F CUS ICE with A History of SERV
TURE an Eye on the FU
Ricebirds Face Exporters, Bye Week For Louise
A History of Service with an Eye on the Future
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Focus Special Section Inside!
Page 1-B
Volume 131 Number 66 • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Copyright ® 2015
36 Pages, 3 Inserts
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By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com
Repair work on the out-of-alignment FM 1160 overpass bridge will resume Thursday, according to a Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson. No timeline for completion was released. The primary access point into the Louise community closed in March when segments shifted as Lone Star Road Construction crews attempted to lift it about one foot.
Since then, efforts to restart the project have met a series of delays ranging from the need for specialized jacks to weather. “Complications during the lifting process required a re-evaluation of the bridge lifting plan,” TxDOT spokesperson Becky Ozuna told the Leader-News Tuesday. “This is difficult work and with safety being paramount, TxDOT and our contractor are proceeding cautiously to protect the public.” Lone Star, however, will not be doing the rest of the work. That company has hired a sub-contractor to complete the project.
In the meantime, Ozuna said, although canted, the overpass is safe to travel under. The state awarded Lone Star a $1,645,644.60 contract to lift the overpasses at FM 1160, FM 647 and FM 441 last year, a move designed to compensate for taller loads traveling the highway. At this point, however, the remainder of the project is on hold. “TxDOT’s current focus is completion of the work at the FM 1160 overpass. How to proceed with the remaining overpasses will be evaluated upon completion of FM 1160,” Ozuna said.
New Hill In Town
Early voting nears end, about 600 cast ballots By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com
Registered voters have until Friday to take advantage of early balloting in the upcoming state election. Slightly more than 2 percent of Wharton County’s roughly 24,000 registered voters cast ballots as of Tuesday morning – 366 in El Campo and 235 in Wharton. Early voting continues through Friday, Oct. 30 with polls open at the El Campo Branch Library, 200 W. Church, and at the county annex, 315 E. Milam in Wharton from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29 and Friday, Oct. 30. Those wanting to cast ballots will still need to show a photo ID. The upcoming election is for state constitutional amendments only. There are no local races or propositions on the ballot. Propositions 1 and 7 have drawn the most interest statewide with one asking voters to raise the residential homestead exemption and seven asking for additional tax revenue for the state highway fund. If Proposition 7 is approved, it would pull $2.5 billion of state sales tax revenue into the state highway fund each year. (See NO LOCAL, Page 6-A)
INSIDE: VIEWPOINT......................................Page 4-A OBITUARIES.....................................Page 9-A SPORTS.............................................Page 1-B FOOTBALL CONTEST......................Page 2-B LIFESTYLE.........................................Page 3-B CROSSWORD...................................Page 7-B CLASSIFIEDS & REAL ESTATE........Page 8-B
LOCAL WEATHER Wednesday
Sunny DAY: 0% HIGH: 86º NIGHT: 0% LOW: 59º
Thursday
Mostly Sunny DAY: 0% HIGH: 81º NIGHT: 0% LOW: 67º
Friday
Chance of Thunderstorms DAY: 40% HIGH: 82º NIGHT: 60% LOW: 70º
Saturday
Thunderstorms Likely DAY: 70% HIGH: 81º NIGHT: 30% LOW: 62º Last Week: Avg. High: 81º • Avg. Low: 67º
RAIN GAUGE
Last 7 Days............................. 5.37 In.
Last 30 Days........................... 5.37 In. Same Time In '14...................... 2.82 In.
Year To Date......................... 41.06 In. Year To Date '14..................... 26.38 In. Data Collected by LCRA at El Campo Memorial Hospital
BURN BAN LIFTED COUNTY’S MEAN KBDI: 105 Burn Ban is put into effect when the mean KBDI reaches or goes above 500.
City street department worker David Reck shapes a couple dozen loads of dirt on the back side of Legacy Park into a berm about 75 feet long, 30 feet wide and 4 to 5 feet high. The idea for creating berms, or small hills, in city parks for children to run up and down came from Community Services Board member Dot Hermansen, who said her grandchildren enjoy something similar at a Houston park. Contributed Photo by Chris Barbee
75¢
EC planning effort gets go-ahead from Council By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com
City Council approved a $90,000 agreement to continue the Comprehensive Plan update. The funds cover the last two phases, covering everything from streets and infrastructure to parks and housing. The effort will take two fiscal years to complete allowing the cost to be split over the two budgets. When complete, it will present a guideline for municipal efforts through 2030. The first section of the Comprehensive Plan update cost $45,000 and will present a general snapshot with a review of goals. The Marsh Darcy Partners contract for Phases 2 and 3 was approved 6-0 with Councilman Ed Erwin not present. “The total package is $125,000 over three years? When we get plans like this, I hope we follow through,” Councilwoman Gloria Harris told her fellow Council members. “With the first one, did we do anything?” The plan has been utilized, Mayor Randy Collins and Mayor Pro Tem Richard Young said. “A lot of things have been accomplished out of that plan,” Collins said. “Without the plan, you’re just walking through mud.” Most goals set forth in the 2000 plan have been accomplished, City Manager Mindi Snyder said. “Almost all of it.” Among the efforts, Collins said, was the extension of South Street, a now heavily utilized road. Specifically cited as a target (See COUNCIL, Page 6-A)
No damage reported with weekend downpours By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com
Farmers Issue No Rain Complaints
Last weekend’s deluge dropped more than six inches of rain on El Campo without causing any damage reports. Eastern portions of the county received in excess of nine inches of rain, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority gauge in Wharton, but also weathered the storm without damage.
– See Page 5-A
“For the most part, everything went great,” Wharton County Emergency Management Coordinator Andy Kirkland said Monday. FM 1162 near the intersection of CR 442 was
briefly closed, but there were no reports of trees down or water in homes. “When the rain first started, we had issues with minor traffic wrecks, mainly due to people not negotiating water on the roads,” El Campo Fire Chief Jimmy George Jr. said, adding the department was not dispatched to any flooding situations. (See BURN BAN LIFTS, Page 10-A)
From Gridiron To Grilling
El Campo barbecue stand retired coach’s new effort By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com
If the flags are flyin’, there’s barbecue for the tryin’. That’s not really The BBQ Place motto, but neatly sums up the laid-back business approach of Robert Crivellari, a man who gave up Friday Night Lights for family time. Situated along the edge of a North Mechanic parking lot, The BBQ Place looks, by design, like one of those iconic highway food shacks of a few decades ago. A small home kitchen makes this place look spacious. “I like the rustic hole-in-the-wall shack. I think it sets the mood for some great Texas barbecue,” Crivellari said. Plywood walls surround just enough room for two work tables (one with a warmer underneath), a tiny grill for buns, a roaster, refrigerator and two service windows in two separate rooms. There are no indoor tables and chairs. Grills are in a separate space to the side and a picnic table for non-drivethrough customers sits under a tin patio. That’s about it. “It used to be a sno-cone place,” Crivellari said. “I wanted it to look rustic.” The location came available right about the time he decided to open a business. “I stumbled upon it, to be honest,” he said. That was two years ago. Now Crivellari typically opens for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through (See BARBECUE, Page 8-A)
Come On By
L-N Photo by Shannon Crabtree
Robert Crivellari welcomes patrons to his roadside stand style restaurant known simply as The BBQ Place on North Mechanic. The stand keeps flexible hours giving him the ability to attend to family as needed.
Page 2-A
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Law & Order
Safety cautioned as goblins roam Saturday By JODY LARIMER reporter@leader-news.com
Witches, ghouls and goblins roaming the streets of El Campo Saturday are encouraged to remember safety as they gather treats. Last falling on a Saturday in 2009, the holiday won’t again until 2020. “Everyone be safe and, as the children pack away lots of treats, drivers pack twice as much patience,” El Campo Police Department Community Service Officer Mark Biskup said. Other tips he offers include knowing the routes your teens are taking, setting time frames of when they will be home, serving a filling meal beforehand and picking costumes wisely. “Make sure they are safe, fireproof and not so long as they could trip over them,” Biskup said. “No high heels,” he added so one doesn’t risk falling. “Children need to be able to easily jump or run out of the way of a vehicle.” Avoiding unknowns is also highly recommended. “Under no circumstances – ever – get into a stranger’s vehicle or go in to a stranger’s house,” Biskup said.
L-N File Photo
Trick-Or-Treat!
Halloween is Saturday and parents, children and drivers are urged to exercise safety precautions to ensure it’s a fun evening for all. Pictured are Veranica and Abagail Twardowski in a photo submitted last year. Drivers are urged to drive safely and keep eyes open for little ones crossing the roads or darting out from behind cars.
“The reality is kids sometimes don’t think and run out in to the street,” Biskup said. “Their fault, yes, but you don’t won’t to live with guilt.”
He also reminds would-be tricksters that vandalism, such as throwing eggs at people or vehicles, spray painting items, throwing toilet paper and using paint balls to shoot at anything, are illegal. “Halloween is a special time for the children,” Biskup said. Events planned in El Campo outside the traditional trick-or-treating include: • The El Campo Police Department hosts a trunk or treat 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31 in Legacy Park on the West Loop. • St. Philip’s PTC Halloween Carnival will be held Saturday, Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the KC Hall. A costume contest will be held at 1 p.m. Other activities include a cake wheel, coke ring toss, haunted house, a fish pond and more. For more information, call Andrea Wallis at 320-4313. • San Roberto Bellarmine Catholic Daughters Court 2275 will host its second annual Trunk or Treat Saturday, Oct. 31 from 1 to 4 p.m. behind St. Robert’s Church, 512 Tegner. Theme is God is our Superhero and Superheroes of the Bible.
Court Reports Wharton County Court Actions Plea bargain agreements
(Note: All cases below are felonies unless otherwise noted.) Those pleading guilty and accepting punishment include: • John Joseph Dewees, 37, of 1209 Corner Stone in Corpus Christi for driving while intoxicated third or more of-
Garcia received credit for 177 days already served. • Anthony Wayne Garza, 20, of 613 Lundy in El Campo for endangering a child. He was sentenced to 322 days in state jail for leaving a child unattended in a bath tub in September 2014. Garza received credit for the full time already served. In a separate action, he pleaded guilty to assault of a public servant (striking an officer) in October 2014. For
that offense, he was sentenced to a concurrent two years in prison. • Otua Mapakaitolo, 27, of 401 Main in Louise for abandoning or endangering a child (criminal negligence). His probation for burglary of a habitation was also revoked. He was sentenced to three years in prison for the January 2014 burglary with a concurrent 180 days in state jail for (See COURT, Page 6-A)
Bulletin Board Chamber Hosts Harvest Breakfast El Campo Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Harvest Retrospective Breakfast Wednesday, Oct. 28 at El Campo Civic Center. SNAP Mobile Clinic Comes to EC The SNAP Mobile Clinic will be at Walgreens, 203 N. Mechanic, Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 am for city of El Campo and Wharton County residents. Clients will be selected by a lottery at 7:30 am; do not come early. Free spaying and neutering and rabies vaccinations are available. No food for your dog/cat after 10 p.m. the night prior to surgery. Exemptions to this rule are dogs/cats 4-6 months old. All animals must be brought on a leash or in a carrier. All dogs and cats should be a minimum of four months old and maximum of eight years old. Contact SPOT for more information at 253-3446 (leave a message) or wcspot@hotmail.com. Fist Baptist Hosts Fall Festival First Baptist Church, 206 Depot, will host its Fall Festival Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. Inflatables for the kids, games, food, candy and everything is free.
THURSDAY, OCT. 29 Manna Meals Moving Location Beginning Thursday, Oct. 29, Manna Meals will be serving every Monday and Thursday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at First Lutheran Church, 304 Oscar. Please use the Third Street entrance.
FRIDAY, OCT. 30 Retired Teachers To Meet Retired teachers in Wharton County are invited to a meeting 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4 at First United Methodist Church, 421 Pietzsch in East Bernard. There will be an $8 catered lunch by reservation only. Call one of the following numbers to reserve your lunch: Wharton, 532-2366; East Bernard, 335-6675; El Campo, 5434434 by Friday, Oct. 30. Children’s books for the book drive will be accepted.
SATURDAY, OCT. 31 St. Philip’s Hosts Halloween Carnival St. Philip’s PTC Halloween Carnival will be held Saturday, Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the KC Hall. A costume contest will be held at 1 p.m. Other activities include a cake wheel, coke ring toss, haunted house, a fish pond and more. For more information, call Andrea
City Arrests
Alcohol, drugs
Oscar Calixto-Valdez, 36, of Hallettsville was arrested at 1:49 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 for driving while intoxicated third or more offense and no driver’s license after being stopped on Hwy. 71 North. He was processed and transferred to the Wharton County Jail later that morning. Juan Jesus Esquivel, 30, of 9148 E. Creek Bend in Needville was arrested at 2 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 for driving while intoxicated with a child under the age of 15 in the vehicle, no driver’s license and failure to maintain financial responsibility. He was stopped on North Mechanic. Esquivel was processed and transferred to county jail later that morning. Once there, he posted $9,000 in bonds and was released the same day. Christian Guadalupe Velazquez, 19, of 312 N. Liberty was arrested at 4:03 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 for driving under the influence after being stopped on West Monseratte. He was processed, paid the fine and was released later that morning. Public intoxication: 1.
City Incidents
Property
Vandals damaged the windshield wiper arm on a vehicle parked at Executive Apartments, 420 Merchant, between Oct. 20 and 24. Damage was estimated at $300. Medication was reported stolen from a vehicle parked at Jack In the Box, 1721 S. Mechanic, between 6 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21. A purse was reported stolen from Walmart, 3413 West Loop, around 2:40 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22. Loss was estimated at $125. Later that afternoon, a wallet and its contents were reported stolen there. A hit-and-run was reported at Walmart between 2:30 and 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. An estimated $500 damage was done to a fender. Two bicycles were stolen from the 500 block of Avenue A between 1 and 3:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. Loss is estimated at $240. A building at Rotary Park, 1211 E. Jackson, was burglarized on Saturday, Oct. 24. Information on loss was not provided. Vandals did an estimated $300 damage to the fender and windshield of a vehicle parked at Walmart between 8 and 11:50 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. Violence, weapons
fense. He was sentenced to three years in prison for the March offense. • Jamar Gerome Edwards, 34, of 110 Oak in Wharton for manufacturing or delivery of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison for the May offense. • Lonnie Paul Garcia, 33, of 1609 Elm in Bay City for theft of material (copper) and burglary of a building. He was sentenced to 180 days in state jail for the April offenses.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28
Police Blotter
Police are investigating the report of an assault at La Chiquita, 114 S. Washington around 12:40 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.
Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for tips Do you know the whereabouts of a wanted felon? Do you have information on a crime committed in West Wharton County? If you answered yes, you can earn up to $1,000 cash. The West Wharton County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of wanted felons or individuals responsible for a crime. Call Crime Stoppers at 543-TIPS (8477) or visit the organization’s website at wwccs.org. Callers do not have to give their names to qualify for reward dollars. bulletinboard@leader-news.com All phone numbers are area code (979), unless otherwise noted.
Wallis at 320-4313. Youth Group Holds Bake Sale St. Robert’s youth group will have a bake sale Saturday, Oct. 31 outside Palais Royal at 9 a.m. All proceeds will go towards group activities. For more information or to make a donation, contact Elisa Garcia at 332-2357. Trunk Or Treat Coming San Roberto Bellarmine Catholic Daughters Court 2275 will host its second annual Trunk or Treat Saturday, Oct. 31 from 1 to 4 p.m. behind St. Robert’s Church, 512 Tegner. Theme is God is our Superhero and Superheroes of the Bible. Trunk Or Treat At Legacy Park The El Campo Police Department hosts a trunk or treat 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31 in Legacy Park on the West Loop. FUMC Hosts Harvest Blessing First United Methodist Church, 1001 Ave. I, is having a Harvest Blessing Saturday, Oct. 31 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Children are asked to bring a canned item to share with the community and pick up a blessings bag. ECMH Seeks Vendors El Campo Memorial Hospital’s Big Market Days will be held on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the ECMH parking lot, 303 Sandy Corner Road. Interested vendors should contact Donna Mikeska at dmikeska@ecmh.org or call 578-5261 (leave a message, name and number).
MONDAY, NOV. 2 DAV 72 To Meet DAV 72 will meet Monday, Nov. 2 at the VFW Hall at 6:30 p.m. A catered meal will be provided. Auxiliary members are asked to bring a dessert.
TUESDAY, NOV. 3 Grief Support Group Available A grief support group themed “Hope for the Holidays” will be held every Tuesday beginning Nov. 3 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Covenant Retreat Center, 3986 CR 454. For more information, call Beryl Southall at 997-0527.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4 Ministerial Alliance To Meet The Ministerial Alliance will meet Wednesday, Nov, 4 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the First Presbyterian Church. Meetings on the first Wednesday of every month at the
same place and same time. All pastors and those in ministry are encouraged to come. Davis To Speak At Heritage Center Joe Tom Davis will present Jesus And The Despised Samaritans at the Heritage Center Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. Members and their guests are invited. St. Robert’s Hosts Chicken Meal St. Robert Bellarmine Court No. 2275 will host a chicken fried chicken meal Wednesday, Nov 4 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at its parish hall, 512 Tegner. Plates are $8.50. For tickets, contact Terri Beltran at 543-7067, Carmen Dominguez at 543-2500, Elma Escobar at 543-6771, Becky Estrada at 257-6924 or Nelda Vallejo at 578-1608.
THURSDAY, NOV. 5 ECISD Holds G/T Meeting El Campo ISD will conduct a parent informational meeting about the K-12 Gifted/Talented Program Thursday, Nov. 5 at the Meadow Lane Resource Center, 2620 Meadow Lane, at 6 p.m. Parents who would like to have their child formally assessed are encouraged to attend.
SUNDAY, NOV. 8 SPJST Hosts Family Day SPJST El Campo/Hillje Lodge 40 family Day and Raffle will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8 at its hall in Hillje.
TUESDAY, NOV. 10 Hutchins Elementary Holds Vets Program Hutchins Elementary will host a Veterans Day Program Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. in the gym. All veterans are invited to attend.
ONGOING Library Hosts Book Fair The El Campo Library, 200 W. Church, will host a scholastic book fair through Saturday, Nov. 7 during regular library hours. A wide selection of books for all ages will be available as well as posters, bookmarks and more. Sixty percent of the proceeds will go towards free books for the children’s area. For more information, call the library at 543-2362 or visit www.whartonco.lib.tx.us. FUMC Youth Group Fundraiser First United Methodist Youth Group is hosting a fundraiser with a traveling Ricky Ricebird yard ornament. For $20, Ricky will be put in your yard or in the yard of a friend for 24 hours. For more information, contact Steph-
anie Cortez, Tana Martin or any FUMC youth. Manna Meals Offers Food, Fellowship Manna Meals is offered at no cost every Monday and Thursday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Meals are prepared then served by local congregations at First Lutheran Church, 304 Oscar. Please use the Third Street entrance. For more, call 505-9362 or mannamealsec@gmail.com. VFW Hosts Bingo Games VFW Post 2786 hosts bingo games at the VFW Hall every Wednesday night, selling of cards at 6 p.m. and games starting at 7 p.m. American Legion Hosts Friday Night Bingo American Legion Post 251 hosts bingo games each Friday. Doors open at 5 p.m., card sales start at 6 p.m. and games at 7 p.m. Ladies Auxiliary hosts a raffle the first and third Friday; ticket drawing at halftime. Snack bar is open. Veterans Service Office Open The office of the Wharton County Veteran’s Service Officer will be in the reference room of the El Campo library, 200 W. Church from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. every Wednesday and in the Frank Shannon building, 1017 North Alabama Road, Wharton, or about ½ mile south of the H.E.B. store on the west side of Alabama Road, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Call 532-1311 before you come. Heritage Center Eighteen professional exercise machines are available for use, free of charge, to all Heritage Center members (age 50+) Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CASA Seeks Volunteers CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), is looking for volunteers ready to help. Contact Judy Peter for more information, at 578-1600. About the Leader-News Bulletin Board Bulletin Board is a community service to promote one-time events for nonprofit organizations. The LeaderNews requests only one representative submit items. Include contact information. Items will be edited. Event submissions will run no more than four editions immediately prior to the event as space permits. Garage sale fundraisers do not qualify for Bulletin Board. All items submitted must arrive no later than 3 p.m. Mondays for the Wednesday edition and 3 p.m. Thursdays for the Saturday edition. Digital submissions must be text that can be edited and pasted (no pdfs or fliers). Items may be dropped off in person or sent to bulletinboard@leadernews.com. No voice mail submissions.
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Page 3-A
2015 CLOSE-OUT
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
New Sp New Spe ecial Fi cial Fi n Program Proagnr ce nance ! Se Habl Se H am! a Espanabla Es ol panol
Page 4-A
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
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Viewpoint
lettertoeditor@leader-news.com
Cultivate real friendships ... before it’s too late
“Everything ends badly. Otherwise, it would never end.” – Tom Cruise, from the film Cocktails
Someone at work today asked me what my column was going to be about. “Death,” I said. Shortly afterwards, our server “died” and we lost connections to everything necessary to make a newspaper. It had to be a coincidence, right? I’m writing about death because this past Sunday, I attended the funeral of a colleague. Technically it wasn’t a funeral. It was a celebration of life. As each speaker took their turns during the 2-hour-plus memorial, I found myself lamenting a little bit that I didn’t have – or maybe it’s better said that I didn’t take – the op-
Jay T.
Strasner Ink By The Barrel
portunity to get to know the guy as well as I could have. He was technically a stranger. I began to ponder how just about all of us hold a special place in the hearts of our loved ones. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that most everyone has certain routines or inside jokes or patterns of behavior that endear ourselves to family and friends. I wondered how I allowed myself to overlook becoming a better friend to the guy in the casket.
Distance, lack of time and other excuses come to mind. This is not just about my relationship to this fellow, but I bet you’d agree that many relationships with our acquaintances often go underdeveloped for these reasons and others. Thinking back to my childhood, one of the most prevalent rules my parents taught me was “never talk to strangers.” While my parents had wonderful intentions – most importantly wanting to keep my image from landing on the side of milk cartons – I think that may have been one of the worst lessons I ever received. How many times do we fail to cultivate new relationships or meet someone interesting because of fear – or even worse, apathy? Instead of face-to-face conversations or approaching a stranger with the thought of perhaps creating a
meaningful friendship, our interactions nowadays with “friends” are most often passive social media activity or brief exchanges through faceless texts. Monday, the day after the funeral, I was driving alone on Hwy 59, minding my own business. The car in front of me came to a screeching halt, and I didn’t have time to hit my brakes. Swerving hard to the left, I began to fishtail and lost control. Within 12 nanoseconds, I lurched off the roadway and slammed 50 feet off the shoulder and into a ravine. Because of the soaking rains from the weekend and waist-high swamp grass, my buggy bogged down into the fresh highway ditch mud instead of going airborne. The tow-truck guy (who has obviously witnessed a lot of these scenes) told me I would have likely flipped
and probably died if I had wrecked two weeks ago on drier, harder ground. Everything could have ended for me, Mr. Cruise. And ended badly. Evidently, Monday was not supposed to be the final entry in the ledger of my life. After leaving the memorial service on Sunday, I brought home two important lessons to my family. First, please don’t let my funeral last more than 30 minutes. Second, so long as you’re not walking alone down a dark alley or feel a sense of danger, perhaps it isn’t so bad to strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know. The outcome might be far better than sitting at a funeral wishing you had talked to more strangers. – Jay T. Strasner is publisher of the Leader-News.
Have An Opinion? WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR lettertoeditor@leader-news.com Letters to the editor run as space is available in both the Wednesday and Saturday edition. To be considered for publication, letters must be received before 1 p.m. Monday for the Wednesday edition or 1 p.m. Thursday for the Saturday edition. Publication in a specific paper is not guaranteed. Please limit your letters to no more than 350 words. Letters must be signed by at least one person and a telephone number is required. An individual can submit a letter for publication once every eight editions (generally once a month) unless it is in direct response to another letter at the discretion of the newspaper. The Leader-News allows representatives of clubs or other fundraising organizations to thank up to five individuals or corporations by name in a letter to the editor. Please note that the Leader-News will not publish letters advocating a specific choice on an election issue immediately before or during a balloting period.
Clinton email controversy far bigger than just emails Many people may share Senator Bernie Sanders’ complaint that he was tired of hearing about Hillary Clinton’s e-mails. But the controversy is about issues far bigger than e-mails. One issue is the utter disaster created by the Obama administration’s foreign policy in Libya, carried out by Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. An even bigger issue is whether high officials of government can ignore the law and refuse to produce evidence when it is subpoenaed. If they can, then the whole separation of powers — the checks and balances in the Constitution — gives way to arbitrary government by corrupt officials who are accountable to no one. This is not the first time Hillary Clinton has defied the law to cover up what she had done. When Bill Clinton was president, back in the 1990s, both he and Hillary developed the strategy of responding to charges of illegal actions on their part by stalling and stonewalling
when either courts or Congress tried to get them to produce documents related to these charges. Hillary claimed then, as now, that key documents had disappeared. Her more recent claim that many of her emails had been deleted was just Hillary 2.0. Only after three years of stalling and stonewalling on her part has the fact finally come out this year that those emails could be recovered, and now have been. By this time, however, Hillary and her supporters used the same tactics that both Clintons used back in the 1990s — namely, saying that this was old news, stuff that had already been investigated too long, that it was time to “move on.” That was Hillary 1.0. More recently Hillary 2.0 said, melodramatically, “What difference, at this point, does it make?” One of the things that the former Secretary of State was now trying to cover up was the utter disaster of the Obama administration’s foreign policy that she carried out in Libya.
Jay Strasner...................................................Editor & Publisher THE EL CAMPO LEADER-NEWS (USPS 169520) is published semi-weekly on Wednesday and Saturday for $48 per year in Wharton County; $63 per year out of county; and $88 per year out of state; and $48 per year for the online edition only, by Wharton County Newspapers, Inc., 203 E. Jackson St., El Campo, Texas 77437. Periodical postage paid at El Campo, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the EL CAMPO LEADER-NEWS, P.O. Box 1180, El Campo, Texas 77437. © 2015 Wharton County Newspapers, Inc.
979-543-3363 Fax: 979-543-0097 Website: www.leader-news.com Email address: lettertoeditor@leader-news.com Opinions or views expressed by individual columnists or in Letters to the Editor are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper. Also, while the Leader-News strives for accuracy, errors may occur, and will be promptly corrected once they are brought to the attention of the editor.
Thomas Sowell Having intervened in Libya to help overthrow the government of Muammar Qaddafi, who was no threat to America’s interests in the Middle East, the Obama administration was confronted with the fact that Qaddafi’s ouster simply threw the country into such chaos that Islamic terrorists were now able to operate freely in Libya. Just how freely was shown in September 2012, when terrorists stormed the compound in Benghazi where the American ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, was staying. They murdered him and three other Americans who tried to defend him. Moreover, the terrorists did not
even have to go into hiding afterwards, and at least one of them was interviewed by journalists. That’s how chaotic Libya had become. Meanwhile, there was an American presidential election campaign in 2012, and Barack Obama was presenting himself to the voters as someone who had defeated Al Qaeda and suppressed the terrorist threat in the Middle East. Obviously the truth about this attack could have totally undermined the image that Obama was trying to project during the election campaign, and perhaps cost him the White House. So a lie was concocted instead. The lie was that the attack was not by terrorists — who supposedly had been suppressed by Obama — but was a spontaneous protest demonstration against an American video insulting Islam, and that protest just got out of control. Now that Hillary Clinton’s emails have finally been recovered and revealed, after three years of
stalling and stonewalling, they showed explicitly that she knew from the outset that the attack that killed Ambassador Stevens and others was not a result of some video but was a coordinated terrorist operation. Nevertheless, Hillary 2.0, along with President Obama and national security advisor Susan Rice, told the world in 2012 that the deaths in Benghazi were due to the video, not a terrorist organization that was now operating freely in Libya, thanks to the policy that got rid of the Qaddafi government. Yet that key fact was treated by the media as old news, and what was exciting now was how well Hillary 2.0 outperformed the Congressional committee on television. If the corruption and undermining of the American system of Constitutional government eventually costs us our freedom, will the media say, “What difference does it make now?” Copyright 2015 Creators.com
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 5-A
Agriculture Rainfall welcomed by county farmers
THE MORTON FAMILY would like to extend their sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who helped care for Lorraine during her illness.
Ginning done this week, rice farmers cutting ratoon crop By JODY LARIMER reporter@leader-news.com
Wharton County farmers call last weekend’s rainfall welcome moisture, but say more isn’t needed this weekend. Grains, including corn, milo, soybeans and cotton, are in, according to United Ag General Manager Jimmy Roppolo, and ginning of cotton should be completed this week. Although farmers were successful getting their crops out of the field, yields are down this year. “I call it a pretty terrible year production-wise,” Roppolo said. “There isn’t a crop out there that isn’t going to lose $100 plus an acre.” Low prices, he said, also contribute to the loss. One exception is milo. “Grain sorghum might have come closer to breaking even or even making some money,” Roppolo said. One positive this year, “we were spared the sugar cane aphids, the rain held them off,” the GM said. “But we can’t count on that next year.” As for rice, producers are just starting to cut their second crop, according to Rice Belt Warehouse President Dick Ottis. “From what I understand, the rain followed by wind probably helped us more than anything,” Ottis said. “We’re not seeing any damage yet.” If it exists, it won’t be known until farmers start cutting the rice. “There is some that was already in the blooming stage,” Ottis said, adding the weather conditions could have knocked those blooms off. “We won’t know until they start bringing it in.” Rainfall predicted this
L-N File Photo
Cotton Ginning
Last weekend’s rainfall was welcome moisture for most farmers. Pictured from last year is Robert Perez, daytime ginner at the Danevang United Ag Gin. weekend could produce more damage “Sunshine is what we need. If it’s ready to be cut, it needs to be cut,” Ottis said, adding farmers can cut the
crop with water in the fields without hurting the crop. “Hopefully we don’t get a lot of rain. We’ll just have to wait and see what it does.” For those who are done harvesting, the precipitation actually helped, Wharton County Ag Agent Corrie Bowen said. “I talked with some farmers last week and the dirt was too hard to get metal in the ground,” Bowen said. “It (the rain) certainly helps. It’s the beginning of replenishing that soil moisture profile.” For winter pastures, the timing of the rain was perfect, he said. “In the big picture, it is all good,” Bowen said. “I don’t think we want another five inches. Especially those who still need to get some field work done.”
To Triska Funeral Home for the guidance & care shown to our family during this difficult time. To all her doctors & nurses at the hospital here in El Campo, we appreciate all the professionalism & care extended to our loved one. To Pastor Rick & members of First Baptist Church for all the prayers & spiritual support given to her as well as the lunch & refreshments provided during the day of her service. A special thanks to all her caregivers who loved her & gave her quality of life during her last months, we will never forget.
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Open For Business The Breakfast Nook, 2409 West Loop, celebrates its grand opening with an El Campo Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony. Pictured (l-r) are Rebecca Muños, chamber president; Gilbert Escamilla, Maddie Mathews, John VonDerAu and Lin Hutzenbiler, chamber directors; Frank Ramos Jr. and Rebecca Ramos, owners; JC Bouse, chamber director; Racquel Luna, employee; Justin Guyer, chamber ambassador; Veronica Tovar, employee; and Cassidy Bird, chamber director. Contributed Photo
—Council
—No local issues on state-only ballot
(Continued from Page 1-A) area in Phase one of the study was a lack of retail establishments. To spur development, the city has hired Retail Strategies, a recruitment firm, while at the same time creating retail zones along the U.S. 59 corridor and on the West Loop. A public survey included in Part 1 identified El Campo’s greatest asset as its community character, but those respondents noted that housing and employment opportunities were among its least. The city’s greatest challenge, they said, was housing availability and affordability (33 percent) followed by employment opportunities (26 percent) and road/utility conditions (13 percent). Collins also appointed a three-council-member committee to work on the project. The mayor, Young and Erwin will staff it.
(Continued from Page 1-A) In September 2019, it would pull 35 percent of designated tax revenue in excess of $6 billion for highway use. Proposition 1 asks voters to raise the residential homestead exemption from $15,000 to $25,000 for school district taxes while at the same time mandating the state make up for any funding local school districts would lose. Consideration of a 100 percent disabled veteran’s surviving spouse is presented in Proposition 2 which requests authorization for “all or part” of his or her residential property tax be exempted.
Proposition 3, if approved, eliminates a requirement that statewide office holders reside in Austin while four would allow the charity foundations of professional sports teams to conduct raffles. Only residents of small counties would be affected by the outcome of the Proposition 5 vote. It asks voters to consider allowing counties with populations of 7,500 or less to perform private road construction and maintenance. Finally, Proposition 6 recognizes, if approved, hunting rights. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Newspaper takes readers’ photos
Reader April Webb submitted this photo of her 3-year-old twins Serenty and Davon Davis.
Do you have a great photo of something in the area? Would you like to share? The El Campo Leader-News accepts reader photos for possible publication and would like to see the images you have captured. The general public might too. When submitting, please include the name of those photographed and information about what is shown. Send to news@leader-news.com Remember action photos are always the best. If sending more than one photo, please send each separately.
Court Reports (Continued from Page 2-A) the May endangering charge. Mapakaitolo received credit for 138 days already served. • Christopher Earl Parson aka Christopher Parsons, 29, of 1002 Harlem in El Campo for evading arrest or detention with a previous conviction. He was sentenced to 180 days in state jail for the May offense. • Mike Ramirez Jr., 29, of 709 Alice in El Campo for sexual assault of a child. He was sentenced to two years in prison for the November 2012 offense. The victim was 16 years old at the time of the offense. • Eugene Stephens Jr., 22, of 208 S. Cloud in Wharton for burglary of a building. He was sentenced to 415 days in state jail for the April 2013 offense.
Stephens received credit for the full time already served. Revocation
• Linda Marie Gonzales, 22, address unavailable, for burglary of a habitation. Her probation for the June 2014 offense was revoked and she was sentenced to two years in prison. Gonzales received credit for 497 days already served. Unsealed Indictment
A grand jury indictment typically remains sealed if no arrest has been made in a case prior to deliberations. An indictment is not an indication of guilt, but rather a citizen jury’s verdict that a prosecutor has enough evidence against a person to proceed with felony trial. The Wharton County
Grand Jury issued the following recently unsealed indictment against: • Monica Vasquez, 34, of 608 S. 20th in Donna for bond jumping/failure to appear.
She allegedly failed to show for a felony court appearance on June 9. The indictment was issued in September.
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
County Happenings
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County seeks bids on bridge repair By JODY LARIMER reporter@leader-news.com
Wharton County commissioners Monday approved seeking bids for an emergency bridge replacement on CR 408. “We had a bridge damaged beyond repair by a heavy load,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Doug Mathews told commissioners. “We had to close it down.” The bridge, over the Tres Palacios, was closed last week after an overweight vehicle broke the structure’s main support beam. Closing the road leaves residents and travelers forced to find an alternate route,
which they’ll have to take for a while. “It is a concern for us,” Mathews told the LeaderNews Tuesday. “We have had no complaints. I think the residents understand. We want to try and make it as easy as we can for them.” Bids will be advertised Nov. 4 and 11 with the submittal deadline Thursday, Nov. 19. Commissioners will then consider the bids Monday, Nov. 23. “Once we award the bid, it will probably be the last part of the year before they get started,” Mathews said. Construction of the new, concrete bridge will take about three months, based on
similar, previous bridge construction projects, the commissioner said. “Hopefully, it won’t take that long, but they have,” Mathews said, adding a lot depends on weather conditions. Once complete, the bridge will meet the legal weight requirement of 80,000 pounds. An inspection of the bridge was done in June 2014 by the Texas Department of Transportation, which set the weight limit of the bridge at 21,000 pounds. Weight limit signs were immediately posted, according to Mathews. “All bridges are inspected every two years by TxDOT,” Mathews said. “They deter-
mine the safe weight limit. Each bridge is different depending on age.” Other aging bridges in the county, however, are vulnerable to a similar incident. “I can think of three to four other bridges that are lighter weight-limit bridges,” Mathews said. “All I can say is please observe the weight limit signs on those bridges and consider the damage done if you cross them.” Replacing the bridge is estimated to cost the county around $200,000. “Give or take,” Mathews said. “It’s going to be in that neighborhood.”
Adopt-A-County-Road begins Saturday By JODY LARIMER reporter@leader-news.com
Adopt A CR
L-N Photo by Jody Larimer
Precinct 3 Commissioner Steven Goetsch along with workers Chris Kunz (not facing camera), Bobby Popp and David Saucedo (l-r) manning the crane, put up a new sign on CR 362. The first clean up is set for Saturday, Oct. 31.
A program to clean up Wharton County roadside ditches will start at the end of the month. Commissioners in February approved the Adopt-A-County-Road program, which recruits groups to clean trash and debris from a designated area of road. The program is similar to the “Don’t Mess With Texas” campaign, only for rural areas. Last Thursday, Precinct 3 Commissioner Steven Goetsch and his workers installed one of the first signs on CR 362. “Hopefully, it’s far enough off the road that it won’t get hit. I’m excited,” Goetsch said. “I think it’s neat. When I was growing up, my grandparents made us do it. It’s about taking pride in where you live, in your county.” Several nearby residents signed up to clean a roughly three-mile stretch of the county road. The first clean-up day is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31. “This is the first one for Wharton County,” Goetsch said. “There are only a handful in Texas.” Although there isn’t a huge problem,
Page 7-A
according to the commissioner, there is a certain amount of trash dumped out on county roads. “Some people dump large loads of furniture,” he said. Goetsch began researching the program after locals approached him. Burleson and Llano counties had already adopted it and are seeing an increase in participation. Organizations or residents interested in forming a group can contact their county commissioner. Those participating are responsible for a two-mile stretch and must adopt for a minimum of two years. Guidelines, agreement and application are available at www.co.wharton. tx.us/default.aspx?Wharton_County/ AdoptARoad. “Interested groups are more than welcome to contact our office and we can help them get started,” Goetsch said. “The commissioners of Wharton County would like to work together with the citizens of the county to keep our roadsides free of trash and debris. With your help, we can do this together.”
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Business
—Barbecue memories turn to economic endeavor for ex-coach (Continued from Page 1-A) Friday, although the breakfast menu is limited to a couple of flavors of tacos. Lunch is a much larger affair offering the expected brisket, pork, ribs, chicken and sausage with assorted sides. Plates and sandwiches are on the menu along with a few surprise items like loaded mac and cheese and a Ricebird Burrito, a jam-everything-inside concoction popular with the high school crowd. “I’m always introducing new items and trying to figure out what works well for us,” Crivellari said, adding lunch-time tacos have proven popular. Bring cash, that’s all he accepts in payment. “No one has complained. It’s the theme of the place. It’s old-school barbecue, cash only,” Crivellari said. Hand-written signs say the business is open 7:30 to 10 a.m. for breakfast followed by an 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. lunch. In reality, sales determine how long the flags stay flying and the plates remain available. “We usually sell out by 1:30 to 2 p.m.,” he said.
Sales Team Running the lunch service is a tag-team effort between Crivellari and family friend Julie Fuechec. Preparing plates in the confined space, each works in a separate room for the most part. She does the sides, toasts sandwich buns and sets out plates while he handles the barbecued meats, slicing or chopping as needed. Sauce is something you have to request. “It’s not a big place. Space is limited. I do everything I can to make sure everything is quick and easy,” she said. Cars roll up to one window and Crivellari takes those orders while Fuechec handles the walk-up traffic.
L-N Photo by Shannon Crabtree
Hungry?
Robert Crivellari prepares a sliced barbecue sandwich for a customer. The BBQ Place offers traditional fare along with a few extras. Like Crivellari, she works at The BBQ Place because of the flexibility it offers. “The activity keeps me going, it works out perfect and he’s got good food,” Fuechec said. It’s a rush every day, but one that only lasts a couple of hours. Barbecue memories “As a kid growing up, I remember dad in the backyard doing ribs. I liked that,” he said, adding he also had a
friend regularly competing in cook-offs. Cook-offs are fun, he said, but now a part of his past – running a barbecue joint all week sees to that. But his children still like barbecue, he said, adding that’s saying something. “We eat it quite a bit more now,” he said. Coming To Be The business name isn’t just an apt description, it’s a salute.
“There’s a place in Houston that my dad likes to eat at. It’s the Hickory Inn, but Dad always said, ‘Let’s go to the BBQ Place,’” he said. Now, The BBQ Place is a reality. “I decided to open an eatery for various reasons. First and foremost, I had a passion for cooking,” he said. “Secondly, I wanted a new challenge doing something I enjoy. And finally, it had to be something that gave me flexibility and availability for my family.” Crivellari does all the cooking on location. Brisket and the like cook a dozen or more hours while sides and sausage are prepared in the morning. Each day, he sets an amount and hopes to sell out. Arrive late and you might have to settle for brisket rather than that hoped-for sausage plate. Arrive early and there’s plenty. “When it’s gone, it’s gone. Yesterday, I had to turn some people away,” he said. Crivellari also caters some events. “I’m not looking to expand,” he said. “My wife travels weekly so expanding would decrease my availability for my family.” Joyce Crivellari is an attorney for UBS, a consultant to a financial advisor. “My kids come first. That’s how it’s set up,” Crivellari said. “I have to be flexible.”
“I miss coaching, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” he said. “I still have a lot of very close friends in coaching.” Crivellari’s career started at an Alief ISD junior high before moving to Austin and San Antonio high schools as well as an assistant’s post at Texas State University before taking the top job at Elkins. “After I retired from coaching, we were living in Sugar Land and decided we wanted a smaller community,” he said. “This was far enough.” Crivellari and his wife have been married 23 years and have four children. The family already knew about El Campo, courtesy of coaching buddy Bob Gillis, the recently-retired top Ricebird. Crivellari’s son Brylan
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Career Change Coaching for 24 years, he hung up his whistle in 2010. Crivellari spent the six seasons before coaching at Elkins High School. When he took the head coaching post in 2004, the Knights hadn’t had a winning season since 1998. Going 11-18 in the first three years, Crivellari turned Elkins into a playoff team in 2008, a year hopes were stymied by Hurricane Ike and a zone playoff game.
played as an outside linebacker under Gillis and now attends TCU. He also played high school baseball. The couple’s three girls attend school locally. Brett, a junior, and Cameron, a sophomore, attend El Campo High School where both are cheerleaders. Brooke, their youngest, is a fifth grader at St. Phillip Catholic School. Crivellari was born in Mobile, Ala., but grew up in Houston. He studied education receiving a bachelor’s and masters from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State). When not barbecuing, serving customers or spending time with the family, “I like to play a lot of golf,” he said. “And shoot at birds. I try to take it easy.”
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Page 9-A
Area Funeral Notices Mendiola, Madilynn Mendiola, Bruce Mendiola Jr. and Caitlyn Mendiola, as well as many other loving family members and friends. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wharton Funeral Home. Condolences may be left at whartonfune ralhome.com. Betty Urbanovsky Betty L. Urbanovsky, 81, of Schulenburg and formerly Amado Mata Jr. Arnold Johnson Amado Mata Jr., 57, of Cu- of El Campo, passed away on Arnold T. Johnson, 96, passed away peacefully at his ero and formerly of Wharton, Oct. 24, 2015. She was born home, Friday Oct. 23, 2015. passed away Saturday, Oct. on July 12, 1934 in Wharton He was born Jan. 14, 1919 in 24, 2015, in Jackson County County to Robert and Josie Wharton to Otto Adrian and following a sudden illness. Nitsche Hubenak. She was a homemaker and Ellen Ruth Swenson John- He was born Feb. 26, 1958 son at the family home place in Wharton, a son of Amado had been employed in clerical and bookkeeping by Gibson’s Mata Sr. and Susie Garcia. south of El Campo. Amado was raised in the and Lack’s in El Campo and Arnold attended Plainview Community School with his Wharton area and attended Kountry Bakery in Schulensiblings and graduated from school there. He graduated burg. She is survived by her husEl Campo High School with from Edna High School in 1976. band, Jerome Urbanovsky of the class of 1936. He worked as a truck Schulenburg; daughter, PaIn 1942, Arnold enlisted driver in the Cuero area for tricia Lynn Wofford and husin the Army Air Corps and served four years and ob- several years. Amado enjoyed band Larry of Bay City, five tained the rank of staff ser- working in the yard, being grandchildren, seven greatoutdoors and listening to mu- grandchildren; sisters, Linda geant. In 1948, Arnold married sic. His favorite times were Schilhab of El Campo and Norma Caroline Galow. They spent with his family at his Beatrice Olsovsky of Edna; brothers, Daniel Hubenak were married for 53 years, side. Following cremation, me- of El Campo, Leon Hubenak making their home north of Ganado. They built their lives morial services will be held of Jones Creek, Lawrence around the area where they at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at Hubenak of Arkansas, LeonWharton Funeral Home with ard Hubenak of El Campo ranched and farmed. Arnold was a faithful Rev. James Jimenez officiat- and Bennie Hubenak of Arizona. member of St. James Lu- ing. Amado is survived by his She was preceded in death theran Church, serving as a teacher, councilman and avid wife, Diane Mendiola of Cu- by her parents; son, Jerome lawnmower until his 90s. He ero; son, Amado Mata III and Urbanovsky Jr.; daughter, served his community on the wife Irma of Palacios; daugh- Delores Bevers; brothers, Bob school board and as a Little ters, Ashley Mata and hus- Wayne Hubenak and Gene band Thomas Reyes of Cuero Hubenak and half-sister, DorLeague coach. A jokester, Arnold was and Karen Mata of Mexico; othy Cormier. Visitation was 2 p.m. Tuesknown about town as the man step-sons, Roy Mendiola Jr. and wife Tanya of Wharton, day, Oct. 27 with a Rosary who would make you smile, Bruce Mendiola and wife recited at 6:30 p.m. at Triska had a fantastic memory and Tracy of Eagle Lake, Scott Funeral Home. Funeral Mass someone who never met a Mendiola and wife Angela of will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesstranger. For many years, he enjoyed Columbus and Duran Men- day, Oct. 28 at St. Philip Cathgardening and sharing its diola and wife Mary Martinez olic Church with Rev. Michael of Austin; step-daughter, Tina Rother officiating. Entombproduce. Survivors include sons, Garza and husband Thomas ment will follow at Holy Cross Gary (Linda) and Warren Tovar of El Campo; brothers, Memorial Park. Pallbearers are Michael (Helen) of El Campo and Ernest Montalvo and wife Janie of Brownwood, Richard Wofford, Joseph Hrncir, Rodney of Ganado; daughGarcia and wife Donna of ArDwayne Schilhab, Royce ters, Karen (Tim) Benton of kansas and Rudy Sifuentes of Hubenak, Jeff Schilhab and Flatonia and Cheryl (Lee) Cuero; grandchildren, Amado Richard Olsovsky. Honorary Arrington of Cheyenne, WyoRay Mata, Cameron Mata, pallbearers are Amber Murming; sisters, Esther Tissing Aaron Mata, Adrian Mata, rell, Amy Wofford, Larry Wofof New Braunfels and MaryGabriel Rubio and Michael ford and Lori Thompson. lynPage (Russell) Chalberg of Aus4-A Mata; step-grandchildren, Memorials in her memory tin; grandchildren, Rachel Roy C. Mendiola, Madison may be made to St. Rose of and Jenny Johnson, Robert Mendiola, Ryan Mendiola, Lima Catholic Church, SchulSchneider, Karla Johnson, Skye Garza, Allison Garza, enburg, lettertoeditor@leader-news.com St. Philip Catholic www.leader-news.com Sarah (Clayton) Klesel, ReEduvi Garza, Cecelie Men- Church El Campo or Ameribekah (Lyndon) King, Ethan diola, Fabian Cantu, Meagan can Heart Association. Benton, Kallie (Devin) Mar- more room for employees, vehicles EMS, VFD need Mendiola, Mykayla Mendiola, Condolences may be shared tin and Megan and Macayla for an exercise room, storage and of- very little separation from office building brought things to the The El Campo EMS and vol- the Jazlynn terry Mendiola, Jiselle fice space. This is the samethe room space, unteer fire department face some fore front. central dispatch and the fire with family at www.tris previously used as a polling place. While making plans to address pressing issues with their current department garage area. There is Arrington and four great- Mendiola, Team members were forced to nowhere for firefighters or paramedrepairs, home and where they park emer- space needs and garage area StanPhill Julissa Mendiola kafuneralhome.com. tables with little or no privacy to ics to wind down, finish reports or it was discovered the building slab is gency vehicles. grandchildren, Avery, Carter and Duran Mendiola Jr.find do run reports, maintain in-service replenish stocks without being disEMS staffs two ambulances rat- rapidly sinking. The sinking slab is and are under eCPd training requirements, Arrangements etc. Anytime ruptive to those trying ed as Mobile Intensive Care Units causing damage to interior and exto sleep. and Landry Schneider and P C a city meeting or training was schedceiling and plumbing. around the clock – the highest level terior walls, The PSB has always been a place theto vacate Triska Home, uled, they were forced the theFuneral the whole of care available. Additional EMTs It took the only shower instep-great-grandchildren, public knows they can go for El work duringKlesel. the day and peak hours PSB out of service when drain pipes for records storage, receiving and room. Corbett help, but lacks a triage room. CitiThe room is also used as a public zens often walk in the front door in under the facility separated. staffing a third unit. Krislynn Jeremiah Campo. storingMendiola, new equipment. In 2012, my position restructured The full time EMS crews work 24He was preceded in death The 20-year-old garage simply training room for CPR classes, Ex- medical distress. To care for them, plorer Scout meetings, etc. hour shifts. The city currently has 12 slightly and my title changed from EMTs must seat them in the break wasn’t built for modern ambulances Over the years, team members room next to staff eating meals to be and approximately 30 part- chief of police to director of public and fire trucks. A garage stall deby full-time his loving wife, Norma; purchased exercise equipment and I became more involved with time team members who work a full safety. evaluated. signed for a single cab grass truck stored it in the room. To use the 24 hours or less depending on needs. EMS and ECVFD. Soon, I found These are just a few of the isis not large enough for the new crew equipment took rearranging the grandson, Luke his for space. The department currentlyJohnson; has they were competing sues with the current Public Safety Over the years, EMS staff has cab grass truck. Then, El Campo room. four fully-equipped ambulances and ambulances were smaller Basic Life Before the slab-settling issue was Building. grown along with demands on both a fifth in reserve. parents; brothers, Carl, ClarThe next article will focus on Support Units and are now Mobile discovered, plans called for the exThe ECVFD is 100 percent vol- services. ercise equipment to be removed to ECPD. Future articles will discuss New HIPPA regulations required Intensive Care Units. unteer. It offices in the Public Safety ence, twin A garage bathroom facility was make room for additional offices re- how City Council has researched the more secure document storage for buildingElmer, where they alsoAlvin house fire- and issue, new building site search and converted to a decontamination ducing the size of the training room. fighting gear, maintenance equip- both services as well as training reroom for non-disposable medical Arthur and sister, Another big space and privacy financial concerns. cords. Ethel ment, supplies and storea records. There is an open invitation to any The need for more administrative equipment and for the storage of de- problem has been the bunk room. Both departments serve residents and visitors in West Wharton Coun- staff created the need for more office contamination equipment. This left The EMS service was once an all- group that would like information on Stromquist. ty – not just the people who live in- space, so hallway closets were con- firefighters with no place to clean male service, but is now about half the Public Safety Building, a tour or up before returning home or back to female and half male. The facility both. To arrange presentations and verted to offices. side the El Campo city limits. Visitation was held from or tours contact me at 979-543-5311 has only one bunk room. The ECVFD chief, president and work. A new Public Safety Building had city’s only training room has The bunk room lacks size, privacy or email tstanphill@cityofelampo. a long-range plan, but condi- training officer were all sharing one 5-7been Tuesday, Oct. 27also using the office beenThetaken over by EMS and ECVFD and has poor climate control with org. They were tionsp.m. in the EMS and fire portion of office. at the St. James Lutheran Church. Funeral service will be 10 a.m. today, Wednesday, We offer installment loans from Have An Opinion? Oct. 28 at St. James Lutheran WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Church in Ganado. Interment lettertoeditor@leader-news.com will be at the Ganado CemLetters to the editor run as space is available in both the Wednesday and Saturday edition. To be considered for publication, letters must be received etery. before 1 p.m. Monday for the Wednesday edition or 1 p.m. Thursday for the Contact us today atPublication (979) 543-5341 Saturday edition. in a specific paper is not guaranteed. In lieu of flowers, memoriPlease limit your letters to no more than 350 words. Letters must be signed by at least one person and a telephone number is to discuss a loan for you. required. An individual can submit a letter for publication once every eight als may be made to St. James editions (generally once a month) unless it is in direct response to another letter at the discretion of the newspaper. We Do Taxes Lutheran Church-Memorial The Leader-News allows representatives of clubs or other fundraising organizations to thank up to five individuals or corporations by name in a letter Fund or Houston Hospice of to the editor. 1266 N Mechanic St | El Campo TX 77437-2614 Please note that the Leader-News will not publish letters advocating a specific choice on an election issue immediately before or during a balloting El Campo. period. www.security-finance.com Services are under the direction of Ganado officials Funeral *Allvist loans are subject to credit limitations and our underwriting Residents, during Wharton County Day Home, including verifiable Atability repay. Actual proceeds Senatorloan Kolkhorst and Representa2:30 p.m.,to State Representaimpact March Ganado. 3 was Wharton County describing the significant policies,
Viewpoint
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, April 1, 2015
oliCe
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Day at the capitol building in Austin. Fifty-one local residents climbed onto a charter bus and another 25 to 30 drove their own vehicles as we headed to Austin to share countywide concerns and strengthen existing relationships with regional and state officials. Included among the traveling contingency were high school students, county officials, mayors, city managers, school superintendents, economic development directors, bankers, lawyers, chamber executives and numerous local business owners. We arrived in Austin around 10 a.m. and quickly proceeded to the capitol. Some toured the building, others made brief office visits to local representatives, and a few sat in on an important Finance Committee Meeting. At 11 a.m., Senator Lois Kolkhorst greeted us from the floor of the House with a hearty introduction and a well-written resolution
PhilliP may vary based upon loan terms. Dollar amounts are rounded to SPenrath the lowest whole dollar and are subject to change.
Wharton County continues to have on state and world agricultural markets. Senator Kolkhorst further boasted of Wharton County’s incredible schools, rich heritage and hardworking residents. Our group of 80 headed down 12th street to Serrano’s restaurant at 11:45 a.m. where locally operated Exelon Power Corp. hosted an amazing beef and chicken fajita dinner for all guests. (We cannot begin to thank Exelon for their continued generosity and dedicated service to the residents and businesses operating throughout Wharton County.) At 1 p.m., we returned to the Old Supreme Court Chambers of the capitol building where new Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller addressed the group with a number of interesting topics including the history of the Texas capitol building, public school finance, shoring-up border security and funding projects that will increase state-wide water supplies. (Commissioner Miller’s Ag
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Wharton County Judge
Dept. has repeatedly assisted Wharton County businesses in obtaining needed start-up financing through the Texas Capitol Fund grant.) At 1:30 p.m., we were joined by Tracye McDaniel, the Governor’s appointed president and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation. Ms. McDaniel shared insight into current statewide economic trends and specifically noted that the Wharton County region is ripe for immediate growth and development. Longtime Wharton County friend and ally State Comptroller Glenn Hegar explained the duties of his new office at 2 p.m. sharing insight into state financing, types of obscure taxes, and the diversity of the state’s economy.
tive John Zerwas dropped in to talk about higher education (colleges). Dr. Zerwas shared information about recently filed bills that could help community colleges fund building improvements and another that will allow college students to openly carry guns on college campuses. A panel of Texas Department of Transportation officials gave an update on statewide transportation plans and funding sources at 3 p.m. The panel then specifically focused on I-69 projects located along the corridor in El Campo and Wharton. Local Representative Phil Stephenson and Senator Kolkhorst addressed the group at 3:30 p.m. with updates on current legislation proposals and the potential impact they could have on the county, region and state. Among the more pressing issues discussed were county-wide economic development, transportation, education and water. The day was capped off at 4 p.m. when the group took a picture with
tive Stephenson on the stairway just outside the capitol rotunda. Although much of our day had been carefully scripted, several county leaders did part from the group to attend legislative committee hearings and visit state officials presiding over water rights, school finance and economic development. My fellow citizens, it is imperative that Wharton County leaders and residents continue to reach out to all our elected officials at every level of government. Only by sharing our concerns and seeking legislative support can we continue attracting new development and generate the diverse job opportunities. Our children and grandchildren need these to return home after college and raise their families in this same special haven that was afforded many of us. In looking ahead, please join us on March 7th, 2017 for our next Wharton County Day at the Capitol.
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THE EL CAMPO LEADER-NEWS (USPS 169520) is published semi-weekly on Wednesday and Saturday for $48 per year in Wharton County; $63 per year out of county; and $87 per year out of state; and $48 per year for the online edition only, by Wharton County Newspapers, Inc., 203 E. Jackson St., El Campo, Texas 77437. Periodical postage paid at El Campo, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the EL CAMPO LEADER-NEWS, P.O. Box 1180, El Campo, Texas 77437. © 2015 Wharton County Newspapers, Inc.
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WAKE UP. WALK IN. You don’t need an appointment to access care from Memorial Hermann Primary Care Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers, because we accept early morning walk-ins Monday thru Friday from 7 to 9 a.m. for minor illnesses, including: • Allergies • Colds • Earaches • Rashes • Urinary tract infections • Vomiting and nausea • And more Early Morning Walk-In Care Monday – Friday, 7 to 9 a.m. Additionally, medical appointments are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is now flu season! Protect yourself and those around you from the spread of the flu virus. Call and schedule your flu shot today. Use ScheduleNow to book your appointment online at mhmg.memorialhermann.org or call 979.543.2956 El Campo 1602 North Mechanic
Page 10-A
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Top Stories
T:36”
Despite more than six inches of rain in the El Campo area and greater tallies to the east this weekend, roads remained open. The two-day rain came slow enough, officials said, for drainage systems to keep up.
—Burn ban lifts, more rain in weekend forecast (Continued from Page 1-A) “We came out pretty good on this whole event. Thank God,” George said. “We needed the rain. It was great. Slow and steady.” With the deluge, the county’s burn ban lifted as dry, cracked soil turned to squishy mud. Over the weekend, the Keetch-Bryam Drought Index rating for Wharton County dropped from near 600 to 105. The county uses the KBDI to determine when a burn ban is lifted. At 500, on the zero to 800 scale, one is ordered. Generally speaking, a zero KBDI is fully saturated, squishy soil. Each 100 points equals an inch of rain needed to reach full saturation. Rainfall totals varied throughout East Wharton County with 6.88 inches at the police station, 5.37 inches at the hospital and 5.86 inches in the far West Wharton County. On the east side of the county, the city of Wharton received 9.11 inches of rain while the Hungerford area reported 9.14. “I was worried we were going to have another Tropical Storm Bill event, but it wasn’t. Thank God,” City Assistant Police Chief and Emergency
Management Director Gary Williamson said. As the tropical storm came through in June, it dropped more than 11 inches of rain quickly, flooding roadways throughout the southern sections of the city. Kirkland said he appreciated people staying indoors. “It was a good weekend to sit and play cards.” Both the Colorado and San Bernard rivers rose, but neither was expected to threatened homes. The Colorado was expected to crest at slightly more than 31 feet yesterday. “Flood stage is at 39. It affects the city (of Wharton) at 41 feet,” Kirkland said. The San Bernard was expected to crest at slightly more than 16 feet yesterday. Another wave of rain is expected this weekend with forecasts varying from one to two inches to four to five. “But that’s a long way off,” Kirkland said.
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Roads Remain Open
Sports
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 1-B
sports@leader-news.com
2015 Wharton Co. Football
Paving The Way El Campo linemen from left: Larry Haynes (86), Micah McComb (74), Chris Melchor (62) and Rhett Spenrath (55) prepare to get in their stances for another play. The Ricebird offensive line has led the way for the team to rush for more than 2,000 yards on the season. El Campo will take its 2-1 league mark to Brazosport Friday night in a district contest. L-N Photo by Jay T. Strasner
Exporting a VICTORY Ricebirds try to continue league winning streak
El Campo @ Brazosport 7:30 p.m. Friday Exporter Stadium
By CHRIS WIMMER sports@leader-news.com
The Ricebirds (5-3, 2-1) are riding high after pummeling Bay City 41-14 in the longest continuously played rivalry game in Texas. The victory kept them in a tie for second place in the district with Needville and on Friday, the Birds can solidify the second spot with a win over the last-place Exporters. Though Brazosport is only 1-7 overall and 0-3 in the district, El Campo Head Coach Wayne Condra emphasized that he will not take the game lightly. “The 13 years I’ve been here, every time we travel down to Freeport it’s always a battle,” Condra said. “Brazosport and El Campo have always had some fun, exciting games and always hard-fought. We’re looking for nothing different this year.” Brazosport’s offense centers on senior do-it-all player Jeremiah Credit. The running back averages 84.4 yards per game on the ground and is also the team’s leading receiver with 41.3 yards per game. Credit rounds out his duties by returning kicks and (See BIRDS, Page 2-B)
BY THE NUMBERS:
1156 9.6
Yards rushing this season by Kevin Dove
Yards per carry for EC senior Tae Harris
5
Overall wins for El Campo this season
1
Defensive Presence
L-N Photo by Jay T. Strasner
El Campo defenders Nick Panagiotopolous (83) and Zarian Baylor converge on a Needville ballcarrier during the Ricebirds’ district victory earlier this month. EC will travel to Brazosport Friday night.
Overall win for the Exporters this season
Ladybirds looking forward to playoffs EC has won 3 of last 4 district games By CHRIS WIMMER sports@leader-news.com
A successful 2015 regular season campaign for the Ladybirds will result in a third place finish in District 27 and a trip to the playoffs. In the first round, El Campo will square off against District 28 secondplace finisher Stafford on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at a venue that has yet to be determined. Head Coach Melissa Popp has been impressed with her young team’s growth over the course of the season. Only two seniors returned from last year’s squad but 4 of 6 starters are back so the team still has the experienced leadership needed for a playoff run. “Everybody wants to be first or L-N Photo by Jay T. Strasner maybe second,” Popp said. “Coming Successful Season out third, (it’s) still not a bad position. We’ve had some strong compeThe El Campo 2015 volleyball squad includes front row, from left: Darian Dutcher, Hope Williams, Melea Socha, Emily Strnatition against Columbus and Sealy, del, Helena Triska and Essence Allen. Back row, from left: Shea Slattery Kaylyn Harp, Lannah Korenek, Coach Melissa Harp, who are going to come out first and Fran Powers, Lauren Rod and Macey Knesek.
second. That puts us playing against a second place team in playoffs but I think it’s going to be a good firstround match-up for us.” El Campo faced Sealy on Oct. 9 and pushed them to a fourth game in the best-of-five match. Sealy took the first game easily but the Ladybirds stormed back to win the second and forced the third and fourth games down to the wire before Sealy ultimately prevailed. Though the match ended in a loss for El Campo, the performance showed something to Coach Popp. “The game that we won, Sealy made a ton of errors,” Popp said. “They’re a team that is very beatable but we had to be able to put that pressure on them to make them make those errors.” The season was a series of ups and downs for the team but they will end with a winning record. The Ladybirds currently sit at (See PLAYOFFS, Page 2-B)
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 2-B
Football Contest
QUALITY HOT MIX PROUD TO SUPPORT OUR ATHLETES! Game #2: USC at California
Game #1: Georgia at Florida
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Tough sledding brings tiebreaker into contest
By CHRIS WIMMER sports@leader-news.com
Georgia Tech’s stunning victory over Florida State on Saturday night broke a lot of hearts in Tallahassee and the hearts of many entrants in the Leader-News football contest as well. Nearly everyone picked the Seminoles to win and in an extremely tight race, the game proved to be critical. The tiebreaker was needed again this week to determine the top three finishers among five contestants with close scores. In the end, Kenny Stinson of El Campo narrowly edged out Charles Washington for the grand prize. Stinson picked 11 games correctly and his guess of 44 total points in the Houston Texans game against the Miami Dolphins earned him the victory. He will take home $25 cash and $25 of dine-in value at the El Campo Pizza Hut. Washington, an El Campo resident, also
tallied 11 correct picks but predicted the total points of the Texans-Dolphins game would be 37. Washington will claim the second place prize of $15. In addition to Georgia Tech’s improbable win, the contest largely turned on the surprising outcomes of the Missouri-Vanderbilt game and the Houston-Miami game. Most contestants took a hit when Vanderbilt beat Missouri and a sizeable number were disappointed in more than one way by the Dolphins’ dominance of the Texans. As with the battle for first and second, the third place prize came down to the tiebreaker. Three contestants were deadlocked at 10 points but Gary Preuss of Austin won by a slim one-point margin. Preuss’ guess of 50 total points was enough to earn him the $10 prize. Be sure to enter the contest on this page. It could lead to some bragging rights, pizza, and a nice payday for your efforts.
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Write in the name of the team you think will win for each game. Cut out entry form and return to the Leader-News.
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY.
1) Entries: Only one entry per person. Contestants must have reached the age of eight (8) years by the Friday entry deadline each week. Filling out extra forms and putting friends’ or fictitious names on them is not allowed and will result in disqualification if caught. Leader-News employees and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. 2) Deadline: All entries must either be in the Leader-News office or be postmarked no later than 2 p.m. FRIDAY of each week’s contest. Faxed copies will be accepted, but must be readable. Neither the Leader-News nor its advertising sponsors will be responsible for failed or illegible faxed entry forms or forms that are lost, stolen or damaged in any way. E-mailed or photocopied entries are not acceptable. 3) Tie-breakers: Be sure to mark both of the two tie-breakers. 4) Prizes: The contestants who pick the most games correctly will win one of three prizes: $25 for first, $15 for second and $10 for third. Should two people tie for first, they will each get $20, or an equal share of the cash for first and second place. If, for example, four people tie for first, the $50 total prize will be split four ways. Should there be a tie for third, the $10 will be divided among those individuals, etc. Prize money will be mailed to winners the following week. Mail all entries to: El Campo Leader-News Football Contest, P.O. Box 1180, El Campo, Texas 77437 Fax Entries to: (979) 543-0097
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Lifestyle
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
www.leader-news.com
Coping With Grief
Mommy, Daughter Time
Free group counseling sessions held in preparation for holidays Grieving the lost of a loved one can be a lonely journey. “It can especially be so during the holiday season,” Beryl Southall said. Southall, who has a master of divinity degree, has extensive experience in leading grief support groups through her work as a bereavement coordinator and spiritual care supervisor at Hospice Austin. She has also served as chaplain and bereavement coordinator at Wesleyan Hospice in Georgetown. “A woman said to me after the death of her loved one, ‘why all the celebration, don’t they know that my daughter is dead?’ That could be you saying, ‘don’t they know my husband, wife, child, mother, father, sister, brother, friend ... is dead?’” Southall said. Southall says grief is hard work but you don’t have to do it alone. Join Southall as she leads a grief support group beginning Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 6 p.m. at Covenant Love Christian Ministries, 3986 CR 454 in El Campo. This is the second year Southall has provided the free support group sessions in preparation for the holidays. Those interested in attending can register by calling 979-997-0527. There is no registration fee.
DAR honoring deceased vets
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Comfort Wood Chapter of Wharton County, is once again sponsoring Wreaths Across America on Saturday, Dec. 12 at Garden of Memories Cemetery in El Campo. Those interested in purchasing a wreath to place at their veteran’s grave marker are asked to call 979543-7813. An additional story will be published in a future issue of the El Campo Leader-News.
Book Fair Fun
L-N Photo by Quala Matocha
Four-year-old Kinley Bubela picked out this book about ballerinas at the El Campo Branch Library’s Scholastic Book Fair Tuesday morning. Her mom, Kassie, reads the book to her daughter, page-by-page, from beginning to the end. Kinley picked out a few books to take home. A portion of the book sale proceeds goes to the library to purchase new book for the local facility. The fair will continue through Saturday, Nov. 7. Books, suited for children and young adults, includes a wide variety of topics, including Star Wars, dinosaurs, Christmas and Halloween books, even cook books for all ages, as well as gift items such as markers, bookmarks, pens, puppets and more.
Page 3-B
lifestyle@leader-news.com
Texans invited to join in nationwide cleanup efforts
The Great American Cleanup (GAC) is the nation’s largest community improvement program, taking place annually from March 1 through May 31. Volunteer groups and individuals of all ages are invited to register to participate in the event, which mobilizes thousands of Texans to improve the beauty and health of their community. Activities can include beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning waterways, handling recycling collections, picking up litter, removing graffiti, planting trees and conducting educational programs and litterfree events ... anything that keeps your community beautiful. The Great American Cleanup is part of a nationwide effort with Keep America Beautiful. Any Texan can participate in the Great American Cleanup. Online registration is now available at www.ktb.org for local organizations to schedule events in their communities and gain access to valuable resources to plan, promote and host an event. Participating organizations are encouraged to register their GAC events with Keep Texas Beautiful in order to receive trash bags, volunteer giveaways, promotional items and more, to assist in facilitating their cleanup event. Organizations may also elect to post their event information on the Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) event calendar. KTB will be leading individuals and community groups looking to volunteer to the KTB event calendar to find an opportunity in their area. In 2015, 85,156 Great American Cleanup volunteers across Texas: • Held 1,500 events. • Contributed 401,925 volunteer hours.
• Collected more than 10 million pounds of waste and recyclables. • Collected 1.1 million pounds of tires. • Collected over 280,000 pounds of electronics. • Held multiple awareness events and workshops, abated graffiti, painted and repaired buildings, installed community gardens, planted flowers and trees and cleaned illegal dumping sites. Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB), a statewide grassroots environmental and community improvement organization and affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, strives to educate and engage Texans to take responsibility for improving their community environment. KTB and its more than 390 affiliates work with government, businesses, civic groups and volunteers to ensure that every Texans has the opportunity to take individual responsibility for making Texas the cleanest, most beautiful state in the nation. For more information about KTB, visit www.ktb.org, follow us on Twitter at @keeptxbeautiful and like us on Facebook at @keeptxbeautiful. If your organization plans to participate in this program, please give the El Campo Leader-News a call and let us know your plans.
Contributed Photo
‘Village’ Reopens
A ribbon cutting for the re-opening of Prairie Village was attended by the following (l-r): JoEllen Smith of DMA, Michael Lyttle of TDHCA, Mark Ricketts, president/CEO of National Church Residences; Carol Wootton from Rep. Blake Farenthold’s office, Vanessa Eason of Wells Fargo, Reed Harris of Foley Design, Darlene Heins from HUD, Vicki Molina from El Campo Housing Authority, Mindi Snyder, City Manager of El Campo; Marcus Vivona from NAHT and Greg Hettrick from Federal Home Loan Bank, Dallas.
Local senior housing units get much needed update Prairie Village in El Campo celebrated it’s grand re-opening Tuesday, Oct 20. Prairie Village, which has 38 units, was built by National Church Residences in 1989. All 38 units of the affordable senior housing facility were completely renovated and updated. Wells Fargo was the partner bank that teamed with National Church Residences to apply for funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank in Dallas to complete the needed renovations. FHLB awarded $259,000 in funds to National Church Residences for construction costs. Once funds were acquired, renovations took about a year to complete. “The units were remodeled because the facility was built in 1989 and was beginning to show the natural signs of wear and tear,”
“The units were remodeled because the facility was built in 1989 and was beginning to show the natural signs of wear and tear. Through tax credits and loans, National Church Residences had the chance to significantly upgrade the facility and turn it into one of the premiere retirement facilities in the area. It is the organization’s mission to provide the best in affordable housing to seniors and our leadership jumps at any chance to provide our residents with the best facilities possible,”
– Lance Cranmer
Lance Cranmer, media/public relations specialist, said. “Through tax credits and loans, National Church Residences had the chance to significantly upgrade the facility and turn it into one of the premiere retirement facilities in the area. “It is the organization’s mission to provide the best in affordable housing to seniors and our leadership jumps at any chance to provide our residents with the best facilities possible.” The facility has a community center complete with a community kitchen, library, television room and laundry facility. All but one of the units are for seniors with the one exception being housing for on-site maintenance staff. Prairie Village is open to seniors 65 and older and are typically lowerincome individuals. All units are one bedroom.
Prairie Village is now National Church Residences fifth facility in Texas to undergo this kind of renovation in the last two years. They own and manage 27 facilities in all in the state of Texas. Nearby, they have Morningstar Apartments in Wharton, Tejas Cove in Bay City and Bayou Glen and Oleander Commons in Houston. Currently all 38 units are full, but those who are interested may put their name on the waiting list by calling the facility. National Church Residences is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, and is the nation’s largest non-profit provider of affordable senior housing with more than 340 communities in 28 states and Puerto Rico.
Page 4-B
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Lifestyle Today
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Lindsey Riha & Ross Priesmeyer wed at St. Philip Lindsey Jean Riha and Ross Austin Priesmeyer were united in marriage at 2 p.m., Oct. 3, 2015 at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church of El Campo. Father Michael Rother performed the double ring ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Glenn and Kathy Riha of El Campo and the granddaughter of Leona Bubela and the late Eugene Bubela Sr. of El Campo and the late Louis and Joyce Riha of Pierce. The groom is the son of Terry and Cynthia Priesmeyer of El Campo and the grandson of Arthur and Gracie Priesmeyer of El Campo, Bob and Arlene Harbough of Lubbock and the late Gunnar Thyssen of Danevang. Music was provided by the vocalist, Kristen Barnhill, and organist, Janice Cox. The bride, given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, wore a Diamond white royal satin gown by Bonny. The short sleeve princess cut gown was comprised of embroidery with sequins and beading along the neckline, hem and semi-cathedral length full train. She wore a single tier veil of white illusion designed by Giselle. It was encircled in Swarovski crystals, pearls, silver sequins and bugle beads along a scalloped edge. The bride’s nosegay bouquet was comprised of white and purple calla lilies, green and blue orchids, green hydrangeas, purple stock, green berries and peacock feathers. Her chosen colors were peacock blue, teal, purple and green. In keeping with tradition, the bride’s something old was a promise ring from the groom; something new was her wedding gown; something borrowed was her grandmother’s rosary placed in her
MR. AND MRS. ROSS AUSTIN PRIESMEYER Lindsey Jean Riha bouquet; and something blue was the blue orchids in her bouquet. Karen Tyler, friend of the bride, was maid of honor. Matron of honor was the bride’s friend, Jessica Ehler. Bridesmaids were Eve Wilson and Jamie Till, friends of the bride; Chelsey Priesmeyer, sister of the groom; Tiffany, Alicia and Megan Riha, sisters-inlaw of the bride and the junior bridesmaids were Camie, Simone and Kendall Riha, nieces of the bride. Flower girl Faith Riha, niece of the bride, wore a floor-length Diamond white satin dress with a full skirt. She carried a basket
EC Army vet earns master’s degree
Clay graduates from Columbia Southern Dale Clay has received a master of business administration degree in human resource management from Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Ala. Commencement exercises were held Friday, Oct. 23 2015 at the Orange Beach Event Center at the Wharf. Clay was one of 732 graduates from 45 states and 16 countries in attendance. He is a 1978 graduate of El Campo High School and a retired veteran of 27 years of active Army service where he retired in 2005. Attending the ceremony was his wife, Patricia Clay. Clay and his wife reside in Austin where he is a substitute teacher for the Austin ISD and is working on his teaching certificate through Huston-Tillotson University. Clay says his goal is to teach social studies, grades seven
DALE CLAY through 12th. Clay earned his Eagle Scout rank in 1976 under the direction of Troop 368 Scoutmaster Allen Collins. He continues to be involved in the Scouting program as a Boy Scout Commissioner for the North Shore District in the Capitol Area Council.
of flowers with peacock feathers. Attendants wore floorlength gowns of teal satin by Alfred Angelo. The gowns featured a V-neckline with a pleated bodice, ruched waist and fitted cap sleeves with a flattering draped waistline. They also wore teal and purple jewelry sets, a gift from the bride. Junior bridesmaids wore tea-length gowns of purple satin, which featured a rounded neckline with an open cut-out and beaded flower detail. Attendants carried bouquets of green hydrangeas, purple stock, green berries and purple carnations
with peacock feathers. Best men were Clay Brown and Cody Ehler, friends of the groom. Groomsmen were Geoff Striedel, Cody Strack and Brandon Peterson, friends of the groom; Troy, Todd and Toby Riha, brothers of the bride. Junior Groomsman was Cole Riha, nephew of the bride. Ring bearer was Riley Riha, nephew of the bride. Ushers were Blake Eggemeyer and Justin Mott, friends of the groom. Program attendants were Riley and Aubree Janik, friends of the bride. Wedding coordinator was Lisa Bubela. Witnesses were Carol Turner, godmother and aunt of the bride and Sharon Hicks, godmother and aunt of the groom. A reception followed at the Knights of Columbus Hall in El Campo. Music was provided by Wild About Music by DJ Barney Douglas. The couple’s first dance was to “I’ll Still Be Loving You” by Restless Heart. The bride and her father danced to “I Loved Her First” by Heartland. The groom and his mother danced to “That’s the Way Love Goes” by Johnny Rodriguez. The bride’s five-tiered ivory cake featured a peacock glitter pick and a rhinestone initial “P” accented with blue orchids, candy pearls and a lace design on each tier. The groom’s two-tiered German chocolate cake with the Texas State logo and Bobcat head featured a couple floating the river. Rehearsal dinner was held at the Knights of Columbus Hall Friday evening, Oct. 2. The couple, who spent their honeymoon at the Sandals Resort on the island of Antigua, reside in El Campo.
Otradovsky has barnyard party for first birthday celebration Cooper Otradovsky celebrated his first birthday with a barnyard themed party Saturday afternoon, Oct. 23. The party, held at the home of his Papa O. and Grandma Otradovsky (Larry and Melissa), was hosted by his parents, Chad and Melissa Otradovsky. His actual birthday is Oct. 28. A meal of brisket, fried chicken, pinto beans, potato salad, brocolli and rice and a #1 shaped barnyard cake were served. Special guests were his Papa O. and Grandma Otradovsky, his Grandpa (Augie) and Grandma (Kathy) Malik; Aunt Andy Treadwell and
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would like to thank all of those you helped make our Hamburger Supper Fundraiser a huge success! Thank you to all of you who bought tickets and made donations and to all of the parents and teachers who worked. As a thank you to our local law enforcement, our unsold plates were delivered to the El Campo Police Department. El Campo has wonderful people who support their children!
El Campo Vol. Fire Dept. ANNUAL SPORTSMAN’S RAFFLE DRAWING TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 3, 2015 1. Youth Whitetail Mgt Buck or Black Buck Hunt (winners choice) ........ 7-Oaks Trophy Whitetails/Glen Pasak 2. 700 Remington SPS - S/S 7mm W 3x9x40x Nikon Scope ............................................... Ryan Services 3. 700 Remington SPS - S/S 270 W 3x9x40 Nikon Scope ............... Rice Farmers Coop, Ricebelt Warehouse, United Ag 4. 700 Remington SPS - S/S 243 W 3x9x40 Nikon Scope ........ Terry Brandle Welding, Ermis Vacuum Service, Titan Test Pumps 5. Remington 1187 Sportsman 12 ga. Auto Shotgun ........................ Superior Motor Parts, Socha’s Car Wash 6. Remington 20 ga. 870 Pump Shotgun .................................................................. Martin Electric 7. Remington 20 ga. 870 Youth Pump Shotgun .......................................................... Penner Electric 8. $350 Gift Card ......................................................................................... ECVFD Ladies Aux. 9. 2 Burner Stainless Steel Cooker ...................................................................... Multi Fab Metals 10. Henry H-1001 Lev. Action .22 cal. ........................................................................ R&M Firearms 11. 17 HMR Savage Model 93 Bolt Action Rifle ............................................................ First State Bank 12. 50 lb. Everlast Tailgate Feeder .................................................................... Joe & Suzy Freeman 13. Shimano Citica Reel w/Castaway Rod ............................................................. E.A. Collins & Sons 14. 870 - 20 ga. Remington Shotgun ....................................................... El Campo Compressor Rental 15. Outdoor Fish Cooker ............................................................. The Computer Center / Radio Shack 16. 17 HMR Model 93 Savage Gold Rifle .......................................................... NewFirst National Bank 17. 870 Remington Shotgun ................................................................... Viper Well Service / Fitzco 18. Shimano Citica Reel & Castaway Rod ........................................................... Hoffer Lube Express 19. $75 G/C Academy ............................................................................... McKelvy Grandchildren 20. Shimano Citica Reel & Castaway Rod ........................................................... Gary & Jan Charbula 21. 22 Cal. Lever Action Henry Golden Boy ..................................... Gulf Coast Lease Service/Joe Freeman 22. 10 x 50 Nikon Binocular ................................................................... Crossroads Oilfield Supply 23. Shimano Citica Reel & Castaway Rod ................................................................. VonDerAu Ford “Winners will be notified by telephone. Prizes not claimed in 90 days will be donated back to the ECVFD. Firearms can be picked up from R&M Firearms, 28348 U.S. Highway 59, El Campo, Texas. All federal and state regulations apply. All firearms winners must pas a NICS background check. Guns may be traded for value paid. All guns may not be in stock at time of drawing to allow for trades.”
Tickets $10 each or 3 for $25.00 Need not be present to win. All proceeds benefit El Campo Vol. Fire Dept.
Tickets are available at E.A. Collins Welding, Superior Motor Parts, Sochas Car Wash, El Campo Vol. Fire Station or any El Campo Vol. Fireman
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Lifestyle Today
Page 5-B
Thank you
to all the donors, supporters and everyone that attended to help make this event such a great success. This was our 10th annual fund raiser for the Bright Minds Scholarship Fund. Proceeds go to Wharton County Graduating Seniors that meet qualifications. Mark your calendars for next years event it will be held October 22, 2016. Bright Mind Scholarship Committee
Audrey Wessels & Christopher Scearce announce wedding date for Jan. 9, 2016
Gus and Donna Wessels of Louise announce the engagement of their daughter, Audrey Leanne Wessels of East Bernard to Christopher Michael Scearce of East Bernard, son of Michael and Wanda Scearce of Wallis. The bride is a 2005 graduate of Louise High School and a 2008 graduate of Texas A&M University with a bachelor of business administration degree in business management. She is the city secretary for the city of East Bernard. The groom is a 2005 graduate of Brazos High School in Wallis and a graduate of the Wharton County Junior College welding program. He is employed as a welder for Wittig Grass Farms. The couple will wed at 5 p.m., Jan. 9, 2016 at Safari Texas Ranch in Richmond.
ECMS cast presents plays in November, December Students bring comedy, Shakespeare to stage El Campo Middle School will present several plays in November and December, according to drama teacher Sanae Farrar, The first show will be Monday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at ECMS. The eighth grade UIL One-Act Play group will present the play “This Is A Test” by Stephen Gregg. “This is a whimsical comedy revealing the concept of who can’t relate to the idea of a killer test, and we’ve all had ‘that teacher,’ the one who seems to dislike you no matter what,” Farrar said. “The levels of humor and subtle shifts in time and place make this play entertaining and fun to produce.” The play is a fast 40 minute one-act production suited for all ages. The second show, “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street,” will be presented Tuesday, Nov. 17 by the sixth grade cast and crew. “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street,” from the Twilight Zone series will be presented at 6 and 7 p.m. The episode was written by Rod Serling, the creator-narrator of the series. It originally aired on March 4, 1960. “This is a fast 35 minute paced thriller where everyone on Maple Street USA is under suspicion one evening when they hear a loud roar and assume it’s a meteor overhead,” Farrar said. “Or just what was it that’s causing the lights to go out, radios to not work, and cars to start by themselves?” The seventh graders will present “The Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 4 at ECMS. The cast however has “adapted it back to the 1980s inside of a Vegas Casino called the Padua Casino and Hotel. “It’s a fun look at the roles of women in life and in marriages and how exactly do we tame the young ladies into becoming respectable young women worthy of marrying an eligible bachelor?” Farrar said. “Petruchio knows how and does tame Katharine in this witty comedy by Shakespeare.” “It’s a fun fall for all,” Farrar said. “We’d love our ECMS supporters to come out and enjoy the many shows ECMS has this fall.”
Kirbie House & Jeremy Woods set wedding date for December
Kirk and Nerissa House of El Campo announce the engagement of their daughter, Kirbie Leanne House, to Jeremy Tyler Woods, son of Mark and Terrie Woods of El Campo. The bride graduated from El Campo High School in 2009 and Texas State University in 2014 with a bachelor of science degree in communication disorders. She will graduate with her master’s in communication disorders at Texas State University in May 2016. The groom graduated from El Campo High School in 2008 and Texas State University in 2013 with a bachelor of science degree in recreational administration. He is employed by Transocean Deepwater Drilling. The couple will wed at 3 p.m., Dec. 12, 2015 at First Baptist Church in Wharton. A reception will follow at the Wharton Civic Center.
Publish births in Leader-News If you are expecting a new child, or your newborn is receiving the sacrament of baptism, you will want to place these important events in the El Campo Leader-News. This service is free of charge provided information is submitted in a timely manner. Forms are available at our office, 203 E. Jackson St., or the birth announcement form can be found on the El Campo LeaderNews website: www.leader-news.com. Please make your announcements timely, preferably within the first few weeks after welcoming your new bundle of joy home. You may include a 1 column x 2 inch photo for a $16 fee. Please call 979-
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
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Garden Villa Health Care Center
El Campo High School Class of 1956
Reuniting & Reminiscing EC graduates gather for 59th, 60th class reunions Heavy rains and flash flood warnings did not dampen the El Campo High School Ricebird spirit of the 1955 and 1956 classmates who gathered at the El Campo Country Club for a reunion. It was the 60th anniversary of those who graduated in 1955 and the 59th anniversary for the class of 1956. The 60th “Diamond Jubilee” theme was carried out with acrylic diamonds scattered on the tables and souvenir acrylic diamonds on a red cord at each place setting. A white cake trimmed in red was centered on a red silk runner adorned with more acrylic diamonds. The cake featured a large “60th” emblem centered by “ECHS Class of 1955 & Class of 1956.” Lucky winners received
complimentary CDs and movies of the 50s donated by Cecil Kinard, class of 1956. The gift basket grand prize was won by Mary Ann Owen Waldrop, class of 1955. ECHS 1955 classmates pictured left to right are (front) Vlasta Bubela Faldyn, Mary Ann Owen Walborg, Sophie Merta Balcar, Joyce Socha Zbranek, Helen Nielsen; (back): Marvin Machart, Lawrence Socha, Billy Jack Robbins, Albert Sralla, Victor Balcar, Dalton Ustynik, Edmund Weinheimer Jr. and Donald Schoenfield ECHS 1956 classmates pictured left to right are (front) Ramona Harton Lesak, Bryan Bergstrom, Nancy Marek Christenberry, Freddie Smith Thompson, Bobby Brady, (back) Laurence Jen-
Weekly Fresh Meat Special: Wednesday thru Tuesday Stuffed Pork Chops: $3.99 per pound Effective Oct. 28th - Nov. 3rd
We have it all covered...
Deer Corn Jerky, the perfect snack for the deer stand Wild Game Processing 29714 US 59 Hwy • El Campo • 979.543.8312 Visit the Discovery Center El Campo Museum 2350 N. Mechanic 979-543-6885
sen, Merle Swanson, Hubert Kaiser, Ralph Petersen, John Edmundson, LaVerl Melton Ruzicka, Harry “Skip” Sharp, C.J. Hajovsky, Edward Smith, Henry Dornak, Raymond Bram, Carolyn Mathis Woodyard, Lavon Buchanek Sanders, Beverly Franke Grove, Cecil Kinard, Patricia Rioux Lemley, Donald Vacker, Jeanette Wendt Parker, Margret Hunter Riley, Bernt Larson, Goldye Glidden Martin, Kathryn Goldsum Davenport and Sue Sanford Wilson. Not pictured is Norman Wilson.
The group will meet again in 2017.
We know the importance of a speedy recovery after an illness or surgery. Our comprehensive rehabilitation program is designed specifically to meet your individual needs and focused on the best possible outcome…
Getting you back to the place You Call Home.
Know what to Expect Pre-arranging post surgery rehab preserves your right to choose where you receive follow up care.
Garden Villa
HEaltH CarE CEntEr
INSURANCE AGENCY
106 Del Norte Dr. • El Campo, TX 77437
979-543-6762
543-3231
GardenVillaElCampo.com
1603-B Ave. C • El Campo
ADVERTISE IN THE EL CAMPO LEADER-NEWS!
AUTO • HOME • LIFE • COMMERCIAL
979-543-3363 | advertise@leader-news.com
We hate to brag, but... First Place Advertising 2015 Texas Press Association First Place Advertising 2014 South Texas Press Association First Place Advertising 2014 Texas Gulf Coast Press Association First Place Sweepstakes 2014 & 2015 South Texas Press Association First Place Sweepstakes 2014 Texas Gulf Coast Press Association First Place Sweepstakes 2013 Texas Press Association First Place News Photos 2015 South Texas Press Association First Place News Writing 2015 Texas Gulf Coast Press Association First Place Sports Photos 2015 Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
We are the best at what we do from news coverage to sports photos.
But most importantly, we are #1 in advertising. Why trust anyone else with the future of your business?
Entertainment El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
El Campo Leader-News Crossword Puzzle
Page 7-B
820 W. Loop, El Campo
543-8182
Movie Schedule For Oct. 28 - Nov. 5
WOODLAWN
(PG)
STARTS FRIDAY!
FRI-SUN MON-THU TUE (NOV. 3)
2:00 4:40 7:00 1:00 $2.50 MATINEE
ROBERT DE NIRO
ANNE HATHAWAY (PG13)
THE INTERN STARTS FRIDAY!
FRI, SAT SUN MON-THU TUE (NOV. 3)
7:00 9:20 7:00 4:40 1:00 $2.50 MATINEE
SCOUTS GUIDE TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE
(RATED R)
STARTS FRIDAY!
FRI SAT SUN MON-THU TUE (NOV. 3)
3:30 5:30 7:30 9:35 1:30 3:30 5:30 7:30 9:35 1:30 3:30 5:30 7:30 5:30 7:30 3:30 $2.50 MATINEE
JACK BLACK
GOOSEBUMPS
(PG)
3RD WEEK!
MON-THU FRI SAT SUN TUE (NOV. 3)
3:10 1:00 3:10 1:00 3:10 1:00 3:10
5:15 5:15 5:15 5:15
7:20 7:20 9:30 7:20 9:30 7:20
$2.50 MATINEE
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: (RATED R) GHOST DIMENSION WED, THU (OCT. 28,29)
L-N Photo by Quala Matocha
Checking Out The Selection
5:30 7:30
CRIMSON PEAK
(RATED R)
WED, THU (OCT. 28,29) 4:40 7:00 BOTH SHOWS END THURSDAY, OCT. 28!
El Campo Branch Children’s Librarian Annette Balcar scours through some of the books being offered for sale at the local library through Saturday, Nov, 7. A portion of the Scholastic Book Fair purchases will go to the library to purchase new books for the facility. There is a wide variety of children’s and young adult books, themed books for Christmas and Halloween, cookbooks for all ages and gift items, from pens, markers, bookmarks, hand-held puppets and more.
DISCOUNT MATINEES BEFORE 6 P.M. DAILY MATINEE ADMISSION!
www.Showplace3Cinema.com
Theresa’s Polka Picks Theresa’s Polka Picks are selected each week by polka musician Theresa Zetka Payne. Most are fairly close to the area. Thursday, Oct. 29 • El Campo: Charlie Merta Band plays at the Senior Citizens Dance, American Legion Hall, 7:30-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31 - Halloween • El Campo: Charles and the Fab 4 play for the Halloween party at SunnySide Saloon. Bring a friend, dress up in your favorite costume. There will be a contest for the best costume. Fun and music will be 8 p.m.-? – Theresa says: Boo!! It’s Happy Halloween time! Saturday, Oct. 31. Get ready for trick or treat and all the different costumes of super heroes, ghosts and angels to surprise and scare you. Bill and I enjoy each and every goblin who tries to scare us. It’s a family full of surprises. It’s FUN! Please drive carefully and be aware. Will the wolfman or the wicked witch appear? We will be waiting for those two. Pray for the United States of America. In God we trust!
Congrats Pilot Club Sudoku Puzzle #3796-D
Sudoku Puzzle #3796-M
2 3
1 2 4
4
2
1 3 6
5
6 7 8 8 6 9 5 3 2 4 8 7 9 5 6 6 5 7 1 8 4 9 8 1 2 © 2009 Hometown Content
Medium
5 3 6 2 7
5
3 8 © 2009 Hometown Content
5 Difficult
Puzzle Solutions On Page 10-B
Call for reservations to be picked up.
1214 S. MECHANIC | 979-578-8088 TUE-SAT 4 p.m. - 2 a.m. | SUN 2 p.m. - 10 p.m.
El Campo City Mayor Randy Collins presents a proclamation to local Pilot Club member Tammy Smith in observance of the club’s 40th anniversary at a celebration held last week at the Limo Station.
HALLOWEEN NIGHT SPECIAL SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31 3:00 - 9:30 p.m.
Goodie Bags for each child! While supplies last!
COME HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN WITH US!
NOW SERVING PIZZA! SET UPS AVAILABLE! FREE POOL ON TUESDAYS! FREE JUKEBOX ON FRIDAYS! SATURDAYS: Pool Tournament @ 7:30 p.m. SUNDAYS: Domino Tournament @ 2:30 p.m.
FREE Shuttle Service TO & FROM THE SALOON!
8 9 5 6 2
5 1
9
HALLOWEEN ... SAT., OCT. 31 No Cover! Charles & The Fab 4 Costume Contest!
(with Designated Smoking Area)
7
6
SINCE 1961
Smoke Free Environment
4 1 3
8 4
SunnySide Saloon
1202 N. MECHANIC • 543-3200
Halloween Cosmic Bowling
Saturday, October 31 from 3-6 p.m. $12/Person; 1/2 OFF if in costume!
Costume Contest at 4 p.m. • Prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd We will close for Halloween after Cosmic Bowling.
EL CAMPO BOWLING CENTERThe Strike Zone featuring
806 WEST LOOP • 979-543-9999 • www.ecbowl.com
BAR & GRILL
Page 8-B
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
C lassifieds
Classifieds Deadlines:
Wednesday edition 4 p.m. on Monday Saturday edition 4 p.m. on Thursday 001
Houses for Sale
002
Lots for Sale
003
Farms for Sale
004
Real Estate Wanted
005
Farms for Lease
006
Wanted to Lease
007
Hunting Leases
008
Crop Allotments
009
Business Opportunities 010 Employment Help Wanted 021 Work Wanted 022 Retirement 023 Schools 024 Rentals Apartments - Unfurnished 041 Apartments - Furnished 042 Houses for Rent 043 Miscellaneous for Rent 044 Rooms - Furnished 045 Wanted to Rent 046 Repairs - Services Appliances - Repairs 061 Contracting and Repairs 062 Misc. Services 063 Automotive - Machinery Autos - Trucks, Wanted 071 Trucks, Trailers 072 Used Cars 073 Motorcycles & ATV’s 074 Farm Machinery 075 Marine Boats 091 Marine Supplies 092 Mobile - Recreational Mobile Homes 111 Travel Trailers 112 Motor Homes 113 Camper Covers 114 Campers 115 RV’s 116 Pets Dogs, Cats, Pets
131
Livestock - Feed - Seed Poultry & Supplies 132 Cattle - Hogs - Horses 133 Feed - Hay 134 Seed - Plants - Etc. 135 Miscellaneous Misc. for Sale 151 Household Goods 152 Wanted to Buy 153 Garage Sales 154 Notices Lost and Found 171 Special Notices 172 In Memoriam 173 Card of Thanks 174 Public Notices 175
Rates:
Word Ads: $0.76 per word. Minimum $15.20 - Up to 20 words. Combination Rate: Run Wednesday and Saturday. Minimum $24.40 - Up to 20 words. Display Ads: $8.50 per column inch.
Errors, Omissions:
Please check your ad the first day it appears. We cannot be responsible for incorrect ads after the first day of publication. We make every effort to avoid errors. If you find an error, call the Leader-News immediately at (979) 543-3363 and it will be corrected as soon as possible. Liability for errors shall not exceed the cost of that portion of space occupied by such error.
001 Real Estate for Sale COUNTRY LIVING! 10 ACRES near Boling. Owner financing. $2,000 down. Call 979-318-3885. www.coltranchlp.com.
classified@leader-news.com www.leader-news.com
Real Estate Real Estate for Sale
(979) 543-3363
001 Real Estate for Sale
021 Help Wanted
5 ACRES ON CR 138, 3/4 mile WANTED SOMEONE TO make past power plant off Hwy 60S on hay in the Louise area. Mixed grass for cows. Haymaker gets 80%. Call left. Joe Macek. 979-532-3613. 979-533-0028.
002 Houses for Sale
3 BR HOME WITH 3,000 SQ. FT. equipment barn & 26 acres in El Campo for sale. $335,000. Call 281-676-8771. HOUSE FOR SALE AS IS. NO owner financing. 1225 E. Calhoun, El Campo, TX. Call 361-552-1842 leave message. Mobile 361-746-3043.
021 Help Wanted FULL TIME MEDICATION AIDES (2 p.m. - 10 p.m.) needed. Must be certified. Apply in person at Meridian Assisted Living 3515 West Loop, El Campo, TX 77437. G R AV E L H A U L E R S N E E D E D Mus t po s s es s C l a ss- A CDL. C o mpet i t i ve pay a n d som e benefits. Call Gresham Trucking at 979-648-2580.
HELP WANTED Deli/Cashier Apply in person at Jack’s Drive In & Deli 2120 N. Mechanic, EC
Ralph Gonzales Trucking Needs CDL Drivers
Call 979-543-4381
021 Help Wanted
021 Help Wanted
P osition Available for apartment complex. Experience required. For more information call 979-532-4581.
El Campo Memorial Hospital Nursing - RN/LVN:
RN Med/Surg Full-time, 7p-7a weekends required, rotating shifts Food Service Aide FT/PRN day shift with some weekends Business Office: Insurance Specialist, Full-time, Day shift
Contact Human Resources 979-578-5251
Ganado Nursing &
Job Opening: Supervisor 1-2 years college or equivalent experience, or 3-5 years in related field. Must be qualified on subordinated jobs. Pay Scale: $17.16 - $29.16 (dependent upon experience and qualifications) Qualified applicants should complete a JM Eagle application, which can be obtained at JM Eagle, 10807 US 59 Rd., and Wharton, TX 77488 or at the Workforce Solutions Office. We have excellent pay & benefits. Benefits include: 401-K w/matching, pension plan, medical/dental benefits, life insurance, holidays & vacation.
JM Eagle is an Equal Opportunity Employer. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled.
Rehabilitation Center
HIRING DRIVERS NOW Class A CDL Needed, 2 Years driving experience, drop & hook, paid weekly. Call 713-254-9674.
CNA – FT All Shifts
HOUSEKEEPER WANTED IN EC. General house cleaning, once weekly, references required. Call 979-543-2616 leave message.
is now hiring for the following position:
LVN & RN All Shifts Dietary Cook - FT Dietary Aide – FT Applications may be picked up at:
107 E. Rogers, Ganado, TX No phone calls please. GNRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer
GARDEN VILLA HEALTH CARE CENTER NOW HIRING:
CNAs
$1,500 Sign on Bonus
Kennemer, Masters & Lunsford, LLC Certified Public Accountants
is seeking a full-time accountant in El Campo, Texas. The successful candidates will have a minimum of 3 years tax and accounting experience. Ideal candidates should have at least a Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance, should be proficient with current technology, detail oriented, organized and have strong comunication skills. CPA is a plus. Responsibilities include tax return preparation, tax notice services, accounting services, compilation and review services and business consulting. Candidate should be proficient in Microsoft Office. We offer competitive compensation, benefits and continued professional growth. Provide resume & cover letter with salary requirements to: kcadenhead@kmandl.com
LVN Med Aides
Offering competitive salaries & benefit packages consisting of: Medical • Paid Holidays Paid Vacation Applications are available at: Garden Villa Health Care Center 106 Del Norte Drive El Campo, TX 77437 979-543-6762 E.O.E
Positions available at commercial fish farming operation, offering stable employment and opportunities for career growth.
PLANT TECHS
• Part-time - Sun., Mon., Wed. & Thurs. • Must be able to work in a refrigerated environment • No experience necessary, will train
GENERAL FARM HELP
• Must enjoy working outside and around water • Experience operating tractors and equipment a plus • Mechanical aptitude required
Apply in person at: 701 West Jackson, El Campo or Call 979-543-8989 or email qualifications to vekstrom@eksent.com Drug and alcohol screening administered.
001 Real Estate for Sale
361-771-3387
Email: Texana@ykc.com
Steve Brezina/Broker Vanessa Sanchez 361-771-8877 Check us out at realtor.com
Edna: 402 Bois D’Arc, 4 BR, 1.5 BA, 2-car carport, new carpeting, storage, corner lot, privacy fence, metal roof. $79,900. $357/mo. P&I for approval FHA Financing (does not include Taxes and Ins or PMI). Edna: 409 Sunset, 3 BR, 1.5 BA, CAH, 1-car garage, 2-car carport, large corner lot with large trees, fenced yard, excellent neighborhood. $108,000. El Campo: New Listing $38,900. Great investment property in need of major repair but has lots of potential. In very desirable neighborhood. Recent leveling and service septic and sprinkler system on large 0.47 acre lot. 491 Henson.
Eldridge AC & Heat, Inc. is seeking:
A/C Technician
Minimum 5 years experience. $18.00-$28.00 per hour based on experience.
A/C Installer
Five years experience preferred. $13.50-$18.00 per hour based on experience. Drop off resume at 1929 FM 1301 Wharton, TX 77488 or email to eachinc@sbcglobal.net E.O.E. East Bernard Express - 6/4/2015 TFN 2x5” - 10 Col. In. - $59.90 each run Career Opportunities Available Now!
El Campo Leader-News - 6/3/2015 TFN YKC, headquartered in Ganado, Texas,each is a dynamic 2x5” - 10 Col. In., - $85.00 run and growing independently owned communications company and offers broadband internet, voice, video, and security services to both residential and business customers. IT Systems Sales & Design. Assesses customer network, telephone, security, Internet and various other system needs and designs systems to meet customer needs. Researches products, services, and pricing directly with customers. Serves as a technical resource to sales, customer service, systems installers, and the entire IT department. Plant Technician. Installs, maintains, and services broadband Internet services, voice services, data services and customer premise equipment. Typically installs and repairs fiber optic cabling, drop wires, station protectors, and network interface devices, and performs initial wiring or rewiring for new subscriber systems. May also work at the business office, repairing CPE dropped off by customers. May install and maintain multi-line key systems, PBXs and other unregulated equipment. For full job descriptions and more information, please visit www.ykc.com/careers/ Resumes can be submitted at the following address: YK Communications, Attn: Human Resources, PO Box 329, Ganado, TX 77962 or humanresources@ykc.com Equal Opportunity Employer to all individuals, YKC does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.
021 Help Wanted
C Z E C H C AT H O L I C H O M E is currently seeking to fill the following positions: RN; CNA: 2 p.m. - 10 p.m. Dietary department. Apply in person only at 248 Wisteria Ln., Hillje community, Hwy 59/FM 441. Benefits. EOE.
MARK’S MACHINE CO., INC., is accepting applications for manual/CNC machinists for day and night shifts. Apply in person at 1101 N. Blue Creek Rd. or email resumes to lacey@marksmachine. com.
063 Misc. Services
Painting
Residential Exterior / Interior
Jeff Barosh, Jr.
979-332-1983 Free Estimates
Linda’s Sand & Gravel, LLC. Call Linda
979-541-7621 or 979-578-6308
Coastal Bend Wharton Journal-Spectator
I MM E D I AT E O P E N I N G F O R part-time Secretary. Must be a people person, computerAdvertising literate, Classified and a multi-tasker. Applicant must Guaranteed Lifetime have knowledge in Microsoft Excel Transferable Warranty and Word, have ability toNo. use 10-key Account 2709 Slabs • Pier and Beam calculator. As well as have the ability Senior Discount • Free Estimates to read maps and look up directions Customer: Danny McBride - Owner instantly. Apply in person at 311 South Meadow Lane, El Campo, Eldridge AC & Heat, Inc. Trey Ganem - Sales TX. Serious applicants only. For 1929 E. Boling Hwy. directions call 979-543-2206.
Foundation Repair
Wharton, TX 77488
800-460-8594
www.coastalbendfoundationrepair.com G R A S S H A U L E R wanted , eachinc@sbcglobal.net Fort Bend County. Must be dependable! Class A CDL and drug screen.Run Home nightly. Great TFN Date: 6/3/2015 company, 40+ years. Call 281-493-5505. Size: 2X5” .spotter29@hotmail.com.
HERRERA ROOFING
Cost:and $80.30 New and Reroofing Construction Farm each Help- run er. No experience required. $8/ Composition hour starting. Must proof work Sat. Please and& • Free Estimates • Sun. Wharton area. Can Provide any changes Edi Herrera ride if you fax live in Wharton. Callto 979-532-8845 OR email 979-532-9194.
979-543-1186
classified@journal-spectator.com TAKING APPLICATIONS NOW or for full-time new and used car Salesperson. Apply in person, Thank you, 979-332-2117 Von-Wil Ford, 316 N. Richmond Helen Sevier Rd., Wharton. Ask for Mike. Classified AdvertisingF.H. Manager Hernandez
HELP WANTED- Experienced 979-532-8840 Auto Glass Installer for Big G Auto Glass. Call the Wharton location 979-532-2080 for an interview.
House Leveling
043 Houses for Rent
Lifetime Warranty
4 BR, 2 BA house located in Boling School District, living room and den, large fenced in back yard, cabana covered porch. $1,100 rent and $1,110 deposit. Call Tiffany at 979-533-0558.
063 Misc. Services Tyler’s Jewelry and Pawn New 14K Gold Jewelry
Foundation & Piers Free Estimates
30 Years Experience
Senior Citizen Discount
Dig Tunnels
Cell 361-782-8575
361-782-5148 301 Bryan St.,
Edna, TX 77957
We make loans on most anything of value. We buy scrap gold.
2310 N. Richmond Rd.
979-532-0971 • Wharton
Pak Petroleum Marketing Specializing in Gas & Diesel Fuel Products for Farm and Commerical Business Owners. 500 - 1,000 gallon tanks available.
Call (979) 543-3922
Commercial Residential Industrial Oilfield 979-637-0471 wendel_electric@yahoo.com
Ricky Wendel Master Electrician/Owner Check us out on the web...
www.leader-news.com
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 9-B
Realty Listings
Susan Radley Realtors
2395 E. Jackson El Campo, TX 77437 www.wmerealestate.com Ed Ritter - Broker/Owner (979)533-9093 Laura Anderson, Realtor (979)541-6412
Judy Peter, Realtor (979)578-1600 Gail Lawrence, Realtor (361)771-6315
NEW LISTING: Esquire Estates on Margaret street, 3 BR, 2 BA with nice yard and shop, call Judy 979-578-1600. NEW LISTING: 621 W. Norris,Lready SO D to move in 2 BR, 1 BA. Call Judy at 979-578-1600. Spacious Country Home, 3178 CR 444, EC. Call Judy 979-578-1600. 304 E. CALHOUN: Spacious town home with 4 BR, 3 BA. Call Judy for details SOLD at 979-578-1600. 3020 LAMAR CIR: Updated 3 BR, 2 BA, new kitchen and much, much more! Reduced $10K REDUCED TO $170,000: Almost 15 acres on Blue Creek Rd! Lots of wildlife and small house w/ barn. Call Judy, 979-578-1600. LEASE Office building for lease - 2,160 sq. ft., excellent location with Hwy 59 access.
Your Hometown REALTORS® with a World of Experience!
714 N. Mechanic St., El Campo, TX 77437 Office:979-543-6666
Susan L. Radley - Broker
979-541-3035 Cell
Taylor Radley - Associate Broker Cori Radley - Agent
979-637-6354 Cell 979-578-1115 Cell
Visit our Web site at:
www.susanradleyrealtors.com
View all of our listings at:
www.SellingTexasProperties.com
REAL ESTATE SERVICES “WHERE PERFORMANCE AND SKILL MEET”
979-543-2228 1209 N. Mechanic Residential $175,000 - 2-story, Spanish style brick home with SOLD!2 courtyards, 2 balconies, 2 living rooms, 2 master suites, formal dining, fireplace, marble floors, granite counter tops, raised ceilings & 2-car attached garage, corner lot. $139,500 - Traditional style, complete remodel, 3 BR, 1 BA, Central A/H, all electric, double pane windows, custom cabinets, indoor utility, corner lot. Across from Friendship Park. $145,000 - 2 BR, 2 BA, built in 2005, maintained in good G ideal for NDIN condition. Bonus room PE rec room or office. All appliances stay. Fenced and sprinkler system. $115,000 - Charming 3 BR, 1 BA G Updates, DIN on 1 acre P close town. ENto fruit trees & corner lot.
SOLD Strand St. & Avenue C Commercial and Land $750,000 - Industrial property. 19.836 acres located at southeast corner of main streets Hwy. 71 South & Hwy. 59. Dist. warehouse approx. 2,500+ sq. ft. $199,000 - Commercial property located centrally in town on major thoroughfare Hwy 71 (Mechanic St.), with 200 ft. frontage and 140’ depth fronting Norris St. 2400 sf building .64 acre. New Listing $149,000 - High profile commercial tract located at the intersection of Business 59 and Sam Bishkin Rd. entering & exiting El Campo onto US 59 freeway. 4.5 acres, ideal for development. 32 Acres - Great location for development. Located in close proximity to parks & town amenities. Adjacent to city limits.
Daniel Zalman Rosann Zalman Danielle Zalman Agent Broker/Principal Broker/Principal 979-541-7856 979-543-0225 979-541-3565 danielle@ dzalman@ rzalman@ zalmanandcompany.com
Websites: zalmanandcompany.com har.com & landsoftexas.com Find us on Facebook!
www.townandcountryrealestateinc.com
Like our Facebook page Town and Country Real Estate Inc.
New Listing! - Brick 3 BR, 2 BA with many updates, new roof, replaced A/C, large
106 W. Strand, El Campo, TX.
We Need AdditioNAl listiNgs to Work! Residential - $170,000 - 3 BR, 2 BA home on corner lot in desirable neighborhood. 2,016 (+/- CAD) sq. ft. with attached 2-car garage. Shown by appointment. Investment Property - Residential rentals. Call Ray for information. Rentals - Call us for available rentals. Building Sites - In town and out of town. Call for availability.
After Hours CAll ... rAy Pilgrim, 543-3754
kitchen, lots of cabinets, large oaks trees on corner lot. Available Days, Nights & Weekends:
Beulah Buchanek, Broker 541-3482 Jimmy Roppolo, 543-0160 Paul Herrmann, 541-3057 Sandie Roppolo, 578-1040 Jenni Koudela, 578-2483
The Real Estate Service 107 E. Monseratte St., El Campo, TX
Sales Associates:
The Real Estate Leaders® 1707 West Loop El Campo, TX 77437 979-543-7006
979-543-7767
202 Fahrenthold St. El Campo, TX. 77437
PILGRIM 979-543-1890
E-Pro, GRI, TAHS
RE/MAX Professionals
REAL ESTATE, INC.
Real Estate
Kacy Bain - Broker/Owner 979-541-7096
MONICA MATTOON • 979-533-2416 BRANDI JOHNSON • 979-332-2140 BEVERLY STEPAN • 979-332-0370 LIN HUTZENBILER • 979-541-9945 RACHAEL PIEPRZYCA • 979-243-4309 MARSHA BARBEE • 979-533-9439 RHONDA MERTA • 979-578-1431
Town & Country
(979) 543-2523
Fax (979) 543-5830
www.TheRealEstateService.com • Like us on Facebook! www.HAR.com • www.Zillow.com • www.landsoftexas.com
NEW LISTINGS $80,500 - Very nice 3 BR, 1 BA w/enclosed porch. 2 blocks from water. Large lot and much storage. $75,000 - Corner lot Mechanic & Alfred. High traffic area. Not far from Stripes convenience store and hotels. $85,000 - 3 BR, 1 BA, 1-car gar. 1300 +/sq. ft. living area. $85,000 - Beautiful 2-story home on corner lot with tons of historical charm. 4 BR, 2 BA, 2-car gar. Recently added CAH and fence. Designer paint colors, raised ceilings. $105,000 - Brick 3 BR, 1.5 BA, Open concept. $110,000 - 2-story on corner lot. 3 BR, 1 BA, 2-car gar. w/shop & gar. apt. 1,600 + sq. ft. living area. $110,000 - 3 BR, 1 BA on 1+ acres. City services, quiet neighborhood. $110,000 - Commercial building and 2 lots in high traffic location. 3,650 +/sq. ft. enclosed work space, 3-phase electrical, canopies and parking. $145,000 - Brick 3 BR, 2 BA, 1-car gar. in great neighborhood. Open concept. Privacy fenced yard. $155,000 - Brick 3 BR, 1.5 BA, huge fenced yard with additional RV parking. Updated with designer paint colors, flooring and windows. $157,000 - 3 BR, 1 BA, 2-car gar. on 1.6 +/- acres. Very well built & very well maintained. Separate shop w/cement slab, electrical & plumbing. City water, private septic. $165,000 - 3 BR, 2 BA on 1.16 +/- acres inside city limits. Original hardwoods. Very well built. 3-car gar. and workshop. $192,700 - 2 BR, 1 BA, barn, workshop & income producing mobile home on 10 + acres. Updated w/crown molding, solid surface counter tops, laminate flooring, deck & more. $262,500 - Brick 3 BR, 2 BA, 2-car gar. on 1 + acre corner lot. Two living areas, kitchen/breakfast area, large bedrooms, fantastic neighborhood.
$285,000 - 10 acs., 1638 +/- sq ft. home completely remodeled w/granite counters, stainless appliances. Wood burning stove. Attached carport, 50x120 barn. 17x30 barn. Large trees. Peaceful country setting. $310,000 - 34.26 acres. Qualified ag land. Just minutes from town. $585,000 - 3 or 4 BR, 3 BA, 2-car gar. Ranch style home on 23.75 +/- acres. Scattered trees, pond, barn. 3,424 sq. ft. living area. Granite, tile, wood floors. Raised ceilings, crown molding, stainless appliances, wood burning fireplace and magnificent closed in patio are just a few of the amenities this home has to offer. RESIDENTIAL $25,000 - 3 BR, 2 BA, mobile home. $135,000 - New construction. 3 BR, 2 BA, 2-car garage. Open concept. Crown molding, solid surface counter tops, tile floors, island in kitchen. $175,000 - 2-story, 4 or 5 BR, 2.5 BA on 1.7 +/- acres. Tile, granite, raised panel doors and workshop. $205,000 - 3 BR, 2 BA, 2-car garage. Tile G! surface counters, ENDINsolid & carpet P flooring, stainless steel appliances. $220,000 - Quiet area, 7 BR, 3 BA, office, activity room and workshop. Close to hospital and shopping, this property would make a great group home, bed & breakfast or investment for rentals. Possible owner finance. $385,000 - Brick 3 BR, 2.5 BA, 4-car garage on large lot. Amazing kitchen with granite, stainless appliances, crown molding, built-ins, huge pantry, beautiful living area with wood burning fireplace, dining room has picture windows to enjoy pool view. Flagstone walk ways, covered patio, pool with waterfall and hot tub. Selling agent incentive of $2,500.
REDUCED $35,000 - 2 BR, 1 BA. Make offer. $35,000 - 4 BR, 1 BA w/additional hook ups for mobile home. $92,500 - 3 BR, 1 BA quiet country ! NDIN living, sits on +/-Gacres. Flooring, PE1.81 roof & kitchen counters installed 2010. $110,000 - 2 +/- acres. Commercial property. Next to Taco Bell & Heavenly Helpers. $125,000 - 3 BR, 3 BA in nice neighborhood. 1,744 +/- sq. ft. living area. Large lot. $215,000 - 2-story Victorian Home on corner lot. Wrought iron fencing, 3 BR, 2 BA, office, wood burning fireplace, storage, wood floors. $275,000 - 3 BR, 2 BA, Colonial in ! DING EN Louise onP30 acres. Additional acreage available. LOTS AND ACREAGE $33,000 - 2 lots at Cape Carancahua. Septic, water, electric. 2+ Acre Lot - Located in The Fairways. Waterford Estates - 1.2+/- acre lots. $60,000 - 1.25 +/- acre home site on Brent Street. Outside city limits. Has aerobic septic system, water well and electric. COMMERCIAL $30,000 - Lot along W. Loop. $95,000 - 1.47 acres West Loop. $125,000 - Commercial property along Highway 59. 2.5 acres with 3,000 +/- sq. ft. metal building. $215,000 - Commercial Prop. 5 +/- acres. Hwy. 59 frontage. Bldg. on site. $225,000 - 1 + acre commercial lot along Highway 59 with 4,800 + sq. ft. bldg. Concrete parking. $450,000 - Fabulous Location. 3.8 +/- acres West Loop 525 and West Jackson. FOR LEASE Office building in prime location. 3 large offices, kitchen & conference area.
For more details on these and other listings please call or see our website. Melissa Rod - Broker.....Home 979-543-3906.....Cell 637-7971
Stacey Vesely - Agent...Cell 979- 578-1260 • Ashely Ocanas - Agent...Cell 979- 332-2914 Kelly Hermenitt - Agent.....979-332-4956
208 Fahrenthold, El Campo, TX. Office: 979-543-3373 Cell: 979-541-7929 All we do is Real Estate. All the time. FARM, RANCH & COUNTRY LIVING New Listing - 162 acres. $3,200 per acre. 10% minerals & royalty. Gonzales County. New Listing $129,000 - 10.5 acres, CR 463, improved pasture, four stall horse barn, pipe fencing. 4 phase electric. New Listing $99,000 - 13.7 wooded acres on Sandy Creek. FM 1300. Call John. Chase Nielsen Marie Powell
979-578-3585 979-541-3335
Reduced $425,000 - 21 Acres on Wilson Rd. 60’x125’ barn. No Restrictions. New Listing - 19.4 Acres Armory Road. $200,000. New Listing – 12 acres – CR 424, no improvements. $7,500/acre. RESIDENTIAL/ IN TOWN New Listing - $345,000 - updated, in Heights area. 3,700 sq. ft. John Petty Nancy Pfardrescher Michele Ellis
REATA REALTY
Your source for local news!
Pick up a copy today or call to subscribe! 203 E. Jackson St. 979-543-3363 www.leader-news.com
Gary Radley - Broker Taylor Radley - Associate Broker Clint Radley - Agent DeeAnn Rawlinson - Agent Scott Clifton – Agent Visit our Web site at:
www.reatarealty.com
Classified Deadline
www.HAR.com www.landwithminerals.com New Listing! - $190,000 - Large COMMERCIAL 3 BR, 3 BA, Handicap accessible. $45,000 - Approx. 1 acre 2,799 sq. ft. of living area ($67.88 commercial lot on Hwy. 71 N. New Listing! - $300,000 - 14,500 per sq. ft.) on oversized tree filled sq. ft. warehouse/office on 2.5 lot. Two large storage rooms. acres. Hwy. 71 North. New Listing! - $115,000 - Cozy New Listing - $250,000 - RV 2 BR, 1 BA, Huge fenced yard. Park with nice brick house. 9 spaces, all occupied. Ready to move in. We want to be $48,500 - New home building Your Agent! lot. St. Luke’s Dr.
979-541-7929 979-332-2902 979-541-3790
714 N. Mechanic, El Campo, Texas (979) 543-1442
El Campo Leader-News
www.johnpettyrealtors.com www.landsoftexas.com
Monday before 4 p.m. for Wednesday Paper 979-543-3363 or e-mail classified@leader-news.com
Glen Pasak Rick Schmidt
063 Misc. Services
Ray's Tree Trimming Trimming • Skylighting • Topping Tree and/or Stump Removal Quality Work Free Local Estimates No job too little or too big Over 25 Years Experience
979-543-9153 Ray Mach, Owner
979-543-0378 979-541-3675
063 Misc. Services
U-LOCK MINI STORAGE 704 E. Calhoun St., El Campo
Monthly Rentals Access 24 Hours a Day
5’x10’ Space 10’x20’ Space 15’x20’ Space You carry the key!
Self-Service Storage
979-543-5911
Check out the Business & Services Directory on Saturday
Page 10-B
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Sports Beat —Playoffs loom for 2015 EC volleyball (Continued from Page 1-B)
L-N Photo by Jay T. Strasner
Always Supportive
21-17 overall and 6-3 in the district, including wins in 3 of their last 4 matches against Wharton, Royal and Bay City. Popp likes the way her team fought for every point and refused to give in to adversity over the course of the season, traits she hopes will help to carry them through the playoffs. “We are not the tallest and biggest team and we’ve had to face some teams that are strong and big and tall. But this team is one that I think prides (itself) on not giving up,” she said.
HANDCRAFTED QUALITY AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE! TIMBER BEDROOM COLLECTION
All of our furniture is made in the USA with 100% North American Hardwoods!
Come See Our New Showroom!
SUBSCRIBE TODAY! —Birds ready for Exporter challenge El Campo students including Helena Triska, Collin Quinn, Melea Triska and Shea Slattery cheer on the Ricebirds during the 41-14 rivalry win over Bay City last Friday.
get the play call in. It’s about everybody doing their part.” Supak and the defense focused film study on Credit and the running back’s versatility quickly became apparent, as did Brazosport’s reliance him to move its offense. “They want to get him the ball as much as possible,” Supak said. “He’s pretty much their go-to guy. One man can’t stop him; we all have to play together and if we play together, we’ll stop him.” The El Campo offense will have to account for Brazosport’s standout linebacker, Jahcyi Thomas, to make sure its running game will be successful. The 5-11 senior has 73 tackles on the season and is averaging more than 9 stops per game. Condra is impressed with how the offensive line has improved over the course of the season and the quality of their play will be critical to neutral-
(Continued from Page 1-B) often provides good starting field position for his offense by averaging 32 yards per return. At that point, The Birds’ defense will be charged with tracking him all over the line of scrimmage. “He’s definitely a weapon,” Condra said. “We’ve got to know where he’s at because they put him at different spots all over the field.” Condra said communication on defense is the key to stopping Credit and much of that direction will flow through outside linebacker Jacob Supak. The senior is responsible for aligning the defensive line and linebackers but he stressed that the entire defensive unit will need to be on the same page to stop Credit. “It doesn’t all just come from me,” Supak said. “Everybody has to be looking over to
ize Thomas and continue to open holes for running backs Kevin Dove and Tae Harris. “One of the strengths of our line is they’re able to make adjustments during the game and make some tweaks here and there to what (the defense) is presenting,” Condra said. The hard work is paying off. Dove cracked the 1,000 mark last week at Bay City and now has 1,156 on the season. On less than half the carries, Harris is also within striking distance of 1,000 rushing yards. He has 724 with two regular season games remaining. But Condra stressed that the big win over rival Bay City is in the past. The victory was great but now the focus is squarely on Brazosport. “We’re looking forward to going down there on Friday and having a tough four-quarter football game.”
543-3363
491 COUNTY ROAD 453 979-616-7215
MILLHOUSEFURNITURE.COM
DINING • LIVING • BEDROOM • OFFICE • RUSTIC • OUTDOOR
Waterproof Roofing LLC (flat roof specialist)
No Leak Roofing Guaranteed!!!
979-253-4414
Classifieds Continued 063 Misc. Services
131 Dogs, Cats, Pets
NOLAN’S AFFORDABLE LAWN SERVICE. Certified landscaper. Custom designed flower beds, mowing, mulching, edging, weeding, tree/hedge trimming, pasture/lot shredding. Call 979-253-9323.
AKC REGISTEREd JACK RUSSELL Puppies. Please call 979-793-3063.
133 Cattle, Hogs, Horses
25 BLACK ANd BLACK BALdIE heifers, weaned, shots, on feed and grass. 10 months old. Call ROBERT LAITKEP’S Affordable 979-543-0277. Tree Service. Tree trimming, 134 Feed, Hay stump grinding, tree removal and ROUNd BALES OF THIS YEAR’S topping, tractor work. Insured. jiggs/bluestem hay for sale, Free estimates. Senior citizen discount. Credit cards accepted. $25 each. Buyer must load. Call 979-533-2447. Call 979-532-4403. HOUSE LEVELING SLAB, PIER ANd 151 Misc. for Sale beam, replace rotten seals. Mobile 1950 CESSNA 170A, 5846 TT, home leveling. Free estimates. Call 1072 SMOH, Nav/Com King 155 281-232-6268. Transponder, Narco 150, wing TEX-MEX HOUSE LEVELING & tip strobes, new battery, Scott Roofing. We also do remodeling, Tailwheel, new muffler, paint painting, sheet rock, etc. Free 8.5, same owner 49 years. Call Estimates. Call 979-233-0369 or 325-773-3489 or 325-773-5226. 979-201-3808. WHIRLPOOL SIdE-BY-SIdE refrigerator, black, ice and water 072 Trucks, Trailers dispensor in door, 4 mo. old. $600. 2008 dOdGE RAM 2500 QUAd Call 979-332-3843. Cab, SLT, 2wd, 6.7 cummins turbo diesel, 6 speed automatic, hide RECLINER, TREAdMILL, HEAVY away goose neck hitch, brand oak table with 4 chairs. All in good new tires, only 107k miles, extra condition. Call 979-532-4753. No clean! Must see! Also, 20 ft. goose answer, leave message. neck trailer in great condition and 153 Want to Buy brand new tires, $25,500 for both or $22,500 for just the truck. Call CASH! TO BUY JUNK CARS, 979-533-9646. junk trucks, junk farm machinery, salvage metal, batteries etc. Call 112 Travel Trailers 979-618-1204 or 979-618-0880, 32’ 2002 HOLIdAY RAMBLER Joey. Presidential travel trailer with 2 slides, 5th wheel. Excellent Visit the El campo condition. $14,950. Call Boy & Girls club! 979-541-3777.
El Campo Branch Library 200 W. Church St.
979-543-2362 Monday, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. Closed Sunday
154 Garage Sales
154 Garage Sales
Garage Sale
Moving Sale
412 Avenue G Thurs., Oct. 29 - Fri., Oct. 30
7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Lots of Baby Clothes & Lots of Misc.
Garage Sale
3614 CR 454 Fri., Oct. 30, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Sat., Oct. 31, 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Furniture, Clothing, Household Items & Lots of Misc.
175 Public Notices
175 Public Notices
LEGAL NOTICE: These Texas Lottery Commission Scratch ticket games will close on December 30, 2015. You have until June 27, 2016 to redeem any tickets for these games: #1672 Wild Money Doubler ($2) overall odds are 1 in 4.44, #1683 Texas Loteria ($3) overall odds are 1 in 3.98, #1684 Money Multiplier ($5) overall odds are 1 in 4.09, #1686 Cash & Gold ($5) overall odds are 1 in 3.74 and #1707 Cashword Multiplier ($10) overall odds are 1
Advertise your Garage Sale
in 3.40. The odds listed here are the overall odds of winning any
Thurs., Oct. 29, 8 a.m. til 1 p.m.
979-543-3363
Prizes of $600 or more must be claimed in person at a Lottery
Fri., Oct. 30, 8 a.m. til ??
Deadlines are Mon. & Thurs. 4 p.m.
403 Sam Houston Dr.
Lots of Everything!
Yard Sale
415 E. Strand Friday, Oct. 30 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Clothes All Sizes, Kitchen Items, King Size Bed Frame & Lots of Misc.
Garage Sale 515 olive street wharton
Fri., Oct. 30, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sat., Oct. 31, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Furniture, Lots of Vintage Items, Toys, Horse Tack, Kitchen Stuff, Tools, Display Racks, Décor, Framed Artwork. Too Much to List!
Garage Sale 2106 James Avenue Fri., Oct. 30, 1 – 4 p.m. Sat., Oct. 31, 7 – 11 a.m. dining Tables, Clothes, Toys, Entertainment Center & Lots of Misc.
prize in a game, including break-even prizes. Lottery retailers are authorized to redeem prizes of up to and including $599. Claim Center or by mail, with a completed Texas Lottery claim form; however, annuity prizes or prizes over $2,500,000 must be claimed in person at the Commission Headquarters in Austin.
172 Special Notices
Casino Delta Downs Vinton, La. Sunday, Nov. 8 $18 per person $7 Cash Voucher Leave El Campo Walmart at 6 a.m.
Call Ray 979-543-2564
Call Customer Service at 1-800-375-6886 or visit the Lottery website at txlottery.org for more information and location of nearest Claim Center. The Texas Lottery is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets, or for tickets lost in the mail. Tickets, transactions, players, and winners are subject to, and players and winners agree to abide by, all applicable laws, Commission rules, regulations, policies, directives, instructions, conditions, procedures, and final decisions of the Executive Director. A Scratch ticket game may continue to be sold even when all the top prizes have been claimed. Must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a ticket. PLAY RESPONSIBLY. The Texas Lottery supports Texas education and veterans. © 2015 Texas Lottery Commission. All rights reserved.
crossword / sudoku solutions Sudoku Solution #3796-M
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F CUS
A History of SERVICE with an Eye on the FUTURE
El Campo has a rich business history, and within these pages you‘ll find great
examples. And we’ll honor six of those businesses that have stood the test of time with in-depth histories: where they’ve been, where they are, and where they’re going.
SPECIAL SECTION Wednesday, October 28 , 2015
Page 2
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Determination leads to big success for EC businesses Round Four of our annual Focus There are tons of success stories section brought more insight and ed- tucked away among our merchants ucation into what makes El Campo a here and we look forward to bringing great place to do business. even more tales about our neighbors Anyone who might suspect the to you in upcoming editions of Focus. American Dream is no longer alive We encourage you to peruse the need look no further than right here honor roll of businesses that advertise in El Campo. in this section and think Folks like Kirk Gaines, about the tremendous hisDixie Guyer, the Triska tory that they have helped family, the talented proweave into the fabric of our fessionals at Coastal thriving business commuPlains, the generations of nity. employees at Rice FarmDuring the planning of ers Co-op and Sheldon this section, we had a pretty Holub have proven that good idea of the marvelous hard work never hurt chronicles that El Campo Jay T. Strasner anyone. businesses have to tell, but In fact, it is the key inwe learned so much more gredient to a successful business plan. while putting this special publication The founders of these El Campo together. One thing is for certain, our businesses and many others in town nation’s business leaders could learn had the unique forethought and vi- a lot during a trip to El Campo. sion that continue today. So sit back and enjoy as we take El Campo is fortunate to still a walk through the thoroughfares of be surrounded by businesses that El Campo’s captivating business comdo things the right way – through munity. dogged determination. It is with chest-swelling pride that We admire the success of our fel- we bring you this fourth edition of low business people in the town we Focus. call home and that was the motivation behind us bringing you yet anJay T. Strasner is publisher of the other edition of Focus. Leader-News.
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1965
50
YEARS
Bus: (979) 543-6211 Fax: (979) 543-9762 1-800-933-2058 “You’ll Find It At Carquest Bus: (979) 543-6211 Our Customers & Service are #1” Fax: (979)Where 543-9762 1-800-933-2058
Thank for yourGary continued support! & Jan Charbula 214you N. Mechanic
Owners EleCampo, 214 N. M c h a nTX i c“You’ll ,77437 El C am p oCarquest • 9 7-9 . 5 4 3 . 6 2 1 1 Find It At Where Our Customers & Service are #1” Gary & Jan Charbula 214 N. Mechanic El Campo, TX 77437 Owners
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1983
32 YEARS
We appreciate your business.
The Hernandez Family
Thank you for your continued support! 1 0 1 0 We s t L o o p , E l C a m p o • 9 7 9 . 5 4 3 . 3 2 6 6
F
CUS
The 2015 FOCUS Edition is a special section of the El Campo Leader-News. On The Cover: Step up to the counter at what is believed to be Citizen’s State Bank,
The El Campo Leader-News is published Wednesdays and Saturdays.
(979) 543-3363/FAX: (979) 543-0097 www.leader-news.com
one of the first banks in El Campo. If you have any other information about this photo, please contact the El Campo Leader-News at 979-543-6636 or news@leader-news.com.
A BIG THANKS TO OUR ADVERTISERS FOR MAKING OUR FOURTH ANNUAL FOCUS EDITION A HUGE SUCCESS!
PUBLISHER:
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
PRODUCTION & DESIGN:
ADVERTISING:
Shannon Crabtree
Shelly Schulz
Jay T. Strasner
Quala Matocha
Keri Mahalitc
Jody Larimer
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1908
107 YEARS
Covering your community for over 100 years! Thank you for your continued support! 203 E. Jackson, El Campo • 979.543.3363
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 3
From The Ground Up Customer service foundation of successful business at Carpet One By JAY T. SRASNER publisher@leader-news.com There’s a business in El Campo with a foundation as strong and sturdy as the rows of granite lined up at its storefront. That business is El Campo Carpet One, which has built its reputation over the years upon unwavering customer service. The tenants of the business’ philosophy came from owner Kirk Gaines’ grandfather, in a lesson given to him years ago. “Business goes where it’s invited and stays where it’s best treated,” Gaines recited from the chair of his office. “It’s all about how you treat people.” Gaines has a love of El Campo that is rooted in his childhood. His father, T.L. Gaines, was also in the flooring business and his grandfather was in rice farming. As a teenager, Gaines began to examine his own career path and came to a crossroads of sorts. He could either go into farming like his grandfather, or follow his dad’s footsteps in the flooring business. A lesson learned in agri class at El Campo High School helped make Gaines’ decision a little easier. “The exercise was to put down on paper the various expenses associated with farming,” Gaines said. “You had to plug in the costs of fuel, seed, equipment and all that. Then the instructor gave us a random year’s crop prices to see if we could make a profit. I couldn’t show a profit on paper. I figured that was my indication that farming wasn’t for me. I decided I should do what I know, and I knew a few things about flooring.” After graduating from ECHS in 1981, Gaines took courses for a couple of years at Wharton County Junior College, then began working for his dad’s flooring business in Houston. Gaines then married his wife, Susie, in 1989 and settled in Katy. Eager to begin a family and raise their children in El Campo, Kirk started Design Center Carpets in downtown EC in the early 1990s. “We wanted to get home and home was El Campo for us,” Gaines said. “El Campo is the perfect small town, where everybody knows everybody. After working in Houston, you grow to appreciate a place like El
Campo. We’ve always loved it here.” Design Center Carpets was a big success, as Gaines worked side by side with his mother, Rosemary Williams, who was an interior decorator. Five years later, Gaines purchased a 20,000 square foot warehouse and opened El Campo Carpet Outlet. The new store allowed customers to browse a six-fig-
prestigious. You have to be invited and we were lucky to get that invitation. Being part of Carpet One has opened a lot of doors for us. I’ve met a lot of great contacts that have become friends and it also helps our customers by giving us access to new product lines. We stay on the cutting edge of things and Carpet One has their own design team that helps us help our customers even more.” Joining Carpet One has brought the local business’ service and product quality to a five-star level. But they don’t just sell carpet. They offer all Business goes where types of flooring such as tile, hardwood, it’s invited and stays vinyl, cork and bamwhere it’s best treated. boo. They also ofIt’s all about how you fer custom granite treat people, countertops and are distributors of Top Knobs and Seagull Lighting. – Kirk Gaines Additionally, Carpet One sells and installs custom window coverings and offers professional cleaning of carpet and ceramic tile. The combination of Carpet One’s product lines, along with Gaines still being able to make independent business decisions locally and his heritage of customer service sets Carpet One apart from others, Gaines said. “We feel like we have the best customer service, bar none,” Gaines said. “Our attitude is that no job is too big or too small. The beauty of customer service is that when you treat people right, they’ll spread the word and that creates new customers for you. You make people happy and at the same time grow your business. It’s a win-win.” Also a win-win is El Campo Carpet One’s 90-day exchange policy, as well as its lifetime guarantee on its work. “Everyone else’s warranty is 90 days – some of the Houston stores’ warranties end as soon as your check clears the bank,” Gaines smiled. “Our 90-day
“
”
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY: Carpet One owner Kirk Gaines visits with employee Eloy Suarez about flooring.
L-N Photo by Jay T. Strasner
ure selection of inventory and grew in popularity each year. By 2006, Gaines received a special invitation to join a cooperative named Carpet One Floor & Home. The El Campo location is one of 1,200 store locations in the United States and Canada. “A lot of people thought I sold my business and didn’t understand that I was simply invited to join a co-op,” Gaines said. “Joining Carpet One is pretty
(See GUARANTEED, Page 4)
HOMETOWN BANKING from this generation to the next and the next... and the next... and the next...
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1956
59 YEARS
Thank you for your continued support! 1802 N. Mechanic, El Campo • 979.543.2274 • www.fsblouise.com
Louise • El Campo • Ganado • Sweeny • Blessing • Wharton • Bay City • Angleton • Victoria
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 4
—Guaranteed satisfaction part of each store sale (Continued from Page 3) exchange is also unique. Let’s say you and your wife can’t agree on a certain type of floor. If we install it, within 90 days if you don’t like it, we’ll come out and remove it, put something else down and you don’t pay anything for the labor or freight. Gaines, who is an El Campo Rotarian, also prides himself in the business being an active community partner. In August, the El Campo Carpet One was chosen to host Tom Delpino, retired New York City firefighter, who spoke on his role in the 9/11 terror attacks. At the El Campo store, Gaines has on display a piece of metal from the fallen Twin Tower buildings that was presented by Delpino. Nationally, Carpet One is part of a program that helps provide custom housing for disabled military combat veterans. “It’s a neat deal,” Gaines said. “Carpet One donates the flooring and labor for these projects
STORE STAFF: Carpet One employees are ready to help visitors with all their selections. Pictured (l-r) are row one: Jorge Yarzabal, owner free of charge.” Looking ahead, trends seem to be moving away from carpet and more
MORE THAN CARPET: Outdoor kitchens, granite counters and far more are for sale in El Campo Carpet One, owner Kirk Gaines said, they stand behind their products.
L-N Photo by Jay T. Strasner
towards vinyl and hardwood flooring. “I still like carpet, especially in a bedroom,” Gaines said. “There’s just something about getting out of bed and your feet hitting carpet instead of a cold floor. A lot of folks still put carpet in the bedrooms, hardwood or vinyl in the living area and tile in the bathroom and kitchens.” The El Campo store has been honored twice by IVC, a company that supplies luxury vinyl flooring products – for selling more IVC product in a single month than any other store in the U.S. and Canada. “They’re a great company and make a really good product,” Gaines said. “They send us a big jar of candy every time we have the best month. We’ve done it twice now.”
IN BUSINESS SINCE 2009
6 YEARS
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An examination of any successful business reveals reliable, knowledgeable employees. El Campo Carpet One is no exception. “We’ve got some folks that moved on and took other jobs in the oil field or whatever,” Gaines said. “Then they came back to us and wanted to work here again. I think that says a lot.” Rosendo Aguilar, Brian Svetlik, Albert Cavazos, Saby Hernandez, Jorge Yarzabal and Eloy Suarez help make customers feel at home when they enter the doors of Carpet One. “I’ve been in the flooring business in El Campo for more than 20 years and thanks to the valuable support of this wonderful community, I look forward to the next 20 plus years,” Gaines said.
PIECE OF HISTORY: On display in El Campo Carpet One is a piece of World Trade Center steel, a token of the company’s support of a charity organization dedicated to providing homes for the wounded.
L-N Photo by Jay T. Strasner
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1966
49 YEARS
Thank you for your continued support! 1 0 0 6 E . J a c k s o n , E l C a m p o • 9 7 9 . 5 4 3 . 6 4 8 5 • TA C L A 5 0 6 2 6 C
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We’re proud to help you maintain your health and fitness goals for years to come! 3703 FM 2765, El Campo • 979.543.2348
Kirk Gaines; Row two: Eloy Suarez, Rosendo Aguilar, Brian Svetlik, Saby Hernandez and Albert Cavazos.
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STOP - N - LOCK Wharton County Electric Cooperative
Being served by a cooperative means you are more than just a customer, you are a member. Our focus is on meeting our members’ needs by providing reliable, exceptional service at a reasonable cost.
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 5
Growth Against The Odds Business as solid as wood furniture they sell By JODY LARIMER reporter@leader-news.com
The Dream Begins & Grows
When times get tough, you have two options; admit defeat or stand and fight. Tree House Furniture store owner Dixie Guyer is a fighter. Through floods, fire and much more, she has kept her doors open day after day thanks mostly, she said, to customer loyalty. “They were loyal to us and we’ve been loyal to them,” Guyer said, proudly adding, “We’re the largest and only full-line furniture store in El Campo.” Being able to make that claim, however, took 30 years. Dreams Of Owning A Business Upon graduating from El Campo High School, Guyer explored several career paths, somewhat unrelated to the furniture world. It wasn’t until after working in electronics, bookkeeping and at a nuclear power plant, which required extensive travel, that she took a job at an unfinished wood furniture store. “I wanted to live at home,” Guyer said. “It was all about family.” Not entirely fulfilled after five years in the new job, her husband, Alan, encouraged her to open her own store, but she wasn’t entirely convinced. She had five years experience running a store, but everything would have to be just right. “There were 10 things that would have to be there,” Guyer said. Criteria such as a good location, ample space and opening in September before the Christmas season were on that list.
L-N Photo by Jody Larimer
Family Strong
Krynn (Guyer) Ledwig, Dixie and Alan Guyer, and Sky (Guyer) Allgayer (l-r) all play a role in making Tree House Furniture run. Celebrating 30 years in business this year, they have overcome many challenges and are thankful to the community for its loyalty. After what Guyer termed as several prayers and conversations with the good Lord, “all 10 came through better than I asked for,” she said. Guyer got a bank loan and had help from industry friends, offering furniture on consignment and various discounts. Some of her original inventory came from an Austin distributor.
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1940
75 YEARS
Rice Farmers Coop Inc. was founded in July of 1940 and is located in El Campo,
Texas. A group of area rice farmers saw the need for warehouse space to store rice that was shocked, dried and sacked in the field. After being sacked in the field, they would bring the sacked rice to area warehouses to be stored until they could sell the rice to the rice mills. In 1947, the coop built the most modern rice dryer in the area in El Campo with a total capacity of 36,000 cwt. That building is still being used today. Over the next several decades, the dryer was expanded to a total capacity of 575,000 cwt.
Early on the coop started selling fertilizer and agricultural chemicals. In 1972, Rice Farmers Coop purchased a local fuel and oil jobber, and entered into the bulk refined fuel delivery business. In 1974, the coop purchased an existing tire business. Then in 1988, Rice Farmers Coop built its current office/auto service center. This facility houses the coop’s offices, fuel operation, and an eight-bay service center. The coop offers its customers small tires, passenger and light truck tires, medium truck tire, industrial tires, and agricultural tires; in addition to providing service work. Several years ago, Rice Farmers became a Mr. Tire affiliate dealer and has enjoyed the many benefits this program has to offer.
Currently, the coop has one ASE certified master mechanic and one technician. The service center employees are headed by Curtis Fritz, Service Center Manager. His staff is comprised of five tire technicians, two auto technicians, and three sales counter employees. The company also operates two service trucks and two fuel delivery trucks, and service Wharton County and surrounding counties. A service center is now located in Bay City as well. Recently, Rice Farmers purchased half a city block across the alley from its existing facility with plans to build a new store front and more service bays. This location will give the Coop frontage on a main thoroughfare in town.
Your Friend In The Tire Business
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“My husband drove a grain truck with a tarp over it to get the furniture,” Guyer recalled laughing. Once all the pieces were procured, it was time to name the store. “I didn’t want it to be Dixie’s Furniture or Guyer’s Furniture,” she said. “I wanted it to mean furniture made from trees for your house.”
Tree House Solid Wood Furniture, then at 410 N. Mechanic, opened its doors Aug. 1, 1985. The first year, Guyer wore all hats and then some. She ran the store, did all the finishing, waited on customers, picked up furniture from Houston as well as helped with dispatching for her husband and did bookkeeping on the side. Shop and warehouse workers were hired after the first year to lighten some of the burden. Other help came from her 13-yearold twins who were let off the school bus every day at the back of the store to help. “Once they turned 15, they starting making deliveries,” Guyer said. “This is all about family participation.” Guyer and her husband have five children. “All have been raised in the business and have helped make it successful,” Guyer said. Realigning inventory to keep up with market demands has been a constant since day one. “Right after we opened, my husband said ‘you have to add waterbeds,’” she said, as they were all the rage in the mid-80s. A deal was reached with Waterbeds Unlimited and the company set up a store within her store. “That’s when the girls learned to set up waterbeds,” Guyer said. The furniture store took off and over the next few years, she opened a chil(See STORE OWNERS, Page 6)
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 6
—Store owners literally face fire, return to serve EC (Continued from Page 5) dren’s clothing store called The Little House, a flooring store called Tree House Floor Store and a dance hall called Silver Wings. She also branched out, opening furniture stores in Palacios and Victoria. The Fire
where Tree House is located today. Rebuilding, however, took its toll. Missing her daughters’ school activities and not being a more intricate part of their lives got the better of Guyer. She realized she needed to focus more on family and sold the clothing store and closed the flooring store as well as the out-of-town branches. “We decided our main focus was to have one store in El Campo,” Guyer said.
Things were going well until a devastating blow came in March 2006, Three Decades when her furniture Of Change store burned to the ground. She stood all We’ve proven Much has changed the night watching the our strength and last three decades and flames envelope the Guyer has had her share store, leaving ashes commitment, of challenges, which conwhere once a thriving sistently came every two furniture store sat. years. “There was very lit– Dixie Guyer In 2000, they were tle salvageable,” Guyer said. “People were cryTree House Furniture struck with the Y2K Chernobyl virus; in 2002, ing and praying for us they had another comafter the fire. We made puter crash and had to a new start.” Like a phoenix, Guyer rose from the rebuild all their files; in 2004, the flood; ashes and rebuilt, running the business in 2006, the fire; in 2008, “Obamacare”; and in 2010, her mother died. out of Silver Wings in the interim. Outsourcing manufacturing also “As soon as I find a building, I’ll be right back in business, with the same had an impact on her business. “Thirty years ago, 90 percent of our furservice we’ve been providing for 20 niture was American made,” Guyer said, years,” Guyer said at the time. A building was found at 116 E. First, adding the majority comes from overseas
“
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DREAM WEAVER: One responsibility of Sky Allgayer’s is in-store decorating and design efforts, helping shoppers easily visualize how various furniture will look in their homes.
L-N Photo by Jody Larimer
now. “It’s not available anymore.” Waterbeds, which were big in the 80s, are still available at Tree House, however, the demand has dwindled. “We’ve sold one, I think, in the last three years,” Guyer said. Through all the changes, Guyer still
SUNSHINE pdf
8/23/07
1:21:16 PM
FIERY NIGHT: Flames roll through Tree House Furniture in March 2006 destroying almost the entire inventory within hours. Undaunted by the blow, the Guyer family found a new location and restarted the business at its current location.
L-N File Photo
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1981
34 YEARS
retains her core product, offering a selection of unfinished hardwood furniture as well as refinishing, repair and clear coating services. “We’ve proven our strength and commitment,” she said. Family Future Guyer and her husband were high school sweethearts and will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in June. Two of their daughters, Sky and Krynn, help run the store. Keeping up with the latest trends in the furniture industry to service her customers is still a vital component of her business plan. Accessories to decorate the home, such as clocks, mirrors, pillows, artwork and more are now available. No more flipping through a catalogue to find the perfect furniture set – it can now be viewed digitally on a large monitor. In-store financing is available to afford some who might be turned down otherwise. “We’ve taken risks on people,” Guyer said. “When you come to Tree House, you become a friend of Tree House. Our collections are good.” As for the future, plans to expand and double the showroom are being discussed. And as for the longevity of Tree House Furniture, Sky is expecting and so begins the next generation to be raised in the furniture business.
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1945
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 7
Doggy Docs find appeal in small town feel By QUALA MATOCHA lifestyle@leader-news.com Growing up the son of a veterinarian, his love of fourlegged creatures began at an early age. Dr. Fred Baron, owner of Coastal Plains Animal Clinic in El Campo, said one of his first recollections involving large animals was when he was about 10 years old, working a cattle chute in Mt. Pleasant. Those experiences stayed with him as he later chose the same career path as his dad.
Growing Up Baron was a high school junior when he made the decision to follow in his father’s footsteps. His dad, Lawrence “L.T.” Baron, practices part time in his own clinic in Columbus. “Growing up, I was around animals so much. I enjoyed the challenge and the people,” Baron said. After graduating from Columbus High School, he pursued an undergraduate degree in veterinary science from Texas A&M University and graduated summa cum laude in 1976. He then earned his doctorate of veterinary medicine from A&M in 1977. His first position was at a San Antonio clinic where he practiced for eight years. It was there that he met his wife Toni and worked in a large practice on the south It’s an exciting time side of town. New Practice
“in veterinary medicine because we can do a better job without all the side effects,
Baron began to consider opening his own practice, mostly because he preferred working for himself and he was ready to – Dr. Fred Baron settle down. He grew up in a variety of communities, but a small-town atmosphere like Columbus was the place he wanted to call home. “After growing up in small towns, I preferred that,” he said. And so Baron ventured out on his own, choosing to lay down his roots in El Campo. He opened his practice in 1985. “I bought a corner in a field and built from the ground up,” he said. Much of the land then was undeveloped commercially on the north side of town where he is located off of Hwy. 71. That was 30 years ago.
”
Better Medicine
Animals, like humans, are living longer for a number of reasons. “Pets are living longer because of better diets and medicines. They live to be so much older now,” he said. “In the future, we could possibly see stem cells as a way to treat allergies in animals, much like people,” Baron said. Basic Care
Just as El Campo has changed, so has veterinary medicine. “Veterinary medicine is changing quickly. It’s amazing how much more we can do with medicine than we did 30 years ago,” Baron said. “Allergy treatments are better because we have safer drugs. It’s an exciting time in veterinary medicine, because we can do a better job without all the side effects. Quality of life is important.”
Baron and his associate, Dr. Doug Marquardt, work mostly with smaller animals. They do make house calls for larger animals, such as livestock and horses, but the demand for that has changed since the drought forced many ranchers to downsize or sell off their herds, Baron said. Baron prefers caring for smaller animals. He said (See COASTAL PLAINS, Page 8)
ANIMAL DOCTORS: Dr. Fred Baron, left, checks out a patient – he treats more than just dogs covering everything from cats to cattle. Dr. Doug Marquardt, right, discusses treatment with a dog’s owner.
L-N Photos by Quala Matocha
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1978
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IN BUSINESS SINCE 2004
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 8
—Coastal Plains clinic offers more than traditional fare
on said, but he does enjoy gardening, especially vegetables, plays a little guitar and loves watching college sports, the Aggies in particular. Baron and wife Toni, a retired teacher, have three children, Stephen who is an architect in California, Rebecca who works at the clinic and runs its hospital and lives in Richmond; and Cathy, who is an actress in California.
(Continued from Page 7) he gets great satisfaction in knowing he has helped a dog or cat on the road to wellness. Baron’s practice also works closely with SPOT (Stray Pet Outreach Team), offering free exams for pets in the county. Services
Associate Veterinarian
The approach to animal care is different than three decades ago, too. While most pet owners once brought their animals in for yearly vaccinations, Baron said they are offering more detailed exams and diagnostic testing, such as blood work and dental x-rays with all cases. Baron also practices alternative medicine, like acupuncture and herbology. While that is just a small part of what he does, Baron said he has seen favorable results for small animals. “An exam is sometimes more important than the vaccine, to see what’s going on and prevent major issues,” Baron said. The added care eliminates or curtails future health problems for small and large animals. While these services have additional fees, Baron said tests can eliminate more costly problems down the road. “Think ahead and try to get preventative care before things get out of hand,” he said. “The basic thing is to take care of the pet and give them the best quality care we can.” Insuring Pets For avid pet owners, he suggests purchasing pet health insurance. Much like humans, it comes in handy to pay for expenses that are higher than expected. “Insurance can save you a lot,” he said. “It can help you when you’re in a bind. Insurance policies are affordable and there are a wide variety of insurances out there.” AAHA Member The clinic is a member of the American Animal Hospital Association. Being affiliated with this organization is very important to Baron. “It assures customers we have what we have,” he said. “We follow all the safety regulations set out by AAHA and make sure our records are up to date.” The organization inspects the facility to ensure the
Critter Care
L-N Photo by Quala Matocha
Savannah Schoelman-Staff assists Dr. Baron by weighing these two small kittens before he performs an examination to assess their health, followed by the necessary vaccinations for each. Coastal Plains Animal Clinic provides other services as well. practice is meeting all the specifications and regulations. “AAHA is a big deal,” Baron said. “They have high standards for small animal medicine. And we want to ensure quality medicine.” Outside The Office Baron’s work week is 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 8 a.m. until noon. The practice leaves little time for extra interests, Bar-
Dr. Marquardt’s childhood experiences were a little different than Baron’s. However, their love of animals is much the same. Marquardt called a ranch near Boerne home. “Growing up on a ranch, we raised about anything you could think of,” he said. He was a 4-H and FFA member and raised lambs and hogs. Funds from both animal projects went to fund his college education. “We raised angora goats ... I did lots of shearing as a kid ... learned lots of lessons ... to work hard. You learn a work ethic working on the ranch. Animals don’t feed themselves,” he said. “We had all kinds of pets ... dogs, cats, squirrels, possums.” He even had a cockatiel in college that he eventually gave to his grandmother. Marquardt was a high school sophomore when he made his career choice. He earned his undergraduate degree in biomedical science from Texas A&M, then applied to veterinary school at A&M, making college an eight-year obligation. He graduated from vet school in 1991. As an undergraduate student, he worked as a lawnmower and chainsaw mechanic, which he said was the ideal job at the time. After graduation, plans were to return to his hometown to practice, but there was no need for a veterinarian. He decided to work for Baron and felt at home since El Campo is much like the small farming community he grew up in. He and wife DeAnne have two children, Cody who is a student at A&M, and Kaitlyn, a sophomore at El Campo High School. As a vet, Marquardt says, “I look forward to coming to work every day and helping animals, and maybe saving a life.” The hours are challenging, but Marquardt says, “Every day is different. It keeps it interesting.” He offered one piece of advice for pet owners, advising those who search for remedies or treatments on websites to consult with a professional instead. “Paying too much attention to what is says on the Internet can get you into trouble,” he said. “There’s a lot of good information, but a lot of bad, too. If you don’t have the background, it can be hard to weed through the bad stuff. Give us a call before believing what you see on the Internet.” Marquardt agrees with Baron about the advancing developments in veterinarian medicine. “There’s a lot of new things for animals,” he said. “With an animal, you can do almost anything you do for a human. A&M is doing heart valve and kidney replacements.” During his extra time, Marquardt likes to fish and play a round of golf, a hobby he took up when his son was on the ECHS golf team. Learning New Things
L-N Photo by Quala Matocha
Doing Business For Three Decades
Thirty years ago, Dr. Fred Baron took a leap of faith and opened his own veterinarian clinic on the north side of town, 3106 N. Mechanic. Dr. Doug Marquardt joined the practice shortly after graduating from vet school in 1991. The doctors and staff at Coastal Plains Clinic offer care for animals small to large, as well as specialized diagnostics, surgery, boarding and grooming services and more.
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1912
103
Like other professional veterinarians, Baron and Marquardt are required to complete 17 hours of continuing education each year at a state-approved program. “There’s not a day I don’t learn something new,” Baron added. “My practice is very diverse ... you have to be a dentist, a surgeon ... repair fractures, knee surgery ... do health exams and deliver a calf.” Baron loves what he does, but says he doesn’t plan on practicing as long as his dad. Now in his 60s, in another 10 years he will be in his 70s ... and looking ahead, perhaps that would be a good age to retire he said. “I wouldn’t be doing this for this long if I didn’t enjoy it,” he said.
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1984
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Creating Hope
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El Campo Resale Shop • 320 E. Jackson • 979-541-5797
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 9
Contributed Photos
Then & Now
Over the decades, Rice Farmer’s Coop continues to expand, offering more services to its members and customers.
Rice Growers Unite
Coop remains strong 75 years after farmers ally to solve storage issue By JODY LARIMER reporter@leader-news.com More than 75 years ago, a group of area rice farmers needed a place to store their harvested crop and thus began Rice Farmer’s Coop. Back then, farmers were left to store their harvested crop in the fields, which left it vulnerable to weather conditions and pests. A six-man steering committee formed to obtain warehouses, allowing farmers to bring their shocked, dried and sacked rice to be stored until they could sell it to the rice mills. The group, consisting of R.E. (Richard) Meek as chairman and Russel Raun as secretary with members Harold Cory, Tommie Gresham, John Allen and H.D. Allen, established Rice Farmers Coop., Inc. and received its charter from the State of Texas on July 2, 1940.
Monseratte,” Little said, adding in the early 70s the coop converted that warehouse to bulk fertilizer. Technological advances, such as moving from thresher to combine, created an increase in rice production. As a result, RFC invested $230,000 to build a modern concrete facility In 1947. “It was the first concrete rice dryer elevator in the state,” Little said, adding elevators were typically constructed of wood. “A company out of New York came down to build it.” Concrete was used for many reasons, he said, including keeping pests out, being fire-resistant and because it would last longer. The concrete structure, holding 3.6 million pounds of rice with two continu-
ous flow dryers and an unloading pit, is still operational today. Continued Growth & Expansion Production continued to rise over the next three decades due, in part, to machinery advancements such as combines getting bigger. In response, RFC purchased Dittert Tire Company in 1972 (now Mr. Tire) and Ellwood Oil Company in 1975 as well as updated its existing dryers and storage bins. Capacity grew from the original 36,000 cwt. to more than 570,000 cwt. RFC continued to expand that decade, purchasing a local fuel and oil jobber and entering into the bulk refined
fuel delivery business in 1972. “The outside walls are authentic,” Little said. In the late 70s, Texas was producing between 450,000 and 500,000 acres of rice, Little said. Yields continued to increase in the 80s, prompting RFC to lease additional storage from Nine Point Grain and the old ELCO mill in Louise to accommodate. At this point, RFC was a full-service coop offering rice drying and storage, fertilizer and chemicals, tires sales and service and bulk fuel delivery. Retail fuel was added in 1982. An additional fertilizer facility, located in Louise, was purchased in 1992 and more storage demands prompted the purchase of the Texas West Indies plant in 1994. RFC recorded its best year that year, handling nearly 954,000 cwt. from 14,000 planted acres.
Responding To Storage Needs
Changing With The Economy
Farming rice looked quite different in the 1940s, according to RFC General Manager Bobby Little, who started his career with the coop in 1968 at 17. “After cutting the rice, they ran it through a thresher to separate the straw from the rice,” Little said. “Then they bagged it in 200-pound burlap sacks and hauled it into town to be stored in the warehouses.” The concept was popular with farmers and the need for storage continued to grow. As such, four more warehouses were purchased in El Campo, Louise, Ganado and Edna in 1942, using $16,000 from 16 farmers. RFC began offering fertilizers to farmers early on and herbicides as soon as they were available. “The bagged fertilizer was unloaded off of train cars or transport trucks into the warehouse near the dryer on East
Farm program changes and water restrictions have had a huge impact on total planted and harvested rice acres over the last few decades, according to Little. “It’s the worldwide economy,” Little said, listing rice prices, input prices and insurance programs as economic factors. “Changes to the farm programs, especially over the last 40 years ... we’ve lost 60 percent of rice acres in the last 15 years.” Water curtailments from the Lower Colorado River Authority over the last five years have also resulted in fewer rice acres. Texas rice production went from around 500,000 rice acres in the 70s to 200,000 in 2005 and dropping again to 147,000 last year. In response, RFC made improve-
Contributed Photo
Early Days
Rice farming has changed considerably over the decades, going from hand threshing to modern machinery. Many of the same issues, however, still affect farmers. Storage is a main one with coop facilities expanding to hold the higher yields new methods produce.
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Page 10
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Our Family Taking Care Of Yours
gins as the family starts planning services. That is where Triska Funeral Home comes into the picture. “Time is important because the family needs the closure of a loved one’s death. The healing process begins when the family is able to see their loved one for the first time after death,” Robert “Bubba” Lormand said. “It is at that time when the reality of death sets in and the family can now begin to heal.” Lormand is a licensed funeral director and embalmer at Triska Funeral Home. He also serves in other capacities, including pre-needs counselor.
Triska helps those in their darkest hour By QUALA MATOCHA lifestyle@leader-news.com Compassionate ... Comforting ... Commitment ... Consoling. There are many adjectives to describe the role Triska Funeral Home plays in assisting families through some of the toughest times in their lives. As a family-owned and operated business for three generations, owners/funeral directors Jimmie and Ceci Triska and staff are there every step of the way to assist families through the process as they carry out their loved one’s last wishes. “It’s an honor for us to be called and trusted with your loved one,” Jimmie said. “If there is an advantage to using a local, family-owned funeral home, this is it,” Ceci added. “It’s not strangers caring for you. It’s people you know and trust. People who know your family. And even when we don’t know you personally, you still receive the same care and compassion.” The Beginning Triska Funeral Home was established in El Campo in 1929 by Frank Triska Sr., Jimmie’s grandfather, who was a Czech immigrant. The funeral home still sits in the same location at the corner of Merchant and Church streets, but has been updated since its founding with recent improvements. Triska Sr. had four boys, Jerry, Frank Jr., Richard and Leo, who is Jimmie’s father. Three of the sons became licensed funeral directors and embalmers. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Leo returned to El Campo to work in the funeral home business.
Coordinating Services
L-N Photo by Quala Matocha
Third Generation
Jimmie Triska is the third generation of Triskas to own and operate the funeral home along with his wife, Ceci, left. Also pictured are his mother and sister, Mary Triska and Janice Triska Danklefs.
Contributed Photo
Father & Son
Pictured in the early 50s, Frank Sr. and son Leo Triska ran the funeral home together. Frank Jr. and Richard moved to Rosenberg where they opened a second location, now known as Davis-Greenlawn Funeral Home. Jimmie’s mother, Mary, remembers the early days when Triska operated the local ambulance. That ended in 1972 when the city took over the service. She and Leo first lived in a one-room apartment connected to the funeral home, now the visitation area. At the time, they had two children, Carol and Jimmie. In all they have eight children, who are all liv-
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1966
ing. Later, the family moved to a small home across the street, then constructed a home on Church Street, just north of the business, where Mary still resides today. As a very inquisitive youngster, Jimmie recalls early morning visits to see his dad at the funeral home ... taking him his cup of coffee, seeing him at work in the embalming room and asking all sorts of questions. After graduating from El Campo High School, Jimmie had plans to be an architect. He attended Texas A&M University to pursue that dream, but as the degree requirements changed he decided to change his career path. “Dad said, ‘Why don’t you go to mortuary school?’” With that suggestion, Jimmie followed in his father’s footsteps. He graduated from Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Services in Houston in 1972 and, by 1973, had obtained his funeral director’s license. Today, Triska’s has a staff of eight, including Jimmie and
49 YEARS
PROFESSIONAL PHARMACY
Ceci. The matriarch, Mary, is a retired licensed funeral director. Healing Begins When a loved one dies, the healing process typically be-
Assisting a grieving family in their time of need is crucial, so are the timing of events and sometimes dealing with several clients at the same time during any given week. “You try to schedule funerals to accommodate the family’s wishes,” Lormand said, “Several factors to determine this are circumstances of death, availability of church and clergy, out of town family members, pending funerals, finances and the deceased person’s wishes before death. On rare occasions, (See FROM ‘THE CALL’, Page 11)
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 11
50 Plus Years Frank Bubela, left, has been employed by Triska Funeral Home for 57 years and has worked with three generations of Triskas. At right, Bubela and Leo Triska assist in the loading of a patient to be air-lifted to a Houston hospital. In those days, Triska and Wheeler Funeral Homes operated ambulance services until the city took over in the early 70s.
L-N Photo by Quala Matocha
—From ‘The Call’ to burial staff there to help (Continued from Page 10) the weather will be a determining factor as well.” Typically, the time frame from death to burial is two to three days with two days being used for services, such as a wake or rosary with visitation one day and the funeral service the next. On average, it takes 100 man-hours to conduct a traditional service. From the time a family member dies to the burial, Triska assists the bereaved through every step. “When we get a death call and arrive at the place of death, our funeral director will visit with the next of kin to determine their wishes for services,” Jimmie
said. “An appointment time with the family is suggested, and the funeral director also gives the family a form to be completed with required vital information, obituary information, church and organization affiliation. The form also reminds the family that they can also bring in clothing for the deceased, a current photograph and discharge papers of any military service.” The funeral director reviews that information and offers the family service options. “Once the type of service and place of service is determined, the funeral director coordinates with the minister, facility, cemetery and organizations involved,” he said. The funeral director may also be asked to make arrangements for music, a soloist, place for reception and food or refreshments. Comforting The Grieving
Contributed Photo
Triska Patriarch Leo Triska, right, is the second generation Triska family member to own and operate the local funeral home. His father, Frank Sr., founded the business in 1929. Today, Leo’s son,Jimmie and wife Ceci oversee its operations.
Contributed Photo
“It takes a huge heart full of compassion to do what we do day in and day out,” Ceci said. Running a funeral home is more than a business ... it’s, “our family taking care of your family at a time when family matters most,” she said. As a Christian-based business, the Triska family says they feel it is a God-given gift to offer comfort to grieving family members. “I honestly think that God puts us where He needs us. I never in my life imagined that I would be a funeral director, and yet here I am,” Ceci said. “I have seen God using all of us to help guide families at times of tragedy as we help them begin the long journey towards healing. And some times, we, too, have to lean on our faith in God to make sense of these tragedies.” Burying A Child
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L-N Photo by Quala Matocha
Officer manager Janice Triska Danklefs, seated, keeps the office at Triska Funeral Home running smoothly with the help of Jessica Labay, standing, provisional licensee, who has various jobs other than office duties.
Keeping one’s composure and offering a shoulder to lean on are important when consoling family members. However, there are times when it becomes more difficult than others. “One of the hardest things is to bury someone’s child, no matter what age,” Jimmie said. “This is not how things are supposed to happen.” “Burying our friends’ children. Burying anyone’s (See FUNERAL BUSINESS, Page 12)
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
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—Funeral business provides compassionate service (Continued from Page 11) child. Our hearts are breaking as we help them go through the funeral process,” Ceci added. “It’s in these darkest hours that we can give our greatest gift of friendship.” Another hard decision, Jimmie said, is making choices for the bereaved parent(s). “Also, because of the condition of certain cases, to not let the parent view their child,” Jimmie said. “It’s a judgment call on our part to decide if that is the last image I would want of my own child. That is tough.” Legalities On the business side, Triska handles paperwork and legal details, whatever is required. “There are many legal aspects to the funeral business,” Ceci said. “We have to maintain several licenses and keep up with required CEUs (continuing education units). We are responsible for gathering information from families to file a death certificate and notify social security. “In some cases, we have families who want to send their loved one home to Mexico. This process includes filing the death certificate, notifying social security, filing a burial transit to send the body out of state, translating the death certificate, certificate of embalming and burial transit to Spanish,” she said. When all that is taken care of, there are additional steps to securing passage. “When all the papers are ready, I take them to the Mexican Consulate in Houston to be approved and stamped with their seal,” Ceci said. “This usually takes a full day because I have to meet with the secretary and then leave the papers with her. The papers are ready for me to pick up in the late afternoon. These papers are turned over to the family so that they can cross the border and continue the burial process in Mexico.” Making Sacrifices The funeral home business
L-N Photo by Quala Matocha
From Our Family To Yours
Family owned and operated, Triska Funeral Home has been helping families for 86 years. Staff includes: seated, left to right, Mary Triska, retired licensed funeral director; Jimmie Triska, owner and funeral director; Janice Triska Danklefs, office manager; standing, left to right: Henry Baisa, funeral assistant; Frank Bubela, funeral director; Matthew Hildebrand, funeral assistant; Ceci Triska, co-owner and funeral director; Robert “Bubba” Lormand, funeral director; and Jessica Labay, provisional funeral director and embalmer licensee. is not an 8 to 5 job. At times, it’s an around-the-clock commitment. Dinner plans, trips, holidays with family ... may all change at a moment’s notice. That requires dedication. “Life in our home is different because our plans can change with a phone call. We’ve had to cancel trips at the last minute. Miss family dinners. Miss our kids’ events,” Ceci said. “Thankfully, we have a wonderful staff now so that everyone usually has their time off. But, there are times that we are needed and we just go.” Jimmie grew up in the business, knowing full well the sacrifices his family would have to make. For the Triska family and staff, they know death can come at any given moment, without advanced notice. “The nature of this business does not recognize day or night, weekday or weekend and holidays,” Jimmie said. “Growing up in the business,
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there were numerous times our trips to the bay, hunting or just visiting relatives and friends, were changed at the last minute due to a death,” he said. “I grew up associating holidays with work because death knows no holiday. “Funeral directors are at death’s beckon call, and respond when needed in a timely manner. We often miss special celebrations and holidays with our own families when a death occurs and a grieving family needs us,” Jimmie said. “I believe that sacrificing time with my family does not compare with what the families we are serving are going through.” Jimmie said he gets the most satisfaction from knowing they’ve, “helped families during one of the most difficult times.” Devoted Staff Everyone at Triska’s has a job to do. From preparing the
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body, to counseling, making arrangements and conducting services, they all contribute. Also, serving as a licensed funeral director with Jimmie, Ceci and Lormand is Frank Bubela, who has been with the funeral home since the late 1950s. He, along with the other staff, performs a multitude of tasks. As office manager, Janice Triska Danklefs, daughter of Mary and the late Leo Triska, oversees all office operations, including obituaries for media, financial records and payroll. She also fills in and assists with funerals when needed. Jessica Labay is the provisional funeral director and embalmer licensee. She does a wide variety of tasks involving preparation of the body as well as office duties. She also assists with funeral services. Matthew Hildebrand, funeral assistant, helps with several aspects of the funeral home, including body prepara-
tion and services. Henry Baisa serves as greeter at the door for visitation, wakes and funerals. He assists with funerals wherever needed. Remembering Loved Ones Each December Triska Funeral Home honors the families they’ve served during the past year with a candlelight remembrance service. “We have an eight-foot wreath that Frank Bubela made for us which holds a candle for each deceased person,” Ceci said. “Before the service, each family receives a large candle. During the service, we light the candles as we read the names. Then, we light the candles that the family members are holding, which they get to take home. It’s a simple service, but it is full of meaning for the families and for us.”
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Come On In
Page 13
Blue-collar bar more family gathering place than watering hole
“Here, if somebody doesn’t show up, we call and check on them. It’s like family,” he said. “You can’t get that feeling on the Internet.” A free shuttle service is available by reservation too. Like most places, the SunnySide crowd varies based on the hour – older folk come early while the younger ones stay late. Weekdays tend to be for the working folk or those who still putter around. “We get younger on the weekends, but it’s not a real young crowd – it’s more mature,” Holub said, guessing the average patron age would be near 40. And they like it like that.
By SHANNON CRABTREE news@leader-news.com “Anybody can drink at home, but what fun is that?” Sheldon Holub says as he waves to folks he refers to as friends and neighbors more than customers. Spotting someone new, he’s quick to introduce himself, say thanks for coming to SunnySide Saloon and let me introduce you around. His 1214 S. Mechanic bar sells beer and set ups, although Holub says there’s not many that bring liquor in – instead sodas and water mostly sell to be consumed “as is” just like the bottled tea. “A lot of people don’t drink. They come in and drink cokes,” Holub said. “You don’t have to drink to come in here. It doesn’t hurt us at all.” SunnySide is a stereotypical old-fashioned bar from the neon signs on the walls and low lights to the juke box and pool tables. All that’s missing is the haze. Smoking was relegated to a back room about a year ago balancing city regulations for restaurants with barroom traditions and battered lungs. “It hurt us in the beginning,” Holub said. “But now,
Bar Keep with the smoke room back there, we’ve gained more people.” People are what makes SunnySide special, Holub said,
Allison Bundick is behind the bar most days from opening to closing. She’s a quiet, petite gal with long brown hair and a few tattoos. Bundick doesn’t say much aside from asking what you’d like, but she listens. And, listening is something the men at the bar seem to appreciate. Most are veterans more than willing to share war (See REGULARS, Page 14)
BAR SCENES: The SunnySide Saloon crew (top l-r) of manager Allison Bundick along with Sheldon and Karen Holub welcome visitors; at left: Sheldon offers a visitor a cold one; above: dominoes ready to play; and at right: Kutch Albrecht decides which rock to play next. L-N Photos by Shannon Crabtree
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Page 14
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
—Regulars like family
(Continued from Page 13) stories. All are blue collar – farmers, carpenters, tradesmen, oilfield workers and machinists. “During the day, it’s the local retired people. As the day goes along the crowd gets younger and younger,” Bundick said. “They’re all good hard-working people.” Several have come to SunnySide for decades and talk about “the old place” like it just moved over a few weeks ago rather than in 1993. Ask them about how often the place sees trouble and you get blank stares before caps come off and the head scratching starts. There was some, sometime, they said, “But it’s been awhile.” The group consensus is years. It’s just not that kind of place. “It’s a friendly crowd. It’s how we made it to be,” Bundick said. The Regulars
“We just come in and talk about our day,” one dark-headed fella said, sitting at the bar nursing a beer and absolutely not wanting to give his name. Sam Crippen and Floyd Shimek nodded in agreement. “We don’t talk about politics or religion,” Crippen said. A former oil field worker originally from the Lockhart/Luling area, the retired Crippen now walks with a cane and says proudly he comes in most days – more to visit than anything else. Shimek is a contractor by trade and can build a house from the ground up.
But at 84, his knees have about given out. Now he makes window screens, trouble-shoots issues on rental houses and plays dominoes. As the glass door swings open they turn that way, generally offering at least a nod to all who come through. Most know one another, but they’re not a bashful group, quickly turning to subjects like the weather or long days just to get a conversation going when the guy or gal addling up to the bar is someone new. Most SunnySide tables, like the bar, are long – the better to get folks to sit in a group. The domino tables are right up front, you can’t miss DOMINO TALK: A regular at the Sunday domino tournament, Lillie Kutach reminisces as she looks them. The stage is to the left for her next count. L-N Photo by Shannon Crabtree and pool tables to the back. On the right hand wall is fore, but it was a grocery store first.” a bulletin board full photographs, wedDomino Days Mostly, Kutach said, she comes ding announcements and even funeral Sunday – for dominoes, conversation programs, part of the collective memory Lillie Kutach’s eyes light up when and, just maybe, a beer. “There’s not of a place in counting its anniversaries she’s asked about SunnySide and domi- too many places like this left. They’re in decades. noes. Clutching her’s like a hand of closing down a lot. It’s hard times for A recipe book for sale at the bar recards, she looks around the table at fac- people. But here, everybody’s nice here. cords the patrons favorites – many of There’s no trouble.” which have been brought up on a Sun- es she’s seen for decades. She’s known Pausing a moment to sit her rocks the owner since he was a little boy. day for all to share. aside, she grasps hands – the better to “I’ve been going here for the longest “The people make it worthwhile,” (See HURRICANE, Page 15) time. There was a beer joint here beHolub said. “It’s really heartwarming.”
JUST ANOTHER DAY: Sam Crippen (above left) visits with bar manager Allison Bundick during the early afternoon. He comes most days, he says, just to visit for a bit. Politics and religion aren’t covered at SunnySide, the talk tends more toward family,
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El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Page 15
—Hurricane gives birth to bar (Continued from Page 14) look you straight in the eye. “I’m going to be 93 in December,” she says with a Cheshire Cat grin. “They’re going to throw me a birthday party. You wanta come?” She wears bright red today, festive. She’s here to play in the weekly Sunday tournament. “All I know how to play is straight, 42, Moon,” Kutach said. “I love to come here.” Walter Selzinsky, a hay cutter in his 80s, is there for the game Sunday too. He “don’t drink no more,” but still enjoys the competition. Everyday, any day, is a domino day at SunnySide if a foursome can be found. Georgia Meyer plays on a Thursday afternoon next to Raymond “Kutch” Albrecht, the now almost blind man who once ran the establishment. “I had it one year (1964),” he said. “The atmosphere hasn’t changed. It’s a friendly bunch of people. Some of the oldtimers have passed off and some young ones have come in.” Albrecht moved to El Campo in 1955, worked for the power company and ultimately retired from there. Like most of the men, he’s a veteran too. The regulars rank Albrecht among the better
players – even if he struggles with being able to see the dots. Other players shout out what goes down – two, five; blank, six; double six. Somehow, he keeps it in his head as he determines his next move, the next count. “I’m blind. I can’t hear. But I can still feel,” he said, running his fingers over the hollowed out dots on a rock. They met, Meyer said, in a Louisiana casino. She had run out of money, wanted simply to watch for a while. Al-
PLAYING FOR THE HOME CROWD: Recently returned from Alaska, Keith Junot (top) performs for the crowd on a recent Saturday. The fiddle player has won multiple competitions for his ability - just like his father; at left: Russell Junot sings along with his brother Keith; below: Ace St. Clair takes a turn on the dance floor with his mom Melody. L-N Photos by Shannon Crabtree
brecht asked why she wasn’t gambling, handed over $200 and told her to play. The act of kindness, led to friendship, and, ultimately, to Meyers moving to El Campo two years ago. She recites the tale with a smile while and the rest of the players nod and, at times, inject a detail she skipped over – it’s just that kind of place. History Lesson SunnySide opened its doors in 1961 with Jerome Holub, Sheldon’s father, running the place. “It was after Hurricane Carla,” Sheldon said. “I’m guessing they had a tough year.” Crops throughout Texas were destroyed by the monster storm with just Wharton County damage measuring in the millions (in 1961 dollars).
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His father needed to supplement the family income, so he worked in the oilfield and opened the place in an out-ofbusiness grocery store two doors down from the current site. “It got to be too much, so it was leased out to different owners,” Sheldon Holub said. Back then SunnySide opened at 8 a.m. to welcome shift workers from plants like El Campo Aluminum who weren’t quite ready to go home after a full night’s work. Instead they came for a beer, dominoes or even a coffee and kolache breakfast. “There was a lot more shift work then,” he said. Talk to a half dozen people and you’ll get eight stories about how many bars and restaurants were in El Campo then, but most remembered going to SunnySide. “It was a family place back in the day,” Holub said, adding whole families came. Albrecht recalled that too, saying he and the Holub family go way back. “Sheldon Holub? I knew his dad and mother before he was born,” he said, adding he and Holub’s father were hunting buddies. Sheldon Holub graduated El Campo High School in 1976 and ultimately married his Markham girl, Karen. Their son Chase farms fish in Blessing. The couple has two grandchildren. Karen Holub runs Mosaics by Karen across the road. He’s is a farmer, but decided to take over the business in 2007 after the tenant dropped out and he lost his milo (See WALKING IN, Page 16)
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Page 16
El Campo Leader-News • Wednesday, October 28, 2015
—Walking in like ‘coming home,’ saloon owner says (Continued from Page 15) crop. “We (he and Karen) were here 24/7,” he said. “We were open 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., then we had to clean and then the delivery trucks showed up.” “Sometime in ‘08, I found Allison Bundick,” Holub said. ”She’s been a blessing.” From Van Vleck, 33-yearold Allison Bundick has a fan club among the patrons – everybody wants to tell you how good a job she does, how much they like her and that the place wouldn’t run without her. Bundick just gives a lopsided grin and makes the rounds of the L-shaped bar dispensing what drinks are needed before going back to stocking the cooler. “Karen and Sheldon went to church with my mom and stepdad. They talked me into (coming to work at SunnySide).” She works six days a week. The bar is closed on Monday. “I’m always here,” she said. “The people I work for? They’re awesome. They’re like parents.” The jukebox – an Internetbased one that will play just about any song you can think of – turns on and whispers more than belts a song from a few decades ago, loud enough to hear, but soft enough not to break up conversations. “It’s real laid back,” Bundick said. “It’s all like a big family.”
MEMORIES ON THE WALL: Sheldon Holub points out individuals on SunnySide’s board, a site containing everything from party photos to wedding, graduation and funeral notices. Visitors are more than just customers, he says.
L-N Photo by Shannon Crabtree
The overall feel of the place remains that of a classic watering hole – so long as your version of that includes the wife, husband, mom, dad and/or the neighbor next door. “It’s really family-oriented, neighbor friendly,” Karen Holub said. “The same people come in for years and years and years. How About Some Entertainment? Bikers come sometimes, but they could be anything from
police officers and attorneys to architects and mechanics behind the weekend leathers. Pool tournaments have quickly become a tradition with the American Pool Association group there. The crowds may be the largest when there’s a Saturday tournament, Bundick said. But the live music packs folks in too. Recently back from Alaska, El Campo native Keith Junot brings his brothers and his fiddle up there every month to six weeks.
“It’s like a high school reunion,” Brian Shimek said as Junot played on a recent Saturday night. “I know just about everybody here, but some I haven’t seen since high school.” Mostly Shimek comes with his dad Floyd to play dominoes on Sunday afternoon. But he graduated from El Campo in 1976, the same year as Sheldon. Junot graduated in 1978. Hearing a classmate was going to sing and play was more than he and many others from the same Ricebird class
—Rice farmers (Continued from Page 9) ments to its sales and service business in the late 80s and a second Mr. Tire Auto Service Center was opened in Bay City in January 2015. “Tires are doing good,” Little said, adding the bulk of their fuel business is farm diesel. “A lot of irrigated wells have been changed to natural gas because it’s cheaper. That’ll cycle. It always has.” Due to increased competition with large industries, the coop got out of the
could resist. “I’m enjoying the hell out of it,” Junot said. “All my people are coming. Before, I was out on the road, just everywhere.” Junot plays a right-handed fiddle with his left, just like his dad, Ed, the Cajun Fiddler who died in 1987. Both father and son have won scores of fiddling contests including the famed Fiddler’s Frolics in Hallestville. SunnySide served as a movie set in 2012 with many of the patrons taking the roles of extras, doing what they’d be doing anyway if all that production equipment wasn’t in the way. The film – Homebound – is set in El Campo and features SunnySide as a focal point of the community, a family place going generations back. Sound familiar? Don’t Call It Work Sheldon Holub and his wife Karen are the owners, but, for Sheldon, it’s more than just a business. “It’s a sentimental thing,” he said. “It’s kind of tough at times, any business is. “I take it to heart. So many people come through those doors. So many times I hear my grandpa came here or my dad. It’s home.”
fertilizer blending business in 2003. Land adjacent to its current facility was recently purchased with plans to build a new tire and auto service center as well as a new retail fuel facility. “There’s got to be something we can do to help the farmers,” Little said. Little plans to be around for a few more years, retiring when he’s 70, he said. “We’ve been fairly successful or we wouldn’t be in business 75 years,” Little said, adding he contributes that to the loyalty of the farmers and his employees. “I love doing what I do,” Little said. “I want to carry on the dreams of the guys who built this thing.”
TEAM WORK: Rice Farmers Coop, Mr. Tire General Manager Bobby Little takes a set of keys from customer service worker Kristen Whitlock. RFC is celebrating 75 years in business this year.
L-N Photo by Jody Larimer
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1982
33 YEARS
IN BUSINESS SINCE 1902
1 13 YEARS
Community Banking Since 1902. Founded in 1982, BLS Construction, Inc., is locally one of the most experienced and respected providers of commercial construction services. BLS Construction, Inc. approaches each project with a cooperative mindset, and works with clients, architects and subcontractors toward the common goal – successful project delivery. Through technical skill, preconstruction and construction management, we anticipate project challenges, develop solutions that meet clients’ objectives and ultimately deliver quality projects. We hire professionals to manage all aspects of the job to ensure it’s being completed on schedule and to your satisfaction. Over the past 33 years, BLS Construction, Inc. has been involved in helping build the local community. This has contributed to our success and we have enjoyed seeing each project positively influence the town. We appreciate the continued support and look forward to many more years of making history in El Campo.
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At NewFirst, our people have made a difference and will continue to make a difference in our community. Offering over 113 years of private ownership and banking experience. 202 E. Jackson St. • El Campo, TX 979-543-3349