Texas Co-op Power • August 2015 - South Plains Electric Cooperative

Transcription

1508 local covers black 7/15/15 7:35 PM Page 1
SOUTH PLAINS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION
Texas Skies
Breakfast Foods
DEER CAMP
Keeping families and friends on
common ground for generations
AUGUST 2015
Statewide Radio Network
kubota.com
© Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2015
August 2015
Since 1944
FA V O R I T E S
Clouds roll in above
U.S. Highway 385
north of Marathon.
18 Local Co-op News
Get the latest information plus energy
and safety tips from your cooperative.
29 Texas History
Radio Nexus of Texas
By Bob McCullough
31 Recipes
Breakfast Foods
35 Focus on Texas
Photo Contest: Around the Farm
36 Around Texas
List of Local Events
38 Hit the Road
A Kerrville Keepsake
By Rob McCorkle
ONLINE
TexasCoopPower.com
Find these stories online if they don’t
appear in your edition of the magazine.
F E AT U R E S
8
12
Texas USA
Texas Skies Pondering weather — calamitous or calm —
connects us to the natural world
Lessons Learned on the Rio Grande
By E.R. Bills
Story and photos by E. Dan Klepper
Observations
Right With the World Deer lease memories keep
families and friends on common ground for generations
Bang for Your Buck
By Clay Coppedge
Story and photos by Mike Leggett
NEXT MONTH
Showtime at the Charreada
The Mexican forebear to American
rodeo emphasizes style and tradition.
35
29
38
31
S KY: E . DA N K L E P P E R . C H A R R O : F RA N Ç O I S E D E VA L E RA JA M E S | D R E A M ST I M E .CO M
ON THE COVER
Bonds formed in the field and around a campsite can last a lifetime. Photo by Earl Nottingham | TPWD
TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Jerry B. Boze, Chair, Kaufman; David Marricle, Vice Chair, Muleshoe; Mark Tamplin, Secretary-Treasurer, Kirbyville; Debra A. Cole,
Itasca; Mike R. Hagy, Tipton, Oklahoma; Robert A. Loth III, Fredericksburg; Mark Rollans, Hondo • PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin • COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBER SERVICES
COMMITTEE: Greg Henley, Tahoka; Bryan Lightfoot, Bartlett; Billy Marricle, Bellville; Mark McClain, Roby; Blaine Warzecha, Victoria; Jerry Williams, Paris; Kathy Wood, Marshall
MAGAZINE STAFF: Martin Bevins, Vice President, Communications & Member Services; Charles J. Lohrmann, Editor; Tom Widlowski, Associate Editor; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager;
Andy Doughty, Creative Manager; Grace Arsiaga, Print Production Specialist; Chris Carlson, Communications & Member Services Assistant; Anna Ginsberg, Food Editor; Suzanne Halko, Copy Editor;
Karen Taylor, Communications & Member Services Assistant; Randall Maxwell, Videographer/Photographer; Jane Sharpe, Graphic Designer; Ellen Stader, Copy Editor; Shannon Oelrich, Proofreader
TexasCoopPower.com
August 2015 Texas Co-op Power
3
SHARING SUCCESS
Shared success is a hallmark of the cooperative model
Rural cooperatives have always made a real difference in their
communities. Since 2012, many of our customers have doubled their
impact by participating in CoBank’s Sharing Success program, which
matches their charitable donations. Together, CoBank and its customers
have given more than $14 million to charitable organizations throughout
rural America. It’s another way CoBank creates value for our customers –
partnering with them to strengthen their communities.
Our commitment to serving our customers, and rural America, has never been stronger.
800-542-8072 s www.cobank.com
BUILT TO WORK WHERE YOU DO.
ON THE JOB OR IN THE SHOP - THE NEW AND VERSATILE FORNEY® LINE OF WELDERS
DELIVERS THE FEATURES YOU’D EXPECT FROM A HIGH-END MACHINE WITHOUT THE HIGH-END PRICE.
New 3-in-1 multi-processor
welder, MIG, TIG, and stick
in a single machine
EuroConnect torch allows
for fast connection and
disconnection within seconds
High-Tech Synergic controls
ensures high-quality welds
and spatter reduction
Dual-geared idler
reduces wire
feed problems
Longer power cable
allows more flexibility
of workspace
Make the smart choice and find the right welder for your job.
Go to Forneyind.com or call us at 800-521-6038 to find a dealer near you.
4
Texas Co-op Power August 2015
TexasCoopPower.com
CURRENTS
Who Are the “Indians?”
I am disappointed with the comment in the May 2015 Letters [in
reference to “The Old Indian Doctor,”
March 2015] regarding the naming
of the Native Americans by Christopher Columbus—calling them Indians. The ethnic identity of Indians in
India is not being hijacked, at least
not by the Native Americans. They
have been on this continent for
about 14,000 years. I am part Native
American (Choctaw) and adopted
and raised a full-blood Navajo
daughter. America is my country,
and I stand proud, not only of my
heritage but of my country.
JERRI FAULDS | HIGHLAND VILLAGE
COSERVE ELECTRIC
In response to the comment in
Letters, I am grateful that Columbus discovered America and it
progressed to the great nation in
which we live. American Indians
have had a lot of influence on
American life.
It is my understanding that the
North American Indians migrated
here from somewhere in Asia.
I guess that when they got here,
they settled the land and established their culture. It seems like
the American Indians should be the
ones complaining about Columbus’
“mistake.” After all, their race has
truly been discriminated against
in this country.
BEN MOORE | COMAL COUNTY
PEDERNALES EC
Eating Healthy Portions
I was delighted to find recipes in
the March 2015 edition that contained healthy ingredients and
proper nutritional content for a
reasonable diet. So often the
recipes look great, but no way am
I cooking anything with 800 calories or more per serving. A step in
Letters, emails and posts from our readers
Remembering Mama
Your heartfelt article by Laurie Greenwell in
the May 2015 issue [“Remembering Mom”]
really brought my mother’s battle with cancer
into perspective and helped ease my heart.
My mom died in November 2010. I have
struggled ever since the day she was told she
had cancer. At the time, it was perplexing to
me, and I felt guilty because I was not able
to relate to her quiet acceptance of declining
health. It was torture for us both.
Much like Laurie’s mother, Mama put her
affairs in order, gave away things to people
she chose, saw all who she could and prepared for her last days.
Laurie helped me tremendously with her
words: “Mama showed me how to die.” I watched my own mother starve when
her body could no longer tolerate food, and the effort to eat was too much.
SHAWNEE BOWLIN | ATLANTA | BOWIE-CASS EC
the right direction to help the
public, which is in need of some
discipline with its food choices.
JERI PORTER | FISCHER
PEDERNALES EC
A Different View
of 1833 Texas
“Journey to Texas, 1833” by Detlef
Dunt [May 2015] quotes the diary
of someone who describes life
in new Texas as paradise. The illustration, with its well-built homes
and waterfront, seems a bit ahead
of what was happening in Texas
in 1833.
One example is the Johann
Friedrich Ernst family, which settled
in Austin County in 1831, living in a
thatched-roof hut made of logs and
moss, which was not always waterproof or warm. In 1838, he built a
large house that served as an oasis
for immigrants.
Records indicate that there were
only 115 German settlers in Texas
before 1836. Many later settlers
died at sea from bubonic plague,
and because inland transportation
wasn’t available, hundreds died of
the plague in Indianola. Along the
wagon trails, there were visible
burial mounds, reminders of the
many who died on the trek to the
Hill Country.
Early German settlers dealt with
many hardships but adapted to
strange food, different climate
and new types of housing. It was
difficult, but they did it!
NAOMI MITCHUM | HOUSTON
AND NEW BRAUNFELS
PEDERNALES EC
Flour Sack Dresses
I read in the Letters in the April
and May issues about the feed sack
clothing [“Feeding Their Fashion
Sense,” February 2015]. I made
most of my girls’ outfits out of flour
sack material in the early ’60s, and
those outfits are still around and
passed down to their daughters.
LOUISE GROHMAN | LOYAL VALLEY
CENTRAL TEXAS EC
GET MORE TCP AT
TexasCoopPower.com
Find more letters online in the
Table of Contents. Sign up for
our E-Newsletter for monthly
updates, prize drawings and more!
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
ONLINE: TexasCoopPower.com/share
EMAIL: [email protected]
MAIL: Editor, Texas Co-op Power,
1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor,
Austin, TX 78701
Please include your town and electric co-op.
Letters may be edited for clarity and length.
Texas Co-op Power Magazine
CARL WIENS
TEXAS CO-OP POWER VOLUME 72, NUMBER 2 (USPS 540-560). Texas Co-op Power is published monthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC). Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX, and at additional offices. TEC is the
statewide association representing 75 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 or email [email protected]. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE is $4.08 per year for
individual members of subscribing cooperatives. If you are not a member of a subscribing cooperative, you can purchase an annual subscription at the nonmember rate of $7.50. Individual copies and back issues are
available for $3 each. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560), 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please enclose label from this copy of Texas Co-op Power showing old
address and key numbers. ADVERTISING: Advertisers interested in buying display ad space in Texas Co-op Power and/or in our 30 sister publications in other states, contact Martin Bevins at (512) 486-6249. Advertisements
in Texas Co-op Power are paid solicitations. The publisher neither endorses nor guarantees in any manner any product or company included in this publication. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with
the advertiser.
© Copyright 2015 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohibited without written permission.
Willie Wiredhand © Copyright 2015 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
TexasCoopPower.com
5
CURRENTS
Energy, innovation, people, places and events in Texas
T E C H K N OW L E D G E
HAPPENINGS
In Harmony and in Shape
A centuries-old form of religious folk music gets showcased at the East Texas
Sacred Harp Singing Convention, August 8–9 in Henderson.
The songs are performed a cappella and in harmony from an 1844 shape-note
songbook, “The Sacred Harp.” Shape-note singing uses the syllables “fa, sol, la, mi”
to denote the tones of a musical scale, explains Robert Vaughn, a member of Rusk
County Electric Cooperative and a shape-note singer for 35 years.
Shaped notes were invented in the late 1700s to help teach singers who could
not read music. Each syllable is associated with a shape: triangle, circle, rectangle
or diamond.
The East Texas Sacred Harp Singing Convention was organized in 1868 and is the second-oldest continuous singing
Find more
happenings all
convention in the U.S.
INFO:
texasfasola.org, (903) 863-5379
across the state at
TexasCoopPower
.com
So you’re hesitant to buy an
electric vehicle
because you
might get
stranded.
What if your
tires could
charge the
battery as you
drive?
At the 85th Geneva International Motor Show in Switzerland in March, Goodyear
unveiled a concept tire called
BHO3, Electric Co-op Today
reports. Tires create heat while
you drive, and materials in the
BHO3 capture the energy from
that heat and transform it to
charge an EV battery.
Gizmag.com explains that
the ultrablack tire absorbs light
and heat, and the tread absorbs
heat. A special fishnet lining
inside the tire turns the heat
into electrical current. A cooling
system in the sidewalls prevents
overheating.
Goodyear says the tire could
be the solution to range anxiety
—the fear of being left with
a drained battery—that keeps
many people from considering
an electric vehicle.
THE NUMBER OF HUNTING ACTIVITIES
by Texas residents in state and out of state in 2011,
according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s National
Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated
Recreation. The survey is conducted every five years; the
next one will be in 2016. Texas hunters spent an average
of $1,622 each. To learn more about hunting in Texas,
see “Right With the World,” Page 12.
6
TexasCoopPower.com
S H A P E N OT E S & ST E V I E RAY VAU G H A N : J O H N KAC H I K . C A M O U F L AG E : R O M I R 2 01 3 | D O L L A R P H OTO C LU B . T I R E : G O O DY E A R . L I G H T N I N G : VA L D E Z R L | DOLLAR P HOTO CLU B
Deflating
Electric
Vehicle
Anxiety
A L M A N AC
Rock Hall of Fame
Welcomes Texas Legend
Wisdom for
Every Season
Texans’ fascination with weather is on the
radar this month (see “Texas Skies,” Page
8). Part of the staying power of “The Old
Farmer’s Almanac,” which began publishing 223 years ago, is its weather forecasts
and planting charts. Modern agriculture
relies on computer data, not the long-term
prognostications in the old annual, but the
almanac continues to churn out guiding
wisdom from its office in Dublin, New
Hampshire, including:
Folklore for the Season
Observe on what day in August the first
heavy fog occurs, and expect a hard frost
on the same day in October. If the first
week of August is unusually warm, the
winter will be white and long.
Best Days in August
Based on moon phases, these are the best
dates for cutting hay: 4, 5, 31; for setting
eggs: 1, 8, 26–28; and for fishing: 14–29.
Moon Folklore
Clothes washed for the first time in the full
moon will not last long. If you glimpse the
new moon over your right shoulder, you
will have good luck. To have a project prosper, start it during the new moon. Babies
born a day after the full moon enjoy success and endurance.
TexasCoopPower.com
Stevie Ray Vaughan, the late Texas blues-rock legend, and his band
Double Trouble were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in April. Vaughan died 25 years ago, August 27, 1990, in a late-night
helicopter crash on the way to Chicago after a concert in Wisconsin.
The three members of Double Trouble participated in the induction
ceremony in Cleveland.
Jimmie Vaughan, also a musician,
spoke about his younger brother,
who started playing guitar as a
child in Dallas, moved to
Austin to hone his craft
and won a Grammy in 1989.
“I sometimes think he’s on
tour and is going to come
back soon,” Jimmie
Vaughan said. “Then
I remember that I’m
never going to be able
to see him again.”
Stevie Ray
Vaughan was
35 when
he died.
En-Lightning Facts
UP TO 5 PERCENT of
lightning strike victims
LIGHTNING FLASHES
CLOUD-TO-GROUND
are hit indoors while
globally per year:
FLASHES in 2014
talking on landlines.
1.4 billion
in Texas: 2,687,765,
most in the nation
LIGHTNING STRIKES
UP TO 90 PERCENT of
lightning strike victims
in the U.S. per
ODDS OF BEING STRUCK
year: 25 million
by lightning in a given
increased if the victim
year in the U.S.:
is with others who
1 in 1.19 million
know CPR.
survive. The odds are
7
PONDERING WEATHER CONNECTS US TO THE NATURAL WORLD
TE
XAS SKIES
STORY AND PHOTOS BY E. DAN KLEPPER
TEXAS SKIES are their most enigmatic when they appear
to be most calamitous, a pinnacle moment in a journey that
begins with cotton-white puffing against a bright blue horizon
and peaks with a dramatic exhibition of lightning, rain and the
full voice of thunder.
When observed from a safe place, a storm-loaded sky captures
our attention with its power and beauty, an inscrutable behemoth
unlikely to release its hold on us even after it passes. Then, we
love the calm as much as the commotion that preceded it, the
trailing rainbows that alight as quickly as they disappear, and
the dewy twilight that follows.
In fact, we’re enamored with weather of all kinds. We love the
mists of spring, the dense fog of mornings and the regional Texas
snowfalls of deep, midwinter nights. We anticipate with joy and
melancholy the arrival of autumn’s first frost, the frigid Texas
blue northers and hazy summer dusks.
Why the obsession? Perhaps because weather connects us to
the natural world with a mere glance out the window. Pondering
its variables offers the pleasure of puzzling out the catalysts of our
sky’s constantly changing conditions. Despite advances in meteorology, weather remains unpredictable. Consequently, just about
everyone feels qualified to speculate about it, and Texas, with its
robust skies and plenty of action, offers a lot to speculate about.
Among the lists of weather extremes for the nation compiled
by the National Climatic Data Center, Texas occupies three dominant spots for frequency and severity of hail, one for highest
number of tornadoes, one for the all-time hottest and driest, two
positions for the top 10 windiest, and three for the most humid.
Professional weather services sort out most of the details, but
many of us enjoy documenting the skies from our own backyards
under the Citizen Weather Observer Program. Texans across the
state collect weather data and upload it daily, providing pinpoint
details for the country’s official sky watchdog, the National
Weather Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. The NWS maintains a network of official weather
data sites across the country, and many have been gathering
records for at least a century, including dozens of the Cooperative
Observer Program sites throughout Texas. By 1910, Texas sky
watchers in rural outposts such as Alpine, Beeville and Temple
began archiving weather conditions by hand. Early records, a
weather legacy written in fountain pen ink, include such oddities
as number of days with “windstorms” and “fogs” recorded in
pages of ones and zeros, foreshadowing the digital age.
Texans are not alone in their zeal for observing the skies.
It’s a national enthusiasm. Chris Davis, senior scientist at the
National Center for Atmospheric Research, says we have a good
reason for our passion.
“The severity of weather in America is generally much greater
than in other parts of the world, when one considers extremes
of heat and cold, snow, rain and wind,” explains Davis. “Many
locations [in the U.S.] experience a
range of more than 100 degrees
A rainbow punctuates
Fahrenheit between their high and low
the ominous sky near
Marathon.
temperatures for a given year. Such a
9
TEXANS WHO WISH TO DO A LITTLE FORECASTING ON THEIR OWN SHOULD ENGAGE
AND THEIR SHAPES SERVES AS A GOOD GAUGE FOR JUDGING UPCOMING WEATHER
range occurs in very few populated areas elsewhere in the world.”
Tornadoes occur with frequency in the U.S. but are relatively
unusual in many other countries and, unlike Europe, hurricanes
routinely threaten the U.S. coastline. None of these weather patterns, however, has proved to be reliably predictable.
The oldest official weather prognosticator in the country, “The
Old Farmer’s Almanac,” has been around since 1792. Considered
America’s most enduring reference manual for weather forecasts,
planting charts, astronomy and tide tables, “The Old Farmer’s
Almanac” continues to use the same secret forecasting formula
today that its publisher and founder, Robert B. Thomas, developed
more than 200 years ago. Thomas based his forecasting technique
on weather, solar and astronomical patterns, following
A wind farm producing electricity
a formula that appears to be
in the Panhandle is upstaged by
more successful than many.
Mother Nature, above left. Shafts of
Today, the formula is resunlight drill through cloud cover.
10
ported to be kept in a locked black box in the publication’s offices
and removed only once a year for the annual forecast.
Texans who wish to do a little forecasting on their own should
engage in an age-old pastime—cloud watching. The simple observation of clouds and their shapes serves as a good gauge for judging upcoming weather conditions, a technique in use by humans
for centuries. Puffy, rolling giants (cumulonimbus) suggest possible thunderstorms; low, overcast cloud cover (nimbostratus)
usually contains drizzle; white, wispy clouds (cirrus) often predict
fair weather or a change; and high, thin, sheet-like clouds (cirrostratus) often indicate wetter weather on the way.
If you’re venturing out to observe changing weather, you
should keep a few rules in mind. Always put safety first. Seek
shelter at the first sign of a thunderstorm. When driving, don’t
try to negotiate a flooded low-water crossing. Wait it out. Your
tires, like balloons, are filled with air. They float. If the skies are
looking green, you might want to pull under the nearest overpass,
TexasCoopPower.com
IN AN AGE-OLD PASTIME—CLOUD WATCHING. THE SIMPLE OBSERVATION OF CLOUDS
CONDITIONS, A TECHNIQUE IN USE BY HUMANS FOR CENTURIES.
as hail may be on its way. If you have to pull onto the road shoulder, don’t forget to switch on your hazard lights, and never leave
your car when lightning is striking. Stay inside. A lightning strike
can be deadly, even when it lands a short distance away.
Weather appears to provide a common denominator that links
humanity across the centuries. As weather unites us, it also is
the great equalizer, providing daily challenges for coping with
conditions that appear completely out of our control.
A change in the climate seems to be on almost everyone’s
mind today. But what does our weather data tell us about the
climate, and what does it portend for future Texans and our natural environment? Many of our climate scientists are making
headway with the answers, including John W. Nielsen-Gammon,
the Texas state climatologist.
“The climate in Texas has varied considerably during the past
century,” Nielsen-Gammon says. “By far the most significant
climate event was the drought of the early to mid-1950s, when
TexasCoopPower.com
Texas experienced some of its driest and hottest years.” Although
the drought broke with a long cooling period, the rise in temperatures thereafter has been more rapid, says Nielsen-Gammon.
“Just based on temperatures alone,” he explains, “one could
not conclude that the temperature in Texas will continue rising.
However, there is plenty of other evidence that temperatures
should continue to rise, in general. And Texas temperatures are
now at their historical highs compared to the past century, so
any continued warming will take temperatures beyond the realm
of past experience in Texas.”
So what does the changing climate hold for Texans? Will it be
hotter? Drier? Opinions abound. Every Texan has one. But one
factor about the weather will remain the same—our enthusiasm
for keeping an eye on the sky.
Photographer, author and artist E. Dan Klepper works in Marathon.
WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com View a slideshow with more photos.
11
An English springer spaniel
shows off her first retrieved
duck, a gadwall hen.
Memories made at deer leases keep families and friends on common ground for generations
I was a lucky kid
GROWING UP in
Panola County in
deep EAST TEXAS.
That was near Caddo Lake
and Big Cypress Bayou, which
feeds it. The headwaters of
the Sabine River weren’t far away, nor was the fabled Big Thicket,
home of Ben Lilly, the legendary bear hunter who guided Teddy
Roosevelt in the early 20th century.
We all read “The Ben Lilly Legend” by J. Frank Dobie. It was
in our school library, along with “Hunter,” by African guide J.A.
Hunter. I read those books over and over. They instilled in me a
desire to stalk wild game on the African plains, not to mention
chase deer and wild hogs and gray squirrels in the big woods
along the Sabine.
My luck continued through my father’s work as a Baptist minister. His status opened lots of doors and gates for my brothers
and me. Hunting clubs made room for us during dog hunts for
whitetails, and I always had a place I could go to hunt squirrels.
Not to brag, but I got good at squirrel hunting, too, killing my
limit of 10 per day more often than the men who showed up to
hunt still a little queasy from a night’s whiskey tipping around
the campfire. I still can’t understand why a limit of squirrels isn’t
more to be desired than a belly full of booze.
But those nights spent in ramshackle cabins heated by a woodstove, with the chain-saw snores of old men rattling the windows,
created a desire in me to recreate those same campfires and that
same woodstove.
That’s why I still need to have a lease somewhere in the Hill
Country, a place to spend the night in a camper, with my grandkids wrapped in their sleeping bags, dreaming their own dreams
of big racks and rattlesnakes and wild hogs and rabbits begging
for a .22 short or a .410 to rearrange their gray fur and send them
to a frying pan full of bacon grease and then on to smother in a
pot of gravy to get tender before they’re ladled onto a couple of
cathead biscuits split open on a plate.
But good leases can be hard to come by. Most have been overhunted or ransacked by wild hogs or cut up by oil field roads and
drilling rigs. All these things leave true hunters shaking their
heads at what the search for water and oil and the unchecked
shooting by folks without a feel for animals and land can do.
I’ve looked and looked close to our home in Burnet County
for the right place to be able to take my grandchildren, who now
number seven. I finally found a nice spot out near Buchanan
Dam, just 12 miles from my front door.
There were lots of hogs, plenty of deer (though they were
depleted by years of day hunting on a neighboring ranch), Rio
Grande wild turkeys, and a 7-acre lake with lots of bass and
ducks throughout the season. There was a community camping
area; all we had to do was petition Pedernales Electric CooperTexasCoopPower.com
ative for service for our trailers, and A good hunting lease
includes access to deer—
we were in business.
Our first night at the camp, I and so much more.
arranged several granite boulders to
create a fire pit and gathered mesquite and oak logs for the fire.
My daughter’s 8-year-old twins, Ben and Connie, thought it was
perfect and right, and loved spending time there with me on the
weekends. We could hike and fish and talk and watch the stars
and animals. Life could not have been more right than it was
when they were there. And isn’t that what a deer lease or a hunting camp should be? Kids and dogs and a deer hanging from a
tree off to one side, sweet wood smoke and an occasional chain
saw cutting up firewood.
Now I’m getting a renewed appreciation for the impact of
deer camp life on kids. I see in my own grandchildren the wonder
and awe and fear of things that go bump in the night that kept
me from sleeping when I was their age.
During a late afternoon adventure, the grandkids and I walk
around the lease. I am bombarded with questions—from the
always-asked “What was that sound?” to the absurd “Why does
the captus [sic] stick you?” to the tender “Come on, Pop, I think
you could climb that hill.” Translated, that means, “We want to
climb those rocks and are afraid you might not make it, but we
hope you will at least let us do it.”
I’ve used my grandson Ben as a retriever a few times on dove
hunts, and he did pretty well for not having a shock collar around
his neck. And Connie is absolutely fearless about picking up all
the toads and frogs and grasshoppers that abound out in the
woods. If I catch a snake, she’s the first to hold it and let it wrap
around her arm.
We’ve been squirrel hunting since they were 4 years old, when
13
We could hike and fish
and talk and watch the
stars and animals. LIFE
Ben offered to hold Connie’s hand so she A pair of mallards takes
wouldn’t be afraid going into the dark off from a lake on a Hill
woods. After I shot a squirrel, she was the Country lease.
first to pick it up and hold it by the tail.
“See, Ben, this is how you do it,” she said, adding, “I want to take it
back and clean it so I can see the stomach and lungs and heart.”
I’m slowly getting over the urge to run every time I hear one
of them squeal when they’re outside playing while I’m in the
camper relaxing. It’s usually Ben who yells first, and Connie will
say, “He always does that.”
Back in the camper for the night, we put on “Ghostbusters”
and then “Young Frankenstein.” Luckily, I have the same taste
in movies as the kids and can fall asleep with them piled on my
feet and legs like dogs on a cold country night.
It’s about as perfect as a night could be.
A LIFELONG RITUAL For me, life around deer camp has a
sameness that’s comforting: up well before dawn for a Little Debbie cherry pie and a Diet Coke with my friend, Killis LaGrone,
then off into the darkness to our bow blinds, cellphones handy
in case one of us needs help. We’ve been hunting together since
the mid-1960s, when I was invited to join their family deer camp
in the old Beckville Hunting Club in East Texas.
Back then, we stayed in a makeshift shack that was part cooking tent, part bedroom. It was constructed using four sweet gum
trees as corner posts with long two-by-fours as framing for the
walls, two of which were old storefront signs from Killis’ grandfather’s Deadwood General Store.
Supper would often be baloney sandwiches stacked with meat
from the store’s meat counter, or, if we were lucky, chicken-fried
backstrap sandwiches cooked over his dad’s battered Coleman
stove, which spewed fumes and monstrous heat and always left us
on the verge of having to bail out of the little shack to stand outside
in the cold.
14
COULD NOT HAVE BEEN
MORE RIGHT than it was
There was a constant
hickory wood fire going
outside, close to the dog
pens, where Killis’ dad,
Clenton Sr., would store the
cherished beagle hounds he used to move deer around in the
woods. The sweet, peppery smell of hickory wood smoke today
sends me sailing decades into the past.
Clenton would throw out his standard old saws about hunting,
none of which had to do with camouflage or scent control but
mostly had to do with, “Well, you go back down that old road to
the leaning tree, then walk out across that flat to the right. There’s
a big pin oak out there, and if you sit down under that tree, a
deer is going to come by.”
Usually he was right—if we could find the tree in the dark of
a cold morning. Today Killis and I will sit around the breakfast
table and share stories while we plan our morning bow hunts.
“Granddaddy never thought you should do that,” he will say of a
plan we might be considering.
To this day, I’d rather have that warning ringing in my ears
than anything else I can imagine when I start a day in the woods.
I’m also spoiled by the attention Clenton paid to those of us he
considered knotheads in need of help.
There are times I’ll be sitting in a blind with a fine deer in
front of me, and I’ll make a decision not to take that particular
deer because I don’t have anyone to share the moment with when
it’s over.
I try to keep my own kids and grandkids interested and excited
the same way, and it can bring tears to my eyes to have one of
them say to me, “That was really great. Thanks for taking us, Pop.”
Mike Leggett is a writer and photojournalist based in Burnet.
when they were there.
WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com Download “Mike Leggett’s Rules of
the Hunting Lease.”
TexasCoopPower.com
The most expensive Mercedes-Benz® ever made. Rarer than a Stradivarius violin.
Not actual size.
Shown is model in Pearl White finish.
Also available in Ruby Red finish.
How to Park $11.7 Million on Your Desktop
The 500K Special Roadster is one of rarest and mostsought after automobiles ever built.
I
t's hard to deny that one of the signature
models of Mercedes-Benz® is the 500
series. So many striking and elegant bodies
would grace the stalwart chassis. The
500K's of the 1930s were beautiful,
elegant, and exclusive models often
outfitted with voluptuous coachwork and
sold to the wealthiest of clientele.
You don’t need to spend millions to showcase
your impeccable taste. Sold! To the discerning
reader for $99!
Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed.
Test drive the Special Roadster for 30 days.
If for any reason you are not completely
satisfied, simply return it to us for a full
refund of your purchase price. But we’re sure
that once you park this beauty in your house
you’ll be sold.
Comes factory sealed in its original packaging in order
to retain its status as a highly collectable item.
The most ravishing model of this species was
the two-seater 500K Special Roadster
launched in 1936. It was a limited production Diecast metal body features doors, hood
and trunk that open, steerable wheels
cabriolet, in total less than 30 were made,
that roll, and four wheel suspension.
adding to its near-mythical qualities. In it’s
Available in Ruby Red finish.
day it went for top dollar—over $106,000.
Today, these ultra rare masterpieces are going for millions. In
1936 MercedesBenz® 500K Special Roadster
2012, a Special Roadster fetched more than $11.7 million at
(Pearl White or Ruby Red finish) $149†
auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Offer Code Price $99 + S&P Save $50
Forgo the bidding wars, nail-biting flatbed transport, and
scavenger hunting for parts in Germany. Here’s your chance to
own the rare and luxurious essence of this remarkable car in
Your Insider Offer Code: MBD171-01
terms of its unforgettable styling, inimitably powerful and
You must use this insider offer code to get our special price.
elegant lines, and showstopping presence.
18882017081
Our diecast metal replica captures the sexy curves and sumptous
coachwork of the full-size model in striking detail. Just shy of a
foot long, and available in pearl white or ruby red.
† Special price only for customers using the offer code versus the price on
Stauer.com without your offer code.
14101 Southcross Drive W.,
® Dept. MBD17101
Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
Stauer
www.stauer.com
Rating of A+
Highquality 1:18 scale diecast replica • intricate moving features •Detailed chassis with separate exhaust systems • Includes display stand
Smart Luxuries—Surprising Prices ™
Urgent: Special Summer Driving Notice
To some, sunglasses are a fashion accessory…
But When Driving,
These Sunglasses
May Save Your Life!
Studies by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) show that most (74%)
of the crashes occurred
on clear, sunny days
Drivers’ Alert: Driving can expose you to more
dangerous glare than any sunny day at the beach can…
do you know how to protect yourself?
T
he sun rises and sets at peak travel
periods, during the early morning
and afternoon rush hours and many drivers
find themselves temporarily blinded while
driving directly into the glare of the sun.
Deadly accidents are regularly caused by
such blinding glare with danger arising
from reflected light off another vehicle,
the pavement, or even from waxed and oily
windshields that can make matters worse.
Early morning dew can exacerbate this
situation. Yet, motorists struggle on despite
being blinded by the sun’s glare that can
cause countless accidents every year.
Not all sunglasses are created equal.
Protecting your eyes is serious business.
With all the fancy fashion frames out
there it can be easy to overlook what really
matters––the lenses. So we did our research
and looked to the very best in optic innovation and technology.
Sometimes it does take a rocket
scientist. A NASA rocket scientist.
Some ordinary sunglasses can obscure your
vision by exposing your eyes to harmful
UV rays, blue light, and reflective glare.
They can also darken useful vision-enhancing
light. But now, independent research
conducted by scientists from NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory has brought forth
ground-breaking technology to help protect
human eyesight from the harmful effects of
Eagle Eyes®
Lens
simulation
Slip on a pair of Eagle Eyes® and everything
instantly appears more vivid and sharp. You’ll
immediately notice that your eyes are more
comfortable and relaxed and you’ll feel no need to
squint. The scientifically designed sunglasses are
not just fashion accessories—they are necessary
to protect your eyes from those harmful rays
produced by the sun during peak driving times.
solar radiation
light. This superior lens technology
was first discovered
when NASA scientists looked to nature
for a means to superior eye protection—
specifically, by studying the eyes of eagles,
known for their extreme visual acuity. This
discovery resulted in what is now known as
Eagle Eyes®.
The Only Sunglass Technology Certified
by the Space Foundation for UV and
BlueLight Eye Protection.
Eagle Eyes® features the most advanced
eye protection technology ever created.
The TriLenium® Lens Technology offers
triple-filter polarization to block 99.9% UVA
and UVB—plus the added benefit
of blue-light eye protection.
Eagle Eyes® is the only optic
technology that has earned
official recognition from the
Space Certification Program for
this remarkable technology. Now, that’s
proven science-based protection.
The finest optics:
And buy one, get one FREE!
Eagle Eyes® has the highest customer
satisfaction of any item in our 20 year
history. We are so excited for you to try the
Eagle Eyes® breakthrough technology that
we will give you a second pair of Eagle
Eyes® Navigator™ Sunglasses FREE––a
$99 value!
That’s two pairs to protect your eyes
with the best technology available for
less than the price of one pair of traditional
sunglasses. You get a pair of Navigators
with stainless steel black frames and the
other with stainless steel gold, plus two
micro-fiber drawstring cleaning pouches
are included. Keep one pair in your
pocket and one in your car at all times.
Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed.
If you are not astounded with the Eagle
Eyes® technology, enjoying clearer, sharper
and more glare-free vision, simply return
one pair within 60 days for a full refund of
the purchase price. The other pair is yours
to keep. No one else has such confidence
in their optic technology.
Navigator™
Black Stainless
Steel Sunglasses
Receive the Navigator™ Gold
Sunglasses (a $99 value) FREE!
just for trying the Navigator™ Black
Navigator™ Gold Stainless Steel Sunglasses
Certified EAGLE EYES® was developed
from original NASA Optic technology
and was recently inducted into the
Space Foundation Technology Hall of Fame.
Don’t leave your eyes in the hands of
fashion designers, entrust them to the best
scientific minds on earth. Wear your Eagle
Eyes® Navigators with absolute confidence, knowing your eyes are protected
with technology that was born in space
for the human race.
Eagle Eyes® Navigator™ Sunglasses $99†
Offer Code Price $49 + S&P Save $50
PLUS receive the Navigator™ Gold
absolutely FREE!—2 pairs for the
price of one!
18003332045
Your Insider Offer Code: EEN191-01
You must use this insider offer code to
get our special price.
Stauer
® 14101 Southcross Drive W.,
Dept. EEN19101
Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
www.stauer.com
Rating of A+
† Special price only for customers using the offer code
versus the price on Stauer.com without your offer code.
Smart Luxuries—Surprising Prices ™
Do you Suffer from:
Receive the benefits of aerobic exercise without stress or impact on the joints!
Increase circulation throughout the body
Relieve stiffness from head to toe
Move lymph fluid and
help flush out toxins
E
Increase mobility
Energize the body
•
•
•
•
•
•
Wiide, cushioned ankle resst
2 pre-programmed settings
16 minute digital timer with saffet
ety shutoff
FD
DA Class 1 Registered
ETL Ap
pproval
Weeighs onlly 15 pounds
2-Year
e Parts and Labor Waarrantty
my feet were warm when
I went to bed. They were
always ice cold before.”
after one week of use . I
feeel alive again and don't
nap as much anymore"
—Ralph K.
—Dave H.
j y y
g
,
3 times a daay. When I am
finished I feeel likke I am back
in the fast lane. I am so glad
I decided to splurge and buy
your magnificent machine.”
—Irene R.,Teexas
You deserve to feel better — order the Exerciser Elite now!
®
U
d C
C500SP
500SP h
d ing and receive the promotional price of $
$359.95
359.95
value) in the lower 48 contiguous states.
Clark's #2
#2 Sellingg
W
Wellness
e
ellness Product
Prro
oduct
Kansas residents add 8.05% sales tax.
Savve on recondit
e
ioned units when available.
Want
an
a to learn morree?
V isit
i it www
w.cwma
.
chines.com or call
800.748.7172
24 0 Berg Road Sa l ina, K S 674 01
www.cwmachines.com
w
w w.cwmachines.com
8
800.748.7172
0 0.748 .7172
Back
Guaranttee
Kneading Fingers™
Neck and Back Massager
• Helps reelax muscles
• Helps improve range of motion
• Relievves muscular aches and pains
Co-op News
SOUTH PLAINS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
Stephen F. Austin Primary School
Earns Operation Round Up Grant
“The INSTA-LEARN program is a literacy program that
utilizes language boards, letter tiles and self-checking strips,
allowing students to learn at their own pace,” said Stephen
F. Austin teacher Robin Williams. “I am so glad to have these
boards as another tool for teaching students to read.”
The $500 Operation Round Up grant is funded by the members of South Plains Electric Cooperative.
The Operation Round Up Board of Directors initiated a
three-year program offering small, $500 grants to teachers.
This is the program’s third year, and grants were available
to K-12 teachers in reading and social studies. The funds are
made available by South Plains Electric members who ask
to have their monthly bill rounded up to the next dollar. The
extra change, averaging only $6 per year, funds projects like
the teacher mini-grants, scholarships and much more.
Operation Round Up was established in 1993 to help communities and individuals needing a hand up, not a hand out.
The program’s tagline, “neighbors helping neighbors,” is at the
heart of why South Plains Electric Cooperative exists.
18
Texas Co-op Power SOUTH PLAINS EC August 2015
August.indd 18
During the past 22 years, Operation Round Up has helped
hundreds of individuals and organizations. Many donations go
unpublicized out of respect for the individual recipients. Operation Round Up, under the guidance of a 10-member board,
sometimes works quietly to improve members’ lives.
Eight teacher mini-grants were awarded for the 2014-2015
school year. The other recipients were: Cynthia Walden, second grade, Cotton Center Elementary; Ollie Hart and Jana
Simmons, third grade, Abernathy Elementary; LaNita LaFon,
pre-kindergarten, Stephen F. Austin Primary; Mandy Jeter,
fourth grade and Carole Harbison, second grade, Shallowater
Intermediate; and Mary Drake, sixth grade, Levelland Middle
School.
The Operation Round Up Board approved another threeyear cycle of teacher mini-grants because it’s been such a successful program. Applications for the 2015-2016 school year
closed May 15, 2015. The next grant cycle opens January 2,
2016. You can sign up for Operation Round Up at www.SPEC.
coop or call 806.775.7732.
www.spec.coop • Like us on Facebook
7/7/2015 11:30:11 AM
(806) 775-7766 | WWW.SPEC.COOP | LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
Stephen F. Austin Primary
School students learn to read
via INSTA-LEARN
Robin Williams teaches pre-kindergarten at Stephen
F. Austin Primary School. Her grant request was for the
INSTA-LEARN Perception Boards for her classroom to
assist in devoloping prereading skills and math skills. Here is
her story:
In order to reach all students, schools must provide an
engaging and fun way to learn. My long term goal is to produce students that read well and comprehend what they are
reading so that they may be contributing members of society.
INSTA-LEARN Perception Boards can and do assist me!
The INSTA-LEARN program is a literacy program that
utilizes language boards, letter tiles and self-checking strips,
allowing students to learn at their own pace. This program
is also multisensory, which leads students to learn using all
modalities. Students learn through auditory, visual, tactile
and kinesthetic modes. The INSTA-LEARN program is success-oriented by giving the students immediate responses to
right or wrong answers. It is also set up so that it can accommodate a single student or a small group.
Pre-kindergarten students are beginning to learn to
identify the letters, both upper and lower case, as well as
their sounds. This program reinforces the skills taught by
the teacher. It also allows students to apply what they have
learned.
This board is an excellent diagnostic tool for identifying students with perceptual problems. Each piece is constructed so that only the correct answers fit. The students
really enjoy using the boards because it meets the students
at all learning levels. If a child is at a beginning level, they
can just put the letters in order. If the child is on an advanced
level, they may be ready to sound out words.
The INSTA-LEARN program consists of a board for
uppercase letters, lowercase letters and patterns. On the top
of the board are letters and/or symbols. There are cut-outs
on the bottom of each square ensuring that the letters or
symbols are in the correct place. The student will then place
a strip of the bottom of the board that will cover various
skills, including: visual discrimination, categorization, pattern sequencing, visual memory, alphabet-visual discrimination, alphabet sequencing, story sequencing, beginning
sounds, ending sounds, one-syllable phonetic, action words,
direction words and much more.
The students love using the boards and they are learning vital skills. I am so glad to have these boards to use as
another tool to help students learn to read. Thank you, South
Plains Electric Cooperative. Learning to read is an invaluable gift you are giving to my students through the gift of this
August.indd 19
grant.
Only the correct answers fit in the answer slots on the INSTA-LEARN
Perception Boards. This gives the students the opportunity for instant
learning and instant gratification.
When students use the INSTA-LEARN Perception Boards, they learn
through auditory, visual, tactile and kinesthetic modes. Using all different learning styles ensures that every student can and will learn.
August 2015 SOUTH PLAINS EC Texas Co-op Power
19
7/7/2015 11:31:08 AM
Co-op News
Director Nominees
SOUTH PLAINS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE is guided by an elected board of directors that
represents its members when making important decisions. Being a member of the
Cooperatives’s board is an important and highly responsible position in the community, and directors volunteer considerable time and energy to the cause of powering
our communities and empowering Cooperative members to improve the quality of
their lives.
A director’s decisions affect issues such as service rates, rights-of-way and capital
credits, as well as strategic, financial and work plans. The post requires savvy, selfless
men and women who understand their community’s needs and work to represent the
members’ best interests.
All electric co-op boards benefit from the experience and accumulated knowledge
of incumbent directors, many of whom undergo substantial education on topics such
as the electric industry, technology, governance, risk management, rate-setting and
policy development. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association offers
training for directors to achieve national benchmarks such as Credentialed Cooperative Director or Board Leadership certifications. Established directors provide continuity and a depth of knowledge.
Our board is a democratically-elected body, with each director nominated by
members of the Cooperative’s service territory and voted into position by all members who choose to participate in the Cooperative’s open election. Any Co-op member in good standing may run for an open board position for the district in which
they receive service.
The board appointed nominating committee members at its March meeting for
each of the four districts with expiring director terms. Each nominating committee
made nominations for its specific district.
All four nominating committees have met and selected the following candidates
for the upcoming membership meetings:
District 3 Nominees: Calvin Lemon and Rynn Truett
District 5 Nominee: Bobby Richey
District 7 Nominee: R.D. McCallister
District 12 Nominee: Ken Harris
No petition nominations were received for any of the districts.
The District 12 nominee was on the ballot presented at the Childress Districts 11
and 12 Membership Meeting on July 14 in Childress. Districts 3, 5, 7 and 12 nominees
will be on the ballot presented at the Annual Membership Meeting on September 15
in Lubbock. Members will cast their ballots, and the candidate receiving the most
votes will be declared the winner. If you want more information, call Dianne Hewett
at (806) 775-7856 or e-mail her at [email protected].
District 3
Nominee
Calvin
Lemon
Idalou
• Roosevelt High School graduate
• Current occupation: Farmer
Qualifications and Experience: I
have 40 years experience in the farming
industry. My experience as a farmer has
taught me that hard work and determination lead to accomplishing any
job or goal. I have past experience as a
board member and community leader
of organizations such as the New Deal
School Board, New Deal Young Farmers,
Lubbock County Farm Bureau and am a
charter member of the Bayer Museum
of Agriculture. I also served as an adult
leader for the Lubbock County and
New Deal 4-H clubs and as the County
Archery Leader. I believe to be an effective community leader, you must listen
to all sides in order to make decisions
that have the community’s best interest.
My past experience as a board member
and community leader has given me
much enjoyment in working alongside
others to better my community. I am
honored to have been recognized by the
Texas Parks and Wildlife with the Lonestar Land Steward Award, and by the
Lubbock County Soil and Water Conservation District as the Outstanding Wildlife Conservationist and the Outstanding
Conservation Farmer.
My wife is Sandra, and we have two
children and two grandsons. We are
members of Christ Lutheran Church in
Lubbock.
Annual Meeting of the
Membership
Tuesday, September 15
Lubbock Memorial Civic Center
20
Texas Co-op Power SOUTH PLAINS EC August 2015
August.indd 20
7/7/2015 11:31:54 AM
District 5
Nominee
• Roosevelt High School graduate
• Attended Texas Tech University
• Current occupation: retired,
farmed for 52 years and sold insurance
for 32 years. Still work part time for Germania Insurance.
Qualifications and Experience: I have
46 years of experience on the South
Plains Electric Cooperative Board and
have 44 years of service as either president or vice president. I am a Certified
Credentialed Director. I have other
board experience from serving on the
Acuff Co-op Gin Board for 30 years and
the Farmers Co-op Compress for 31
years.
My wife is LaHonda and we have
three children and eight grandchildren.
We are members of Canyon United
Methodist Church where I serve as
chairman of finance.
70
STATE HWY 256
FM 1041
ROAD 265
RANCH
WY 62
STA
TE
70
W
Y
H
STATE HWY 6
70
HW
Y6
HW
Y
US
10
4
STATE HWY 6
US H
RO
AD
RA
NC
US
2
287
US H
WY
82 ST
AT
E
HW
Y
22
2
0
US HWY 83
STATE HWY 70
STATE
HWY 70
08
HW
Y7
10
US HWY 380
80
ST
AT
E
RANCH ROAD 2211
N
0
61
HW
Y
28
3
Y8
HW
RA
CH
AD
RO
US
Y7
HW
84
HW
Y2
H
US HWY 62
RANCH ROAD 1065
RANCH ROAD 599
RANCH RO
AD 1081
42
11
3
WY
Y 82
US HW
US HWY 82
TE
STA
FM
3
0
STA
TE
US HW
Y 62
STATE HWY 207
COUNTY HWY 145
H
US
Y
HW
RANCH ROAD 669
RANCH ROAD 212
400
OA
D
HR
FM 400
SLATON
RD
I 27
NC
9
US HW
Y 380
12
US HWY
193
70
US HWY 380
HWY
Y
HW
RA
11
COU NT
Y
ST
AT
E
WY
287
70
WY
WY 83
84
RANCH ROAD 261
2
Y6
HW
US H
W
Y
FM ROAD 211
US HWY 62
H
US
WY 83
H
US
RANCH ROAD 213
4
H
E
AT
ST
US HWY 380
US
NC
Y 208
STATE HW
FM 211 FM 211
FM 41
6
83
6
HW
Y8
D
OA
8
84
US
HR
E RANCH RD 41
7
HW
Y
RANCH ROAD 40
207
STATE HWY
5
RA
94
US
NC
RANCH ROAD 40
US
RANCH ROAD 1440
AD
RO
RANCH ROAD 684
RANCH ROAD 28
I 27
FM 400
WY 82
US H
OAD
656
US HWY 62
RA
FM 1264
I 27
US H
28
7
RANCH ROAD 94
D 267
E FM 1294
US HWY 62
CH R
HW
Y
US H
3
RANCH ROAD 651
FM 400
RANCH ROAD 2301
I 27
FM 400
I 27 F-M 1424
FM 400
RANCH ROAD 179
RANCH ROAD 168
I 27
ROAD 784
FARM HWY 651
N RANCH RD 168
RANCH
RANCH ROAD 54
FM ROAD 1729 MAIN ST
2
RANCH ROAD 97
RAN
US
RANCH ROA
RANCH ROAD 168
RANCH ROAD 37
1
AD 789
RANCH RO
7
I2
FM 1914
HEREFORD RD
RANCH ROAD 2286
86
STATE HWY 6
94
WY 70
STATE HWY 70 STATE H
I 27
HW
Y1
Y
HW
RANCH ROAD 658
87
E
AT
ST
ST
AT
E
US HWY 62
Y2
HW
ST
AT
E
US
HW
Y
South Plains Electric
Cooperative District Map
87
WY
August.indd 21
Acuff, Incumbent
• Seminole High School graduate
• Current occupation: farming in the
Wolfforth area since 1960.
Qualifications and Experience: I have
33 years of experience on the South
Plains Electric Cooperative Board,
served as assistant secretary-treasurer
for 28 years and as secretary-treasurer
for two years. I served on the Frenship
School Board from 1982-1995 and was a
member of the Lubbock Police Advisory
Board. I received the Area I Star Young
Farmer Award in 1976 and was runnerup at the state competition. I served as
an officer for the Young Farmers organization from 1974-1976.
My wife is Anne and we are members
of First United Methodist Church in
Wolfforth.
US H
R.D.
McCallister
Wolfforth, Incumbent
7
I2
• Idalou High School graduate
• Attended Texas Tech University
• Current occupation: Semi-retired
farmer; farmed for 38 years.
Qualifications and Experience: I
consider it an honor and privelege to
have served on a number of boards in
the past 39 years, including the Cooperative member services committee,
High Plains Underground Water District committee, and the Idalou School
Board, where I was president for one
year. I also served on committees for the
High Plains Underground Water District, F.S.A. County committee and the
Lubbock County Farm Bureau, where I
served two terms as president. Although
each board or committee is unique, they
are all similar in structure and purpose.
I have sharpened my leadership skills
and earned the experience necessary to
be a contributor, not just a member of
the Cooperative board. In addition to
my board experience, I completed Texas
A&M’s Beef 101 workshop along with
several other cotton seminars. I have
been involved in my community by serving as co-chairman of the Idalou Booster
Club and on the Idalou Stock Show Committee. Farming for 38 years gave me
keen insight into running a successful
business. As a farmer, one wears many
hats, including bookkeeping, budgets,
management, employee relations and
much more. Being semi-retired will allow
me more time to devote to the Co-op board
and to attend more training sessions in
which board members should participate.
My wife is Jane, and we have two sons
and daughter-in-laws. We are members
of the Idalou First Baptist Church where
I teach Sunday School and serve on the
personnel, nominating, finance and
greeting committees.
RANCH ROAD 179
Idalou
Bobby
Richey
US HWY 83
Rynn
Truett
District 7
Nominee
RANCH ROAD 680
District 3
Nominee
21
7/7/2015 2:04:26 PM
EMERGENCY RESTORATION
When Disaster Strikes,
We Are Ready
F IRST E LECTRIC COOP E RATIV E
MESSAGE FROM
GENERAL MANAGER, DALE ANCELL
MOTHER NATURE IS NOT AS PREDICTABLE as we would like,
and when she gets angry, we are left to pick up the pieces.
Floods, tornadoes, snow and ice, drought and other natural
disasters pose major threats to all kinds of infrastructure, including electrical lines
and systems.
South Plains Electric Cooperative is always ready to respond when the lights go out,
but emergency situations—and extended outages—can be particularly challenging.
When a major storm moves through our area, fellow co-ops’ line crews are standing by, ready to help us restore power to the greatest number of members in the
shortest amount of time possible. Even though co-ops are independent entities, we
still rely on one another to share resources, information and, in some cases, manpower.
Relying on each other is the
cooperative way, and by doing so,
we can restore power to members
more quickly when severe weather
emergencies occur.
This type of assistance is known
as a mutual-aid agreement, and
it works both ways. Wherever the
need is for assistance—whether
in our service area, a neighboring co-op’s, or sometimes even in
another region entirely—the crews
head there to pitch in.
Most co-op lines and systems
are designed and built to the same
standards, so when fellow crews
answer the call for assistance, no
training is necessary. They show up
During a disaster, co-ops work together and with
ready to get the job done.
state and national agencies to safely restore power
South Plains Electric Cooperaas quickly as possible.
tive also communicates with the
Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management
Agency. When Texas’ governor formally declares an area a disaster, he requests aid
from the president so that emergency management staff can begin assessing damage.
In the event of an emergency, you can report an outage via our outage texting
system and our automated phone service. During large outages, =check our Facebook
page for updates, but please be sure to use our automated services to report ourtages.
The best preparation for emergency situations is becoming familiar with the rules
and procedures ahead of time, so you’re educated and ready to respond. Preparation
ensures shorter outages for our members, and that’s who we’re here to serve.
22
Texas Co-op Power SOUTH PLAINS EC
August.indd 22
August 2015
Official
Notice of
Capital
Credit
Allocation
The Patronage Capital Credit Allocation Notice for South Plains Electric Cooperative members is issued
in accordance with the bylaws of the
Cooperative.
There are two allocation factors:
the margins from operations and the
margins from our power suppliers.
Total margins allocated for 2014 were
$8,048,074.
The 2014 operating margin was
$1,308,116 and the allocation factor
was .0026494457.
Golden Spread Electric Cooperative and Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, our power suppliers, also
sent us $6,739,958 in capital credits
for 2014. These are called Generation and Transmission (G&T) Capital
Credits. The G&T factor for 2014 was
.0474436551.
By multiplying these factors times
your total usage in dollars for 2014,
as shown on your December bill,
you can arrive at your capital credit
amount for 2014.
If you have any questions about
capital credits, call (806) 775-7831
to speak with Penny Nelson, or call
(806) 775-7828 to speak with
Jessalynn Alejandro.
Unlike other electric utilities, your
Cooperative exists to make sure your
needs are always met, not to make
a profit. The Cooperative works hard
every day to keep your electric rates
as low as possible. But it’s sure nice
to know that when there are margins
(capital credits), they go back to you.
South Plains Electric Cooperative has returned $32.7 million to
members. That’s good value for your
money.
7/7/2015 2:05:50 PM
We understand
your hands
are full.
Switch to Co-op Power PrePay and
worry about something other than
due dates and late fees.
Member Service: 806-775-7766
CO-OP P WER
PrePay
www.SPEC.coop
$893,407 Saved
on Prescriptions by Members using their Co-op Connections Card
In June, 321 prescriptions were filled and members saved $7,599 averaging 48 percent off the retail price.
This valuable
member benefit is
absolutely free!
Go online at www.SPEC.coop or call
806.775.7766 to request a free card.
Want to do some price checking on your
prescriptions? Visit www.rxpricequotes.com to
see the discounted price at local pharmacies.
August.indd 23
Even if you have medical coverage, compare your
coverage to the discounts. The Co-op Connections
discount may be better than your medical insurance!
The pharmacy will need the group and member numbers on the back of the card to process the discount.
23
7/7/2015 2:13:53 PM
AGRICULTURE
2010 Cimarron 10 wheel hay rake. Used only
2 seasons. Priced at $4,500 or best offer.
Call 757-2268.
Chickens for sale, all kinds, Bantams, Black Silkies, Mille Fleurs and many others. Call 783-0246.
Fresh from the garden vegetables. Picked and
sold daily. Many varieties. Call for info. Harden’s
Garden. 745-9261.
Farm fresh eggs. $3/18 pack. Call 871-4239:
Used John Deere tractors, some with front-end
loaders. 745-4060:
Farm fresh eggs. $2 a dozen. Call 775-4260:
Shredders, blades, plows, tractors and more.
Call for pricing. 778-9919:
Tanks repaired. Plastic, fiberglass and metal.
Rainwater collection systems. 548-0959:
Adams Farm Equipment Company, since 1976.
Cultivator knives, sweeps & spikes, sand fighters, offset disks on sale. 762-1876:
Jack’s Agri-Center, products for farm, home,
vineyard, commercial. 1301 E. 34th St., Lubbock, 744-4381:
Bozeman Tire, new and used auto, truck and
farm tires. Service trucks available for on-site
repairs. 765-6308; 470-3855 cell:
AUTOS, RVS, BOATS
2004 Edge Ranger, extended cab, needs
valves. 1995 Nitro Tracker boat, 60HP, call or
text 806-548-2616.
Logan’s Auto Repair, for all your automotive
services, 13th and Q, Lubbock, 749-3488:
Windshield repair/replacement, rock chip repair,
all auto/truck glass, mirrors, mobile & shop service. 7415 82nd St. Clear Vu Auto Glass 791-4311:
Competitive Auto Repair Service, 30 years
experience, light truck, light auto, reasonable
rates. 392-5487:
Armor Auto Glass of Lubbock. Windshields, rock
chip repairs, door glasses, back glasses, mirrors.
Locally-owned, free estimates. 778-3710:
Bryan’s Auto Parts Locator. 9-6, M-F. Nationwide
parts locator, new and used. Delivery and installation available, warranty on all parts. 745-2050:
Jay’s Home Auto Repair, mobile mechanic. 8AM8PM, Monday-Saturday. I still make house calls.
Over 30 yrs. experience. 773-8622:
Truck accessories; service and restoration on
Scouts; Scout Madness Truck Outfitters. www.
scoutmadness.com. 745-7475:
Precision Auto Repair, engine overhauls, brakes,
alignments, chassis, rear axles, cv-joints,
electrical. 866-9021:
Concrete Randy. Driveways, sidewalks, slabs,
patios, dirt work, asphalt repair. Free estimates,
call 448-1148:
Professional tile installation, references available, 30 yrs. experience. Andrew 544-3958 or
873-3647; Gilbert 778-4095; Carrie 559-6554:
We do all types of fence work from repair to
replacement, ag and ranch a speciality. Free
and honest bids, call Les at 438-7859, 470-7782:
Blue Sky Custom Shutters. Dealer for O'Hair
Shutters. Interior window treatments and
exterior shutters; shadow boxes. 535-0456:
Polyurethane foam roofing & insulation. Best for
flat roofs and inside metal buildings. Over 40
yrs. experience. 781-4041; 253-0205:
Brian Harper Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.
TACL#A22184. 445-0020:
Luna Construction. Steel buildings, welding,
concrete, fences, free estimates. 781-1232,
781-1786:
Ford Insulation & Fireplaces. Fiberglass or
cellulose insulation. Monessen fireplaces, gas
logs and outdoor grills. 548-2750:
MEMBERS’ MARKET CLASSIFIEDS
Need auto, life, commercial, home, health, call
for free quote. Victor Gamez Ins. 791-2892 or
www.victorgamezinsurance.com:
HEALTH
Battery for Eclipse Sequal oxygen portable concentrator. Like new. $300 OBO. Eclipse Oxygen
System, Power Cartridge 2400. Call 863-4115.
Diane’s Magnetic Jewelry. Why hurt? Stop the
pain! Lubbock 781-4239:
It’s no longer about losing weight! Get healthy,
shed extra pounds w/Plexus Slim. 778-5393.
http://bjmassingill.myplexusproducts.com:
Learn what essential oils are all about. Classes
online and in person. Email or call for schedule.
832-0531, [email protected]:
Diabetes, pre-diabetes, struggling to lose
weight or pain issues? Plexus may help. 777-2441
or http://mchapman.myplexusproducts.com:
Enjoy the best massage in town. Patti Hill, LMT,
swedish, deep tissue, hot stone, mother-to-be,
reflexology; evenings & Saturdays. 239-4208:
Victor Jimenez Concrete and Dirt. Patios, sidewalks, driveways, flower beds, curbs. 317-3288:
Super Blue Stuff, pain relief of arthritis, back
pain, carpal tunnel, sports injuries, specials.
253-3040, 786-5356:
John Garrett, LLC, building, remodeling and
masonry. 789-0742:
HOUSEHOLD
Reduce your energy bills summer/winter with
full vinyl replacement windows. Low installed
price. Also do metal buildings, free est. 787-7690:
1983 14x76 2bd-2bth mobile home to be moved.
New roof, siding, furnace. Needs some interior
repair. $10,000. Call 863-3573.
Spray foam insulation. Metal buildings or barns.
New or existing structures. Free estimates.
441-1553; 787-5699:
Oliver’s Cleaning Service. Home, office, lawn,
etc. Mistie, 466-8500:
Colbert Painting. 35 yrs. in business, interior
& exterior, residential & commercial, specialty
faux painting, free est. 441-8898:
Straub Masonry: In business over 40 yrs. Brick,
stone, pavers, glass block, pointups, mailboxes,
repairs. 795-5681:
Smith Construction: carports, metal buildings,
remodels, metal roofs and fences. 893-6905:
All types of roofing and all phases of remodeling, windows, siding, roof additions, free estimates, Roof Master & Construction, 780-7663:
Western Implement Company, featuring
Kubota, Bush-Hog and Land Pride. 321 19th St.
765-0900, kubotalubbock.com:
Premier Home Exteriors. Steel siding, overhangs, storm doors, storm & insulated windows.
798-2482:
Roy Reese Construction. Remodel or new construction, metal roofs, barns, fencing. 839-2174:
Absolute Security, prewires, structured wiring,
gate operators, cameras, all types of security
and whole home audio. 795-5656:
3-D-S Lawncare, mowing, edging, trimming.
8805 25th St. Call: Freddy 448-0368 or Latika
448-9234.
Shredding lots & acreage. Call anytime 778-7092.
Bobbys’ mower repair. Get your mower ready
now, call Bobby at 470-7392:
Todd Anderson Lawn/Tree. Specializing in weed
control, deep-root fertilization, diagnose &
treat diseases & insects. Licensed/ins. 797-1770:
Lone Star Fence. Wood & chain link installed.
lonestarfencelubbock.com call Jimmy at 806778-1942. LIke us on Facebook:
Lubbock Pergola & Deck; Full service designbuild company. Free consultation and design.
549-9258; www.lubbockpergola.com:
High Plains Gardens. Native plants and grasses.
Vegetable/herb plants (in season). Cactus &
succulents. Koi & shubunkin goldfish. 778-9333:
Patio Creations: Casino portable bars, custom
built: refrigerator, CD player, lights, game &
bar. Cedar wood, drink & chip holders. 783-8351:
Small tractor shredding, blade work. Also,
trenching, sandblasting & mobile welding.
239-9894:
MISCELLANEOUS
New Neiko 38 piece Duometric Impact Socket
Set, $35 cash, Lubbock Area. Call 863-4115.
Commercial heavy duty 10’x10’ tent canopy,
slotted metal shelves, all sizes. 6’ locking glass
display case. Call 792-7638, leave message.
Grace Mobile Home Repair. 473-7470. Owner
Joe Beck. 10% discount when mentioning ad:
Weddings, family, monthly specials, etc. Seasonal Mini Sessions and all your photo needs.
549-1651. mjohnsonphoto.net:
S&K Furniture Repair. Specializing in recliner
frame work, wood reglue and touch-up repair.
www.skfurniturerepair.com. 798-2471:
Military Surplus-Antiques-Collectibles, now
open at 2405 34th St., 10-5:30 M-Sat. Glory B.
470-0330 or 368-5264:
Jordan’s Carpet Cleaning. 806-300-6622.
Carpet cleaning, countertop refinishing, water
extraction:
Used utility poles, 30’, no cutting on site, must
sign release of responsibility, make donation to
Operation Round Up, call 775-7793 to make appt:
J&P Mobile Home Movers, serving all of Texas.
445-6370; 445-2178:
Edge to Edge overall long arm machine
quilting, pick-up and delivery. Call Marlene
Hildebrandt 787-3334:
LANDSCAPING
Cactus Creek Firewood. Oak, pinion, mesquite,
pecan, hickory. From a few sticks to a cord.
Delivery or pick up. 392-4004. 4124 E FM 1585:
Shredding,tilling,disc & blade work. Medium
size tractor with 6ft equipment. Call for estimate 241-6658:
New Simmons Yard Hydrant $35 cash Lubbock
Area. Gibraltar Security Mail Box New $30 cash
Lubbock Area. Call 863-4115.
All your photography needs. Monthly specials.
Weddings, family, sports, etc. 559-7796.
www.wgalavizphotography.com:
Macrame plant hangers & hanging tables. Made
to order, variety of designs & colors. www.macremaedecor.com or [email protected]
Vicki’s Crafts. 445-2921. For fall, Christmas and
every day. 4108 E 3rd. Thurs.-Fridays:
TX Concealed Handgun Class: $100, includes
meal & range fee. Complete class in one day.
Rockhill Arms & Mercantile. 940-663-6180:
Authentic Chuck Wagon Catering. Award winning cooks. Delicious Old West meals cooked on
site. 798-7825. 789-5929. www.hxwagon.com:
Affordable event rentals for DIY. Check out
website at www.renteventforme.com. 777-7015:
D Productions mobile DJ service with DJ Debbie
D for all occasions, all styles of music. 407-2470:
Roy’s Mobile Home Service. Moving, installation,
local and long distance. 791-5485:
Parties, weddings, or just for fun! Mike Pritchard
for your live entertainment needs. From solo
to duo or full piece band. 797-1573; 773-2215:
Long arm quilting, quilt piecing, complete tshirt quilts, Lesa Ann’s Quilting Studio. 787-3735:
DJ with TJ. DJ for all occasions. Reasonable prices. 632-6086 or go online to www.
DJwithTJ.com:
Golf clubs, woods, irons, putters, wedges,
bags and new drivers. Stonegate Golf Course.
786-7077:
Watkins Products Associate, Wilda Pruitt.
741-1154. jrwatkins.com/consultant/wilda.pruitt:
Have old houses to be moved to your location.
Bigham Housemoving. 781-7841, 781-7843:
Jones Tire. We buy and sell used tires, 13, 14 &
15. Flats fixed $5.00. 102 E Broadway. 762-8112:
Concealed handgun class. Serving the South
Plains since 1996. Sat. class, call for details.
Fred’s Gun Emporium, 3003 Slide Rd. 799-3838:
The Carpet Barn. All types of flooring. Low
overhead means low prices. Visa/MC. Financing
available. 132nd & I-27. 745-7977:
If you need a personal computer tech to install
hardware, software or perform repairs, David
Sanders 470-6336:
Ruben’s Head Shop, haircuts, 6409-A University
Ave. near Pets Plus. Walk-ins.
SignPro Electrical Sales & Service. Ask for Debi,
Full service sign company. 10% off for mentioning this ad. 798-7446:
PEST CONTROL
ABC Pest Control, certified, licensed, insured
for roaches, ants, silverfish and mice. Free
estimates w/75 mile radius of Lubbock. 319-1869:
Members’ Market Advertising Form
BOOKS, VIDEOS, CDS
FINANCIAL & INSURANCE
Local author writes true adventure book.
Confessions of a Bible Salesman...An Exciting
Adventure with God. $13, www.kelleylitsch.com:
Sig Dansby & Assoc. Insurance Services. Auto,
home, renters, life, annuities, disability, IRAs.
Independent agents. 785-0840, 432-770-0197:
Category _____________________________________________________________
Deadline for ads in the September magazine is August 4, 2015.
Email ad to [email protected] or complete form and mail to:
SPEC, Attn.: Lynn Simmons, P.O. Box 1830, Lubbock, TX 79408
Learn auctioneering. “Dick Watson on Auctioneering” home practice video, CD or DVD.
632-4519. www.beanauctioneer.com:
Your agent for business, home, auto & life
insurance since 1982. Keith Potts, State Farm,
794-5084 or www.keithpotts.com:
____________________________________________________________________
CONSTRUCTION
Home, Auto, Life. Free child kit with policy. Jim
Welch Ins. Agency, 783-0290. www.FarmersofLubbock.com:
Norge: L-cleat floor Nailler - (oak floors) Sell for
best offer. Call 745-8043.
Fleming Spray Foam Insulation. Offices in
Lubbock and Childress, serving rural areas. Joe
Stalcup 543-5103:
24
Burial insurance: Lincoln Heritage Funeral
Advantage. Call Darin Tetens, 632-0104:
Texas Co-op Power SOUTH PLAINS EC
August.indd 24
August 2015
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
In Texas
call: 811
Name __________________________________________
Phone __________________________
7/7/2015 2:24:13 PM
MEMBERS’ MARKET CLASSIFIEDS
Pest Management Services. 794-4567. For
general pests, animals, rodents, termites (liquid
or bait), lawns, trees & shrubs. Lubbock area:
Free market evaluation of your home, no
obligation. Call Teresa Richardson, Realtor at
Century 21 John Walton Realtors, 781-4864:
Good pest control costs no more. Free estimates.
20 yrs. of know how. West Texas Pest Control,
W.L. Matheny (m) 778-0225:
We list and sell homes in Lubbock and surrounding area. Mark & Amy Franco; mark@
exitlubbock.com. 441-4998:
PETS & LIVESTOCK
Looking to buy or sell your home ? Call Debby
Tullis at 777-6863. WESTMARK, Realtors:
Noey’s Tree Services. Been in business for 30
yrs. Specialists in all trees: shaping, trimming
and take down. Free est. 632-2926; 777-3926:
Custom-made pet collars with rhinestone name
and charm sliders. 11 collar styles and charms.
Text or call: 781-1587 or 791-0241:
County Line Inspection. Real estate, new
construction, building, mechanical, electrical
and plumbing. Lic. #10599. 445-1685:
Richburg Horticulture. Professional, prompt tree
care services. Old school integrity, new school
technology. BS degree. 793-1586:
Do your horse good! Certified equine sports
massage therapy. Beneficial for performance,
competition and leisure horses. Angie 928-1403:
RENTALS
West Texas Trees, locally grown, thousands
of trees to choose from, wholesale prices.
863-4922:
Furever Friends and Rescue placing rescued
dogs and cats in new homes. Serving the Childress area, donations accepted. 940-585-6035:
Like driving your horse and buggy? Check our
website to see what the Llano Estacado Driving
Society is doing. www.born2buggy.org:
Spur Veterinary Hospital serves both small and
large animals. We specialize in equine health.
Brandon or Ali Broyles, DVM. 271-3355:
Adopt a dog from Morris Safe House, a no-kill
facility; vaccines, spayed/neutered, socialized,
ID chip. 239-0156. www.morrissafehouse.org:
Stud service for AKC registered Rottweilers.
Boarding services. 317-9494; leave message:
Check it out! LubbockSaddleClub.org. Play day
dates for 2015 for Lubbock Saddle Club and
other events. www.LubbockSaddleClub.org:
Registered working border collies from champion bloodlines. www.abbordercollies.com.
806-492-3456:
Small breed puppies, Chihuahua, long/smooth
coat, Yorkies, Dachshund, Poodles, others, shots
& wormed. (940) 937-8392:
Dog grooming. FuzzBusters offers professional
all breed dog grooming in a friendly environment; plus small dog boarding. 749-2547:
REAL ESTATE
10.2 acre tracts or larger.$ 2500.00 per acre. 1/4
mile west of intersection of FM2528 and CR5800.
No improvements. Call 392-5944 after 5pm:
1983 14x76 2bd-2bth mobile home to be moved.
New roof, siding & furnace. Needs some interior
repairs. $10,000 Call 863-3573.
R&R Home inspections, serving the West Texas
area, protecting peace of mind. 786-4175:
Call Linda Scott, Realtor (806) 781-5314 at
Stephens Realty for all your real estate needs:
Hillside RV Park, full hook-ups; three miles
south of Roaring Springs on FM 3203; 348-7519:
Heavily wooded RV spots on private fishing
lake, hiking trails, outdoor activities. One hour
from Houston & Beaumont. 936-365-2267:
Home for you & your horse! 2 & 3 bdr. Ranchplexes with private paddocks for horses &
fenced dog runs. 50th & CR 1305. Call 687-0029:
RV spaces for rent, clean, country living. 1 mile
W. of Tahoka Hwy. on Woodrow Rd. $175/mo.
rent & deposit. No outside pets. 789-7874:
Need to rent a home or a property managed
in Lubbock? Call Wayne at WestMark Leasing,
776-4217, www.lubbock4rent.com:
RESTAURANTS, CATERING
Double B Party Barns, near Reese Center. Nightly
rentals, catering available. Call Brian. 781-4892.
www.doublebpartybarns.com:
Four-Bar-K Inside, ½ mile E of Tahoka Hwy. on
82nd, BBQ lunch Fridays 11:30-2PM, live music &
free beer. Parties & catering. 789-8682:
Cagle Steaks. Reserve a room for your next
special occasion. 795-3879:
TREE CARE
Hildebrandt Tree Tech. Complete tree care
services. Insured. www.mytreetech.com Free
est. Certified arborist, TX 3791A. Casey 441-7722:
Treelovingcare.com provides all tree care
services. Call or e-mail for free e-mail newsletter. James Tuttle, Certified Arborist, 785-8733:
WANTED
RVs 1975 to date, used metal sheeting, chainlink
fence & posts, 12 ft. and taller A-frame ladder.
Willing to trade. Call 792-7638, leave message.
Riding lawn mowers for parts. L.R. Burleson,
730-9573:
Buying all coins; silver, gold and currency
collections. Ken’s Coins, 795-4058:
Need six- and five-feet chain link fencing.
300-5252:
Don’t forget
about our outage
texting service!
Text SPEC to 85700 to sign
up. In the event of an outage, text OUT to the same
number. To inquire about
the status of your outage,
text STATUS to the same
number.
Advertising Policy
Advertising in the Members’ Market is a free service offered
to co-op members. All ads are limited to three lines and only
one ad per month per member. Ads must be renewed monthly
unless other arrangements are made with Lynn Simmons by
phone 775-7826, fax 775-7851, mail or e-mail lsimmons@spec.
coop. This information is provided by SPEC on an informational,
“as is,” basis. SPEC does not endorse, examine or warrant any
businesses listed and makes no representation or warranties of
any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of the businesses
or the quality of their services. To the full extent permissible by
applicable law, SPEC disclaims all warranties, express or implied.
SPEC will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from
the use of this information, including, but not limited to, direct,
indirect, punitive and consequential damages.
South Plains Electric
Cooperative, Inc.
P.O. Box 1830, Lubbock, TX 79408
24-hour automated outage reporting
(806) 741-0111 Lubbock local
(888) 741-0111 toll free

New Service/Account Inquiry
M-F 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. • (806) 775-7766
After 5 p.m. and on weekends • (806) 775-7732

24-hour Pay-by-Phone
(806) 775-7811

24-hour Online Bill Pay
www.SPEC.coop
can you
dig
it?
Before you dig, get the
dirt. Underground
utilities exist everywhere,
even in your yard. Digging
without knowing where
it’s safe to dig can cause
tremendous damage
and even loss of lives.
In Texas call: 811
August.indd 25
25
7/7/2015 2:28:12 PM
Electric Notes
CONSERVATION AND SAFETY INFORMATION
Residential Generators
A buyer’s guide
J O H N F L EC K | F E M A
you to remove them from storage, set them up, connect them
LET’S FACE IT: ROUGH WEATHER HAPPENS. At your electric coopand start them up.
erative, our goal is to restore power as quickly and safely as
This is where the danger mentioned above comes into play:
possible. But when a major storm hits, power may be out for an
Improperly connected generators can easily backfeed into
extended period of time. Anyone who has experienced an
your co-op’s grid. As electricity flows back into the lines, the
extended power outage has likely mulled over the idea of buytransformers boost the voltage to lethal levels, endangering
ing a generator. Before you do, make sure you have all the facts.
line crews working to
The purchase and instalrestore power or anyone
lation of a generator is an
who might come into conimportant and serious decitact with a downed line. Be
sion. Properly done, you
sure to closely follow congain peace of mind knowing
nection instructions, and
your family can ride out any
contact us if you have any
outage with some degree of
questions regarding consafety and comfort. An
necting your generator
incorrectly implemented
safely.
generator can become
Use of the generator can
deadly to you, your family,
be as simple as plugging
your neighbors and your
appliances directly into it—
electric cooperative’s
but this is cumbersome and
employees.
limiting. It’s better to have a
So let’s look at the decitransfer switch installed by
sions you’ll need to make
a qualified electrician. This
when it comes to purchasdevice connects to the ciring a residential generator.
cuits you want to power.
First, do you want to back
You connect your generator
up your entire home or just
to the dedicated plug, follow
portions of it? The biggest
the disconnect procedure
drawback to a permanently
and fire it up—and you’ve
installed, whole-house gengot power for your home
erator is the cost, despite
that’s safe for all.
significant advantages.
Next, a word about qualThe next decision is sizity: With generators, you
ing the generator to your
definitely get what you pay
particular situation. Online
for. Cheap models are just
tools abound, so if you like
Anyone who has experienced an outage has likely thought of buying a
that. They may last a couple
to research, just type “genergenerator—but before you do, know all the facts.
of years, but after that, parts
ator sizing guide” into your
can be impossible to get. Few things are worse than your genbrowser, and off you go. Or contact your co-op to help you
determine the correct size. All this being said, a reasonable size erator failing to operate when the lights are out. Go for engines
with recognizable brand names. They may cost more but will
for a portable generator is at least 6,500 watts, with a startup
certainly be worth the extra cost.
capacity of about 8,000 watts. (The difference in those numAlso, it’s important to exercise your portable generator regbers is because of this: When motor loads start, they draw
ularly. Don’t worry, you don’t need to walk your generator—it’s
more power than they use when running. This “inrush” of
not that type of exercise. “Exercising” means connecting load
power gets them spinning, then their demand for electricity
to the generator and turning it on to be sure it will run.
decreases.)
And while you’re at it, why not let your co-op know you have
The third consideration is how to integrate the generator
a generator? It can provide safety and connection tips if
with your home. Permanent models have dedicated switching
devices that handle this chore, but portable models can require needed, and knowing will enhance line crews’ safety.
18
TexasCoopPower.com
Keep Outdoor
Playtime Safe
BEFORE YOU SEND YOUR KIDS outside to
have some summer fun, make sure they
are aware of electrical dangers that could
put a frightening halt to playtime.
Teach children to look up and look out
for power lines, and to keep themselves
and any play items away from power
lines or anything in contact with lines.
Children also must avoid climbing
trees near power lines. A tree branch tangled in a power line can energize the
whole tree with electricity, leading to
electric shock or death for anyone climbing or touching it.
Ensure that your kids are protected
from the electrical service connection to
your home. Be aware of these lines
around pools. Pool skimmers can be long
enough to reach service connection lines.
Teach your children never to play
around pad-mounted transformers—
the green metal boxes that contain the
aboveground portion of an underground
electrical installation. They carry high
voltages and are safe when locked but
can be deadly if someone reaches inside.
If you see one in your neighborhood that
is open, call your co-op immediately.
Also, teach children never to enter
an electrical substation for any reason.
If a ball or other toy crosses the fence
surrounding the substation, call your
utility for help. Substations hold deadly
amounts of electricity and should be
entered only by professionals.
Save on your energy
bill by planting trees
in front of windows
to shade the house.
Take Control of
Summer Energy Bills
HERE ARE FIVE EASY WAYS to minimize your energy use during the hot months:
Sun block. Half of all of the heat that enters your home comes in through the win-
TexasCoopPower.com
Children must avoid climbing trees near
power lines.
N ATA _ S N OW | I STO C K .CO M
FOTO G RA F I A I N C . | I STO C K .CO M
dows. Invest in a thick shade or window film to block out the summer sun. Save up to
15 percent on your cooling bill by shading west-facing windows, which absorb the
most afternoon sun. For the hottest parts of your house, consider installing an
awning or planting trees in front of windows to shade the house.
Quick change. A filter for your air-conditioning system costs only a few dollars
(about $5 for a high-quality, pleated model) but can save you much more if you
change it every month during the summer. Dirty air-conditioning filters prevent airflow and make the system work harder. That means a higher bill.
One degree. For every degree warmer that you turn up your thermostat during airconditioning season, you’ll save up to 2 percent on your cooling costs. Try setting
your thermostat at 78 degrees and turn on a ceiling fan to help circulate the air.
Wind chill. Fans don’t cool the air, but they make the air feel cooler by moving it
around the room and against your skin, which creates a sort of wind chill effect.
When the fan is running, you can move your thermostat 3 to 4 degrees higher without noticing a difference in your comfort level.
Cool touch. Replace every incandescent lightbulb in your house with compact
fluorescent or light-emitting diode lightbulbs. The replacements cost more to buy
than incandescents, but CFLs use 75 percent less energy, and LEDs use less than
one-tenth. Both of these energy-efficient versions pay for themselves and then some
over their lifetimes. Plus, they emit far less heat than incandescent bulbs, so they
don’t add heat to your home’s air or make the air conditioner work harder.
19
Observations
Bang for Your Buck
The day The Shredder blew up marked the end of our junkyard jobs
BY CLAY COPPEDGE
20
My first job when I moved to Austin
in 1973 was at a salvage company on what
was then the southern outskirts of town.
Three of us, all fresh from Lubbock and
eager to work anywhere as long as it was
in Austin, showed up in response to a helpwanted ad in the paper. A fourth Lubbock
expatriate would arrive on the scene a few
days later.
The boss, a bald-headed, energetic,
middle-aged man, interviewed us one by
one. I was the first to meet him. Where, he
asked, was I from? When I said Lubbock,
he reacted liked I had just said, “China.”
“I was in Lubbock—once!” he answered,
excitedly. Then he calmed down a little and
told me a story about when he was driving
to Lubbock one night and ascended the
Caprock and kept cruising toward the Lubbock lights he saw glimmering in the distance. “I drove for an hour, and the lights
never got any closer. I couldn’t believe it!”
Apparently, this disbelief, combined
with all the coffee he had been drinking,
made him particularly anxious to arrive, if
not in Lubbock, at any place with a restroom. Finally, with no one else on that long,
lonesome highway and the Lubbock lights
still not any closer, he stopped his truck in
the middle of nowhere and got out.
What he didn’t fully realize was that
the weather had changed on him somewhere around the Caprock. A bitterly cold
north wind was howling about 30 miles
an hour across the Llano Estacado, and
the shock of it, when he stepped out of the
truck, caused him to have the kind of accident he hadn’t had since he was a little
boy. He held the city of Lubbock respon-
sible for this, but I got the job, anyway. I
didn’t even have to mention that I was a
published writer. Ernie, Steve and our
friend, Doak, were all hired and assigned
jobs, each to our abilities.
Ernie was by far the most responsible
and mechanical of all us, so he was given
the job with the most responsibility: operating The Shredder. (Like all monsters, its
name deserves to be uppercased.) The
Shredder was the central piece of machinery at the salvage company. A unique subculture of folks would bring in abandoned
cars and sell them for junk by the pound.
The Shredder then chewed them into
small pieces of metal that moved up a conveyor belt and emptied into a pile of junk
on the ground.
Steve was given an ax, which, combined
with his red beard and lumberjack build,
made him look like a lot like Paul Bunyan.
He was told to chop the gas tanks out of
the vehicles before Ernie hoisted them
into the jaws of The Shredder. This was to
prevent any gasoline that might have been
left in the tank from igniting and exploding
when The Shredder went to work on it.
Because I had no identifiable skills, I was
the handyman. I got all the menial jobs,
such as cutting the stems out of inner tubes.
Doak joined the crew a few days later
and was sent to the crow’s nest at the end
of the conveyor belt with instructions to
knock all the nonmetal stuff like upholstery
and seat-cushion foam off the belt and into
a pile of nonmetal junk. Then a truck would
come and take all the metal to San Antonio.
The operation hummed like a well-oiled
machine, which The Shredder actually was.
TexasCoopPower.com
DOUGLAS JONES
Then one day it went “Bang!” And most
of South Austin heard it.
Here’s what happened: There usually
weren’t any cars waiting to be shredded
when we arrived at work, and it took awhile
for Ernie to get The Shredder cranked up
and ready to go. For the rest of us, there was
a certain amount of dead time right after
we clocked in. Steve had developed the bad
habit of crawling into one of the pneumatic
tubes at the base of The Shredder and
catching a few extra winks of sleep before
Ernie blew a horn to let everybody know
the action was about to begin.
On that particular morning, Steve was
slow climbing out of the tube and didn’t
have time to chop the gas tank out of the
waiting pickup before Ernie maneuvered a
giant magnet over the old truck and hoisted
it airborne on its way to The Shredder.
Steve and I laid odds on the probability
of the truck having any gas left in the tank.
Steve said they usually didn’t, which was
about the time The Shredder blew up. More
accurately, it blew out. It was equipped with
TexasCoopPower.com
explosion doors that flew open in case
something like this happened. Otherwise,
Ernie would have been launched into orbit.
As it was, Doak was the only who got
any airtime; he bailed out of the crow’s
nest to the ground many feet below. From
his vantage point, Ernie heard the boom,
saw smoke roll out from the explosion
doors and Doak’s rapidly descending silhouette. Doak hit the ground, rolled, and
went running for water because, judging
from the amount of smoke, he was certain
there was fire.
Doak bruised his knee and the boss
chewed out Steve, but business went on
pretty much as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened that day. The case
could be made that nothing had.
We didn’t stick around, though. We
found what Doak described as “a dream
job.”
We drove ice cream trucks for the rest
of the summer.
Clay Coppedge, a member of Bartlett EC,
lives near Walburg.
21
Texas USA
Natural Wisdom
Rio Grande adventure decades ago leaves lifelong lessons
BY E.R. BILLS
22
Years ago, when I stood straighter
and stepped more lightly, I was bent on
staving off the responsibilities of adulthood. I did it by rambling cross-country,
camping and hiking, sleeping on the
ground and sometimes wandering for days
and even weeks on end. Finally, a family
and monthly bills caught up with me, but
I still managed to sneak away regularly.
Inexorably, the years slowly encroached.
Now the ground feels harder, and a week
away from my favorite pillow or chair is less
appealing. I still have some “go” left in me,
but not the same stride. It’s frustrating, and
I blame my dad.
In the late 1970s, I grew up surrounded
by inklings of the future. Technology began
to displace outdoor activities. Pay-per-view
TV became popular, and Atari was all the
rage. Microwave ovens appeared, and cassette tape players allowed us to record
music off the radio. We still had bikes to
ride and had to actually stand up to physically change the channels on the TV or the
cartridge on the video game console, but
the seeds of what was to come had already
sprouted. We would slowly and incrementally become less active and spend less time
outside after that. It seemed inevitable.
I don’t think it bothered my father
much because he had worked hard to
expose us to outdoor experiences that left
lasting impressions. But it must have registered on some level because it led to the
greatest adventure of my young life.
My dad had taken me on canoe trips
before, the first of which was down the
Guadalupe River when I was 7 or 8. But in
1980, just before I turned 13, he took me
on a 10-day river trek through the lower
canyons of the Rio Grande, easily one of
the most remote places in Texas.
No television, video games, microwaves,
air conditioning, electricity, radio, telephone or tent—much less soft drinks or
showers. We put in at the Boquillas Canyon
Ranger Station of Big Bend National Park
and plied for Langtry, roughly 160 miles
east. We bathed in the river and drank from
canteens. We cooked food over open fires
and studied desert sky constellations for
evening entertainment. If a rain interrupted our open-air slumbers, we rolled off
our cots and slid underneath them and
went back to sleep. If it got too hot on the
river during the day, we took turns sliding
into the water and drifting along with the
canoe or banked our canoes and lounged
under the shade of the cots.
My hands, previously most comfortable with a football, baseball glove or, more
recently, an Atari controller, now brandished a wooden paddle, and I learned to
navigate like a seasoned river rat.
In the quiet, crevassed solitude of the
lower canyons, we could hear a serious
rapid or waterfall at least a quarter of a
mile away. We banked our canoe and hiked
down to judge whether it was passable or
if we needed to portage around it. I can’t
say our judgment was always correct or
that we didn’t luck through some tricky
turns or get tumped over by a harrowing
rock combination or two; but I can say I’ve
experienced very little that compares to
the exhilaration I felt during and after successfully traversing a rough, whitewater
stretch of the Rio Grande a little farther
TexasCoopPower.com
Z I N A SAU N D E R S
out than the middle of nowhere during
that remarkable journey.
Today, I can hardly cross a bridge over
a decent flowing river without thinking
back to my time on the Rio. Technology
and convenience are practically an
inescapable part of our lives now, and
that’s fine. But it doesn’t mean we
shouldn’t know our way around an oar or
campfire or cot. It’s easy to forget that the
excitement and adventures we witness on
a television, computer or cellphone screen
are not actually happening to us, and that
we’re living them vicariously or virtually
via the offspring of Atari and pay-per-view,
TexasCoopPower.com
instead of firsthand. I don’t know whether
my father knew or sensed what was coming or simply wanted to instill in me a
sense of adventure, but our Rio jaunt put
me way ahead of the curve. And I’ve tried
to do the same with my children.
Texas has thousands of real-life experiences available at hundreds of state and
national parks, rivers, lakes, waves, rocks,
caves, canyons, deserts, mountains,
forests, swamps and hike-and-bike trails.
I’ve exposed my kids to as many as I could.
An adventure is always calling, and it’s
never too late, even if you’ve lost a step.
E.R. Bills is a writer from Aledo.
23
Look for additional content online
HAVE YOU SEEN MY POWER PLANT?
TexasCoopPower.com
NEXT MONTH
CHARREADA Originating in
Spanish Colonial Mexico, the
charreada demonstrates the
pageantry of the charro, predecessor to the American cowboy.
HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE Excep-
tional successes in historic
preservation keep Texas history
alive while sad failures erase
memories from the landscape.
Over 30 essential
vitamins and nutrients
7 powerful grams of
plant-based protein
Nothing beats a handful
a day for heart health
RECIPE
CONTEST
WIN $100
Submit your favorite recipes for
a chance to win $100 and see
your entry in the magazine!
Upcoming Contests
FEBRUARY ISSUE
Touchdown Party Foods
The most preferred
nut in America
Deadline: September 10
MARCH ISSUE
Eggs, Plain and Fancy
APRIL ISSUE
Perfect Pies
Enter today at
24
Texas Peanut
Producers Board
TexasCoopPower.com
Chicago Doctor Invents
Affordable Hearing Aid
Outperforms Many Expensive Hearing Aids
Reported by J. Page
CHICAGO: A local board-certified Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) physician,
Dr. S. Cherukuri, has just shaken up the hearing aid industry with the invention of
a medical-grade, affordable hearing aid. This revolutionary hearing aid is
designed to help millions of people with hearing loss who cannot afford—
or do not wish to pay—the much higher cost of traditional hearing aids.
DOCTORS AND PATIENTS AGREE:
“BEST QUALITY SOUND” “LOWEST
AFFORDABLE PRICE”
“I have been wearing hearing aids for over 25
years and these are the best Behind-the-Ear
aids I have tried. Their sound quality rivals
that of my $3,000 custom pair of Phonak
Xtra digital ITE.”—Gerald Levy
“Perhaps the best quality-to-price ratio in
the hearing aid industry.”
ȄǤǤǦϐǡ
National Authority on Hearing Loss
“I have a $2,000 Resound Live hearing aid in
my left ear and the MDHearingAid in the right
ear. ϔ
difference in sound quality between the
two hearing aids.”
ȄǤǡian
• Designed by a Board-Certified Ear,
Nose, and Throat (ENT) Doctor
• Doctor-Recommended,
Audiologist-Tested
• Top rated hearing aid online
— thousands of satisfied customers
•
•
•
•
FDA-Registered
Save Up To 90%
Free Shipping Available
Batteries Included! Comes
Ready To Use
• 100% Money-Back
Guarantee
“Perhaps the best quality-to-price ratio in the hearing aid
industry” —Dr. Babu, M.D. Board-Certified ENT Physician
Dr. Cherukuri knew that untreated hearing loss could lead to depression, social
isolation, anxiety, and symptoms consistent with Alzheimer’s dementia. He
could not understand why the cost for hearing aids was so high when the
prices on so many consumer electronics like TVs, DVD players, cell phones,
and digital cameras had fallen.
Since Medicare and most private insurance do not cover the costs of hearing
aids, which traditionally run between $2,000 — $6,000 for a pair, many of the
ǯǤǤǯϐ
a reasonable solution that would help with the most common types of hearing
loss at an affordable price, not unlike the ǲǦǦϐǦǳ
available at drug stores.
ϐǡ
seen on television. Without fail, almost all of these were found to amplify bass/
low frequencies (below 1000 Hz) and not useful in amplifying the frequencies
related to the human voice.
Inspiration From a Surprising Source
The doctor’s inspiration to defeat the powers-that-be that kept inexpensive
hearing aids out of the hands of the public actually came from a new cell phone
he had just purchased. “I felt that if someone could devise an affordable device
like an iPhone® for about $200 that could do all sorts of things, I could create
Ǥǳ
Affordable Hearing Aid with Superb Performance
The high cost of hearing aids is a result of layers of middlemen and expensive
unnecessary features. Dr. Cherukuri concluded that it would be possible to develop
ǦϐǤ
result is the MDHearingAid® PRO, well under $200 each when buying a pair. It has
Ǧϐ
of sounds associated with the human voice without overly amplifying
background noise.
Tested By Leading Doctors and Audiologists
The MDHearingAid® PRO has been rigorously tested by leading ENT physicians
and audiologists who have unanimously agreed that the sound quality and
output in many cases exceeds more expensive hearing aids.
For the Lowest Price Call Today
1-800-873-0680
www.MDHearingAid.com
Proudly assembled in the USA
from Domestic & Imported Components.
Phone Lines Open 24 Hours EVERY DAY
or online MDHearingAid.com
Use Offer Code CD69 to get
FREE Batteries for a Full Year!
FREE Shipping Available.
-
45-DAY RISK-FREE TRIAL
FOCUS
ON TEXAS
PHOTO CONTEST
Each month, Focus on Texas
features Texas photos submitted
by our readers. Send us your
best photos for a chance a to
see your entry in the magazine!
Upcoming Contests
DECEMBER ISSUE
Belt Buckles
Deadline: August 10
JANUARY ISSUE
Patterns
Enter today at
E-NEWS IN
YOUR INBOX
SIGN UP TODAY
Family owned,
Texas-built
Lifetime guarantee
against leaks
Great for circulation,
arthritis, stiff joints
and relaxation
TCP E-newsletter
Get links to our best content
delivered to your inbox each
month! Feature stories, recipe
and photo contest winners,
monthly prize drawings—
get it all in the e-newsletter!
NOW OFFERING
CUSTOM SHOWERS
Visit our Showroom
3411 E. Hwy. 377, Granbury
Granbury Chamber of Commerce Member
888-825-2362
26
www.bestbuywalkintubs.com
TexasCoopPower.com
MARKETPLACE
B U Y • S E L L • T R A D E • A C R O S S
O
M
P
A
N
T E X A S
FLOATING FISHING PIER
NATIONAL BARN
C
T O W N • A C R O S S
On your pond or lake, with or without roof.
All sizes—installation available.
Y
45 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE
Call for Free Information • 1-800-310-1425
1.800.582.2276
www.ellisonmarine.com • Ellison Marine, Franklin, TX.
SKID STEER MOUNTED SHEAR
• 1/2" to 6" diameter trees and brush.
• Perfect for cedar, shin oak, persimmon, mesquite.
(512) 263-6830 • www.brushshark.com
TEXAS MEDICAL PLANS
OCEAN FREIGHT CONTAINERS
SALES OR RENT-TO-OWN
SECURE STORAGE
Water-Tight/Rodent Proof
LARRY SINGLEY
1-866-992-9122
(817) 992-9122
CALL
MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT COVERAGE
1-888-888-6698
MANUFACTURED HOME OR PIER & BEAM HOME
INSULATED CEMENT SKIRTING
GET RESULTS! ADVERTISE IN THE
MARKETPLACE
3 designs & 11 colors to choose from!
Replace your vinyl skirting with STONECOTE.
CALL MARTIN FOR MORE INFORMATION
1-830-833-2547
www.stonecote.com
( 512 ) 486-6249
A
D
V
E
R
T
I
S
E
M
E
N
T
Clogged, Backed—up Septic System…Can anything Restore It?
Dear
Darryl
DEAR DARRYL: My home
is about 10 years old, and so
is my septic system. I have
always taken pride in keeping
my home and property in top
shape. In fact, my neighbors
and I are always kidding each
other about who keeps their home and yard nicest. Lately, however, I have
had a horrible smell in my yard, and also in one of my bathrooms, coming
from the shower drain. My grass is muddy and all the drains in my home
are very slow.
My wife is on my back to make the bathroom stop smelling and as you can
imagine, my neighbors are having a field day, kidding me about the mud
pit and sewage stench in my yard. It’s humiliating. I called a plumber
buddy of mine, who recommended pumping (and maybe even replacing)
my septic system. But at the potential cost of thousands of dollars, I hate
to explore that option.
I tried the store bought, so called, Septic treatments out there, and they did
Nothing to clear up my problem. Is there anything on the market I can
pour or flush into my system that will restore it to normal, and keep it
maintained?
&ORJJHGDQG6PHOO\±$XVWLQ7;
TexasCoopPower.com
DEAR CLOGGED AND SMELLY: As a reader of my column, I am
sure you are aware that I have a great deal of experience in this particular
field. You will be glad to know that there IS a septic solution that will
solve your back-up and effectively restore your entire system from interior
piping throughout the septic system and even unclog the drain field as
well. SeptiCleanse® Shock and Maintenance Programs deliver your
system the fast active bacteria and enzymes needed to liquefy solid waste
and free the clogs causing your back-up.
This fast-acting bacteria multiplies within minutes of application and is
specifically designed to withstand many of today’s anti-bacterial cleaners,
soaps and detergents. It comes in dissolvable plastic packs, that you just
flush down your toilets. It’s so cool. Plus, they actually Guarantee that it
restores ANY system, no matter how bad the problem is.
SeptiCleanse® Shock and Maintenance Programs are designed to
work on any septic system regardless of design or age. From modern day
systems to sand mounds, and systems installed generations ago, I have
personally seen SeptiCleanse unclog and restore these systems in a matter
of weeks. I highly recommend that you try it before spending any money
on repairs.
SeptiCleanse products are available online at
www.septicleanse.com or you can order or learn more by calling toll free
at 1-888-899-8345. If you use the promo code ³'$57;´, you can get
a free shock treatment, added to your order, which normally costs $169.
So, make sure you use that code when you call or buy online.
27
WANTED: DEMO HOMESITES FOR 2015 SEASON
Display This Maintenance-Free Pool And $AVE $$!
Call TODAY to Qualify for this Limited-Time Opportunity!
PRE-APPROVED
FINANCING
AVAILABLE!
WE CONSIDER
ANYTHING
VISIT US ON THE WEB!
WWW.SWIMTEXSUN.COM
ON TRADE!
STAYcation at Home in 2015!
1-800-SWIMTEX
(1-800-794-6839)
A family owned and operated Texas Company since 1986.
BRUSH
WAR
RECLAIM YOUR
YOUR
YO
PRO
PROPERTY
OPERT
RT Y W
WITH
ITH
OUR TREE SHEARS
SHE
EARS
&B
RUSH M
OWERS
W
BRUSH
MOWERS
TREE TERMINATOR BY
Phone: 417-458-4350
Phone:
www.treeterminator.com
w
ww.treeterminator.com
MANUFACTURING
(;;,5;065
46)03,/64,
6 > 5,9 :
,?7,9;
05:;(33(;065
30-,;04,>(99(5;@
05:<9(5*,
*9,+0;
WIN THE
9,+<*,+
,3,*;90*
)033
05*9,(:,+
/64,=(3<,
: ; 6 7
3,(2:
56469,966-9<4)3,
W.D. Metal Buildings
“Metal Buildings Built Right”
• Heavy Concrete Slabs
• Installed Overhead Doors
:PUJL YVVMV]LYJVT
• In-House Erection Crews
• Interior Living Quarters
®
Steel Shops • Ag Buildings • Barndominium Homes
www.wdmb.com
28
TexasCoopPower.com
Texas History
Radio Nexus of Texas
Texas State Networks programming reaches 3 million listeners on 130 stations
A L E T H A ST. R O M A I N
BY BOB MCCULLOUGH
It’s almost as if the radio gods have
succeeded in cloning Jim Forsyth, the
energetic news director of WOAI-AM in
San Antonio. He delivers news and commentary to South Texas listeners, and his
voice can be heard daily on stations in
Alpine, Orange and Eastland.
For almost 30 years, Forsyth has been
a key contributor to the Texas State Networks, which shares news, information
and entertainment with 3 million listeners
on 130 AM and FM stations.
Forsyth and other correspondents funnel story ideas to TSN’s flagship station,
KRLD-AM in Dallas. There, a team of 30
headed by Director of News and Programming Paul Mann edits the information and
voice recordings into five-minute newscasts then distributes them to affiliates
beginning at 5:55 a.m. TSN also offers the
half-hour show “Texas in the Morning”
and 15-minute roundups at midday and
in the late afternoon.
During legislative sessions, TSN’s Austin
bureau contributes to the newscasts. And
listenership spikes whenever there’s a tornado or a hurricane.
Oscar Rodriguez, president of the
1,300-member Texas Association of Broadcasters, calls TSN “an eyewitness to Texas
history,” covering practically every major
newsworthy occurrence of the past four
decades. The Rio Grande Valley native
recalls becoming a TSN listener in the
1960s and marveling at stories about
Houston’s new Astrodome and HemisFair
’68, the world’s fair in San Antonio.
“TSN provides a window to the world,
no matter where you are in Texas,” he
contends. “It exists as a real lifeline, especially to smaller stations without a news
department.”
Mann adds that TSN “constitutes an
TexasCoopPower.com
innovative way of getting news and information across the state. Our programming
includes lifestyle and entertainment features, but news is still king.”
The innovation began in 1937 when
Ruth G. Roosevelt, daughter-in-law of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, acquired
KFJZ-AM in Fort Worth. Then she and
husband Elliott moved quickly to establish
a Texas network of affiliates.
The first and now largest of 30 state
radio networks in the U.S., TSN was chartered August 2, 1938, and the new enterprise went on the air September 15, 1938,
at the Casa Mañana outdoor theater in
Fort Worth. That first broadcast drew a
crowd of 5,000 with luminaries such as
comedian Bob Hope and Texas Gov. James
V. Allred.
As TSN’s flagship station then, KFJZ
recruited affiliates with the promise of
“the world’s finest radio entertainment
and educational features.”
Some of those programming genres
remain, such as “Texas Road Trippin’,”
hosted by JD Ryan; “Texas Overnight with
Charley Jones”; and “Texas Red Dirt Roads,”
a musical entertainment program.
For a time, TSN headquartered at what
was then called the Ballpark in Arlington,
the Texas Rangers baseball team’s home
field, and sports programming continues
to be a specialty. The network distributes
Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans football games, Houston Astros baseball games
and University of Texas Longhorns football games. Today TSN and KRLD are
owned and operated by CBS Radio.
Forsyth says radio and TSN are more
relevant today than ever. “Since nobody
‘sits down and listens to the radio,’ we fit
in well with today’s media world,” he says.
He further believes TSN will remain
vital because “there’s no state in the country in which people identify with their
state and its image more than Texas. Even
as this state grows and absorbs people
from around the world, they quickly
become part of the story of this state.”
Bob McCullough is a writer in the Hill Country.
29
“I designed and cut this bench
IURPDQDFWXDOEXWWHUÀ\
SKRWR0\PDFKLQHSDLGIRU
itself in 3 months making
products like these.”
-Ken Garcia, PlasmaCAM® machine owner
Call with this code VS5TP
for your free demo video
& catalog showing lots of
amazing projects you can
cut on this robotic machine.
32%R[&RORUDGR&LW\&2
ZZZSODVPDFDPFRP
Recipes
ANGIE MOSIER
Breakfast Foods
Is breakfast the most important
meal of the day? It depends on whom
you ask, but in my opinion, waking up to
the smell of coffee brewing and bacon
sizzling is one of the most pleasurable
things in life. I hope my fellow “morning people” carve out time to enjoy a
leisurely breakfast made with one of this
month’s recipes. And for you night owls,
there’s no rule saying you can’t have
breakfast for dinner!
Our winning reader recipes are
splurge-worthy and delicious, but our
feature is a slightly lighter dish from chef
Virginia Willis’ book, “Lighten Up, Y’all:
Classic Southern Recipes Made Healthy
and Wholesome.”
ANNA GINSBERG, FOOD EDITOR
TexasCoopPower.com
Multigrain Pecan Waffles
2
½
⅔
⅔
⅓
¼
1½
½
½
1
2
1
2
cups low-fat buttermilk
cup old-fashioned rolled oats
cup whole-wheat pastry flour
cup unbleached all-purpose flour
cup chopped pecans
cup whole-grain cornmeal
teaspoons baking powder
teaspoon baking soda
teaspoon salt
teaspoon ground cinnamon
large eggs, lightly beaten
tablespoon canola oil
teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1. Mix well the buttermilk and oats in a
medium bowl and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the pastry
flour, all-purpose flour, pecans, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt
and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Stir eggs, oil and vanilla into the
buttermilk-oat mixture. With a rubber
spatula, mix in dry ingredients just
until moistened.
4. Coat a waffle iron with nonstick
cooking spray and preheat. When the
iron is hot, spoon in enough batter to
cover three-quarters of the surface
(about ⅔ cup for an 8-inch round
waffle iron). Cook until the waffles are
crisp and golden brown, 4–5 minutes.
Repeat with remaining batter. Serve
immediately.
Servings: 6. Serving size: 1 8-inch round waffle.
Per serving: 256 calories, 9.27 g protein, 11.92 g fat,
27.30 g carbohydrates, 3.09 g dietary fiber, 532 mg
sodium, 4.76 g sugars, 65 mg cholesterol
Reprinted from “Lighten Up, Y’all: Classic Southern
Recipes Made Healthy and Wholesome” (Ten Speed
Press, 2015) by Virginia Willis
31
Recipes
Breakfast Foods
Cowgirl Quiche
KARIS LOOP | CONCHO VALLEY EC
THIS MONTH’S RECIPE CONTEST WINNER
PATTY ALLCORN | TRINITY VALLEY EC
6
Upside-Down Banana Nut
French Toast
“This is the most delicious and memorable breakfast dish I have ever had or
prepared. If you like bread pudding, you
will love this dish. It can be served for
breakfast, brunch or even dessert.”
1 ½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ cup salted butter, melted
½ cup walnuts, halves or pieces
1
loaf firm cinnamon bread
3
medium ripe bananas
6 eggs
1 ½ cups whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar for garnish
1
tablespoon all-purpose flour
1. Coat bottom and sides of a 9-by-13inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together brown
sugar, corn syrup and butter until
smooth. Spread on bottom of baking
dish. Sprinkle walnuts on top.
3. Arrange a layer of bread over sugar
mixture and walnuts, tearing bread if
needed to cover entirely. Slice
bananas over first layer of bread,
then add another layer of bread on
top.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together
eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour over layers in dish. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight,
but not more than 24 hours.
5. After chilling, preheat oven to 325
degrees. Bake 45–55 minutes until
center is firm and knife inserted in
center comes out clean. Run a knife
around edges to loosen, then flip pan
upside down onto a large platter or
cookie sheet lined with parchment
paper.
6. Using a spatula, scoop up any
sugar mixture left in the pan and
spread it over the French toast.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and
serve warm.
COOK’S TIP Pepperidge Farm or Sara Lee
brands work well for the cinnamon bread.
Pecans can be substituted for walnuts, if
desired.
Servings: 12. Serving size: 5 ounces. Per serving:
413 calories, 8.71 g protein, 15.59 g fat, 59.92 g
carbohydrates, 1.86 g dietary fiber, 273 mg
sodium, 38.85 g sugars, 116 mg cholesterol
pieces of bacon (preferably thicksliced)
2
cups frozen potatoes O’Brien (diced
potatoes with peppers and onions)
1
jalapeño pepper, chopped (remove
seeds to reduce heat, if desired)
3
eggs
1
cup whipping cream
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
9-inch prepared pie crust
¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces and
cook in a sauté pan over medium heat
until brown. Remove bacon from pan.
Cook the potatoes and jalapeño in the
bacon grease until the potatoes start to
brown a little. Remove from heat.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs,
cream, cumin, garlic powder, nutmeg,
salt and pepper.
4. Put the pie crust in a deep-dish 9inch pie pan and crimp the edge. Add the
ingredients in layers: first ¾ cup of the
combined cheeses, then the potato and
jalapeño mixture, then the crumbled
bacon, then the egg mixture. Top with
the remaining cheese.
5. Bake 45–60 minutes, until a knife
inserted into the middle of the quiche
comes out clean.
Servings: 8. Serving size: 8 ounces. Per serving:
436 calories, 17.76 g protein, 30.26 g fat, 18.19 g carbohydrates, 1.43 g dietary fiber, 809 mg sodium,
0.31 g sugars, 153 mg cholesterol
Bacon Cornbread
Breakfast Muffins
$5,000 Holiday Recipe Contest
December’s issue will feature winners of the Holiday Recipe Contest, sponsored by the Texas Pecan Board. Send us your best ORIGINAL pecan recipes
in the Savory Dish or Sweet Dish category, and your recipe could appear in
Texas Co-op Power and win you a cash prize. The deadline is August 10. See
complete rules at TexasCoopPower.com.
There are three ways to enter: ONLINE at TexasCoopPower.com/contests; MAIL to 1122 Colorado St., 24th
Floor, Austin, TX 78701; FAX to (512) 763-3401. Include your name, address and phone number, plus your
co-op and the name of the contest you are entering.
32
JAMES FELDMAN | BANDERA EC
2
1¼
1
¼
1
½
1
¼
3
packages sliced bacon (2 pounds)
cups cornmeal
cup flour
cup sugar
tablespoon baking powder
teaspoon salt
cup milk
cup melted butter
eggs
TexasCoopPower.com
L I N E N : ZO O M T E A M | D O L L A R P H OTO C LU B . N A P K I N S : DW 1 | D O L L A R P H OTO C LU B
Breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day—so it’s a good idea to
make it as nutritious and delicious as possible. Our readers clearly
take that concept to heart, as they sent some fantastic recipes for
sweet and savory breakfast treats.
½
½
1
cup chopped onion
cup chopped mushrooms
chopped bell pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve
bacon slices. Line two 12-count muffin
pans with bacon, covering bottom and
sides of each cup with two half-slices.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal,
flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. In a second bowl, whisk together
milk, butter and eggs. Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture and stir just until
mixed (do not overmix). Stir onion,
mushrooms and bell pepper into batter.
4. Remove bacon-lined muffin pans
from oven and scoop batter into the
cups, filling each about ¾ full.
5. Return pans to oven and continue to
bake 20–25 minutes more, until muffins
are golden-brown. Let muffins cool
slightly after baking, then serve.
MILLIE KIRCHOFF | NUECES EC
Butter for dish, plus 2 teaspoons extra
8 slices bread, toasted and broken
into pieces
1
cup diced sweet bell peppers, green
and red
2
green onions, diced, including top
⅔ cup diced onion
1
pound breakfast sausage, cooked
and crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
8 large eggs, slightly beaten
1
teaspoon dry mustard
2
cups half-and-half, divided use
1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1
can cream mushroom soup
(10.5 ounces)
1
small can sliced black olives (4 ounces)
1. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and
place bread pieces in bottom.
2. Sauté bell peppers and onions in 2
teaspoons butter. Spread pepper mix-
D
AU EA
G DL
U I
ST N
E
10 :
Servings: 24. Serving size: 1 muffin. Per serving:
298 calories, 15.81 g protein, 17.19 g fat, 14.22 g carbohydrates, 0.52 g dietary fiber, 952 mg sodium,
2.94 g sugars, 69 mg cholesterol
Easy Breakfast Casserole
ture and cooked sausage over bread
pieces; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, mustard
and 1 ½ cups half-and-half, and pour
evenly over mixture in dish. Sprinkle
cheeses over the top. Cover dish tightly
with plastic wrap and refrigerate
overnight.
4. In the morning, preheat oven to 350
degrees. Mix the can of soup and the
remaining ½ cup of half-and-half, and
pour over dish. Sprinkle olives on top
and cover loosely with foil.
5. Bake 40–45 minutes. Remove from
oven and let stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
COOK’S TIP Top with salsa or picante sauce and
serve with fresh fruit.
Servings: 12. Serving size: 8 ounces. Per serving: 348
calories, 16.73 g protein, 25.38 g fat, 7.28 g carbohydrates, 1.32 g dietary fiber, 665 mg sodium, 1.76 g
sugars, 189 mg cholesterol
WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com
Find more Breakfast Foods recipes from readers.
11TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY RECIPE CONTEST
Send us your best original recipe!
$5,000 in PRIZES
$3,000 Grand
Prizewinner
Two $500 Best Savory Dish Winners
Two $500 Best Sweet Dish Winners
The versatile, tasty pecan lends itself to every course, flavoring every part of a meal
from savory beginnings to sweet endings.
Send us your best ORIGINAL Texas pecan recipes. (These are recipes you develop, not ones copied from
a friend or found in a book or magazine.) Show us how you use Texas pecans to create a Savory Dish or a
Sweet Dish. All recipes must include pecans (Texas pecans are our favorite). Winners will be featured in
our December 2015 issue. Enter by August 10 at TexasCoopPower.com.
Go to TexasCoopPower.com for details and official rules.
SPONSORED BY
TEXAS PECAN BOARD
Order your Texas Pecans today
at TexasPecans.org.
Enter online at TexasCoopPower.com. Each entry MUST include your name, address and phone number, plus the name of your Texas
2014 Holiday Recipe Contest $2,500 Grand Prizewinner
Ultimate Chocolate Pecan Pie by Griffin Clarke | Heart of Texas EC
Get the recipe at TexasCoopPower.com.
TexasCoopPower.com
electric cooperative, or it will be disqualified. Specify which category you are entering, Sweet or Savory, on each recipe.
Mail entries to: Texas Co-op Power/Holiday Recipe Contest, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. You can also fax
entries to (512) 763-3401. Up to three total entries are allowed per co-op membership. Each should be submitted on a separate
piece of paper if mailed or faxed. Mailed entries can all be sent in one envelope. No email entries will be accepted. For official
rules, visit TexasCoopPower.com. Entry deadline: August 10, 2015.
33
HARBOR FREIGHT
QUALITY TOOLS AT RIDICULOUSLY LOW PRICES
How Does Harbor Freight
Sell GREAT QUALITY Tools
at the LOWEST Prices?
SUPER COUPON
We have invested millions of
dollars in our own state-of-the-art
quality test labs and millions more
in our factories, so our tools will go
toe-to-toe with the top professional
brands. And we can sell them for
a fraction of the price because we
cut out the middle man and pass
the savings on to you. It’s just that
simple! Come visit one of our
600 Stores Nationwide.
R
PE ON
SU UP
CO
SAVE
$70
$
149
WITH ANY PURCHASE
1" x 25 FT.
TAPE
MEASURE
LOT 69080 shown
69030/69031/47737
3
$219.99
SAVE
$
LOT 62158 shown
62417/62574
$
Batteries included.
$7.99
LIMIT 8 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 12/1/15. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
WOW12"SUSLIPEDINR GCOCOUPMPONOUND
60 LED SOLAR SECURITY LIGHT
LOT 62534/69643 shown
Includes 6V,
900 mAh NiCd
battery pack.
$
DOUBLE-BEVEL
MITER SAW WITH
LASER GUIDE
SAVE
$
SAVE
46%
165
SAVE
330
t
be used with other discoun
s last.
calling 800-423-2567. Cannot
or HarborFreight.com or bypurchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplie
per day.
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores
one coupon per customer
es after 30 days from original
or coupon or prior purchascoupon must be presented. Valid through 12/1/15. Limit
Non-transferable. Original
PER COUPON
WOW9 SU
PIECE FULLY POLISHEDN
• Weighs 245 lbs.
SAVE
50%
$
62%
99
SAE
389
$15.99
$699.99
LOT 67514
• 225 lb. Capacity
1999
REG. PRICE
$39.99
t
s last.
per day.
Non-transferable. Original
R
PE ON
SU UP
CO
SAVE
40%
MOVER'S DOLLY
LOT 60497/93888 shown
61899/62399
• 1000 lb.
Capacity
8
$ 99
REG. PRICE
$14.99
R
PE ON
SU UP
CO
RAPID PUMP® 1.5 TON
ALUMINUM RACING JACK
SAVE
$60
• 3-1/2 Pumps Lifts
Most Vehicles
• Weighs 27 lbs.
REG. PRICE
$119.99
LOT 69252
60569/62160
62496/62516
68053 shown
900 PEAK/ PER N
SAVE
700 RUNNING WATTS SUOUPO
2 HP (63 CC) 2 CYCLE C
$100
GAS RECREATIONAL 2500 LB.
GENERATOR ELECTRIC WINCH
SAVE
LOT 66619/60338 WITH WIRELESS
62472/69381 shown
$80
REMOTE CONTROL
$
9999
REG. PRICE
$179.99
LIMIT 6 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 12/1/15. Limit one coupon per customer per day. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 12/1/15. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
• 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• Over 25 Million Satisfied Customers
R
PE ON
SU UP
CO
$599 $899 $5999
REG. PRICE
REG. PRICE
TWO TIER
COLLAPSIBLE
EASY-STORE
STEP LADDER
METRIC
LOT 69043 LOT 69044
42304 shown 42305
YOUR
CHOICE!
99
t
s last.
per day.
l
Origina
le.
nsferab
Non-tra
R
PE ON
SU UP
CO
COMBINATIO
WRENCH SETS
SAVE
$369
$
or HarborFreight.com or by
original
LIMIT 3 - Good at our storest or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from Original
be used with other discoun Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable.
customer per day.
purchase with original receipt.
12/1/15. Limit one coupon per
through
Valid
ed.
present
coupon must be
$299.99
2591/68784 shown
$
• 1.3 GPM
99
REG. PRICE
INDUSTRIAL QU
ROLLER CABINET
LOT 62744/69387/62270/6
LOT 69488
PRICE
99 REG.
$129.99
$13499 $19799
REG. PRICE
UPON
WOW SUPE44"R CO
, 13 DRAWER
ALITY
1650 PSI
PRESSURE
WASHER
/69684 shown
31
50
LOT 61776/61969/61970
99
$59.99
WOW SUPER COUPON
$7999
REG. PRICE
R
PE ON
SU UP
CO
VALUE
LIMIT 1 - Cannot be used with other discount, coupon or prior purchase. Coupon good at our
stores, HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Offer good while supplies last. Shipping
& Handling charges may apply if not picked up in-store. Non-transferable. Original coupon
must be presented. Valid through 12/1/15. Limit one FREE GIFT coupon per customer per day.
SAVE
58%
$ 29
REG. PRICE
$ 99
ANY SINGLE ITEM
LIMIT 1 - Save 20% on any one item purchased at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. *Cannot be used with other discount, coupon, gift cards, Inside Track Club
membership, extended service plans or on any of the following: compressors, generators, tool storage
or carts, welders, floor jacks, Towable Ride-On Trencher, Saw Mill (Item 61712/62366/67138),
Predator Gas Power Items, open box items, in-store event or parking lot sale items. Not valid on
prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase date with original receipt. Non-transferable.
Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 12/1/15. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
EMERGENCY
39 LED TRIANGLE
WORKLIGHT
LOT 67847 shown
61454/61693
99
FREE
20%
OFF
6
R
PE ON
SU UP
CO
2.5 HP, 21 GALLON
125 PSI VERTICAL
AIR COMPRESSOR
SUPER COUPON
• No Hassle Return Policy
• Lifetime Warranty On All Hand Tools
$
4999
LOT 61258 shown
61840/61297/68146
REG. PRICE
$149.99
• 600 Stores Nationwide
• HarborFreight.com 800-423-2567
Focus on Texas
Around the Farm
Whether you are a spring chicken or ready to be put out to
pasture, you put all your eggs in one basket with this month’s contest. We are as happy as pigs in mud with the photos you sent in.
Now, we could crow about our favorites until the cows come home,
but we’d rather show you what life looks like on a Texas farm.
GRACE ARSIAGA
WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com Find more ways to horse around online.
d LINDA TIPTON, Nueces EC: A young man with his
horse and dog cool off in the Guadalupe River.
o LAURA HENSLEY, United Cooperative Services: Cissy, a 4-monthold goat, hops on Annabelle the donkey’s back whenever she gets
the chance!
d EMILY BURGER, Greenbelt EC: Logan Burger, right, jumps from one bale to the next—
just before friend Owen Britten attempts a shove.
a SHELLY BROWN, Bowie-Cass EC: “I was
feeding the chickens when this one demanded
a little extra attention. She really wanted a
peck (kiss).”
UPCOMING CONTESTS
DECEMBER BELT BUCKLES
JANUARY PATTERNS
DECEMBER BETTER TOGETHER
DUE AUGUST 10
DUE SEPTEMBER 10
DUE OCTOBER 10
All entries must include name, address, daytime phone and co-op affiliation, plus the contest topic and a brief description of your photo.
ONLINE: Submit highest-resolution digital images at Texas CoopPower.com
/contests. MAIL: Focus on Texas, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX
78701. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must be included if you want
your entry returned (approximately six weeks). Please do not submit
irreplaceable photographs—send a copy or duplicate. We do not accept
entries via email. We regret that Texas Co-op Power cannot be responsible for photos that are lost in the mail or not received by the deadline.
TexasCoopPower.com
o CARLA WALDRON, United Cooperative
Services: This little farm boy’s love for tractors is bigger than Texas!
35
Get Going >
Around Texas
Pick of the Month
Center City Block Party
Amarillo [August 15]
(806) 372-6744, centercity.org
The Saturday night outdoor festival on historic
Polk Street, celebrating its 20th year, features
features a kids’ area, three entertainment
stages, karaoke and a car show.
This is just a sampling of the events and festivals around
August
7
Ingram [7–22] “The Addams Family,”
(830) 367-5121, hcaf.com
8
Athens Bird and Nature Walk,
(903) 676-2277, athenstx.org
August 8
Brenham
Chappell Hill Lavender
& Wine Fest
Brenham Chappell Hill Lavender & Wine
Fest, 1-888-273-6426, chappellhilllavender.com
Granbury [8, 22] Big City Music Revue:
Singer/Songwriters of the ’70s,
1-855-823-5550, bigcitymusicrevue.com
Fredericksburg [8–9, 22–23] Pari-mutuel
Horse Racing, (830) 997-2359,
gillespiefair.com
14
Palestine Dogwood Jamboree’s
“All American Country,” (903) 729-7080,
dogwoodjamboree.org
Washington Living History Saturday,
(936) 878-2214, wheretexasbecametexas.org
Navasota [14–15] Blues Fest,
(936) 825-6600, navasotabluesfest.org
West Columbia Dog Days of Summer at
Varner Hogg Plantation, (979) 345-4656,
visitvarnerhoggplantation.com
15
20
Lake Jackson Bird Banding,
(979) 480-0999, gcbo.org
Fredericksburg [20–23] Gillespie County
Fair, (830) 997-2359, gillespiefair.com
AMARILLO: RALPH DUKE. LAVENDER: NITO | DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB. BANJO: JOSE GILL | DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB
DESIGN TECH HOMES
C U S T O M
B U I L D E R
R EADY TO BUILD ON YOUR L AND?
Visit
Visit the
t he Largest
Largest Model
Model Home
Home Showcase
Showcase in
i n America
A mer ica
OP
PEN
EN DA
AILY
ILY
36
Houston
Houston 888.811.8644
8 8 8.811.8644 | San
San Antonio
A ntonio 888.499.7938
8 8 8.499.7938 | dth.com
dth.com
TexasCoopPower.com
Texas. For a complete listing, please visit TexasCoopPower.com/events.
21
Kerrville [21–Sept. 6] “The Octette Bridge
Club,” (830) 896-9393, playhouse2000.com
22
Muleshoe Shop Stop, (806) 553-0568
Jasper [22–23] Pine Country Gem & Mineral
Show, (409) 384-3974, pinecountry-gms.org
Sherman [26–29] Deep Summer
Bluegrass Festival, (903) 546-6893,
melodyranchbluegrassfestival.com
27
Bandera [4–6] Celebrate Bandera,
(830) 796-3045, banderacowboycapital.com
2
Bedford [4–6] Blues & BBQ Festival,
(817) 952-2128, bedfordbluesfest.com
Temple [2–5] Labor Day Used
Book Sale, (254) 231-1487,
friendsofthetemplepubliclibrary.org
Grand Prairie Hatch Chile Fest,
(972) 237-8100, grandfungp.com
26
September
4
Freeport [4–5] Summertime Bikes
and Blues Festival, (979) 233-3526,
freeportsummertimebluesfest.com
August 26–29
Sherman
Deep Summer
Bluegrass Festival
Kerrville [4–6] Kerrville Fall Music Festival,
(830) 257-3600, kerrvillefolkfestival.org
Utopia [4–6] UTOPiAfest, (512) 496-2789,
utopiafest.com
5
Winnsboro Classic Car & Truck Cruise-in,
(903) 342-3654, winnsborotexas.com
Lindsay [5–6] Antique Tractor and
Farm Machinery Show, (940) 736-4541,
antiquetractorshow.net
6
New Berlin Sausage Festival,
(830) 420-3185
Roaring Springs [27–29] Motley-Dickens
Counties Old Settlers Reunion & Rodeo,
(806) 269-2659
29
Submit Your Event!
We pick events for the magazine directly from
TexasCoopPower.com. Submit your event for
October by August 10, and it just might be
featured in this calendar!
Tomball Texas Music Festival,
(281) 351-5484, tomballtx.gov
LOW
L
OW COST
COST
127th Gillespie County Fair!
M
Mobile
obile Home
Home Insurance
Insurance
Complete coverage
Superior service
Easy payment plans
(Including the option of Credit Cards)
Low deductibles
Free & easy online
quotes
w
www.stdins.com
ww.stdins.com
C
Call
all F
For
or A C
Custom
ustom Q
Quote
uote
8005220146
800 522 0146
Start Saving
TexasCoopPower.com
g
Mobile
wners
961
p
37
Hit the Road
A Kerrville Keepsake
Iconic jewelry designer James Avery celebrates 60th anniversary with destination showroom
BY ROB MCCORKLE
38
A craftsman at James Avery
works on a piece of jewelry.
special look and character.”
Avery, 93, reminiscing one time about
his first year of designing furniture and
jewelry, says he loved playing the 19thcentury craftsman. Visitors learn that the
Wisconsin native, who earned a degree in
fine arts and industrial design from the
University of Illinois, considered himself
more a craftsman than artist.
Several Avery design team creations
command attention: the four papal vessels
made for Pope John Paul II’s visit to San
Antonio in 1987; the 14-karat gold pins
worn by Apollo 12 astronauts on their 1969
flight to the moon; and a tiny astronaut
charm commissioned by an Endeavor
crewmember in 1996.
The evolution of Avery’s jewelry style
unfolds through a half-century timeline.
In the 1950s, the artisan created a plain
sterling silver Latin cross (still produced
today) that’s emblematic of the quest for
simplicity and quality. In the 1960s and
’70s, the company designers embraced a
minimalist yet nature-inspired aesthetic.
Contemporary designs incorporate more
color and new materials.
A series of videos explain Avery’s embrace of community and his commitment
to his employees. The display also depicts
the three fabrication methods employed:
hand, tool and die, and lost-wax modeling.
Here, too, are handwritten letters from
Avery aficionados and a touch screen that
reveals the meaning behind various popular
Avery designs. Miniscule charms of horses
and cabins illustrate the Kerrville jeweler’s
affection for nearby Hill Country youth
camps, such as Waldemar and Kickapoo.
As impressive as it is, this facility isn’t
the end of Avery’s growth. The familyowned company’s leaders plan to build
and equip a production facility near
Kerrville’s municipal airport. The craftsman center’s workforce will include 180
employees from the current north Kerrville campus.
The legendary days when Avery traveled
back roads, peddling his creations from a
wooden jewelry cabinet, belong to a bygone
era. But as James Avery celebrates its 60th
anniversary, customers can rediscover the
enduring quality craftsmanship.
Rob McCorkle is a Kerrville-based writer.
.
WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com
You’ll find more sights and stops in
Kerrville online.
TA D D M Y E R S | A M E R I C A N C RA F TS M A N P R OJ EC T.CO M
Travelers attracted to the picturesque Guadalupe River hamlet of Kerrville
by the promise of wildflowers, homegrown
music, arts and crafts or exotic wildlife
sanctuaries such as the Y.O. Ranch can
now add the James Avery Visitor Center & Store
to their itinerary.
Housed in a handsome, 4,300-squarefoot limestone building that anchors the
company’s pastoral, 43-acre campus less
than a mile from Interstate 10, the center
combines a retail outlet and exhibit hall.
Both are full of Avery’s creations as well
as artifacts dating to the jeweler’s early
days in his mother-in-law’s garage, where
the budding artist began fashioning crosses
and other creations.
The center’s opening in late 2014
marked James Avery’s 60th anniversary
of creating iconic Christian-themed and
nature-inspired necklaces, pendants, rings,
bracelets and other keepsakes.
Customers who visit the Avery campus
just off FM 783 (Harper Road) and make
their way past cases displaying handcrafted works of sterling silver, gold,
turquoise and other gems will discover the
visitor center, which tells the James Avery
story through six exhibits. A design studio
exhibit includes a drafting table, sketches
and tools used by craftspeople. The exhibit
details the artisan’s career through vintage
photographs on panels describing Avery’s
guiding principles: integrity, meaning, simplicity and universality.
A visit to the Avery campus today brings
memories for Stacy Larrazabal of Kerrville.
“I would accompany my mom and
grandmother on a shopping trip to Kerrville to pick out a piece of jewelry,” Larrazabal says. “I can spot James Avery
jewelry from 20 feet away because of its
MUELLER METAL ROOFS
- We’ve got you covered -
A Mueller metal roof will shelter your family and your
belongings in every kind of weather — from everyday exposure
to extreme events like hail, high winds and storms. To protect
what matters most, Mueller has you covered.
www.muellerinc.com
877-2-MUELLER (877-268-3553)
Rural Lan
Hom
Fa
O
Improv
Agribusiness
SERVICES
Real Estate Appraisal
Crop Insurance
Leasing
877.944.5500 | CapitalFarmCredit.com
proud
proud member
member o
off tthe
he Farm
Farm Credit
Credit System
System

Texas Co-op Power • August 2015 - South Plains Electric Cooperative

Transcription

Similar documents

THE TEXAS HEAD START DIRECTORS` ROUNDTABLE

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 11 am to 1 pm Texins Activity Center

Cotton Defoliation Turn Row Meeting

Riparian Flyer – Pedernales River on December 5, 2015

WTL Polar flyer 2015_PRINT

The Destination is Worth the Journey! Call 877

KTSU 90.9 FM 13th Annual Tennis Classic

Print Flyer - Texas Alliance of Land Brokers

West Texas Assemblies of God

Star Creek Ranch