New Braunfels chef makes it big on TV

Flip on the television this summer, and there’s a chance you might see a familiar face. Antonio Ruiz, who previously contributed recipes and columns to New Braunfels Monthly, is appearing in Hell’s Kitchen Young Guns, a reality show hosted by Gordon Ramsay.

The world-famous chef, recognized for his fiery personality and high standards for food, brings chefs 23 and under from across the US to compete in a show of culinary action.

“Ramsay picked 18 of the top chefs in the country,” Ruiz said. “He picked his top 18 under 25 coming from across the country.”

Ruiz, who is currently a chef at Texas Bistro at 1932 S. Seguin Ave. in New Braunfels, describes the experience as somewhat transformative, challenging him as a chef. But the way the entire process kicked off was less glamorous than a Willy Wonka golden ticket.

“So I actually just got a random message on Facebook from one of their assistants, and they sent it to me,” Ruiz said. “I didn’t believe it at first. I thought it was kind of outlandish.

“He was just like, ‘Hey, I’ve seen a lot of things, I’ve seen — when I used to write for [New Braunfels Monthly] — I’ve seen your recipes in there. I’ve seen you in a couple of competitions. Would you be interested in trying out?’”

Ruiz said his response was a resounding yes.

“I signed up the next week, ended up going to LA and tried out for everything and two months later it’s like hey, you are leaving next week, and I was on a plane in Vegas and I was there,” Ruiz said. “It was all really quick. I think they sent me that message in February and I was gone by May. So it was a couple month span, but it went really quick.” 

But unlike the quick and easy experience of being approached to be on the show, Ruiz said the entire experience was challenging. 

“It’s nerve-wracking,” he said. “I like talking to people, don’t get me wrong. I work in the back for a reason, as opposed to being out here (in the dining area). I’m good in my element, but I feel that’s anybody, where if you take them out of their element it’s a little different. And then there’s that whole aspect of having cameras everywhere and being mic’d up. It’s a live set and … having Ramsay there and his intensity, just his persona, it’s a whole other experience.”

But despite that, Ruiz said it was good for him.

“It definitely makes you better,” he said. “Being around (Ramsay) is different from anybody I’ve been around — in a sense of with him it’s not about being good or good enough, it’s about being perfect and if it’s not perfect, you feel the wrath.”

Ruiz said that high standard the world-famous chef is known for is part of what made the entire experience unforgettable. 

“That’s why it’s so intense,” he said. “There’s lots of things that went up that were good, but they weren’t perfect. When it’s not perfect, that’s when you see him start throwing things and the real Ramsay comes out.”

Unlike at a regular restaurant — despite their sometimes long and grueling hours surrounded by heat and an endless stream of orders — Ruiz said his experience participating in the show resulted in long days that even challenged him as a chef.

“You are waking up at 5 a.m. every day and going to bed at like midnight,” he said. “They want to push you to the breaking point and see what happens and see if you can still maintain that level of cooking skill.”

And that can be a challenge, he said. Because while it’s a show for entertainment, there is a battle between competing personalities as 18 chefs narrow down to smaller teams as the 20th season of the show goes on.

“Everyone there thinks they are going to win, so they show how big and bad they are, so not everyone is necessarily working as a team,” Ruiz said. “You have that on one end of things, and then on the other you have Ramsay over here, and then on top of that you are trying to compete. It’s a managing experience like no other.”

Ruiz wasn’t able to disclose how long he would appear on the show.

According to Ruiz, the show is structured so each day there is a challenge, then a reward or punishment  phase and then a dinner service session.

“At dinner service, the losing team has to pick one person to leave,” Ruiz said.

While Ruiz has lived around the US, including Montana and Central Texas, he said the locations and backgrounds of other contestants varied.

“On this one, there’s three people from Texas. Myself and Emily, she’s a girl from San Antonio. … And then another one from Denton. There’s people from Arkansas, Alaska, California and a couple people from Baltimore,” he said.

That made for some interesting dynamics between personalities and experience, Ruiz said.

“There’s two people on the show who had never even been outside their city. And so then you have people like Emily and this girl from Alaska, and they are influencers so they’ve been all across the US and had all these experiences.”

Hell’s Kitchen: Young Guns airs at 8/7 p.m. central on Mondays on Fox. Ruiz and fans gather at Texas Bistro to watch new episodes as they air.

New Braunfels housing market is red-hot

If there’s one story regarding housing over the past several months that stands out, it’s the hot market for sellers and the uphill battle some buyers are experiencing.

But according to local real estate agent Megan Callahan with Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper Realtors, located at 532 South Seguin Ave., that shouldn’t scare buyers off. They just need to consider their options.

“There really wasn’t an issue before with houses selling for tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars above their list price sight unseen, appraisals being waived,” Callahan said. “So, the market has been incredibly, incredibly fluid.”

Tight inventory of housing on the market has made for a competitive environment when purchasing a home, that being spurred by homeowners reluctant to leave their current residence. Those who do can find themselves with a great sale price, but then need to find a new place to move into.

“It makes it super frustrating and really hard for buyers, and sellers are getting the sweet end of the deal,” she said. “It’s a seller’s market. But those people also have to worry about where they are going to go.”

Home sales in the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area increased 16.6% in March, compared to a year ago, the Herald-Zeitung previously reported.

So what are buyers looking for?

“They want the biggest amount of upgrades they can get for the amount, but definitely open concept (kitchens),” Callahan said. “People always want a covered porch. We live in Texas and it’s really hot. When they go in the back yard and there’s absolutely no coverage, that’s usually a dealbreaker.”

She said upgraded bathrooms and kitchens can often make or break a buyer’s interest in a home. 

But what matters goes beyond the walls of the home.

“People definitely want a yard, now more so than ever,” she said.

She attributes this attitude to likely being tied to buyers being stuck inside during the COVID-19 pandemic. That and a two-car garage can make a home a hot commodity.

“If they are buying, they definitely want a two-car garage,” she said.

But buyers sometimes come to the market with their expectations already set, and Callahan said new buyers could sometimes benefit from opening up their options.

“I would say a lot of them want the newer builds and stay away from the older ones that may need more work,” she said. “I would really just encourage them to consider them because a lot of times those older homes have really good bones.”

She said the role of a real estate agent is often to know the market, and make sure the buyer gets what they want, even if they don’t initially realize it’s what they are after in a home. That’s why Callahan said she encourages buyers to not rush into a purchase and consider their options.

“I think that most people in this day and age understand that because of the way the market is,” she said. “They are coming to Realtors now more than ever, but there’s a wealth of knowledge that comes with having a real estate agent that you’re not going to get the same information or incentives.”

As for who is buying, she said there isn’t one group.

“It really isn’t a certain demographic that’s looking to buy,” Callahan said. “I can’t say that at all because in my experience, I have people who are buying who are older looking to buy their second home they are looking to use as an investment property — they want to rent it out because the rental market is really hot right now. There’s younger people who are looking to buy their first home.

“I’m seeing a really wide range of buyers. … It’s really everyone,” she said.

Lake Jackson man swims, rescues drowning boy

FREEPORT — When Randy Wilkinson reached his friend’s house Monday, he was greeted by a scream.

What started out as a trip to visit his long-time friend from college ended up being the difference between life and death for a child who had gone over a nearby bridge and plunged into the Old Brazos River.

Wilkinson had just arrived to help his friend, Brad Stephens, work on his hot tub and other projects around the house at about 5 p.m. Monday in Freeport near the Velasco Boulevard bridge when a scream that could be heard from Stephens’ property prompted him to hop back in his car and search for a source.

First thinking the sounds were coming from a nearby bait shop, he sped over and searched for an injured person.

“When I got on that side (near the bait shop), I heard it from the bridge and just jumped in (the river) and swam toward the bridge and saw this kid hanging onto the wood underneath the bridge,” Wilkinson said.

Underneath the bridge was a child, who Wilkinson estimated to be about 11 to 13, keeping his chin above the surface of the water after falling from the bridge and into the river.

“I was in shock that he was in there,” Wilkinson said.

As Wilkinson swam toward the child’s voice, a nearby man on the bridge hollered that a kid had fallen in the water, Stephens said. Just as Wilkinson had done, he headed for the source.

“I took off my boots and shirt and dove in from the T-dock sign to get to the center of the river,” he said.

Under the bridge, Stephens found his friend with the boy clinging to his back as Wilkinson rested on a pylon.

“So I made my way over there and we both just kind of slowly swam back over there toward the T-dock and both of us just pushed him out of the water and onto the … dock,” Stephens said. “(The child) suffered some serious leg damage. He broke his ankle, broke his knee, broke his pelvis.”

The child had hit his leg on what they believe to be a pylon in the water, causing enough damage to make it hard for him to swim out by himself, Freeport police said.

The 11-year-old boy was taken to CHI St. Luke’s Health-Brazosport hospital in Lake Jackson, Freeport Police Chief Ray Garivey said. The child’s right leg and ankle were fractured in five spots.

“It was such perfect timing, with everything that happened throughout the course of the day in general,” Stephens said. “If I hadn’t asked Randy to come over to help around 5 p.m. with some electrical issues — he pulled up at the right moment to hear that kid scream. Then one thing led to another and both of us were blessed to be there to save the kid’s life.”

Wilkinson, a resident in Lake Jackson, said he had never experienced a moment like that, describing the series of events of him diving into the water simply as “instinct.”

“I helped out during the hurricanes with a boat, but nothing serious like that,” he said. “Nothing life or death. I feel like he was just barely hanging on for dear life.”

The two men have been described as heroic by police department officials after the events that transpired.

“It’s amazing to see citizens risk their own lives to save someone else,” Garivey said. “I am very proud to be a part of a community with heroes like these two men.”

The difference between life and death for the child might have only been seconds if not for Wilkinson’s actions, Stephens said.

“Everything was so perfectly timed that if Randy didn’t make it over there, literally maybe five seconds after that it would have been too late,” he said. “The kid was hanging on by his fingertips. The only thing sticking out of the water was basically the kid’s chin because he had his head straight up.”

But even with his help, Stephens said, Wilkinson was the one responsible for saving the child’s life.

“Randy, he’s the hero,” he said. “No doubt about it. I made it out there to support him if he got in trouble or needed a breather.”

The situation could have been very tragic if Stephens and Wilkinson had not been there to save the day, Garivey said.

Wilkinson is a maintenance electrician in Freeport and has a 1-year-old daughter.

Harvey changes plans around NB this weekend

By Alec Woolsey

The New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung

August 26, 2017

http://herald-zeitung.com/news/article_0e5481e2-89e9-11e7-a609-e704ba47ef5d.html

Although Hurricane Harvey is hovering along the Gulf Coast of Texas, its impact is expected to reach New Braunfels this weekend with some businesses, events and government facilities planning to close.

Comal County court proceedings scheduled for Monday, Aug. 28, will be canceled and the Guadalupe River will be closed starting from the county line to New Braunfels.

“Based on the rain and wind forecasts we’re seeing, it’s better to be proactive and make sure our deputies can focus their attention where it’s most needed,” County Judge Sherman Krause said.

The Guadalupe River closing took effect as of 5 p.m. on Friday until further notice from county officials.

New Braunfels parks will remain open this weekend, but events and some facilities will be closed on Saturday.

“We don’t have any park closings, but our activities for (Saturday) are canceled,” said Stacey Dicke, the director for the parks and recreation department in New Braunfels. “The pools will be closed and any programs we have will be canceled.”

The only planned cancellations and closings are for Saturday, Aug. 26, at the time of the newspaper went to press Friday night.

“We’re just going to take it one day at a time,” Dicke said.

The city of New Braunfels announced on Friday that trash pickup would be suspended until further notice because of personnel and safety concerns. The recycling center will be closed until further notice beginning on Saturday. More information is available at (830) 221-4040.

The city also announced that the New Braunfels Public Library, the Westside Branch Library, the RIOmobile bookmobile and the Westside Community Center will not be open for public use on Saturday. 

“We regret the impact that closing for the day will have for our library customers, however we do anticipate reopening on Sunday at the main library and resuming regular hours for all locations next week,” Gretchen Pruett, library director, said in a press release.

Events and venues

Gary Allan was expected to conduct a concert at Whitewater Amphitheater on Saturday, Aug. 26, but the event has been rescheduled because of safety concerns. Whitewater released a statement on Twitter announcing the concert has been rescheduled due to weather concerns and will now take place on Oct. 20. All tickets purchased at this time will be honored for the later date.

“If you cannot make the new date, please contact the venue or point of purchase by 4 p.m. on Aug. 31 for a refund,” the statement said.

Schlitterbahn Waterpark in New Braunfels will be closed on Saturday and Sunday this weekend because of concerns over weather conditions. South Padre Island, Galveston and Corpus Christi Schlitterbahn locations along the Gulf Coast are closed as well this weekend due to hurricane-related weather conditions.

Winter Prosapio, corporate director of communications and government relations at Schlitterbahn Waterparks, said the company encourages potential visitors to check the Schlitterbahn website before making plans to visit the water park. Any closings or openings will be announced there.

While the waterparks in New Braunfels and South Padre will be closed, the resorts will remain open with limited operations.

“Harvey is not being the most cooperative of hurricanes,” Prosapio said.

“Wine and Wag” is an annual fundraiser that benefits the Canyon Lake Animal Shelter Society (CLASS). It takes place at Cry Comal Creek Winery and Vineyards in New Braunfels with live music accompanying drinks on a relaxed Sunday evening.

The event was scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 27, but due to concerns over the weather the event is expected to be rescheduled for a date in September.

“We are now looking at a date in September,” said Jan Dunlap, a volunteer with CLASS who coordinated the event. “I don’t have a date yet because I need to get the band lined up.”

The Comal County Senior Center plans to remain closed on Monday, Aug. 28, due to hurricane-related weather. It closed its doors early Friday afternoon in preparation for the weather.

Jana Evans, volunteer coordinator at the senior center, said it would be closed because of the expected weather conditions this weekend.

Weathering the storm

Not all businesses plan to close their doors though.

According to a press release from H-E-B, a number of locations near the coast have been closed, but at this time the New Braunfels locations will not be impacted by weather conditions. Current information on store closings can be found at heb.com/disaster.

“We are gearing up to deploy our two H-E-B Mobile Kitchens, which will provide meals for first responders and residents affected by Hurricane Harvey,” the company said in a press release. “We are currently planning when and where we will dispatch our convoy.”

To benefit the mobile kitchen efforts, the company said H-E-B and Central Market customers in Texas will have the opportunity to donate $1, $3 or $5 to their grocery bills.

Calls for change echoed around NB

By Alec Woolsey

The New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung

March 27, 2018

http://herald-zeitung.com/news/article_b748b1aa-314c-11e8-9ef8-7f61f2035e3d.html

A local March for Our Lives organized protest, part of a wider event in cities across the United States. took place on the Main Plaza in downtown New Braunfels from about 2 to 4 p.m on Saturday. 

The event centered on a series of speakers on the bandstand, including Molly Bursey with the local Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America organization, current teacher Becky Stich and Kendra Manning, an 11th-grade student at Premier High School. 

According to Bursey, the event was largely planned by Manning while Moms Demand Action did the legwork promoting the event. Bursey said she is the volunteer local group lead for Moms Demand Action.

“She did this all on her own,” Bursey said. “Of course, you know, we spread the word.”

According to the official March for Our Lives website, the event was, “created by, inspired by and led by students across the country who will no longer risk their lives waiting for someone else to take action to stop the epidemic of mass school shootings that has become all too familiar.” 

The protests were, in large part, spurred by the shooting deaths of 17 students in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14.

Manning, who wore a Supergirl outfit at Saturday’s protest, said she wasn’t sure of the total number of people in attendance.

“I didn’t expect this much though, so that’s awesome,” Manning said.

The event involved a handful of speeches from the bandstand and a march around the plaza, which was followed by protestors standing along the outside of the Plaza holding signs as cars passed by on the roundabout.

Some cars honked in support, but there were also some boos from people passing by.

“This is about gun reform and fighting for better gun laws for our kids,” Bursey said. “Simple rules that don’t infringe on the second amendment, laws that don’t infringe on the second amendment, but also keep our kids safer and our communities safer. Things like background checks on every gun sale, closing those loopholes, removing guns from domestic abusers.”

Manning said she saw the event as an opportunity to help bring an end to gun violence in schools and public places.

“I go to school, I go to church, I go anywhere I feel unsafe,” she said. “You can feel unsafe anywhere at this point because of this. For me, it’s going to end up being schools around us. Obviously schools are already affected and that’s terrible, but if we don’t stop this then it’s going to be everywhere. It’s not going to end on its own.”

Manning said what drove her to plan the event partly came from visiting a 5-year-old victim of the Sutherland Springs church shooting in November 2017.

“I don’t know how to describe it,” she said. “I don’t want to say this is more serious than other things, but I visited Ryland Ward in the hospital and since that I can’t stand by. I can’t just watch that happen.” 

Bursey said while the Moms Demand Action organization was present and involved with the event, the March for Our Lives protests were student-made.

“We’ve been in New Braunfels for like two years. … All the March for Our Lives across the country are student-organized,” she said. “Somebody just said hey, talk to Molly. Molly, meet Kendra and she told us what she wanted to do and she applied.”

According to Bursey, Manning attempted to reach out to several politicians and officials representing New Braunfels and the surrounding area to be present but many were unable to attend. A statement was release by U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett and read at the event by Manning. 

“These massacres at schools and entertainment venues are outrageous,” the statement from Doggett read. “As the students from Parkland have been demanding, we need comprehensive background checks so that those with a history of violence or criminal wrongdoing cannot purchase a gun.”

Local party officials react to bill ending straight-ticket voting

By Alec Woolsey - Herald-Zeitung

The days of easily voting for a single party in Texas may be coming to an end. 

Texas House Bill 25 passed through the 85th legislature and was signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 1, 2017. The bill, now law, eliminates straight-ticket voting on ballots in Texas.  

The bill passed largely along party lines, with Democrats opposed and Republicans in favor of eliminating the voting option.  Belinda Frisk, vice chair for the Comal County Republican Party, said she does not see this change as having a significant impact on local voters. 

Unlike major metropolitan areas like Houston or Dallas, Comal County has a more shallow pool of candidates. Frisk said the change may encourage voters to do more diligent homework on who they are electing.  

“I think that’ s a good thing,” she said. 

According to the Texas Tribune, 64 percent of ballots cast in the 10 largest Texas counties in 2016 used the straight-ticket option. 

Robert Rogers, a candidate to take over the position of chair for the Comal County Democratic Party, said he attributes the partisan pattern of voting on the bill as Republicans worrying about their political futures in the state. 

“The Republicans clearly seem to be making moves to try and improve the chances of maybe not having a landfall in 2018, as we expect,” Rogers said. 

He said Democrats may have an issue with the change as it can be difficult to get voters out to the ballot boxes. 

“We have more registered voters in Comal County that are Democrats than we have Republicans,” he said. “The problem is we have is getting them to turn out.”

The change may not alter campaign strategies for most candidates, but that’ s not to say there won’ t be those affected by it. 

“It seems that the down-ballot candidates, like our judicial candidates, are the ones people are most unfamiliar with,” Frisk said. 

She said these candidates are often the unknowns, so without the option to vote straight-ticket, they may receive fewer votes in the future.  

“I have people who come to me, and I’ m sure come to a lot of folks who are active in the party, and say, ‘ I don’ t know much about these judges,’  particularly in a primary election where you have so many running,” Frisk said. 

Navigating the field of candidates for positions further down in the ballots could cause headaches for voters, but Frisk said the internet is probably the best resource despite its many faults. 

“Where do you begin to do your homework? That’ s a good question,” she said. 

Rogers said the new law only adds another hurdle. The new law will not take effect until September 2020, which gives parties and candidates time to prepare and adjust their strategies.