houston,the surrender of Santa Anna and the Capitol of Texas.

The initials GTT — Gone To Texas, a common sights ongates and fence posts in the southeast United States in 1830— will be included at the top of the door.

The door is just a small piece of the facilityin progress on University Drive, which fea-

tures a 400-seat theater and a 300-seatrecital hall, along with rehearsalspaces, staging areas and a grandlobby.

“I think the thing that has both-ered me most in my 26 years asdean has been the complaint fromtownspeople who have wanted tocome to an event but wonderedhow they get there and how theywill park,” former Dean of theCollege of Fine Arts and

Communication Dr. RichardCheatham said. “By building this

facility literally on the door step of thecampus, we will have both the parking

and the facility to really make the arts a

New Performing Arts Centerat Texas State adds a Texas touchwith 12-foot door sculpture

The photos surrounding the door show artistMiguel Zapata and his work step by step.

28

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prominent part of the San Marcos community.”A 455-space parking garage is included in the construc-

tion plans with easy access to the venue. Cheatham saidthat the 41-year-old theatre currently being used is ham-pered by limited space and obsolete technical capabili-bities.

“If you can just stop and think of digital equipmentchanges, we’ve tried to add a few bells and whistles hereand there, but we’ve by no means had the type of theatrethat our students need to work on when they go on towork professionally,” Cheatham said. “The new centerwill truly be a state-of-the-art theatre facility from thetechnical side.”

The cost of the Performing Arts Center is $43 million.A lead gift of $8 million for the project was given by thePatti S. Harrison Foundation of Wimberley. Harrison’sgift in 2008 set the project in motion. When the statelegislature declined to issue tuition revenue bonds tocover construction, the university reassessed prioritiesand placed several Campus Master Plan initiatives onhold to cover the balance of the cost. The final funding ismade up of Higher Education Assistance Funds, giftmoney and Texas State University System RevenueFinancing System Revenue Bonds.

Considered a critical need, the Performing Arts Centerwas chosen as one of the five pillars of the university’sPride in Action campaign.

“The importance of the project is evident in the factthat we chose it as one of the five pillars of the Pride inAction campaign,” said Texas State President DeniseTrauth. “All of us are very excited about the newPerforming Arts Center, but no one is more excited thanPatti Harrison. Patti gave us the lead gift for the project— $8 million. Her faith in the vision launched thefundraising for the facility and kept it at the top of our‘must-do’ list.”

30

GUIDE TO EDUCATION

San Marcos CISD building bright futureshe San Marcos publicschool system has beenbuilding brighter futuresfor local children and theirfamilies for at least 134years.While there are historical

references to schools in our communitysince 1846 and throughout the CivilWar, it was in July 1877 that the cityof San Marcos was incorporated, inpart to be able to get governmentalfunding for the local schools. At thattime, an archival notation pertaining toDistrict 25 says that San Marcos had53 students and four trustees.In 1885, the public schools became

an independent school district: SanMarcos ISD. Years later, the Districtconsolidated with Martindale, andbecame the San Marcos ConsolidatedIndependent School District, as it isknown today.The first superintendent was J.M.

Skinner who served for six years (1897-1903). Following him have been 22dedicated men and women of varyingyears of service. Fred Kaderli (1937-1953) served the longest with 16 years.The current Superintendent is Mark E.Eads who joined SMCISD in May 2011.George M. Sims (1908-1913) holds

the distinction of being both superin-tendent and principal of San MarcosHigh School for one year, before Ed M.Day came on in 1909 to assume theleadership of the high school. Thelongest serving SMHS principal wasYancy P. Yarbrough who served for 30years (1937-1967).San Marcos CISD celebrated their

130th anniversary in 2007, the sameyear that the new high school openedits doors to students. The district hasgrown from the first record of 53 stu-dents and four trustees to seven electedschool board trustees, and around1,100 teachers, custodians, cafeteriaworkers, nurses, librarians, bus driv-ers, counselors, secretaries and admin-istrators working together for the suc-cess of approximately 7,400 students.Added to that number are the par-

ents, volunteers, community members,businesses, and university staff andstudents who bring additionalresources to the schools.Today there are 12 educational sites

that include six elementary schools(one with the District's Pre-Kindergarten program), two middleschools, one high school, two alterna-tive campuses and a ChildDevelopment Center.

• Eighth grader Charles Vidrineparticipated in the 2011 Mathcountscompetition and made the top 25percent list of Central Texas middleschool aged children.• Back-to-back State Champions,

the San Marcos High SchoolDiamond Line competed in their firstnational competition in March 2011,and brought home the NationalGrand Champions title.• The Diamond Line officers also

brought home the ShowmanshipAward and were named NationalGrand Champions.• San Marcos CISD met the

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)accountability rating.• The Texas Education Agency

designated state ratings included:San Marcos CISD as “Recognized; ”

Bowie and Crockett Elementaryschools as “Exemplary;” De ZavalaElementary, Hernandez Elementary,Travis Elementary, and GoodnightMiddle School as “Recognized;”Mendez Elementary, Miller MiddleSchool, and San Marcos High Schoolas “Academically Acceptable.”• SMHS posted gains in all sub-

ject areas with double-digit gains inmath.

RECENT BRAGGING POINTS FOR SMCISD

San Marcos High School is located on McCarty Lane.

Diamond Line Dance Team

T

engineering, criminal jus-tice and mass communi-cation.The university’s fresh-

man retention and six-year graduation ratesrank among the top insti-tutions in the state.Students come from vir-

tually every county inTexas, as well as 47states and 73nations. The university isethnically diverse, withminorities making upmore than a third of thestudent body. HispanicOutlook ranks TexasState 14th in the nationfor the number of bache-lor's degrees awarded toHispanic students.In March 2011, the

U.S. Department ofEducation officially recog-nized Texas State as aHispanic ServingInstitution (HSI). Toreceive the HSI designa-

tion, an institution musthave an enrollment ofundergraduate studentsthat is at least 25 percentHispanic. The designationmakes Texas State eligibleto apply for federal grantsthat will benefit all stu-dents.Research and develop-

ment expenditures atTexas State have morethan tripled in the pastfive years. The universitynow ranks ninth amongall Texas public institu-tions in restrictedresearch expenditures,and has nationally recog-nized projects focusing onwater resources, nan-otechnology, geospatialintelligence, cancer, first-responder training andforensic anthropology.Texas State's faculty

members excel in theclassroom. Eighteenmembers of the faculty

have been honored asPiper Professors for theirsuperior teaching, one ofthe most prestigious hon-ors a faculty member canreceive in Texas.The university’s athlet-

ic teams will be makingthe biggest change inschool history this yearwhen the Bobcats moveup to the Football BowlSubdivision and join theWestern AthleticConference. In anticipa-tion of the change,Bobcat Stadium is beingexpanded to seat 30,000,and Texas State hasscheduled home footballgames against nationalpowers Navy, Nevada andWyoming in the comingyears.Texas State has been

part of the San Marcoscommunity for more thana century, a partnershipthe university values.

lectual property generat-ed by university faculty,and ‘spin-ins’ from com-panies outside the statethat want to come in andstrategically work withTexas State,” accordingto the university.RampCorp, which

helps entrepreneurslaunch scalable ventures,will also be housed inthe facility.The coaching and

incubator program hasalready been operatingsuccessfully in otherfacilities and in just thepast year has helped 12people launch new com-panies as well as threeothers grow currentones.Participants in

RampCorp gain the toolsnecessary for running ascalable business includ-ing startup, funding andexpansion.

HHIILLLL

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GUIDE TO EDUCATION

he private schools avail-able in San Marcos providestrong academic programsthat are incorporated into avalue-oriented environ-ment. Many of our private

schools have been serving the familiesof our community for generations whileothers have been established morerecently.

SAN MARCOS ACADEMYSan Marcos Academy (SMA) was

founded in 1907 and is a fully accred-ited co-educational boarding and dayschool for students in grades 7-12.The mission of San Marcos Academyis to educate young men and womenwithin a nurturing community basedupon Christian values.The Academy offers a college

preparatory curriculum, featuring avariety of dual-credit college courses;pre-AP and AP courses; a LearningSkills program for students with mildto moderate learning differences; andEnglish as a Second Language pro-gram for international students.In addition to preparing students

academically, the Academy provides acomprehensive athletic program, lead-ership training, Christian ministryand service opportunities, a strongfine arts department, an equestrianand 4-H program and a wide variety ofextra-curricular activities to enhancethe overall educational experience.San Marcos Academy is affiliated

with Texas Baptists through theBaptist General Convention of Texas.

WONDERLAND SCHOOLWonderland School was established

in 1965 and is a privately-owned,state approved school serving morethan 200 students from age three tosixth grade.With an extraordinary staff of certi-

fied teachers, Wonderland School pro-vides an atmosphere that promotesthe highest intellectual, social, moraland physical development of each stu-dent.Mastery of basic skills is achieved

by following a curriculum with hands-on experiences and guided learning.After-school care is also available.

SAN MARCOSMONTESSORI SCHOOLEstablished in 1984, San Marcos

Montessori School (SMMS) is in asso-ciation with the accredited TexasMontessori Education Center and hasbeen a positive influence on the com-munity and surrounding areas.SMMS enforces the Montessori

System as the primary learning tech-nique which is used to develop achild's natural abilities. This particu-lar method promotes autonomyamong the students while encouragingthem to utilize their senses. Openingsare mainly given to children who arethree years of age, but interviews areoffered for prospective students fouryears and older.

THE MASTER’S SCHOOLThe Master's School, a member of

the Association of Christian SchoolsInternational and Educational Records

Bureau, was founded in 1993.Students in grades K-7 are presentedwith educational opportunities in aChristian setting.Under the academic curriculum,

students will learn to comprehendcurrent events while developing per-spectives of the future by obtainingknowledge of the past. Progress isevaluated annually through standard-ized testing.

SAN MARCOS ADVENTISTJUNIOR ACADEMYSan Marcos Adventist Junior

Academy is part of the world-wideSeventh-day Adventist school networkand provides excellent education tostudents in Pre-K to twelfth grade.By following a spiritual-oriented

philosophy, students will not onlylearn about academics and religion,they will become empowered to serve.They will develop mentally by learningbasic academic skills and grow spiri-tually by developing a greater appreci-ation for faith and values. After-schoolcare is also available.

HILL COUNTRYCHRISTIAN SCHOOLHill Country Christian School

(HCCS) is a fundamental ministry ofHill Country Church and offers anacademic program for those in gradesK-12 interested in securing Christianeducation.In order to foster character and

spiritual development among stu-dents, faculty and staff work collec-tively with parents and follow a Bible-based, goal-oriented educational cur-riculum.

Private schools serving families for generations

San Marcos Academy is affiliatedwith the Texas Baptists through

the Baptist GeneralConvention of Texas.

San Marcos Academy offers boardingand day school for grades 7-12.

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33

Park it in San Marcos: Greenspaces add to quality of lifeBY BIBB UNDERWOOD

One might presume that theencroaching behemoths from north andsouth, the traffic on IH-35 and theover-populated university have chokedout the city’s green space and madepark development and expansion,impractical, if not impossible.

One would be wrong.In the past few years, San Marcos

has pursued an aggressive program ofacquisition and development of parkland with the goal of creating a systemof nature trails, hike/bike trails andparks encircling the city.

PROSPECT/PURGATORY CREEKPARK is a 350-acre tract that wasacquired a few years ago among nosmall amount of controversy. Therewere many questions about the pricepaid for the land, the city’s ability todevelop it as a park and what kind ofpark it would be. Most of those ques-tions have been answered.

RINGTAIL RIDGE NATURAL AREAis a 40-acre tract, located just offRanch Road 12. There are two trail-heads that serve this area. Approachingthe area from downtown San Marcos,

the first trailhead is located just pastthe Community Baptist Church at1800 RR12. This trail begins immedi-ately off RR12 and leads directly intothe wooded area. The sign designatingthe trail is difficult to see from the road,

so the church is the most prominentlandmark in the area. The secondentrance to the park is between theDakota apartment complex and theCrestview strip center. It is no less diffi-cult to locate than the first. Just lookfor the U-Haul depot and take the dirtroad north for about a quarter-mile.

SPRING LAKE PRESERVE is aprimitive area of about 250 acres thatsits above the headwaters of the SanMarcos River and overlooks the TexasRiver Systems Institute, formerlyAquarena Springs. Like the other twoparks, Spring Lake Preserve hasbecome a park with very little distur-bance of its primitive state.

The main entrance to this park is atthe Texas River Systems Institute. OffAquarena Springs Drive take theentrance to what was formerlyAquarena Springs and continue to theend of the road. Parking is on the left.The trailhead is marked by a widecaliche path that meanders through thethick growth of juniper, cedar,mesquite, scrub oak and prickly pear.

The path has a gentle, but constantincline for about three-quarters of amile.

Cyclists hit the trails at PurgatoryCreek Park. (Photo by GeraldCastillo)

GUIDE TO RECREATION

34

BY DAVID SHORT

ontinuously ranked as one of the top fivetourist attractions in the entire state, theOutlet Malls in San Marcos are a hugebenefit and treasure to the city.

“The Outlet Malls account for 30-35percent of the city’s sales tax revenue,”Rebecca Ybarra-Ramirez, executive direc-

tor of the San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau,said. “Add to that the amount of property tax, waterand wastewater and the Outlet Malls are a major finan-cial asset to the citizens of San Marcos.”

Despite the downturn in the economy the past fewyears, traffic at the malls hasn’t decreased but insteadjust continues to grow. Last year alone close to 11 mil-lion visitors came, and sales have also continued to

Tourism

GUIDE TO RECREATION

TreasureA

San Marcos Outlet Mallscontinuously ranked as top destinationfor shoppers from across state, beyond

See MALLS page 39

C

GUIDE TO THE ARTS

THE WALKERS’ GALLERY

Location:The San Marcos Activity Center501 E. Hopkins StreetSan Marcos, Texas, 78666

Hours:Monday - Thursday: 6: a.m. - 10 p.m.Friday: 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.Saturday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

The rundown:• Opened in 1997, the Activity Center has become a corner-stone of the San Marcos community, as well as the gatewayto our city for thousands of visitors. Along with athletic facil-ities, a variety of classes and programs, many will rememberthe Activity Center fondly as the place they celebrated art atthe Walkers' Gallery.• Adorning the walls of the Activity Center's spacious hallsare artworks from artists throughout the Central Texasregion and beyond. Exhibits are curated every two months,usually with a theme, and most work is available for pur-chase. Every exhibit is celebrated with an artists' reception,often featuring music or other special presentation.• Email sanmarcosarts@yahoo.com for more.

Take in local artat Walkers’ Gallery

GUIDE TO SPORTS

36

BY RANDY STEVENS

hat’s the differencebetween the FBS andFCS?

For Texas StateUniversity, it’s allabout perception.

For those not famil-iar with the ever-changing collegefootball landscape, FBS stands forthe NCAA’s Football BowlSubdivision, while FCS is the FootballChampionship Subdivision. FBS, for-merly Division I-A, includes recogniz-able names like Texas, Texas A&M,Texas Tech, etc.

FCS (formerly Division I-AA) iswhere Texas State used to compete.In the Southland Conference theyplayed smaller and lesser-known outof state schools — aside from SamHouston State and Stephen F.Austin.

And even though Texas State didn’texperience much success at the FCSlevel, the school’s push to move itsfootball program to the FBS levelcame to a culmination in Novemberof 2010 when the Bobcats were invit-ed to become members of theWestern Athletic Conference.

It happened much quicker thanexpected. Thanks to a big overhaul

among FBS conferences, one thatsaw the WAC lose four institutions,Texas State was in the right place atthe right time.

Starting this season the WAC willhave seven football-playing schoolsTexas State, Texas-San Antonio,Louisiana Tech, Idaho, Utah State,San Jose State and New MexicoState.

Members that play all other sportswill include Boise State, Denver,Seattle, Texas-Arlington and DallasBaptist. UTA is scheduled to start

Dennis Franchione is introduced ashead coach at Texas State.

W

Movin’On Up The drive to FBS will be complete this fall

when Texas State University joins theWestern Athletic Conference

See BOBCATS page 38

It’s wonderful to look back... It’s also sensible to move forward.

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38

playing football in 2016.Hence enters another acronym, the

BCS.The Bowl Championship Series is a

group of six conferences given auto-matic berths and guaranteed moneyfrom the more prestigious college bowlgames.The WAC was a BCS member before

losing four football institutions. Butwith only seven current football-play-ing schools, the WAC is not BCS eligi-ble beginning this year, forcing theconference to scour the nation foranother football member.And while State’s move to the WAC

doesn’t put the Bobcats in a big-timeconference, it’s a foot in the door. Nomatter what happens to the WAC,Texas State will remain a FBS pro-gram.Now that you have your fill of

alphabet soup, let’s get back to thereason why Texas State football ismoving up even though the team onlyposted six winning seasons in the last20 years at a lower level. Image is theforemost reason.The university, which is the state’s

fifth-largest and the 47th largest inthe nation with an enrollment of morethat 34,000, has recently struggledwith its perception as a small, direc-tional school, going back to before2003 when the school was calledSouthwest Texas State.That previous perception, according

to university president Dr. DeniseTrauth, hindered the school in manyways, from recruiting faculty to land-ing major research grants — the mainreason for the name change and thepush to the FBS.“All the great public intellectual

centers in this country play at thislevel. There is a connection betweenhow well known the university is,where great faculty and students arerecruited, and it’s this synergybetween great students and facultythat make a great institution,” Trauthsaid. “Having a national reputationoften plays into that.”And when Texas State students

backed the FBS idea by voting forhikes in future student athletic fees,the fuse was lit. Student prideincreased, along with alumni and cor-porate donations.Bobcat Stadium was adorned with a

luxury box complex on the home side,as construction on a north-side com-plex, which will increase the stadium’scapacity to 30,000, will be completedbefore the 2012 season opener.The move also allowed Texas State

to bring in well-known opponents toSan Marcos. The Bobcats’ home open-er is against Texas Tech, with Nevada

visiting later in the season. In 2013,Navy will play at Bobcat Stadium.In February of 2010, the school

lured a big-name coach with DennisFranchione, who was the Bobcats’head coach from 1990-91 beforemoving on to coach New Mexico,Texas Christian, Alabama and TexasA&M.He went on to lead the Bobcats to

a 6-6 record in 2010, the team’sfinal season as a FCS school.But with the move up, winning

becomes even more of a priority, par-ticularly for big-revenue football.Their deepest, darkest fear amongTexas State fans is that Bobcats willbecome a whipping post for other

FBS teams.“I think everybody feels the pres-

sure. No longer is it just a score atthe bottom of the ticker on ESPN.When they run through the WAChighlights on ESPN you could be onthere on Saturdays and the score isnot going to be hidden on the bot-tom,” Texas State Director ofAthletics Larry Teis said. “I don’twant to be embarrassed nationallyand that’s one of the things we haveto work on.”Even if the Bobcats take their

lumps over the next few seasons,those behind the move feel it’s asmall price to pay for national notori-ety.

Texas State senior wide receiver Alvaro Garcia looks for more yards in agame against Lamar last fall. (Photo by Gerald Castillo)

BBOOBBCCAATTSS

(Continued from page 36)

increase Ybarra-Ramirez said.And that makes it no surprise that the Outlet Malls space

stays occupied at near 99 percent at both Tanger andPremium. While Mexico used to provide the most foreign vis-itors, that honor now goes to China.

“People hear about San Marcos because of the OutletMalls, we gain notoriety because of it, and it’s not justnationally but internationally too,” Ybarra-Ramirez said.“During the Black Friday sales, 60 percent of those standingin long lines to get in the Coach store, for example, were ofAsian descent. China is now the number one foreign coun-try of shoppers. There is a lot of awareness, and they arebringing more money to spend.”

With the opening of the new Prada store, the increase intraffic is only going to continue, she said.

Visitors to the Outlet Malls aren’t just spending moneyand creating jobs and revenue there either. The average visi-tor is also staying one to two nights in local hotels and visit-ing area restaurants.

“When it comes to job creation, there are roughly 3,000jobs at the Outlet Malls including seasonal, part-time andfull-time. And as visitors stay in local hotels, eat at restau-rants and shop downtown and other stores that helps createjobs in those locations too,” Ybarra-Ramirez said.

With the addition of the conference center at EmbassySuites, she has also seen a rising trend related to the OutletMalls.

“Conferences coming here have seen an increase in partic-ipation when they come here due to shopping opportunitiesand the fact that the hotel offers hourly shuttle service to theOutlet Malls,” she said.

And with more and more groups choosing San Marcos tohold their events, and booking multiple night stays in areahotels, the ripple effect on not only the Outlet Malls but theentire local economy creates more opportunities for newbusinesses and jobs too.

MMAALLLLSS(Continued from page 34)

Visitors to the outlet malls aren’t just shopping: Theyare staying in local hotels and eating at restaurants.

39

40

AQUARENA CENTER921 Aquarena Springs Dr. - (512) 245-7570www. aquarena.txstate.eduA thousand springs bubble to the surfaceand form the headwaters of the San MarcosRiver. Walk the Wetlands Boardwalk on aself-guided tour or take a historic glass bot-tom boat ride. Paddle out on a glass bottomkayak to get an underwater look at aquaticlife.

CALABOOSE AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MUSEUM200 Martin Luther King Dr. - (512) 393-8421The “Calaboose” was a common word for jailwhen Hays County’s first jailhouse was builtduring the reconstruction period in 1873.The museum is a repository for artifacts andmemories of the city’s African American past.Letters, books and photographs cover all as-pects of African American life in early Texas.

COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE EXHIBIT1841 Airport Dr. (off Hwy 21)(512) 396-1943www.centexwing.comLocated in a 1943 vintage wooden hangar,the CenTex Wing preserves a collection ofcombat aircraft flown by Allies during WorldWar II and a display dedicated to the Doolit-tle Raiders. These historical aircraft are keptin flying shape and are still flown by the Yel-low Rose Squadron at various air shows.

DICK’S CLASSIC GARAGE120 Stagecoach Trail - (512) 878-2406www.dicksclassicgarage.comThree decades of automobiles with modelsdating back as far as 1929. The collection isa tribute to the American passion for the au-tomobile and presents many of the finestcars ever made in the U.S. The museum ishome to 65 pristine, restored classic cars.

HIKE & BIKE TRAILSExplore expanded hiking and biking trailsalong the city’s scenic parks and naturalareas. Choose from half-mile ADA accessibletrails with information kiosks and benchesthat are perfect for beginners to miles-longnatural trails to satisfy the more adventur-ous.

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN DISTRICTEnjoy a delicious day in the heart of townand savor a taste of local flavor. The SanMarcos Historic District offers a unique al-ternative to the mainstream. Nestled aroundthe restored Hays County Courthouse on theSquare, it’s just a short walk to the sur-rounding boutiques, gift shops, salons,restaurants, entertainment venues andmore.

LBJ MUSEUM OF SAN MARCOS131 N. Guadalupe St. (downtown)(512) 353-3300www.lbjmuseum.comThe LBJ museum preserves the legacy ofU.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson byfocusing on his formative years as a collegestudent and schoolteacher. LBJ attended

what is now Texas State University where hehoned his political skills and developed astrong commitment to education and civilrights.

SAN MARCOS RIVERwww.tubesanmarcos.com - (512) 396-5466Rent a tube or kayak and navigate its length,

snorkel, scuba dive or just float about in thedeep-water pools.

OUTLET SHOPPING MALLS3939 - 4015 IH-35 South,Exit 200SAN MARCOS PREMIUMOUTLETS: (512) 396-2200 or (800) 628-9465www.premiumoutlets.comTANGER OUTLET CENTER: (512) 396-7446or (800) 408-8424www.tangeroutlet.com/sanmarcosSan Marcos is home to the largest outletshopping centers in the United States andfeatures more than 240 shops. With amazingdiscounts up to 65 percent off retail, theprices at the Tanger Outlet Center and SanMarcos Premium Outlets are hard to resist.

THE WITTLIFF COLLECTIONSAlkek Library, 7th Floor, Texas State Univer-sity-San Marcos - (512) 245-2313www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.eduThis literary/photographic center inspiresvisitors with changing exhibitions related toSouthwestern writers and photography ofthe Southwest and Mexico, plus readings,book signings, artist talks, and more.

WONDER WORLD PARK1000 Prospect St. - (512) 392-3760or (877) 492.4657www.wonderworldpark.comGo deep underground at the nation’s onlytrue example of an earthquake-formed cave.Exit by the “Stratavator” and ride high intothe sky to the Tejas Observation Tower. Alsocheck out the Anti-Gravity House.

Park owner Buddy Mostyn hasbeen a part of Wonder World Parksince he was a kid. (Photo byDavid Short)

The outlet malls in San Marcos remain a top tourist destination.Read more about the shopping centers on page 34.

A few fun places to visit in San MarcosGUIDE TO RECREATION

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BY MICHELE MILLER

he great Texas folkloristJ. Frank Dobie once said,“It seems to me that peo-ple living in theSouthwest will lead fullerand richer lives if they

become aware of what it holds.”This “spirit of place ”— the deep

sense of cultural richness specific toour region — is at the very heart ofthe Wittliff Collections. It is the cre-ative spark behind the literary andphotographic treasures that make upthe Wittliff’s Southwestern WritersCollection and the Southwestern &Mexican Photography Collection.

Founded 25 years ago at TexasState University in San Marcos byAustin screenwriter and photographerBill Wittliff and his wife Sally, the col-lections are dedicated to preservingthe photographs, literature, film andmusic that define our part of the

country. They are also committed tosharing this legacy, to delighting andinspiring the current generation aswell as those to come and to illumi-nating the importance of the

Southwestern and Mexican imagina-tions in the wider world.

Located in a southwestern-inspiredsuite of rooms on the top floor ofTexas State’s Alkek Library, theWittliff Collections present engagingexhibitions, welcome tours and class-es and host readings, book signings,lectures, panel discussions and more— all open to the public and free ofcharge.

Join the tens of thousands of peo-ple each year who are discovering thespirit of place at the WittliffCollections, and the wealth of reasonsto visit again and again. Here are justa few:

See photographs by the greatmasters as well as important newartists. Five galleries offer space foras many as 170 works to be displayedat one time. Exhibitions, which

Spirit ofPlace

Script drafts, wardrobe designs, set drawings, continuity shots, props,principal costumes and more from the making of the miniseries“Lonesome Dove” starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones are onpermanent display. (Photo by Kevin Stillman)

GUIDE TO THE ARTS

Exploring cultural richnessof the Southwest is at the

heart of Wittliff Collections

Nuestra Señora de las Iguanas /Our Lady of the Iguanas byGraciela Iturbide.

See SPIRIT page 44

T

change several times a year, are drawnfrom the over 18,000 photographs that

make up the growing permanent col-lection, including images by suchrenowned artists as Ansel Adams,Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Hugo Brehme,Henri Cartier-Bresson, Edward Curtis,Graciela Iturbide, Tina Modotti andEdward Weston and Laura Wilson, aswell as extensive holdings of prints bysome of Texas and the Southwest’smost accomplished photographers:Kate Breakey, Keith Carter and RobbKendrick, to name a few. The Wittliff isalso home to a significant collection ofdocumentary and fine-art photographyfrom Mexico—one of the largest of itskind in the United States.

Learn about writing from andabout our region. Exhibitions fromthe literary archives — either about aspecific writer or on a topic or theme —are also on view and continuallychanging. Notebooks, drafts, personalpapers, correspondence and other col-lected artifacts illuminate the creativeprocesses and careers of more than100 songwriters, screenwriters, jour-nalists, poets, playwrights and novel-ists.Among them are Cormac McCarthy

(author of No Country for Old Men andThe Road), Rick Riordan (creator of thePercy Jackson and the Olympiansseries, the Kane Chronicles and oth-ers), Katherine Anne Porter, SamShepard, John Graves, Stevie RayVaughan and Selena — plus manymore. Also housed at the Wittliff arethe production materials for TexasMonthly magazine and Fox’s long-run-ning animated show, King of the Hill,as well as an extensive collection ofWillie Nelson recording materials docu-menting his entire career.

Go behind the scenes of LonesomeDove. Objects from the making of theepic miniseries based on LarryMcMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winningnovel are on permanent display in theLonesome Dove Room at the WittliffCollections. Costumes and designs,props, set drawings, continuity shots,Bill Wittliff’s script drafts, the magnifi-cent photographs he took on the setand other interesting materials showthe many sides of making a criticallyacclaimed television film.

Attend an artist reception, a read-ing, book signing or other event.Meet authors and photographers whohave published books in the WittliffCollections’ literary and photographicseries. Listen to internationallyrenowned poets and novelists readfrom their work. Ask questions of pan-

elists discussing Texas arts and cul-ture, learn from a lecture or hear somelive music.... Events are free andalways interesting.

Read a first-edition book, listen toone of Willie Nelson’s first record-ings or conduct research in thearchives. The Wittliff collects rare firsteditions and other books, magazines,LPs, 45s, CDs, DVDs, screenplays andteleplays (more than 800 so far), andnumerous other supplementary mate-rials related to the writing and photog-raphy of the Southwest—all of whichare available for study in an invitingreading room.Simply make an appointment to

speak to a curator or archivist aboutthe many possible topics within theunique and interesting holdings.Research hours and the appointmentform are online: www.thewittliffcollec-tions.txstate.edu/research.html.

Exhibitions are often open sevendays a week. Hours fluctuate, so it’sbest to call ahead before visiting at245-2313. Become a fan of the WittliffCollections on Facebook and get all theexhibition and event news first-hand.Or visit the website for up-to-date cal-endars, news, online exhibits, videos ofpast events, collection inventories,series books and other gifts, directions,parking info and so much more:www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu.

SSPPIIRRIITT

(Continued from page 42)

The entrance to the expansive photography galleries at the Wittliff Collections features acarved mahogany jackrabbit-and-cactus arch byAustin sculptor David Everett.

44

46

GUIDE TO LOCAL CULTURE

Cock House great for a hot meal, warm conversationBY JEFF WALKER

The small house constructed in1867 of pine, elm, cedar and nativelimestone still sits at the corner of C.M. Allen and East Hopkins today.Inside, the Charles S. Cock House

is accented by pieces of the past —Cock family items including a Bible, achild’s hide-bottom chair, weddingpictures of the Cock twin daughtersand a primitive pine corner cupboard,circa 1790. But it’s also the spot forthe Cottage Kitchen, a place whereresidents still convene over warmhome-cooked meals and conversationsof the day.The luncheon remains the biggest

fundraiser for the Heritage Associationof San Marcos.The idea of hosting meals inside the

historic home started in 1976 with theefforts of community leaders likeFrancis Stovall, Helen Van Gundy andVirginia Moore — just to name a few— who wanted to do something spe-cial with the Cock House.The women started serving sand-

wiches and soup once a week in thehouse. They hauled card tables intothe house, which was then only tworooms. In 1982 the Bicentennial Roomwas added, which made the housemuch more capable of serving lunch-es.“At first the (Heritage) Guild did all

the lunches, but eventually startedlooking for other people to partici-pate,” Heritage Association memberPhyllis Klein said. “It kind of just grewfrom there.”For 33 of its 142 years the historic

house has been cared for by the cityof San Marcos Parks and RecreationDepartment and the Heritage

Association of San Marcos. Under theleadership of the Heritage Guild, fromSeptember to June, more than 35local community groups volunteertheir time and talent to prepare andserve the Friday luncheons.The Guild is responsible for sched-

uling the various community groupsand keep the “Kitchen” in top shape.The Riverwalk Park Committee isespecially proud of its responsibilityfor the September kick-off luncheonwhich opens the fall season.

The Association in the past yearcompleted the Gwen K. SmithFountain in nearby Veramendi Plaza,in honor the late civic leader andnoted Heritage Association member.Sidewalks and the parking lot weretorn up before the fountain was com-pleted and officially dedicated.“Come have lunch and then stroll

through the beautiful VeramendiPlaza and see the new fountain,”Klein said.

The Cock House is located at the corner of Hopkins and CM Allen.(Photo by David Short)

Local H.Y. Price Seniors Centerboasts fun activities for all ages

BY JEFF WALKER

Both Ron and Marie Jager want resi-dents to know: This isn’t your averageSeniors Center.The former First Christian Church

building was lovingly restored by theJagers starting in April of 1999. In addi-tion to operating a Tea Room openMondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, thePrice Seniors Center, located at 222 WestSan Antonio St., hosts quilting clubs, art

classes, bridge sessions, yoga and evencourt sessions when needed.Several musical and theatrical produc-

tions each year are housed in the 1910room auditorium, the renovated sanctu-ary of the old church.In 2004, the the H.Y. Price, Jr. Seniors

Center received recognition as the mostoutstanding “adaptive reuse” property inthe state of Texas.For more visit www.priceseniorscen-

ter.org.Locals visit during a recentPrice Center function.

48

GUIDE TO LIVE MUSIC

BY JEFF WALKER

ithin a month ofopening last year,The Texas MusicTheater was hostingthe Lone Star MusicAwards. Soon after,names like Robert

Earl Keen, Marcia Ball and Asleep atthe Wheel began appearing on thevenue’s vintage neon marquee.

Residents have taken notice of theold Plaza Theater movie house turnedstate-of-the-art music venue, and theTexas Music Theater has brought withit a new energy to downtown San

Marcos.The theater, located on San Antonio

Street across from the Hays CountyCourthouse, was recently named awinner in the Best Adaptive Reuse cat-egory of the 2011 Texas DowntownAssociation (TDA) Presidents AwardsProgram.

Scott Gregson, who lives downtownand has completed five other down-town renovation projects, bought thebuilding in 2008. His goal was to cre-ate a world-class live entertainmentvenue in downtown San Marcos.

The Texas Music Theater is located on SanAntonio Street in downtown San Marcos.(Photo by Gerald Castillo)

WOwners of the Texas Music Theaterare Allen Shy, Gray Gregson andScott Gregson. (Photo by AnitaMiller)

Back to theFUTURE Historic Plaza Theater renovated,

reopened as state-of-the art music hallin downtown San Marcos

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The interior was completely reconstructed and mechani-cal, electrical and plumbing systems overhauled. Gregson’sbrother Gray, an entertainer, oversaw the installation of adigital sound and lighting system. Other downtown busi-ness owners offered restaurant and bar expertise.“There’s not anything, that we know of, that’s like this

anywhere near here,” Scott said. “The goal is to bring abroader demographic of people here, not just people fromSan Marcos but along the corridor and east and west as

well. We think the Texas Music Theater will be a great draw.”The venue opened in 1941 as the Plaza though its name

was soon changed to the Texas Theater. After renovation in1958, it became the Holiday Theater with two moviescreens.The technological perks of the venue are many: Panasonic

projects with 110-inch rear projector screens, HD camerasready, a 30 x 20.5 inch lighting trusses ready to accommo-date a semi-truck full of lights and in-house 48-channel cap-ture audio system ready to record the whole show if an artistdesires.The Best Adaptive Reuse award recognizes excellence in

adaptive reuse, which is the conversion of existing or under-utilized buildings into new uses.

50

CHEATHAM STREET WAREHOUSE119 Cheatham Street, San Marcos353-3777cheathamstreet.comThe music:Country/Folk/AmericanaThe lowdown: This small club alongthe train tracks is operated for andby local songwriters.

GOLD CROWN BILLIARDS205 W. San Antonio, San Marcos(512) 754-7665myspace.com/gold_crown_billiardsThe music: Rock music of all typesThe lowdown: Pool hall with regularlive music as well.

GRUENE HALL1601 Hunter Road, New Braunfels(830) 606-1281gruenehall.comThe music: Texas countryThe lowdown: Texas + music =Gruene Hall. Built in the 1880s, thiswas the first dance hall in Texas.

JACK'S ROADHOUSE1625 W HopkinsSan Marcos(512) 392-3340The music: Local country, rock,karaokeThe lowdown: This place is “just abeer joint.” If you think you’re akaraoke king, you just gotta stakeyour claim here on Wednesdaynights.

BAR 141141 E Hopkins on the Square, SanMarcos(512) 558-7399lucyssanmarcos.comThe music: hip-hop, DJ.The lowdown: Formerly Lucy’s SanMarcos, this club now features sig-nature bottle service and plenty ofdancing opportunities with thehouse DJ.

NEPHEWS100 North Guadalupe Street, SanMarcos(512) 558-2337newewssanmarcos.comThe music: CountryThe lowdown: Looking for your fra-ternity brother? Look here first.Nephews is a Pat Green fan’s para-dise. Cheap drinks, Texas music, anall night party.

RILEY’S TAVERN8894 FM 1102rileystavern.com392-31328894 FM 1102, HunterThe music: Country, Americana,Singer/songwritersThe lowdown: This rustic roadhousehas survived the rise and fall of oncebooming Hunter and still brings inraw Central Texas talent sevennights a week. If you’re wanting truehonky tonk, club proprietor Joel

Hofmann’s band also plays here ona regular basis.

TEXAS MUSIC THEATER878-2459120 E. San Antonio, San MarcosThe Music: Regional Texas musicand Americana and rock, and evenDJsThe lowdown: State-of-the-art soundand lighting in this historic venuemake this a must-visit.

TRIPLE CROWN LIVE206 N. Edward GarySan Marcos396-2236triplecrownlive.comThe music: Rock, Singer/songwrit-ersThe lowdown: This quaint littlemusic hall has more bands persquare inch than any place inCentral Texas. Or heck, maybe eventhe world.

Scoping the Scene: A Look at Local Live Music

The Randy Rogers Band got its start at Cheatham Street Warehouse.

TTEEXXAASS(Continued from page 48)

San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce

P.O. Box 2310 ● 202 N. C.M. Allen Pkwy ● San Marcos, TX 78667 512.393.5900 (o) ● 512.393.5912 (f) ● chamber@sanmarcostexas.com

The San Marcos Chamber – FOCUSED ON BUSINESS

Pages 51 – 77 (Alphabetical Directory of Members and Classified Directory of Members) Have been modified for this electronic version. For the most up to date directory listing visit www.SanMarcosTexas.com and click on Membership Directory.

I N D E X O F A D V E R T I S E R S47 Bartlett Tree Experts

1324 Old Martindale Rd.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 392-1089

41 Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative1916 W San AntonioLockhart, TX 78644(800) 842-7708

47 Bradzoil10 Minute Change1044 Hwy 123San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 396-3493

37 Brenda & Bill Damron333 Cheatham St.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 393-4752

33 Broadway Bank301 N. CM Allen PkwySan Marcos, TX 78666(512) 396-2468

41 CAMRA Texas, Inc.9737 Great Hills Trail, Ste. 260Austin, TX 78759(512) 391-1330

23 Capital Farm Credit1418 South ColoradoLockhart, TX 78644(512) 398-3524

27 Century 21300 West HopkinsSan Marcos, TX 78666(512) 353-3311

80 CenturyLink208 S. GuadalupeSan Marcos, TX 78666(512) 754-5284

2 Central TexasMedical Center1301 Wonder World Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 353-8979

23 Chili’s102 N IH 35San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 754-7420

35 City of San Marcos630 E HopkinsSan Marcos, TX 78666(512) 393-8000

17 Comfort Suites104 IH 35 NorthSan Marcos, TX 78666(512) 392-1006

43 Dean’s Shop290 Wonder World Dr. #103San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 393-4770

19 Dermatology LaserCenter & Spa1340 Wonder World Dr. #2301San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 392-1411

13 Embassy Suites1001 E McCarty LaneSan Marcos, TX 78666(512) 392-6450

37 EmeritusAt San Marcos1401 Wonder World Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666(877) 663-6226

25 Frost Bank231 Guadalupe St.San Marcos, TX 786661-(877) 714-4932

23 Gary Job Corps2800 Airport Hwy 21San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 396-6652

79 Greater San MarcosEconomicDevelopmentCorporation2 N CM AllenSan Marcos, TX 78666(512)393-3400

5 The Grounds Guys230 Settlement WayLuling, TX 78648(512) 212-4256

49 Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority91 Old Bastrop Rd.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 353-3888

21 Hays Nursing& Rehab Center1900 Medical ParkwaySan Marcos, TX 78666(512) 396-1888

15 H-E-B641 Hopkins Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 396-8880

15 H-E-B200 W. HopkinsSan Marcos, TX 78666(512) 396-0100

17 Heritage Associationof San Marcos, Inc.PO Box 1806San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 396-7695

17 Horizon Bay VibrantRetirement Living1720 Ranch Road 12San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 392-7200

39 Jason’s Deli901-A Hwy 80San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 393-3354

47 Los Cucos1617 Aquarena Springs Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 805-2444

47 McCoy’s110 Wonder World Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 396-1755

29 Mid-Texas SymphonyPo Box 3216 TLUSeguin, TX 78155(830) 372-8089

15 North CarolinaFurniture Direct2440 S IH 35San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 353-2200

43 North Street Studio221 North St.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 667-6368

3 Palmer’s Restaurant Bar & Courtyard219 Moore St.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 353-3500

21 Paper Bear218 N LBJ Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 396-2283

49 Priority Personnel226 Wonder World Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 392-2323

35 Purgatory Creek Apartments1951 Hunter Rd.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 938-1900

41 Railyard Bar & Grill116 South Edward GarySan Marcos, TX 78666(512)392-7555

29 Regent Care Center1351 Sadler Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 805-5000

31 Sac N Pac1405 United Drive, Ste. 115San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 392-6484

35 San Marcos Academy2801 Ranch Road 12San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 753-8030

15 San Marcos C.I.S.D.501 S LBJ Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666(512)393-6700

13 San MarcosConvention& Visitors Bureau617 IH35 NSan Marcos, TX 78666(512) 393-5930

49 San Marcos Education Foundation500 W HutchinsonSan Marcos, TX 78666(512) 393-6930

27 Schertz Bank & Trust1917 Dutton Dr. #205San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 754-7401

21 Seton Medical Center6001 Kyle ParkwayKyle, TX 78640(512) 504-5000

37 Ted Breihan ElectricCompanyPO Box 477San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 396-3300

49 Texas State Optical2406 Hunter Rd, Ste. 102San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 754-6161

11 Texas State University – San Marcos601 University Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 245-2111

25 Tickle-BlaggAnimal Hospital1100 Hwy 80San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 353-1871

43 VitalogySkincare & MedSpa1320 Wonder World Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 393-3376

45 Carino’s Italian1207 S IH 35San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 393-5060

19 Wells Fargo123 Edward Gary St.San Marcos, TX 78666(512) 396-2525

19 Workforce Solutions – Rural Capital Area203 S. CM Allen PkwySan Marcos, TX 78666(512) 353-7368

1578

1340 WONDER WORLD DRIVE, SUITE 108 | SAN MARCOS, TEXAS 78666 | 512.393.3400 | WWW.GREATERSANMARCOSTX.COM

The greater San Marcos region is right in the middle of the most dynamic region in the

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