Lucas DeStroy

Written and Illustrated by Megan Colwell

And His Path Towards Destruction

Lucas DeStroy and His Path Towards Destruction

Written and Illustrated by Megan Colwell
A tale about the doomed fate of the Cesar Chavez Neighborhood in Austin, TX as told through the ctional character Lucas DeStroy who represents the Gentrication occurring in poorer yet historic areas of the city.

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Lucas was very, very wealthy.

Lucas DeStroy was not the kind of guy to mess with. Snobby, yet condent and stupidly handsome, Lucas was the CEO of Demolition Inc. The company was known for tearing down old, beautiful historic buildings and constructing huge, ugly skyscrapers and corporate ofces in their place. Lucas made all of the decisions at Demolition Inc. He had the power to buy any piece of land he wanted just so he could demolish whatever was there. It goes without saying that Lucas was very, very wealthy. His gigantic mansion in California took up so much space, he even had to knock down all of his neighbors houses just so it could t on his street. He obviously had no problem doing that. Not only was the mansion massive, but it was also lled with expensive things. There were three swimming pools, a tennis court, a bowling alley, two nightclubs, and 10 sports cars within the mansion walls. Some say he even owned 5 real jet packs.

His most prized possession, however, was a miniature solid gold wrecking ball that was given to him by the Demolition Society of America as an award for his vast destruction across the United States.

Every night Lucas would take the golden wrecking ball out of its bulletproof case and place it on the pillow next to him in bed.

Dont get me wrong, just because Lucas treated his golden wrecking ball like an angel doesnt mean he was a nice guy. From the outside, Lucas looked like a dreamboat. He had ashy brown hair that was always parted to perfection and he dressed in very expensive clothes every day. When women saw him on the street, they swooned. And when guys saw him walking past, they wanted to be him. But looks can be deceiving. Lucas was not a people person. In fact, he hated people. He thought he was better than everyone else because of his money and power.

His most prized possession was a solid gold wrecking ball.

GET BACK TO WORK!

The only people Lucas really interacted with were the men on his demolition crew, and he even treated them poorly. Lucas would make them work long hours without any breaks. The crew would even work the whole day without any water working in the hot sun.

Lucas next project was deep in the heart of Texas in the state capitol, Austin. There is a neighborhood called Cesar Chavez that he discovered and decided it was time for the old community to get a makeover, despite the persistent resistance from the locals. Cesar Chavez is a bustling community of culture and history. The neighborhood has both Mexican and Asian inuence combined with a hip atmosphere of young locals. There are authentic taco trucks on every street

corner, an old library, colorful churches, and many small, local, thriving businesses. The neighborhood was established back in the late 1800s and many of the original buildings are still standing. There are even several historical landmarks and monuments. The people there are also very friendly. Everywhere you walk there is a smiling face waiting to greet you.

Lucas next project was deep in the heart of Texas.

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Despite the locals friendliness and desperate pleas to keep the neighborhood the way it is, Lucas refused to listen. Lucas never listens to the locals wherever he sets up his demolition crew. He has more money and power than all of them combined so why should he listen to peasants like that? Lucas uses his money and power to overthrow any obstacle that comes his way, even when it comes to historical markers and

landmarks. He basically owns the American government, allowing him to do just that.

Lucas never liked history classes in school. He always either skipped or fell asleep. Because of this, he doesnt see why history is so important to some people.

IM NOT LISTENING!

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STILL CANT HEAR YOU!

As soon as Lucas and his crew landed in Austin they faced immediate resistance. People stood around the Cesar Chavez Neighborhood when Lucas was rst driving through with signs saying things like Stay Away from Our Homes! and Preservation NOT Demolition! Of course, Lucas wasnt bothered by the opposition at all. He simply told his limousine driver to keep driving through the crowd of people so he could get a good look at the sites where he wanted to build his skyscrapers.

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She would stop at nothing...

After a week of being in Austin and planning his demolition, the locals of the neighborhood nally backed down after realizing Lucas was not going to give up. However, there was one local that just wouldnt give up trying to stop Lucas. Every day, early in the morning she would come down to the center of the neighborhood where Lucas would be planning his destruction and sit down and chant Preservation NOT Demolition! over and over again for hours. Lucas was very annoyed, but he didnt let the girl stop his planning. Instead he ignored her and kept on working. Little did Lucas know, this local girl was going to be more than just a little annoyance to him. Her name was Leslie Priserv, a young, passionate activist and local Austinite living in the historic Cesar Chavez Neighborhood. Leslie is constantly ghting for the preservation of local businesses, buildings, and organizations, especially those that are housed in structures that hold historic signicance for communities that encompass a unique culture. So when Leslie heard that Lucas DeStroy was coming to her neighborhood to demolish some of her favorite places, she decided that she would stop at nothing to prevent him from following through with his demolition.

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After a long hard week of devising the plans for the destruction of the Cesar Chavez Neighborhood, Lucas was ready to get back to his luxurious hotel room he was staying at while working in Austin and snuggle up to his golden wrecking ball that he took with him everywhere. He had a long week ahead of him with the start of his project and he needed to get his beauty rest.

As Lucas opened the doors to his suite style hotel room that night he immediately knew something was wrong. Something seemed different about the giant multi-roomed lodge that he had been staying at for over a week now. He looked in the kitchenette, the bathroom, and the two guest rooms for anything that seemed off. He nally gave up and headed to his room to pass out.

Little did he know, these desires were not going to come true that night.

He immediately knew something was wrong.

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Lucas was frozen in the doorway speechless.

When he opened up his door he saw it was missing instantly. The bulletproof glass case stood in the middle of the room on a pedestal he brought with him from his own mansion. The case door was opened and the golden wrecking ball was ripped off of the stand. Lucas was frozen in the doorway speechless. His most prized possession was gone. After a few minutes Lucas collected himself and walked over to the case. He noticed a piece of paper at the bottom of the case where the wrecking ball would normally stand. He reached inside and pulled out the paper. It was some sort of ransom note with instructions. Lucas thought to himself,
Mr. D eStro y, If you ever want your to se golde e n wre ball a cking gain, you w to fol ill hav low t e his sc hunt. aveng At th er e end scave of the nger hunt will you nd yo ur pre wreck cious ing b all. Tu pape rn the r ove r to rst c nd th lue. e Dear

Whoever wrote this note and stole my wrecking ball will pay!

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Lucas quickly ipped the paper over to nd a small piece of paper rolled up and taped to the back of the note. He unrolled the tiny fortune-like clue and read:

He reread the clue over and over again, but he had no idea where this clue was supposed to take him. He considered calling the police so we wouldnt have to go through this nonsense, but they would take forever to nd out who did this and where his golden wrecking ball was and he wanted it now. He nally decided that he would just go through the scavenger hunt on his on own. He opened up his laptop to do some

research. After about 30 minutes of Googling, Lucas found the answer to the clue: it was the First Mexican Baptist Church located on the corner of Medina Street and 2nd Street which is the street directly north of Cesar Chavez. He quickly wrote down the address of the church and ignored the information about the history of where he was going. Lucas didnt care. He just wanted his golden wrecking ball back.

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Lucas called his driver and told him to meet him down in the hotel lobby immediately. He then ran down the stairs to meet him. He was pleased to see the driver was already standing there waiting for him at the entrance of the hotel, despite how late it was. Lucas handed the address over to the driver and declared,

They arrived in less than 10 minutes, which made Lucas very pleased. It was already 2 a.m. in the morning and very dark. Although the darkness made it hard to see, Lucas knew right away that this was one of the buildings he planned to demolish for part of his project. Lucas got out of the car and began walking around the premises of the church looking for the rst clue.

Take me here and fast!

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Lucas knew right away this was one of the buildings he planned to demolish.

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Note
He nally found the clue slipped partway under the mat in front of the big orange doors at the head of the building. He picked up the note, opened it, and began to read:
The local church began in 1899 with 35 members. Since then it has grown to be one of the largest Latin American congregations in the state of Texas. By 1969 the total membership was 770 and by then, Rev. Carlos Paderes had served as Pastorate for over 27 years. Rev. Paderes has been around the world on Evangelistic tours in Venezuela, Japan, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Panama, and Mexico. The present building was completed in 1959. Rev. Paredes designed the mosaic work above the front door. The First Mexican Baptist Church is a Multi-Cultural, of Faith. Many families make this church their home every week. Opportunities for lower-income youth have thrived because of this churchs music program and bilingual Sunday school classes. Without this church, the sense of Spanish community that thrives within this neighborhood could be decreased signicantly. Families will no longer have a communal place to come together and relate with one another for a common purpose. Congratulations, you have found your rst clue. Flip this note over to nd your next clue.

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Multi-Generational Family

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Lucas paused for a second before reading the next clue. For the rst time in a long time he felt a little bit bad about planning to destroy a church. He normally ignores the peoples protests, stories, and history behind the structure. This time around, Lucas was informed about these things against his will and he now knew why he ignored them in the rst place.

After this very brief moment of guilt, Lucas returned to his greedy ways. He quickly turned over the note, opened the clue, and began to read:

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He just wanted his precious wrecking ball back.

Despite his faint, lingering doubts about his actions, Lucas decided to continue the scavenger hunt and his plans for demolition. He just wanted his precious wrecking ball back, he wouldnt let this scavenger hunt change his mind. Lucas jumped back into the car and started researching on his phone. This clue was a bit harder. He knew it must be either a bookstore or library, but which one? After realizing it must be a building that he had planned to destroy, he nally solved the puzzle. The answer to the next clue was the Austin Public Library. Again, he informed the driver of the next address and they headed over to nd the next clue. The Library was only two minutes away from the last clue. When they arrived, Lucas thought to himself, whoever stole his wrecking ball and created this scavenger hunt for him had another agenda. Were they trying to stop him from going through his demolition project? He chuckled to himself,

Well jokes on them because Ill never halt this project!

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Note
Although the Terrazas Branch of the Austin Public Library opened its doors over 30 years ago on January 15, 1976, the Branch has a history that spans over 40 years. It began back in 1961 with the opening of the Pan-American Station in a small room within the Pan-American Recreation Center on E. Third Street. Then in 1969, having well outgrown its space at the Center, the Branch was moved to a 2,000 squarefoot storefront facility at the corner of Canadian and E. First Streets, and renamed the Canadian Street Branch. Seven years later, the 5,400 square-foot building on E. Csar Chvez Street. The Branch was named Terrazas in honor of Henry S. Terrazas, a young Marine from East Austin who died in 1966 while ghting a forest re. The library holds several important things for the community such as a New Immigrant Center with computers and materials to learn English and study for the US citizenship exam and a Teen Center Computer lab with regular programs for youth. Without the Austin Public Library, many residents will not get the education they need to survive here. Turn over for the next clue.

The library was a much bigger premise than the church so it took him a while to nd the next clue. It was taped next to the Austin Public Library sign on a thin window.

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branch moved to its own,

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Lucas slowly turned over the note reecting on what he just read. Again he unfolded the little clue and read:

Lucas thought about his demolition project and immediately new the answer to the next clue. There was only one other church he had planned to destroy and that must be the answer. Lucas got back into the car and told his driver where to go. During the short drive Lucas began to think about all of the places he had planned to destroy. He began getting a funny feeling about all of this.

He thought to himself, maybe that feeling of guilt that everyone always talks about is real. Maybe I should scale down the project to buildings that arent so important to the community.

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Lucas tried to push these feelings down and focus on nding his wrecking ball. However, he kept thinking about the First Mexican Baptist church that seemed to be an important part of the community and the Austin Public Library that seemed to have a huge role in the lives of the people living here. He didnt understand why he was starting to care now when he never cared about all of this stuff before. Once they arrived at the El Buen Pastor Presbyterian Church, where the next clue

was located, Lucas didnt get out right away. He sat there for a few minutes just thinking until his driver asked him if he was getting out. Lucas shook his head to clear his thoughts and stepped out of the car.

He didnt understand why he was starting to care now.

In an attempt to get rid of his doubts, Lucas kept his eye on the prize and started searching for the next clue that would get him closer to his golden wrecking ball.

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Note
The clue was attached to the El Buen Pastor Presbyterian cross sign attached to the building. Lucas had to jump a few times before successfully taking it off of the sign. After catching his breath, he started to read the note:
The El Buen Pastor Presbyterian Church was started in 1912 by a small group of Mexican-American Presbyterians. It started off with the existing main building, but has gone through several renovations and has expanded dramatically. There is now an early childhood development center that is extremely important to future generations of Mexican-American children. The children learn English while preserving their Mexican heritage in their lessons. There is a large population of MexicanAmerican Presbyterians in the neighborhood and this church serves as a sanctuary, community center, and place of knowledge for all of these families.

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Lucas instinctively turned the note over to read the next clue:

Lucas hopped back into the car and reread the clue. He wasnt quite sure about this clue seeing as he had planned on demolishing a lot of houses in the area. He began researching on his phone in an attempt to reveal the answer. After a few minutes he discovered that the answer was the Sing House, located at 1705 Willow Street.

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He never really noticed the details.

Lucas looked at the church one more time before driving off to the next clue. The sun was starting to rise now and he could see how the modern architecture of the child center meshed with the older architecture of the original building. He nally realized that he never really noticed the details like this before in the buildings he demolished.

Architecture
Never noticed this before

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Luckily, there was no need to wake the residents.

The Sing House was a small old home that looked like it had a fresh coat of paint. The house was located on a residential street so there were other houses right next to it. From the looks of it, there seemed to be people living in the house. Lucas was worried that the next clue would be inside, but he told himself he would wake the people up if he had to. Luckily, there was no need to wake the residents because Lucas found the last clue attached to some sort of historical marker in the front yard. He took a deep breath and opened the note. He was lled with mixed emotions, he wanted his golden wrecking ball, but at the same time he was starting to feel extremely guilty about his entire project.

The Sign
This is interesting

The note instructed him to read the marker that the note was attached to.

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Note
After reading the sign he nally began to truly question his actions. He felt extremely guilty for trying to demolish a house that had so much history and sentiment to the homeowners. He wondered what other buildings and houses he had destroyed held this much importance. He wondered if he had ruined a lot of peoples lives because of his obsession with demolition. He turned the note over to read the nal clue that would nally reveal where his golden wrecking ball was hiding. At this point, however, he was starting to think if the wrecking ball was even worth it. The note said:
Decedents of the Sing Family continue to live in this house today. Their family has thrived in the laundry business and has also moved on to bigger and better things. However, they continue to be a huge part of the East Austin community. They keep this house as a symbol of their past and how far they have come. Destroying this Now that you know this, please look up to nd your most prized possession. house will be like taking away a part of their own history as well as a part of the history of Austin.

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I spy something...
What is that?

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He was quite startled.

Confused, Lucas slowly looked up from the note to see a gure emerging from the shadows of the house. He was quite startled and froze in place. He had no idea who or what was walking towards him, and he wasnt sure of its intentions either. He knew he had made a lot of enemies in his career. Was he in danger? Should he hide or call the police? Before he could do anything, the gure revealed itself in the light of the rising sun.

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A Shadowy Figure
Should I be scared?

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Your plan worked.

It was the girl. The girl that had protested much longer than the rest of the community and was such an annoyance to Lucas as he planned his project. And she was carrying his wrecking ball.

Its you! Yes its me. Who are you and why did you do this? My name is Leslie Priserv, I live here in the Cesar Chavez neighborhood. I was a history major back in college, and I

now dedicate my life to the preservation of historical sites, like the Sing House here, as well as important structures in the community. I have studied this neighborhood intensely and believe its an important part of Austin history. But why did you do this whole scavenger hunt for me and steal my wrecking ball? Why couldnt you have just asked me not to demolish these buildings?

When I heard you were coming to town to destroy everything that I have fought so hard to preserve, I decided I would stop at nothing to cease your project. Ive read stories and seen news clips of you. I know how stubborn, greedy, and rude you are when it comes to a demolition project. So I decided to take an alternative route, hoping that I could slap some sense into you by forcing you to understand the history and importance behind some of the buildings youre trying to destroy. I knew you wouldnt listen to me if I came to you directly.You would ignore my requests just like youve been doing for years.

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Well I guess youre right, I definitely wouldnt have listened to you and I apologize. So did I change your mind at all? Or are you still going to destroy everything in your path of destruction? Dont get too excited, too much emotion still makes me uncomfortable. BUTYour plan worked. I never realized how much buildings and houses could contribute to a community. I also never cared to understand that there is actually a history behind them. I guess I should have paid more attention in history class. I never thought it was important or interesting, but I guess 50 I just refused to listen or understand.

Thank you
thank you
Leslie couldnt contain her excitement. Despite Lucas objections, she ran up to him and gave him a giant hug. Lucas gave in and embraced the hug. He nally realized that helping people felt much better than hurting them.

thank you
thank you
thank you thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you!
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thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you

thank you

thank you

From then on he vowed to devote his life to preservation rather than destruction.

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And they lived happily ever after, fighting for preservation hand in hand.

Photographs taken by Alex Amesquita, Alison Santos, Brandy Shigemoto, Andrea Rojas, and Jaselle Valdez.