Fredericksburg Standard-General Excellence 1

By Samuel Sutton Standard-Radio Post editor

Taking into account the trio of elections underway, local officials want to clarify what races are happening and in which ones voters could cast ballots.

Early voting is currently underway for a Constitutional Amendment election, the Fredericksburg

Independent School District Board of Trustees race and bond election, and the City of Fredericksburg election.

Constitutional Amendment election

Since the Constitutional Amendment election is a statewide election, all 20,686 voters in Gillespie County can participate

underway

in it. According to the Texas Secretary of State website, Proposition Number 1 proposes an amendment authorizing the Texas Legislature to reduce the amount of a limitation on the total property tax amount that could be imposed for elementary and secondary public school purposes on the home residence of someone who is elderly or

Main Street Menagerie

By Brooke Nevins Standard-Radio Post Reporter

The maxim that “the only constant in life is change” is one that Fredericksburg residents know full well.

Over decades, the purposes of Main Street’s shopfronts have transitioned with the times. The street has retained its charm through the preservation of many historic buildings, but as these structures are repurposed, their original

history is unknown to many visitors and residents, alike.

But “Main Street Mockingbirds,” a book set to release during Fredericksburg’s 175th weekend celebration, offers people of all ages a way to explore the subtle details and history behind some of Main Street’s most iconic buildings through a scavenger hunt-like experience.

The book, by Fredericksburg resident and mom, Amy Schwede Beicker, fea-

St. Joseph’s Society sets Feast Day barbecue, festival this Sunday

Proceeds to go to preservation, scholarships, ministries

The Men of St. Joseph’s Society invite the public to its Annual Feast Day Barbecue Celebration and Festival, to be held on Sunday, May 1, from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at the restored St. Joseph’s Halle, 212 W. San Antonio St.

The group will be keeping with traditions of the past and serving up a pork barbecue dinner with all the trimmings and homemade desserts for guests.

Plates are “guaranteed to be one of the biggest plates of barbecue for the money that you will see at a benefit in the Hill Country,” organizers said.

Songs from Fredericksburg’s own Akkordion Club and ice-cold “German soda water” will be flowing from the tap.

Plates are $9 each pre-sale and $10 each, day of the dinner.

‘Main Street

Mockingbirds’ Book release party 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 7 at Pioneer Museum. Profits from the book will support the Gillespie County Children’s Foundation

disabled.

This would be done to reflect statutory reductions in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed on one’s homestead from the previous year.

Proposition 2 proposes an increase in the amount of the residence homestead exemption from

By Brent Burgess Standard-Radio Post reporter

Gillespie County Commissioners met on Monday to discuss amending the Hill Country Regional Public Defender Office Interlocal Agreement.

The Public Defender Office (PDO) is in its first year for Gillespie County and is funded by a grant from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission. The PDO exists to provide a network of attorneys available to clients who cannot afford to hire representation in both misdemeanor and felony cases. Along with Gillespie County, the current PDO includes Kerr, Kendall, Bandera and Medina counties.

Kerr County currently serves as the fiscal agent for the agreement. Following an Oversight Board meeting for the PDO last Friday, member counties were asked to approve Medina County as the new Fiscal Agent for the office.

Judge Mark Stroeher and Commissioner Donnie Schuch attended as Gillespie County

Participants in the 2022 Hill Country Memorial Wildflower Run 10k launch off the starting

10k racers ran a route starting at Marktplatz, to part of Cherry Mountain Loop and back. Kaleb Dale, left, finished second in his division after Aaron Kolterjahn (to his left). Jackie Mancuso, right, placed third in her division. — StandardRadio Post/Brent Burgess

Nine bronze statues of mockingbirds, sculpted by local artist John Bennett, now perch at eight historic buildings along Main Street. Amy Beicker wrote the scavenger hunt-style book, “Main Street Mockingbirds.” Here, Silver Wing and Willow can be found at Pioneer Memorial Library. — Standard-Radio Post/Brooke Nevins

EVENTS CALENDAR

• April 27

Night at the Museum (National Museum of the Pacific War)

• April 28 Farmer’s Market

• April 29-May 1

FTC’s Lend Me a Tenor

• April 30 Redbud Artisan Market

• April 30

Robotics Competition at the Admiral Nimitz Ballroom

• May 1

PCAA Concert in the Park

• May 7 23rd Lavender Festival

• May 7 Fredericksburg 175th Anniversary Parade

• May 7-8

Meusebach-Comanche

Peace Treaty exhibited

• May 8 Pioneer Dinnner honoring founding

After limiting public access to the SystemsGo rocket launches the past two years, organizers are again inviting the public back to cheer on students from 19 Texas high schools launch 50 rockets they designed and built, May 12-14 on the Segner Ranch near Stonewall.

Rockets 2022 is the culminating event for the SystemsGo program, in which high school students design, build and launch rockets designed to loft a one-pound payload one mile high, or exceed the speed of sound.

The program was developed by Brett Williamson at Fredericksburg High School and is now active in three states with five launch sites.

There is no fixed launch schedule. Rockets will go up during all daylight hours, in the order they are certified prepared for launch and recovery.

Plans are to admit the public to all launch sites.

Everyone will be required to register in advance and sign a waiver acknowledging that they are entering a test site on undeveloped ranch land with launching of student-built sounding

JD Windham

fbgnews@fredericksburgstandard.com or calling (830) 997-2155.

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COPYRIGHT

The Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post and www. fredericksburgstandard.com, as well as any reasonable derivative of these names, are trademarks of Fredericksburg Publishing Co. and use of these trademarks without the express written consent of Fredericksburg Publishing Co. is strictly prohibited. The entire contents of each issue of the Standard-Radio Post and www. fredericksburgstandard.com are protected under the Federal Copyright Act. Reproduction of any portion of any issue is not be permitted without the express permission of Fredericksburg Publishing Co.

Build Success at Every Grade

rockets. Limited facilities and amenities will be available, and traffic access will be controlled to accommodate launch and recovery. Weather contingency day

is the day immediately following the last scheduled launch day. Directions, dates, times, participating schools, ticket links and livestream access are available at systemsgo.org.

•

•

For

SystemsGo staff member shares information with rocket students from around the state. —

Photo by Phil Houseal

Fredericksburg remembers longtime library director

By Brent Burgess Standard-Radio Post reporter

For 23 years, patrons of Pioneer Memorial Library were familiar with the face of Brian MacWithey. Prior to his recent untimely death, MacWithey had served as library director.

MacWithey and his brother, Kevin, were born in Montana to an academic family, their father a professor at Montana State University. A research position for their father brought the family to Irving, and they relocated to Richardson, where Brian and Kevin grew up.

Kevin has been a longtime resident of Fredericksburg and was the first to move here. Kevin has served on the Fredericksburg City Council and ran his own landscape company in Fredericksburg.

“I got a call from Brian one day saying, ‘Hey, there’s a listing for the librarian in Fredericksburg,’” Kevin remembered.

“I guess he applied, and I actually went down to Commissioner’s Court one day, because he said they were going to be talking about it. I listened to everything, and it all sounded real positive.”

Brian MacWithey accepted the director position in 1999.

Brian’s wife, Mary, was also a librarian and worked at Schreiner University in Kerrville. She and Brian met while attending librarian school at the University of North Texas in 1988.

“He was behind me in

one of my classes,” said Mary, “and he was chewing ice. That irritates me, so I turned around and said, ‘quit that.’ “He got my attention, and he kept my attention for a very long time.”

MacWithey came to Fredericksburg with a strong resume for library work beyond his education.

“He walked in with a lot of great experience,” said Mary. “He had been two places in the Richardson/ Dallas area already. Then he moved to the Chicago area and he worked there in a small library, also. Then, we came back to Houston and he worked in two different branches and became a branch manager in the Houston library.”

Mary pointed out that Brian had some challenges early in the position due to the unique management of the library in Fredericksburg.

Pioneer Memorial Library falls under county oversight and its funding and personnel are managed by the Gillespie County Commissioners Court.

“It is very different as far as being a county judge and Commissioners Court kind of oversight,” said Mary. “That was not the way it was done in Houston.”

Despite the challenges of his government-funded position, Brian was able to keep a strong working relationship with his staff.

“He had staff that had been there since high school and they’re getting ready to retire,” said Mary.

Both Mary and Kevin

recalled how Brian had the opportunity to see children become adults, and then become residents of the town, starting their own families.

“He saw a generation grow up in that library,” said Kevin about Brian’s career.

One of Brian’s favorite experiences in his role was working with kids. Brian believed a library should not be scary to kids and should be allowed an appropriate level of disruption by children.

“He loved the kids,” said Mary. “He was a big kid. He loved all those little stuffed animals. He loved all those little ornaments you see in the library. He put them out for the children.”

MacWithey had a specific interest in World War II history.

“We have a very large collection of stuff that he kept for himself,” said Mary. “I think I’ve watched 10 million movies about World War II.”

Fascinated by the 1920s Art Deco movement, Brian and Mary purchased a bungalow in Fredericksburg and renovated it.

“It was very enjoyable because it brought the art together with the building construction, and we had a great time,” Mary said.

One of the bigger events that MacWithey facilitated was the annual book sale. The book sale is organized by the Friends of Pioneer Memorial Library, a group of volunteers who support and promote the library.

“It was a big deal. It was a big moneymaker,” said

Kevin. “People would donate books they didn’t need anymore.”

Kevin remembered getting phone calls from Brian the night before the book sale needing help with the setup. Truckloads of books would be brought to Marktplatz and guarded overnight until the next day’s event. The event required a significant number of volunteers.

Mary mentioned Brian’s dream of having a larger and more functional library space for the people in Fredericksburg.

“There are some things that could be really enjoyed by the people and the children here,” said Mary. “If they would just realize what it would take to get that here.”

Brian MacWithey died on March 27 at the age of 61.

Brian MacWithey served as director at the Pioneer Memorial Library for 23 years. MacWithey had an interest in maintaining a library atmosphere that was fun for children. — Submitted photo

property taxes for public school purposes from $25,000 to $40,000.

FISD election

The Fredericksburg Independent School District is holding an election to fill a one-year unexpired term and a three-year term.

Running for the oneyear term is incumbent Natalie Bowman and Jake Whittington. For the three-year term, Matt Seidenberger, J.D. Windham, Adam Riley and incumbent Mark Cornett have filed.

The district also has its bond election for a new middle school campus.

Anissa Herrera, Gillespie County Elections Administrator, said 17,813 of the registered voters can cast ballots in this election.

“The easiest way to tell if you can vote in the FISD election is if you pay FISD taxes,” Herrera said.

All voters in Precincts 1, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 12 can vote in this election, as they are FISD taxpayers.

There are also some voters who can vote from Precincts 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 13 and 15. A total of seven voters in Kendall and 79 in Blanco can also vote in FISD elections.

As these elections are both being handled by the county, early voting is taking place at the Gillespie County Annex 3 Building, 95 Frederick Road, through May 3. Times are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 1-3 p.m. on Sunday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday (Election Day).

Herrera encouraged voters to cast their ballots during early voting, instead of on the May 7 Election Day, as it coincides with the town’s 175th Anniversary closing weekend.

“Please come vote early and don’t fight the traffic on that day,” she said. “There’s going to be a parade and

other festivities and you don’t want to wait.”

As of Monday evening, 267 people cast ballots. A total of 333 people voted by mail for the constitutional amendment election.

Doss CCSD

The Doss Consolidated Common School District election was canceled. Kandice Wadsworth and John Studer were certified as unopposed.

City of Fredericksburg

The City of Fredericksburg has its mayoral seat, and two city councilmember seats open in this year’s election.

For mayor, Jeryl Hoover, Timothy Ellis Riley and incumbent Charlie Kiehne have all filed.

For the two councilmember seats, Emily Kirchner, incumbent Tom Musselman, James McDonald and Tony Klein have applied. Incumbent Jerry Luckenbach is not running.

To vote in the city election, City Secretary Shelley Goodwin said residents must be registered to vote in Precincts 1-4, or in a portion of Precinct 10. A total of 8,081 voters are registered to cast ballots in the city election.

Early voting for the city election is taking place at the Girl Scout Cabin, 202. W. Austin St. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Saturday.

As of Monday evening, 193 voters cast their ballots in person. A total of 125 ballots by mail have been returned.

To see if a vote counted, go to https://www.fbgtx. org/1048/Roster-of-votersduring-Early-Voting Ballot by mail Goodwin said much of the confusion this year is centered around ballot by mail voting.

“I think some people are scared of ballot by mail voting,” she said. “Mail-in ballots are secure.”

Yesterday was the final day to apply for a ballot by mail (received, not postmarked) for city and county elections.

The final day to return a ballot by mail is Election Day, May 7, by 7 p.m. if the carrier envelope is not postmarked. If they are postmarked by 7 p.m. and the voter is not overseas or a military voter, ballots can also be returned Monday, May 9, by 5 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day.

More information about changes to mail-in ballots can be found in a separate

story in this week’s paper. Primary runoff election

A primary runoff election for the Gillespie County and Statewide General Election will take place May 24.

The Democratic ticket is all statewide races, but Herrera said there are two local races in Precincts 12 and 13 for the Republican ticket.

Koreen Hughes and Cathy Ledder are running for Precinct 12 Republican Chairman. Debbie Campbell and David C. Treibs are running for the Precinct 13 Republican Chairman.

Early voting will be May 16-22 at the Gillespie County Annex 3 Building, 95 Frederick Road. Hours

ADAM RILEY for FISD SCHOOL BOARD

To FISD Teachers and Staff, These are perhaps the most trying times in recent memory for teachers and staff at FISD. I have heard numerous stories of the struggles that many of you are facing over the course of this school year, from being overworked and underpaid with extra preps, to being branded for your opinions concerning parental rights issues.

All the while, there has not been much support, that I have seen, for what you are going through. I have been running as a teacher first candidate. Having been an FISD teacher who knows your struggles firsthand, it is my intention to provide you with the support you are so desperately seeking. Our students deserve to be surrounded with educators and staff who feel appreciated. I want you to know that I have your back and will continue to do so.

Fun for a cause

Adelsverein Halle at Marktplatz was full of families and individuals on Saturday, April 23 gathering for the annual Fredericksburg Volunteer Fire Department Fish Fry.

At 5 p.m., participants gathered in line to enjoy a fried fish meal with several side items. The meal was served by donation with proceeds supporting the Fredericksburg Volunteer Fire Department (FVFD). The lawn at Marktplatz was scattered with families as children enjoyed the inflatable play area set up for the event.

Musical entertainment was provided by the Texas Tradition Family Band while guests danced under the pavilion.

A live auction began following the meal along with

of the Fredericksburg

Department prepared meal service for more than 1,700

tended the fundraising event.

the presentation of door prizes. Prizes included a variety of firearms, articles of Texas memorabilia and fire station paraphernalia. Many members of the community made generous

Re-Elect Natalie Bowman

bids for the auction items in support of the local volunteer firefighters. Approximately 1,700 people attended the event. More than $60,000 was raised to support the FVFD.

TONY KLEIN for City Council

Former Chairman of HCM & Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce Chairman of 175th Commemorative Committee 6 Generations Fredericksburg Natives 42 Years Banking Experience 30+ Years

Guests of the Fredericksburg Volunteer Department Fish Fry gathered to participate in the door prize drawings and live auction on Saturday evening. More than $60,000 was raised at the event to support the FVFD. – Standard–Radio Post/Brent Burgess

Members

Volunteer Fire

people who at-

Catherine Kuhlmann assisted with the live auction at the Fish Fry, displaying items for bid, including a Henry leveraction rifle.

CVB readies for Tourism Week

Local Convention and Visitor Bureau will spotlight huge part of economy

The Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau (FCVB) will celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week, May 1-7, with a pair of unique events.

National Travel and Tourism Week is an annual celebration for the U.S. travel community. It is a time when travel and tourism professionals unite to recognize the value that travel holds for the economy, businesses and personal well-being.

This year, the week-long celebration is spotlighting the critical role that travel will play in driving economic growth and building the path forward through the theme “Future of Travel.”

In Fredericksburg and Gillespie County, the present and future look bright as the area experienced record-setting lodging occupancy and sales tax collections in 2021 and several new hotels and attractions will open in the coming years.

During the celebration week, locals and visitors to Fredericksburg’s Visitor Information Center at 302 E. Austin St. will receive a free bottle of water and a free cookie as the FCVB also highlights its recently launched stewardship campaign — Love FBGTX.

The Visitor Information Center will offer these small thank you gifts to locals and visitors during normal business hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The FCVB will also welcome members of the tourism-industry and local officials for an invitation-only, come-and-go event on Tuesday, May 3, from 4-7 p.m. at the Visitor Information Center.

The event will include small bites, beverages and live music. At-

tendees can tour the Visitor Information Center, visit with FCVB staff, pick up a newly released 2021 Annual Report and view the 10-minute “Intro to Fredericksburg” video presentation.

To learn more about the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau or Fredericksburg and Gillespie County as a travel destination, go to VisitFredericksburgTX.com.

FCVB’s 2021 Annual report out soon

Report will outline record tax collections, new stewardship campaign

The 2021 Annual Report of the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau (FCVB) will be available to the public starting on Monday, May 2. Returning to its standard format after being altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 and 2020, the report is a detailed snapshot of the tourism industry in Gillespie County.

With a title of “The Future of Travel” — the theme of National Travel & Tourism Week in 2022 — the report features the ads of the FCVB’s recently launched stewardship campaign, “Love FBGTX,” plus specifics on its continued promotion of midweek visitation and Fredericksburg’s 175th Anniversary Celebration.

The stewardship campaign’s development is also detailed.

On the data-side of things, the report shows that statistically, the tourism industry of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County enjoyed a record-breaking year in terms of hotel occupancy and sales tax collections. It also presents attraction attendance figures, the tourism-industry’s economic impact on Gillespie County and lodging performance.

A digital copy of the report can be found at VisitFredericksburgTX.com/2021-fcvb-annual-report.

Physical copies of the report are available for pick up at the Visitor Information Center at 302 E. Austin St. during normal business hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The report will also be distributed during the FCVB’s invitationonly National Travel & Tourism Week event on Tuesday, May 3, from 4-7 p.m. at the Visitor Information Center and mailed out to tourism-industry partners in the county.

The new FCVB annual report will feature, in part, a focus on its new stewardship campaign, titled “Love FBGTX.” Parts of that campaign include an anti-litter message and a focus on dark skies. 

Hill Country CattleWomen brings Spring Roundup here Saturday

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hill Country CattleWomen will host their fundraiser and dance in Fredericksburg

“The Stars Shine Bright Deep in the Heart of Texas” is the theme for the 2022 Roundup, which will take place at the Texas Rangers Heritage Center, 1618 E.

Togetherness, investing in us led to success

As the Grand Finale of Fredericksburg’s 175th Anniversary approaches, I’ve tried to think about the complicated blend of ideas, hopes and fears that must have consumed the thoughts of the German pioneers.

As beautiful and tranquil as the rolling terrain of our beloved Hill Country seems today, I cannot imagine how foreign, wild and expansive it must have appeared to our travel-weary founders.

The planning committee for the observance of this milestone anniversary has provided us with a thoughtful, year-long reflection of the core values that mattered then and still matter today. In my own reflections, I find it interesting to think of how the challenges and opportunities we face as a modern community are not dissimilar to those of the pioneers, although we have access to far greater resources to direct solutions.

For example, as the pioneers set about creating a functional community, they quickly prioritized shared space to gather, worship and educate their children. It was an important investment because these children would be the only generation that could link the sacrifices made by the pioneers to their bold new vision.

The same weekend we celebrate the Grand Finale of the 175th Anniversary, voters will also head to the polls to select future community leadership and weigh in on approving a bond to build a new middle school campus and expand vocational training capacity.

These hearty settlers were the very first to experience Fredericksburg’s housing shortage. Everyone needed a place to live! As difficult as our present-day housing woes are to navigate, I cannot imagine the overwhelming task of starting a community from scratch.

Main St., from 4-10 p.m. April 30.

Backwoods BBQ will be serving a smoked prime rib dinner and the Weldon Henson Band will perform. Guitarist Tim Honsalek from Comfort will entertain the crowd during the meet-and-greet.

Guests will have a chance to bid on items in a silent

auction, many of which were donated by merchants in the Hill Country. A live auction event will take place immediately following dinner. Items in the live auction will include an African hunt, Mouflon hunt from the Shirley Ranch in Johnson City, quail hunt in Llano, rifles, shotguns and a custom-

made jewelry piece of the attendee’s livestock brand, created by member and artist Kay Knight.

Tickets for the Spring Roundup can be purchased by going to www.hillcountrycattlewomen.com and click on Spring Roundup or contact dvant@live. com.

Tickets for the event are

$80 and cover the steak dinner and entertainment. Reserved table for 10 is $800 and a Premier table for 10 is $1,350.

Monies raised by this event go toward scholarships for Hill Country college students and beef education, including ag days in the 15-county Hill Country CattleWomen chapter.

By all accounts, the settlers worked together, no doubt because they had to in order to succeed and survive. That, I believe, is our modern day take away. To care about the problems for as long as it affects of our neighbors and to collaboratively take ownership of the problem until it is solved.

Fredericksburg had been on the map for 65 years when my maternal grandmother was born. But needless to say, community infrastructure was still pretty rugged. Across the top of her right hand was a long scar that I often asked

Four of the events scheduled during the 175th anniversary weekend on May 5–8 will be live-streamed so friends of Fredericksburg, former residents of our town and those who may have mobility challenges will be able to participate in the Grand Finale Celebration virtually.

Modern technology will allow us to share the commemoration of our 175 years of history in Fredericksburg across the globe in a way not possible when we celebrated the 150th anniversary in 1996.

The community-wide worship service at Fredericksburg High School Auditorium at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 5 will be the first event of the Grand Finale Celebration to be live-streamed.

Dr. Jeryl Hoover will deliver the sermon entitled, “Called to a Far Country.”

The worship service will feature the combined voices of the Fredericksburg Chorale, directed by September van der Stoel, and the Fredericksburg High School Choir, directed by Ellie Parks, in a performance of the “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Additional music will be provided by a brass ensemble directed by Bill Smallwood, and the Praise Band from Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, led by Don Doss.

Then, at 6 p.m. Friday, May 6, the “Lasting Friendship Ceremony” will be live-

her about because the story was so fascinating. As a three-year old, she suffered a very serious injury with worrisome blood loss. Her mother was forced to carry her for more than an hour on-foot to a neighbor, who was able to take them by wagon to the doctor who miraculously saved her hand.

Today, we enjoy all the modern conveniences, all borne by one generation’s willingness to improve and invest in something better for the next. Our community has important decisions to make about the use of our natural resources and

steamed from the Gillespie County Fair Grounds. Gen. Michael Hagee (USMC, ret.), President/CEO of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, and Fredericksburg native, will give the keynote address on “Lasting Friendship.” Tony Klein will serve as master of ceremonies. Greetings and prayers will be given in English, German, Comanche and Spanish to reflect our community’s diverse heritage. A large, combined community choir will perform five selections.

The 175th anniversary parade on Main Street will be live streamed starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 7. Daryl Whitworth is the volunteer parade coordinator.

The parade will highlight the 13 themes of the anniversary year which reflect the character of Fredericksburg: Lasting Craftsmanship, Lasting Traditions, Lasting Family Heritage, Lasting Stewardship of Land, Lasting Education, Lasting Health Care, Lasting Innovation, Lasting Faith, Lasting Service, Lasting Leadership, Lasting Commerce, Lasting Arts and Music, and Lasting Friendship.

And at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 8, the commemora-

expansion of the infrastructure needed to both sustain and grow our economy.

I still remember how that same grandmother marveled at the first fax machine the Chamber bought in the late 1980s. Today the Chamber continues to work closely with the City and other stakeholders to expand broadband access, arguably the most important infrastructure need in today’s economy.

Residents and visitors alike recently enjoyed the Easter Fires Pageant, a blended portrayal of pioneer history, legend and faith. A highlight is the

‘Lend Me A Tenor’ opens Friday

tion of the building of the Vereins Kirche (the first public building in Fredericksburg), the reading of the Meusebach-Comanche Peace Treaty which was signed on May 9, 1847, and the annual wreath laying at the bust of John O. Meusebach will be live streamed from Marktplatz. Local historian Glen Treibs will preside over this ceremony.

FBG.Live, owned by Paige Findley, will provide the live video production.

All of the live-streams may be viewed at https:// fbg.live/events/, while the parade will also be available on the Facebook page of KNAF Radio.

I hope that most of you will be able to attend all of the Grand Finale Celebration events on May 5–8 in person. See an advertisement in this newspaper listing all the events.

Volunteers have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours preparing for the celebration. It should be a great weekend of history, entertainment, thankfulness, sharing of fond memories and family fun.

However, if you cannot make it in person, check out the live streams of selected events or view them in the FBG.Live archives later.

Happy 175th birthday to Fredericksburg!

Loeffler is the president and CEO of the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau.

friendship established with the native Comanche tribe, which resulted in an enduring Peace Treaty. I believe this to be among the greatest lessons to be learned from our founders — the value of seeing differences as opportunity versus the fear-mongering of sameness.

Here’s to another 175 years, Fredericksburg! We have a great pattern to adapt and follow.

Y.O. Ranch sets exotic game auction

The 32nd Annual Spring Y.O. Ranch Exotic Game Auction is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, kicking off at noon.

The sale will showcase exotic game offerings for purchase as well as via livestream through DV

Auctions.

With ticket purchase, guests will be treated to unlimited food and drinks, vendor pop-ups with local artisan booths and conclude with a live concert in the ranch’s 1,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, featur-

A celebratory opening night gala is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 29 in the lobby of the Steve W. Shepherd Theater, followed by a performance of the Fredericksburg Theater Company’s (FTC) spring comedy “Lend Me A Tenor.”

The production will have nine performances, running April 29 through May 15, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the Steve W. Shepherd Theater, 1668 U.S. 87 South.

The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. with food and beverages served in the lobby. Live music will play in the background, as audience members are free to mingle and enjoy the refreshments.

At 7:30 p.m., the curtain rises on “Lend Me A Tenor.” Following the first act, during intermission, desserts will be served in the lobby. All of this is included in the cost of admission to the opening night performance.

The original production was a sensation on Broadway and nominated for nine Tony Awards.

Set in the 1930s, “Lend Me a Tenor” is a screwball comedy that takes place when Tito Merelli, the fiery-tempered and worldfamous Italian superstar, arrives in Cleveland, Ohio to make his debut with the local opera and promptly goes missing.

Cast is Elliot Dooley as Max, Heidi Eubanks as Maggie, David Cummings as Saunders, Pierre Minjauw as Tito, Amy Taylor as Maria, Justin Elliott as Bellhop, Heidi Melton as Diana, and Rhonda Behrends as Julia.

Tickets are on sale now.

Performances are April 29 through May 15, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Admission is $29 for adults, $12 for children 17 and under. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at www.fredericksburgtheater.org or by calling the box office at 888-669-7114.

Auditions for ‘Forever Plaid’

ing Texas singer/songwriters Ray Wylie Hubbard, Django Walker and Ryan Culwell.

Tickets are available at https://bit.ly/3ENLioI

The Y.O. Ranch is located off Texas Highway 41, 140 miles southwest of Austin.

by Daniel Melton. Actors must sign up in advance for a five-minute time slot by calling the theater office at 888-9973588. Auditioners will need to prepare 32 bars of a show tune, or a verse and chorus, either a song from the show or one that best shows vocal range and abilities. A CD player and MP3 hookup will be available. A keyboard and accompanist will also be present. No acapella auditions please.

There will be a brief dance/movement auditions. Actors will also be asked to read scenes from the script. Scripts will be available to be checked out from the FTC Box Office.

Video auditions may also be submitted to Executive Director Steve Reily at fbgtheaterco@verizon.net with the subject line “Forever Plaid Auditions.”

Rehearsals are typically Monday through Friday,

6:30-9 p.m.

Technical/dress rehearsals are Aug. 15-18. Attendance at rehearsals and all performances is mandatory for the cast and crew.

Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18 (preview); 7:30 p.m. Aug. 19, 20, 26, 27 and 2 p.m. Aug. 21 and 28.

About the show

High school pals Sparky, Jinx, Smudge and Francis — the “Plaids” — are a talented “guy group,” just four nice young men who love singing harmony. On the way to their first big gig, tragedy strikes. The young men linger in limbo until the conjunction of various “astro-technical” phenomena allow them to return to Earth, perform their final concert, and hopefully win a place in Heaven — and the deluxe plaid dinner jackets of their dreams.

Auditions for FTC’s summer finale, “Forever Plaid” will be held Saturday, June 11, at 6:30 p.m., and Sunday, June 12, at 2 p.m. at the Steve W. Shepherd Theater. The production will be directed

McBride is the president and CEO of the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on the 175th Anniversary Grand Finale Weekend events, visit 175th.org.

Community Worship service slated for Thursday, May 5

The 175th Fredericksburg Anniversary Steering Committee will sponsor a community-wide worship service on Thursday, May 5, at the Fredericksburg High School Auditorium as the kick-off event for the Grand Finale Celebration of the 175th anniversary of Fredericksburg.

“Those of us who have been planning this worship service for over two years are thrilled to finally offer this opportunity for our community, in all its rich diversity of faith traditions, to unite in praise and thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness in shaping the past 175 years and this present moment,” said Planning Team Chair the Rev. Monte Marshall.

The 6 p.m. worship service will feature the combined voices of the Fredericksburg Chorale, directed by September van der Stoel, and the Fredericksburg High School Choir, directed by Ellie Parks, in a performance of the “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

Additional music will be provided by a brass ensemble directed by Bill Smallwood, and the Praise Band from Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, led by Don Doss.

Clergy from the community will lead the service. All past and present Fredericksburg pastors are invited to participate in an opening processional, sit together during worship, and lead the congregation back out into the world to conclude the service.

“As we gather for our 175th celebration, we are assured in the scriptures that when we dwell together in unity, it is there that the Lord commands His blessing,” said Senior Pastor the Rev. Jimmy Pruitt of Bridge Church FBG and president of the Gillespie County Ministerial Association.

The sermon, titled “Called to a Far Country,” will be delivered by Dr. Jeryl Hoover.

Hoover served in church ministry from 1981 to 1996.

In addition to Marshall, the 175th Community Worship Planning Team consists of the Reverends Bobby Vitek, Casey Zesch and Rick McMinn. Bob Straus will assist with staging and logistics.

Lester Frantzen of the 175th Fredericksburg Anniversary Steering Committee was the liaison with the Community Worship Planning Team.

The Fredericksburg High School Auditorium is located at 1107 Texas 16 South. Doors to the auditorium will open at 5:30 p.m. Overflow seating and a live stream of the service will be at Bridge Church, 224 FM 2093 (Tivydale Road) by Paige Findley’s Fbg.Live at https://fbg. live/events/.

After years of planning, delays, 175th finale weekend is near

175th Anniversary Celebration Weekend events slated at fair grounds

The Gillespie County Fair Grounds will host several special events of the 175th Anniversary Grand Finale Weekend on Friday, May 6.

“We look forward to honoring Fredericksburg’s commitment to lasting friendship with a great evening of events at the Gillespie County Fair Grounds,” said Tony Klein, Chairman of the 175th Anniversary Steering Committee.

“During our friendship ceremony, we will welcome our guests in multiple languages that have been spoken in Fredericksburg during the last 175 years, honor special guests, including members of the Comanche delegation and families of Fredericksburg’s founding father, John O. Meusebach and with a speech by Gen. Michael Hagee. The ceremony will be followed by a dinner and evening of live music.”

The “Lasting Friendship” ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. on a stage in front of the Gillespie County Fair Grounds grandstands, with seating available in the grandstands. Guests will be welcomed in English, German, Spanish and Comanche languages.

The ceremony will include a number of honored special guests, including Fredericksburg Mayor Charlie Kiehne; Gillespie

County Judge Mark Stroeher; Patsy Stewart, representing the John O. Meusebach family; Mark Woommavovah, Comanche Tribal Chairman; Billy Komahcheet, representing the Native American Church; Michael Ott, Deputy Consul General for Germany; Kyle Biedermann, Texas House of Representatives (tentative); former Mayor and co-chair of the 175th Anniversary Steering Committee Linda Langerhans and Jimmie Langerhans; Joe Kammlah, Francisco de la Torre, Gen. Michael Hagee (USMC, ret.), President/CEO, Admiral Nimitz Foundation; the Rev. Casey Zesch, representing the Gillespie County Ministerial Association; and Tony Klein, Master of Ceremonies and chairman of the 175th Anniversary Steering Committee.

During the ceremony Hagee will present a keynote speech on “Lasting Friendship.”

In addition, New Braunfels representatives Anne Miller and Benno Engel will present Fredericksburg with a special 175th Anniversary gift. New Braunfels was founded in 1845, just one year before Fredericksburg.

Fredericksburg officials will also present a key to the city to a representative of the Comanche delegation and to a representa-

tive of the descendants of John O. Meusebach.

A special 175th Anniversary community choir, including members from the Trinity (Stonewall), Zion, Holy Ghost and Bethany Lutheran choirs, the First Baptist choir, St. Mary’s Catholic and United Methodist choirs, as well as members of the German Choir and Fredericksburg Chorale will unite to present five selections: The Battle Hymn of the Republic, God Bless America, Texas Our Texas, God of Our Fathers Medley, and a German folk song.

Additional activities taking place at the Gillespie County Fair Grounds on Friday, May 6, include:

• 7:15 p.m. Cowboy cookout dinner, including sausage and potatoes. Meal by donation.

7:30 p.m. 175th Anniversary beard contest winners announced.

8 p.m. Live music by the Sam Whiskey Band begins on the outdoor stage.

9:30 p.m. Tentative viewing of the Grand Finale Fireworks from the fair grounds. (Note: Fireworks may be rescheduled due to the current burn ban in Gillespie County.)

10 p.m. Live music resumes on the outdoor stage.

Anniversary parade heads down Main Street on Saturday, May 7

Has your family been a part of Gillespie County for generations? Has your business been serving our residents for decades? Then you are the perfect entry for the anniversary parade on Saturday, May 7, according to Daryl Whitworth, spokesman.

The Fredericksburg 175th Anniversary Parade will take place on Saturday, May 7, beginning at 10 a.m. on Main Street.

“We have dozens of local families and businesses who are celebrating their heritage with us and we would invite you to join

them,” Whitworth said. “We want to acknowledge and honor those whose long-term commitment to the Fredericksburg area has made it such a unique and wonderful place.”

The 175th Anniversary Parade is set to feature the 13 themes of the 175th Anniversary year, including Lasting Craftsmanship, Lasting Traditions, Lasting Family Heritage, Lasting Stewardship of Land, Lasting Education, Lasting Healthcare, Lasting Innovation, Lasting Faith, Lasting Service, Lasting

Leadership, Lasting Commerce, Lasting Arts and Music and Lasting Friendship.

Parade floats and entries will honor Gillespie County families, businesses and organizations with more than three dozen entries confirmed.

The parade route will concur with previous Fourth of July Parade routes, beginning at the intersection of Main and Adams Streets.

The parade will travel East for three blocks on Main Street, U-turn at Washington Street in

front of the National Museum of the Pacific War before proceeding west on Main Street for eight blocks and ending at the intersection of Main and Bowie Streets.

Those interested in participating may get more details by emailing fbgparade@gmail. com.

There is no charge to enter the parade and you do not have to be in an historic costume to participate. Deadline to submit an entry is Tuesday, May 3.

HCM passing out free ‘Hats for Little Heads’ at 175th Parade

Families with young children are invited to pick up a free bike helmet offered at Hill Country Memorial’s “Hard Hats for Little Heads” project during the 175th Celebration Parade on Saturday, May 7.

HCM has partnered with the Texas Medical Association to purchase and hand out 250 free bike helmets, according to LeeAnn Shumpelt, RN, Emergency Department Supervisor and Trauma Program Manager.

“We would love to give them all away,” said Shumpelt, noting this is the first time HCM has offered this project to the community. “I think it is a great program, and any time we can prevent a head injury, it is a great thing.”

According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, cycling is the No. 1 cause of injury to children ages 14 and younger, with head

injuries the most common cause of serious disability and death. Children ages five to 14 are most at risk for traumatic brain injury due to low helmet use. Injuries resulting from bicycles, scooters, skateboards, inline and roller skates in that age group account for more than 500,000 emergency department visits every year.

A properly fitted helmet can reduce the risk of brain injury and head injury by 4085 percent. Other benefits include:

- Bicycle helmets protect against face, forehead and neck injuries;

- A child who rides with someone who is wearing a helmet is more likely to wear a helmet; and

- A helmet is estimated to prevent up to onehalf of fatal head injuries.

Pat’s Hall Night will pay homage to a bygone era of dancing and creating great memories at Pat’s Hall in Fredericksburg with an evening of live music and dancing Saturday, May 7, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Adelsverein Halle at Marktplatz.

The Saturday evening event

After the parade ends, members of the HCM staff and Emergency Room medical team will be on hand at a booth in front of the Police Annex on the southeast corner of Marktplatz.

They will measure each child’s head and use a chart to fit it with the proper-sized helmet. The helmets are free and will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis as long as they are available.

“This is a way for Hill Country Memorial to help keep you and your kids safer this summer,” Shumpelt said. “We hope everyone who needs a bike helmet shows up on Saturday to celebrate Fredericksburg and to celebrate safety.”

Anyone wanting more information can call 830-997-1304.

will honor Pat’s Hall which drew music fans from all over the Texas Hill Country for more than 30 years. Pat’s Hall began in the 1920s as Seipp’s Hall and became Pat’s Hall in the 1950s, where it continued to host live music on two dance floors — one indoor and

one under a historic oak tree, where dancers would two-step, waltz and schottische the night away.

Pat’s Hall hosted country music favorites like Jack Greene, Johnny Bush, Moe Bandy, Charlie Walker, Hank Thompson,

Founders Day Celebration will commemorate 175th anniversary

In honor of the 175th Anniversary of Fredericksburg, a Founders Day Celebration will take place on Saturday, May 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pioneer Museum.

“We hope the citizens of Fredericksburg will come celebrate the city’s 175th Geburtstag at their own Pioneer Museum,” said Marty Kaderli, event organizer. “Free admission for the day with lots of German music, great food from community service organizations, and lots of historical displays and demonstrations that the family will enjoy!”

The Founders Day Celebration will in-

clude food, live music and hands-on cultural activities for families.

Activities include:

• Free admission to the Pioneer Museum, Old Jail and Vereins Kirche Museum;

• Family-friendly programming, including blacksmithing, corn shellers, grist mills, fencing and rope making demonstrations as well as early period farm tractors;

• Food available for purchase, including sausage on a stick from the Fredericksburg Kiwanis, hamburgers from the Fredericksburg Lions Club, pulled pork tacos from the Nimitz Rotary Club, and authentic Indian Fry Bread from the Coman -

che delegation; • “Main Street Mockingbirds” book launch, including a meet and greet with local author Amy Beicker, as well as the illustrator and sculptor following the conclusion of the 175th Anniversary Parade along Main Street;

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Music by Yodel Blitz;

• 12-noon — Free community ice cream social courtesy of H-E-B and Natural Grocers;

• 1 p.m. — Historic fire engine program presented by Paul Hannemann, president of the Fredericksburg Volunteer Fire Department;

• 2-3 p.m. — Music by the Fredericksburg Akkordion Club.

Meusebach-Comanche Peace Treaty on exhibit

The original Meusebach-Comanche Peace Treaty, a Texas State Treasure, will be on exhibit for two days only, Saturday and Sunday, May 7-8, in the Temporary Gallery of the George H.W. Bush Gallery of the National Museum of the Pacific War, located at 311 East Austin Street in Fredericksburg.

Native Americans never broken by either side. The document is normally stored at the Texas State Library and Archives in Austin.

tee had designated the overall theme of the anniversary year as “Lasting Fredericksburg,” with monthly designated themes, as well.

2 DAYS ONLY

“The original ‘Meusebach-Comanche Treaty’ was signed between the German Immigration Company and the Comanches on May 9, 1847,” said Mike Hagee, President and CEO of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation. “It was the only treaty with

“As part of the 175th anniversary of the founding of Fredericksburg, we are proud to have it on display for viewing at our museum,” Hagee said. “The Temporary Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free. I encourage everyone to take this rare opportunity to view this important historic document.”

The 175th Fredericksburg Anniversary Steering Commit-

The theme for this final month of the celebratory year was designated as “Lasting Friendship” to honor the unbroken peace treaty and the continuing friendship between the Comanche Nation and the peoples of Fredericksburg. A grant from Humanities Texas assisted in the underwriting for the exhibit of the MeusebachComanche Peace Treaty in Fredericksburg and a 175th speaker series that was organized by the History Committee of the 175th

Wreath-laying, Vereins Kirche ceremonies May 8

Fredericksburg will continue to honor its 175th Anniversary with a wreath laying ceremony and commemoration of the building of the Vereins Kirche at Marktplatz at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 8.

Fredericksburg Anniversary Steering Committee, the Pioneer Museum/the Gillespie County Historical Society and the Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

The last lecture of the series will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 28 in the ballroom of the Historic Nimitz Hotel, located at 340 East Main Street.

The lecture is open to the public, and free of charge. Noted historians Dr. Dan Gelo and Dr. Chris Wickham will speak on the “Early Germans and the Comanche.”

The lecture will be live streamed for those who cannot attend in person at https://fbg. live/events.

175th speakers to address historic peace treaty

In 10 days, the community and its guests will have a unique opportunity to see the historic treaty between the Fredericksburg Germans and the Comanches.

The original Meusebach-Comanche Peace Treaty, a Texas State Treasure, will be on exhibit for two days only, Saturday and Sunday, May 7-8, in the Temporary Gallery of the George H.W. Bush Gallery of the National Museum of the Pacific War, located at 311 East Austin Street.

To speak to this unique relationship with the Germans and Comanches which led to the treaty, on Thursday, April 28, noted scholars, Drs. Dan Gelo and Christopher J. Wickham will speak at the Nimitz ballroom on this historic relationship. The free presentation begins at 7 p.m. The lecture will also be live streamed for those who cannot attend in person at https://fbg.live/events/.

Dr. Gelo, a dean in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts at the University of Texas, San Antonio, is one of the most sought-after experts on the American Indian. And Dr. Wickham is a Professor in the Depart-

Kenny Price, Wanda Jackson and country music legends Willie Nelson and George Strait and the Ace in the Hole Band. Pat’s Hall closed its doors in 1985.

“We are excited to recreate the ambiance of Pat’s Hall, a long-time favorite dance hall of locals,” said Debbie Reeh, 175th committee member. “Since I moved here is the late 1970s, many people have shared wonderful memories listening to music and dancing there.

“One I remember well was the outdoor pavilion and dancing around in a circle un-

ment of Modern Languages and Literatures at UTSA.

“The original ‘Meusebach-Comanche Treaty’ was signed between the German Immigration Company and the Comanches on May 9, 1847,” said Mike Hagee, President and CEO of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation. “It was the only treaty with Native Americans never broken by either side. The document is normally stored at the Texas State Library and Archives in Austin.

“As part of the 175th anniversary of the founding of Fredericksburg, we are proud to have it on display for viewing at our museum. The Temporary Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free. I encourage everyone to take this rare opportunity to view this important historic document.”

A grant from Humanities Texas assisted in the underwriting for the exhibit of the Meusebach-Comanche Peace Treaty in Fredericksburg and a 175th speaker series that was organized by the History Committee of the 175th Fredericksburg Anni-

der the huge oak tree. I, too, got to dance under that tree,” Reeh said. “For our Pat’s Hall evening, Karen Oestreich and I went to Friendly Natives to inquire about a tree. They donated a 22-foot oak tree for us to dance around. The tree will be under the Adelsverein Halle on May 7.”

The live music lineup for Pat’s Hall Night includes:

5-5:45 p.m., Bill Smallwood Band;

6-6:45 p.m., Wagon Aces;

7- 7:30 p.m., Mark Scott;

versary Steering Committee, Pioneer Museum/Gillespie County Historical Society and the Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

Gelo is Dean and Professor of Anthropology Emeritus and former Stumberg Distinguished University Chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Gelo holds Ph.D., M.Phil., M.A., and B.A. degrees in anthropology from Rutgers University. He is the author of numerous books, including one on the Comanche vocabulary.

Wickham is Professor Emeritus of German at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He earned his B.A.(Hons) and M.Phil. at the University of Reading (UK) and his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He taught at the Universität Regensburg, Germany, Allegheny College, PA, and the University of Illinois at Chicago before moving to UTSA in 1991.

In March, Gelo and Wickham made the first presentation in the speaker series on a historical anthropological analysis of three mid-19th century sketches by a German immigrant to Texas, Wilhelm Friedrich.

7:45-9:30 p.m., Darrel & Mona McCall with Tony Booth; 9:45-11 p.m., George Chambers & The Country Gentlemen. The event is free to attend, and guests are invited to bring their own chairs, drinks and snacks.

★ For free copies of the 188-page 175th Commemorative Magazine “175 Years of Rich History,” call 830-997-2155.

The event will include a wreath laying at the Meusebach bust in front of the Vereins Kirche at Marktplatz, as well as a reading of the Meusebach — Comanche Peace Treaty and commemoration of the building of the Vereins Kirche in 1847.

The Vereins Kirche is the first public building in Fredericksburg which served as a church, school and community meeting hall.

The wreath laying ceremony and commemoration will be led by local historian Glen Treibs.

“The Vereins Kirche has been loved by our people since the earliest days of our town,” Treibs said. “It’s fitting that we commemorate this symbol of Fredericksburg.” The event is free to attend and open to the public.

Pioneer Dinner will honor founding families on May 8

A Pioneer Dinner honoring Fredericksburg’s founding families will take place on Sunday, May 8, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Adelsverein Halle at Marktplatz.

Sponsored by Woolsacks, the event will honor descendants of the original pioneers listed in the 1850 Fredericksburg census who are 75 years of age and older. (Reservations are now closed.)

“Friedrich and Caroline Bartel Koock sailed from Hamburg, Christmas Day 1845, with their five children,” Timothy Koock recalled. “Three children died during the difficult voyage to Indianola. Friedrich, a schoolteacher, died tragically later, Christmas Eve 1846 on Barons Creek, exactly one year from leaving Germany. That had to be a very sad Christmas in our family.

“My great-grandparents, Wilhelm Koock and Wilhelmina Jordan Koock (losing seven of their 12 children) opened a mercantile store in 1868 serving the Hill Country wool and mohair ranchers,” he continued. “Woolsacks continues this family tradition with a great partner, Tom Gromus, now serving this industry across the United States.”

The 1850 census shows that there were 110 family units in Fredericksburg, with the oldest person being 68 years old.

The majority of the residents in 1850 had been born in Germany, with some born in Texas. According to the census, there were also

PAT’S HALL NIGHT

Hoover for Mayor

City Council

Emily Kirchner for

Tony Klein for City Council

Police investigate cat, car thefts

Fredericksburg Police Department officers investigated five thefts last week at a local car dealership, chain store and public park and looked into a robbery of a cat and vehicle.

On April 18, an officer was dispatched to a business on the 1200 block of U.S. 87 South regarding a theft. The complainant told the officer they filled out a check Feb. 10 to XL Parts in Houston.

The check was deposited Feb.

18. The complainant advised they received a call from XL Parts advising they had not been paid the amount that was due. The complainant learned that the check was deposited into a different bank and was signed by an unknown suspect. The complaintant was provided a case number and told the case would be given to Criminal Investigation Division for further investigation.

Also on Monday, a patrol officer was dispatched to the 1400 block on East Main Street for a theft that had occurred on Feb. 28 at a store. The complainant made a report of the incident and a case number was provided.

An officer was dispatched to Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park Pavilion 4 regarding a theft of trash barrels on April 19. The patrol officer arrived on scene and learned that the barrels had been located.

On April 21, an officer spoke with a complainant regarding a possible stolen cat in the 200 block of Shannon Drive. The complainant said the cat was seen in a neighbor’s window. The case was forwarded to CID.

On April 23, an officer was dispatched to the 700 block of South Washington Street regarding a theft of a vehicle. Later in the day the Boerne Police Department contacted FPD about the recovery of the vehicle. The vehicle was picked up and placed on hold until the owner could retrieve it. The report was forwarded to CID for further investigation.

Fraud Officers investigated three frauds last week. The first was reported on April 20. An out-ofstate complainant told an officer that an unknown suspect was sending the complainant fake checks. The case was forwarded to CID for further investigation.

On April 21 a patrol officer spoke with a complainant regarding an email and Facebook account that had been hacked. The patrol officer advised to contact the Facebook and Gmail IT departments. No further action was needed.

A patrol officer spoke with a complainant regarding house rental fraud on April 22. The complainant said they paid a deposit to rent a house in the 300 block of West Burbank Street but the owner had disconnected their phone. The complainant wanted to make a report and to let law enforcement know that someone was possibly scamming people. A report was made for documentation.

Drug/alcohol arrests

On April 22, a patrol officer was dispatched to the 2200 block of Texas 16 South regarding a woman and man who sat in their vehicle for several hours. Jessica Rae Sanchez, 36, of Leakey and Jalen Jess Hidalgo, 28, of Camp Wood were both arrested for possession of controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon, then taken to the Gillespie County Jail. An officer conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of West Austin and North Milam streets on April 23. A field sobriety test was conducted on Jeremy Ray Salinas, 34, of Victoria, who was arrested for driving while intoxicated and taken to jail. On the same day, a patrol sergeant was dispatched to the 100 block of West Austin Street regarding a fight. Upon arriving on scene, the sergeant made contact with the parties involved. John Justin Sanchez, 29, of Fredericksburg was arrested for public intoxication and was taken to jail.

On April 24, officers made two public intoxication arrests. In the first incident, a patrol officer was dispatched to the intersection of South Bowie and West San Antonio streets for a complainant who could not find their friend. When the officer spoke with the male subject, he detected a strong odor of alcohol. Xavier Roman Garcia, 35, of San Antonio, was arrested for public intoxication and transported to jail.

A patrol sergeant was dispatched the same day to the 500 block of East Main Street regarding a disturbance between a man and woman. While speaking to

both subjects, the sergeant determined they were both intoxicated. Drew Waylon McCreless, 30, and Megan Warne McCreless, 28, both of Kerrville were arrested for public intoxication and taken to jail.

Warrant arrests

Police made five warrant arrests last week while on patrol.

On April 18, a patrol officer conducted a traffic stop on the 3200 block of Texas 16 South for a traffic violation.

After running the male driver’s and three passengers’ information through dispatch, Ismael Lopez, of 25, of Fort Worth, was arrested on a Tarrant County warrant for driving while intoxicated and taken to jail.

A patrol officer observed a man and woman walking on the 500 block of East Highway Street on April 20.

The officer identified both subjects from prior incidents and had dispatch check for warrants.

Antonio De Servantez, 28, of San Antonio, was arrested and taken to jail on a Bexar County retaliation warrant.

On April 23, an officer was dispatched to the 200 block of Skylark Drive regarding a disturbance. Dispatch ran the male subject’s information and advised the officer in route to the scene that the man had an outstanding warrant. Taylor Ryan Tomlinson, 31, of Fredericksburg, was arrested on local warrant for theft of property and was taken to jail.

On April 23, an officer was dispatched to the 400 block of Lady Bird Drive for a man who had an outstanding warrant. Jonathan Paul Castillo, 47, of Kerrville, was arrested on a Brazoria County warrant for stealing and receiving a stolen check, then taken to jail.

Also on Saturday, a patrol officer was dispatched to the 200 block of West San Antonio Street regarding a physical disturbance. Upon arrival, officers saw a man running from the area and apprehended him a few blocks away.

Nathan Tremayne Riddle, 24, of Denton, was arrested for evading arrest detention and for Collin and Travis county warrants for aggravated assault causes bodily injury and burglary of habitation, respectively. He was taken into jail.

Other

On April 19, a patrol officer was

Gillespie County Crimestoppers requests

dispatched to the 600 block of East Main Street regarding a possible robbery. Several patrol officers arrived on scene and learned no robbery had taken place. No further action was needed.

On Wednesday, April 20, a patrol officer was dispatched to the 200 block of East San Antonio Street for a possible burglary that had taken place two to three days prior to this call.The complainant told the officer someone had broken

Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office deputies are seeking information regarding an attempted vehicle burglary at a local muscle car shop that occurred at 1:50 p.m., Saturday, April 23.

Deputies responded to call on the 7900 block of Texas 16 South for the attempted burglary of a 2001 Ford Excursion parked inside the fence line of the property.

An unknown person, or persons, attempted to remove the front side passenger door handle but was unsuccessful.

The front driver’s side window was broken out in an attempt to steal the vehicle and evidence was collected from inside and around the vehicle.

The GCSO would like to remind the public to be sure to remove any items of value from vehicles and make sure to lock garage and home doors.

They also ask the public to be on the lookout and report any suspicious persons, vehicles, or activity that might seem out of the ordinary.

If anyone has any information regarding the burglary, contact the GCSO at (830) 997-7585. Those who wish to remain anonymous, contact Gillespie County Crime Stoppers at (830) 997-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip via the website at www.gillespiecountycrimestoppers.com.

Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office deputies are seeking information regarding an attempted vehicle burglary at a local muscle car shop that occurred at 1:50 p.m., Saturday, April 23.

Deputies responded to call on the 7900 block of Texas 16 South for the attempted burglary of a 2001 Ford Excursion parked inside the fence line of the property.

An unknown person, or persons, attempted to remove the front side passenger door handle but was unsuccessful.

The front driver’s side window was broken out in an attempt to steal the vehicle and evidence was collected from inside and around the vehicle.

The GCSO would like to remind the public to be sure to remove any items of value from vehicles and make sure to lock garage and home doors.

They also ask the public to be on the lookout and report any suspicious persons, vehicles, or activity that might seem out of the ordinary.

If anyone has any information regarding the burglary, contact the GCSO at (830) 997-7585. Those who wish to remain anonymous, contact Gillespie County Crime Stoppers at (830) 997-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip via the website at www.gillespiecountycrimestoppers.com.

Austin man killed on Dead Man’s Curve

An Austin man died from injuries in a motorcycle crash that occurred April 18, along Texas 16 South, according to the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office.

Joe Gorman, 73, of Austin, was thrown from his motorcycle on the 5500 block of Texas 16 South near what is known as Dead Man’s Curve at 9:29 a.m., Monday.

Gorman was treated at the scene by the Fredericksburg Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services and transported to University Hospital in San Antonio, where he died at 5:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 19, from injuries sustained in the crash, according to a sheriff’s report.

Gorman was southbound headed to Kerrville for an appointment, when deputies, firefighters and EMTs were dispatched.

There have been 60 crashes in the area known as Dead Man’s Curve between 2012-2022, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

On Friday, April 22 at 5:56 p.m., deputies responded to a onevehicle crash in the 11000 block of Texas 16 South where a vehicle lost control and skidded backward into a large metal pole and sign. The driver, Emmanuel Aleman, 38, of Kerrville, was airlifted via helicopter to San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) for unspecified injuries.

Deputies were called to a convenience store on the 14000 block of U.S. 290 East for a possible intoxicated driver who hit another vehicle while in the parking lot, then left the location on Sunday, April 24, at 7:09 p.m.

Deputies located the vehicle at a residence nearby. The driver, Corey Dale Pomier, 38, of Stonewall, was arrested and charged with duty on striking unattended vehicle.

Drugs

On Monday, April 18, at 4:31 p.m. a deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle whose passenger did not possess a valid driver’s license along Old San Antonio Road. The driver evaded the deputy by driving at speeds of 85 MPH. While pursuing the vehicle, the deputy observed items being discarded near the Pedernales River Bridge. The vehicle came to a stop near the 3800 block of Old San Antonio Road. The driver, Samson Arvil Hastings, 38, of Fredericksburg, fled from the deputy on foot and discarded a loaded syringe that contained liquid methamphetamine.

Hastings was arrested and charged with evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, tampering with physical evidence, and possession of a controlled substance and transported to jail.

Disturbance

On Tuesday, April 19, at 12:44 p.m., a deputy was dispatched to a residence on the 600 block of Eichen Strasse for a welfare concern. Upon arrival, it was determined that an assault had taken place. Maria Dolores Jimenez Covarrubias, 41, of Fredericksburg, was arrested and charged with injury to child or disabled person and taken to jail.

Other

Deputies arrested four people on outstanding warrants and trav-

eled to three counties to pick up and drop off inmates wanted on warrants

On Monday, April 18, at 8:47 p.m., a deputy initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 12000 block of U.S. 290 East for speeding. After making contact, the deputy learned the female driver had an outstanding warrant out of Travis County.

Courtney Michelle Feller, 35, of Austin, was arrested on an assault causes bodily injury/family violence warrant.

On Tuesday, April 19 at 12:50 p.m., a detention officer met a man with an outstanding warrant at the Gillespie County Jail. Octovanio Cantu, 54, of Stonewall, was arrested on prohibited substance in correctional facility warrant and was escorted into the jail.

On Thursday, April 21, at 10:38 p.m., deputies went to a residence in the 200 block of Windsong Lane for a male subject with an outstanding warrant. Kohwen Earl Pfiester, 25, of Fredericksburg, was arrested on a criminal trespass with deadly weapon warrant and jailed.

On Friday, April 22 at 3:19 a.m., two deputies left the county to pick up a male inmate in Marietta, Oklahoma. The male inmate, David Van Buren Davis, 54, of San Marcos, was picked up on local charges or warrants and transported to the Gillespie County Jail.

Prisoner transports last week included: Nicholas Craig, 34, of Willow City, to the Glossbrenner Unit in San Diego, Texas, on Wednesday, April 20, 5:44 a.m.; Daniel James Davis, 33, of Kerrville, to the Dominguez Unit in San Antonio on Wednesday, April

20, at 7:45 a.m.; and Juan Paul Flores, 29, of San Antonio, who was picked up in Richmond on Friday, April 22 at 5:51 a.m. by detention officers on local charges or warrants and transported to the Gillespie County Jail.

Weekly Totals Deputies handled a total of 564 calls during the week of April 1824 and a total of 21 people were booked into jail. The jail population as of Monday, April 25 was 88. Deputies also worked four minor and two major crashes and assisted the Fredericksburg Police Department with two crashes and the Department of Public Safety with one crash.

April 18-24

Gillespie County Fire, Rescue Calls April 17-23, 2022

Fredericksburg

Sunday, April 17 – 11 a.m., Deerway Drive, general investigation.

Sunday, April 17 – 1:48 p.m., Ranch Road 965, search/ rescue.

Sunday, April 17 – 3:05

p.m., West Live Oak Street/ Upper Live Oak Road, motor vehicle accident (MVA).

Monday, April 18 – 9:29

a.m., Texas 16 South/Leyendecker Road, MVA.

Wednesday, April 20 – noon, West Main Street, hazmat.

Thursday, April 21 – 12:49

p.m., West Lower Crabapple Road, MVA.

Thursday, April 21 – 1:44

p.m., U.S. 87 North/Cherry Mountain Loop, general investigation.

Thursday, April 21 – 5:46

p.m.,

representatives on the board.

Stroeher mentioned that the Oversight Board meeting had some tense disagreement regarding the proposed allowance of four other counties into the PDO.

Atascosa, Frio, Wilson and Karnes counties had all expressed a desire to join the PDO agreement. Talks became heated during the Oversight Board meeting, as some representatives of the other counties threatened to disband from the office to reorganize with the new counties instead.

“It was close to fragmenting,” said Schuch, “and then that would not have been good for our county.”

Negotiations were made at the Oversight Board meeting, and the PDO agreed to remain with its current original five counties.

Schuch said, “I think cooler minds prevailed and what was done is the best thing for all of

DEATHS Greenburg

Clementina Stein Greenburg, 79, of San Antonio and Doss, died Saturday, April 23, 2022.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 29, at the Family Chapel in Greenwood Cemetery.

The family will greet friends from 10:30-11 a.m. Friday at the Family Chapel, prior to the service.

Memorials may be made to Holy Ghost Lutheran Church or the charity of choice.

Arrangements are under the direction of Schaetter Funeral Home.

A complete obituary will follow.

Napier

Dr. H. Albert Napier Jr.,

our citizens and for each county involved.”

Schuch and Stroeher both conveyed that the PDO has brought in quality attorneys. “We’ve lost some good attorneys,” said Stroeher, “but they apparently have brought in some that they’re really happy with, some young attorneys that are really sharp.”

Gillespie County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve Medina County as the new Fiscal Agent for the PDO, pending the approval of the other member counties.

Agenda items:

Other agenda items of the April 25 meeting include:

Approved the installation of an entry gate to the Texas Forest Service apron by Straube Machine & Welding; Amended the lease agreement with 224 Business Court LLC to include an increase in property;

• Approved the hiring of personnel at Gillespie Coun-

Ph.D., 77, of San Antonio, died Friday, April 22, 2022.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, May 5, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fredericksburg.

Memorials may be made to the H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge at Rice University in Houston.

Arrangements are under the direction of Schaetter Funeral Home.

A complete obituary will follow.

Sauer Mrs. Emil H. Sauer, 100, nee Marie Hagel, of Fredericksburg and formerly of Doss, died Monday, April 25, 2022.

Private services are planned by the family.

Arrangements are under the direction of Schaetter Funeral Home.

A complete obituary will

Farmers Market continues Thursday

Cont. from A1

ty Airport;

• Authorized the Final Plat of The Hideout Ranch Subdivision in Precinct 2; Authorized the Final Plat of J & R Dean Subdivision in Precinct 2; Approved the amended replat of Lot 10 of the Kristen’s Hill Subdivision in Precinct 2;

• Approved the advertising for hiring personnel for both the JP 2 office and the Sanitation/Floodplain office;

• Authorized the purchase of two squashed metal culverts to be installed in Precinct 3;

• Set time to canvass ballots at the IT office on May 16, at 8:30 a.m., for the May 7 Constitutional Amendment Election; Approved annual maintenance of Quicklink-Lite for the County Clerk’s office;

• Authorized county treasurer training for the HR director.

A complete listing of the agenda for the regular meeting on Monday, April 25 can be found at: https://bit. ly/38p0NHO

follow.

Fredericksburg Farmer’s Market’s (FFM) sevenmonth-long schedule of bringing locally grown and produced foods to downtown Fredericksburg is underway.

The market is celebrating its 15th year of operation and will take place at the Adelsverein Halle at Marktplatz.

Every Thursday from 4-7 p.m. until Aug. 11, shoppers can meet farmers and producers, while shopping for fresh produce at Marktplatz.

Shoppers are invited to come for the food and stay for the atmosphere where they can purchase meals and snacks while listening to live music.

Pizza baked in a wood burning oven, various dishes, including soups, salads, sliders and pastries are all made with local ingredients and can be enjoyed picnic-style under the pavilion. Wine from local wineries can be purchased by the glass or bottle and non-alcoholic iced beverages are also served.

Desserts and ice cream

are also available. At the Chef’s Corner, visitors will find free samples prepared by local chefs using ingredients from the market. CMeet the farmer, rancher, chef and artisan

Addition

G&P Longhorn Ranch Guesthouses was omitted from the ‘Joining Hearts in the Hills’ article in the Fredericksburg StandardRadio Post’s Promises

Coming Soon for 2022

baker. Support local agriculture and viticulture in Fredericksburg, the community way to shop for great food. For more, go to fredericksburgtxfarmersmarket.com.

2022 Wedding Guide. They are located at 9108 Ranch Road 965, and can be contacted at 713-8518206 or 713-818-5644. Their website is www. gpranch.com.

The Hill Country’s most comprehensive Health Guide

For more information, or advertising possibilities, call (830) 997-2155 or email Ann Duecker (ann@fredericksburgstandard.com) or Cindy Burdorf (cindygb@fredericksburgstandard.com)

Residents reminded of voter changes

Voting by mail in Texas has seen changes in 2022.

“From changes in the application, to changes in the requirements on the ballot carrier envelope, and finally, to new options for correcting a problem with your ballot, voting by mail is not the same as it was in the past,” a spokesperson said. “It’s important for all voters who are eligible to vote by mail to be aware of three substantial changes to the ballot-by-mail process in Texas. Understanding these three modifications of the election law will help you make sure your vote counts.”

Eligibility

Not everyone in Texas is eligible to vote by mail.

Those in the following categories are able to request an application to vote by mail at the local election office:

- 65 or older;

- Disabled or have a sickness/physical condition preventing a voter from entering the polling place without suffering injury or needing assistance; - Expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day; - Expected to be absent from the county during early voting and on Election Day; or

- Confined to jail or civilly committed, but otherwise eligible to vote.

Applications

With the new laws, voters must fill out an application entirely. One of the new requirements is that voters must include an ID number on the application.

“This can be your Texas Driver License number, your personal ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number,” the spokesperson said. “The vast majority of registered voters in Texas have both numbers on their voter registration record, but if you are unsure which number to put — you can feel free to put both just to be safe.”

The law requires that one of the numbers matches a number on the voter’s voter registration record. The ID number must be on the application and the ballot carrier envelope.

Ballot Carrier Envelope

Once the ballot is complete, voters are asked to put it in the white security envelope and place it in the purple and white ballot carrier envelope, but not seal it.

“There are several pieces of information that you

Democrats to hear U.S. House candidate tonight-

Ricardo Villarreal, a candidate for the 21st District, U.S. House of Representatives, will speak at a business meeting of members of the Gillespie County Democratic Association (GCDA) tonight, April 27, at the Gillespie County Democratic Party Headquarters, 209 North Crockett Street.

The meeting officially begins at 6:30 p.m., but club members will have an opportunity at 6 p.m. to speak informally with Villarreal who is competing against Claudia Zapata in the May 24 Democratic Party runoff.

Early voting in that election runs from May 1620 and for which ballot-bymail applications are now being accepted through May 13, with May 24 being the last day to return a mail ballot.

Later, Zapata will speak to GCDA members on May 18 to seek the party’s nomination to run for the 21st District U.S. congressional seat in the Nov. 8 general election.

Also at tonight’s meeting, members will take up routine club business matters as well as hear a report from GCDP Chair Cathy Collier.

Club president Dave Schafer said there will also be a discussion of

must provide on your ballot carrier envelope before you seal the security flap,” the spokesperson said. “Just like you did on the application, you must put an ID number — your Texas Driver License, Personal ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number — in the space provided under the security flap of the envelope.”

This is similar to a voter showing his or her photo ID in person.

“It ensures that the person who was supposed to vote the ballot is, in fact, the person who completed and sent the ballot. These numbers are required in order for your vote to count,” the spokesperson said.

After this, the envelope can be sealed. The envelope should be signed and, if the voter was helped by an assistant or witness, they must fill out the section of the envelope with their information.

Voters should mail the ballot with enough time for the election office to receive it. Ballots must be received by 5 p.m. the day after Election Day and postmarked no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

Correcting a

Vote

upcoming Democratic events and activities.

“At our monthly meetings, you can meet other Democrats and learn about candidates, issues and pending elections,” Schafer said. “This is an important election year and a great time to get involved.”

Last week, the association hosted a candidate forum in the Gillespie County Law Enforcement Center meeting room for six individuals running in the May 7 City of Fredericksburg Independent School District board of trustees, with four vying for two three-year terms and two seeking a single one-year term.

Annual association membership dues for 2022 of $10 per individual or $15 per family may either be paid in-person, by mail (Gillespie County Democratic Association, 209 N. Crockett, Suite 1, Fredericksburg, TX 78624) or by emailing club treasurer Becky Walch (gillespiedems@gmail. com).

The GCDA is a nonprofit social organization that supports the growth and influence of the Democratic Party. The public is invited to join Gillespie County Democrats in becoming a part of the club’s fellowship.

Ballot Carrier Envelope “In the past, if you made a mistake when voting by mail, your ballot was rejected, with few — if any — opportunities for a second chance,” the spokesperson said. “With the new laws, you have the ability to correct a problem within six days after Election Day.”

Voters can also cast their ballots in person if they are aware of the problem by Election Day.

“Adding a phone number or e-mail address to your carrier envelope is the best way for county officials to contact you regarding any issues with your ballot,” the spokesperson said. “The Early Voting Ballot Board will reach out if you provide your contact information on your mail ballot materials.” If a voter forgot to add a personal ID number on the carrier in the March election, these are the ways it can be corrected:

- Going to the local elections office to certify ID information within six days before Election Day;

- Going to www.votetexas. gov and clicking “Track My Ballot” to confirm ID information within six days of Election Day; or - Voting in person by the time polls close on Election Day.

ADAM RILEY for FISD SCHOOL BOARD

Experience: 8 years Teaching and Coaching for FISD

• Only candidate for 3-Year term with teaching experience

• Will provide knowledge, experience, & input other candidates cannot

• 3 years at FMS & 5 years at FHS

• Social Studies Teaching Field - Including AP Classes for Last 3 Years

• Taught Grades 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and assisted in AEP

• Coached football, basketball, baseball, and track

Vision for FISD:

• Serve Those Who Serve Others - Sustainable, Attractive Educator Compensation

• See FISD grow into an educational destination reflective of the values of Gillespie County

• Benefit from the economic growth & investment from our community being a tourist destination

• Vote Yes in the School Bond Election. Help Invest in the future of FISD.

• Ask those investing here for business to also invest in our schools

• Resist Trends of Cancel Culture & Agendas That Aren’t Reflective of Community & Best Interests Pol. Ad. paid for by Adam Riley for FISD School Board

87719.46

There will be prize giveaways as well as door and attendance prizes.

Proceeds will go to the preservation of St. Joseph’s Society and Halle, local scholarships for high school seniors, and the ministries of St. Joseph Society and St. Mary’s Parish and Catholic School.

Those who have not had a chance to see the work completed at St. Joseph’s Halle should not miss this chance, directors said.

There will be a prize drawing and festival fun to partake in.

St. Joseph’s Society has been an integral part of St. Mary’s Parish since its establishment by the Rev. Joseph Roch (Rawk) in February of 1899.

Roch knew it would be best for the society if it had its own home, so he set about the difficult task of building the St. Joseph’s Halle, which stands today as a memorial to his zeal.

Construction of the Halle was completed and it was dedicated in 1900. Roch died at the age of

33 on June 14, 1904 and lay in repose in the Halle prior to his funeral mass and burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

The Halle has been the site of meetings of various parish organizations, community arts and music groups, parish and St. Mary’s School gatherings, and socials and entertainments of all sorts.

Following a major renovation and upgrade, St. Joseph’s Halle is now a state-of-the-art meeting venue that offers use to the community of Fredericksburg and beyond.

The purposes of the St. Joseph’s Society are: Promotion and support among its members of a strong religious life consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church; to aid its members in sickness and distress, and honor their memory after death; and inculcation in its members love and esteem for the German tongue, customs, and mode of life.

For more information, contact Darin Holmes, DDS, at 830-456-1999.

www.honorveteransnow.org

Please call 830-997-1709

Love of neighbor for the Salvation Army by two eighth-grade students, Juan Viveros, left, and Glen Umlang of St. Mary’s School, was a welcome demonstration of goodness amid current events, said their Salvation Army-Fredericksburg Chapter Chairperson Mary Holland (center). Both boys completed an academic challenge to compose and deliver a speech at a recent presentation about charitable donations and why they chose the Salvation Army. Their talk even inspired an anonymous, yet generous, donation. “We at the Salvation Army thank the boys for their donors’ generous donations and especially their Agape,” Holland said. The students’ teacher is Misti McMordie. — Submitted photo

Good Samaritan Center spring fundraising dinner set

The Good Samaritan Center (GSC) has set its annual Spring Fundraising Dinner and Good Samaritan of the Year Award presentation for Tuesday, May 3, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The event will take place at the St. Mary’s Holy Family Center, 304 W. San Antonio St. A multi-course dinner will be served, along with complimentary wine and beer.

“Our fourth annual Good Samaritan of the Year Awards are going to the eight dental professionals who volunteer their time and skills to serve our patients in our clinic: Drs. Michael Brunvold, Arnold Cuellar, David Heinrich, Zach Hoerster, Jay Lindsay and Kenneth Wiedenfeld, and hygienists Veronica Strackbein and Sandra Striegler,” said John Willome, GSC’s executive director.

“Additionally, we are honoring the past two years’ recipients: general surgeons Drs. Gregory Andreassian, Lance Love and Jay Stouffer for 2020 and gastroenterologist Dr. Christopher Fincke for 2021.”

Event tickets cost $100 per person, of which $50 is tax deductible. Reserved tables for eight are available for purchase at $1,000 with a total tax deduction

Beef and Range Field Day slated

Beef and Range Field Day will be held May 12 at the Gillespie County Fair Grounds.

The first educational program will take place from 3-4 p.m. Registration and exhibits will be from 4-4:45 p.m.

A meal will be served at 5 p.m.

From 5:30-7:30 p.m., the second educational program will take place with door prizes.

Continuing Education

Units will also be available for those who qualify.

Meal tickets are now available for $15, and can be purchased at the USDA Farm Service Agency, 1906 N. Llano St. or at the Gillespie County AgriLife Extension office at 38 Business Ct.

Local newspapers keep readers up-to-date on their own communities.

In many instances, local newspapers are the only means people have to learn about what's going on in their own communities.

Local politics impact residents' lives every day, and local newspapers cover local politics extensively.

Local newspapers benefit nearby businesses.

Small business owners often connect with community members via local newspapers.

Stonewall Heritage Society to present May 1 program

The Stonewall Heritage Society will meet at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 1, for its first program in two years.

The meeting will be at St. Thomas Hall next to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Stonewall (400 St. Francis St.).

The society invites any interested persons to attend this event and also to join the organization which has quarterly meetings about the community and the history of the Stonewall area.

The title of the program is “The History and People of Weinheimer Ranch, from German Immigrants to Texas Ranchers” and will be presented by Don Weinheimer and other members of the Weinheimer family.

The Weinheimer Ranch has been family owned since 1878.

Refreshments will be served after the presentation.

of $600.

Seating is limited and all tickets must be purchased by Monday, April 25. Tickets are available for purchase at the center or for sale online at http:goodsamfbg.org.

“This event typically sells out pretty fast,” Willome said. “Our written invitations went out last week, and more than half the tickets are already gone.”

Estela Avery, Cindy and Bruce Busby and Joseph Financial Partners have already signed on as underwriters for this year’s dinner.

“It’s almost impossible to express our gratitude and appreciation for their generous partnership,” Willome said.

Business sponsorships are also being accepted through April 26.

“Businesses have a range of support options, beginning with a basic sponsorship for $200 all the way to a table package for $1,100,” Willome said.

Each participating sponsor will receive publicity in the event’s dinner program, mention in GSC’s summer newsletter (with a circulation 2,100), on the center’s webpage and social media, as well as a receipt acknowledging their deductible advertising expense.

Complete sponsorship details are on the center’s website.

“We are delighted, for the first time in three years, to able to celebrate together — in person — with fellowship and fun,” Willome, said. “And, we want everyone to walk away feeling blessed to be part of the center’s life-saving mission to our community’s uninsured, low-income workers.”

The Good Samaritan Center is a faith-based charitable clinic providing medical, dental and mental-health services, as well as prescription medication assistance, diabetes management training and wellness education for lowincome families with no health insurance.

“We lift people back to health and productivity,” Willome said. “Our services help keep employees at work and out of the hospital emergency room.”

Services are provided for a small fraction of what they would cost elsewhere in keeping with the center’s mission statement to provide quality, coordinated and affordable healthcare.

To purchase a ticket, become a sponsor or make a donation, call 830-9908651 or drop by 140 Industrial Loop.

Political Announcements

of $40 for county candidates, $50 for district candidates, $30 for city candidates and $25 for school board candidates by their designated treasurers, the names of whom are on file in the offices of the Standard-Radio Post, 712 West Main Street, Fredericksburg, TX 78624.

The names of the candidates printed below are listed in the order in which they were announced at the newspaper office.

CITY OFFICES

Mayor Charlie Kiehne

Political

Jeryl Hoover

Timothy Ellis Riley

City Council

Tom Musselman

Emily Eppright Kirchner

Anthony “Tony“ Klein

James McDonald

SCHOOL BOARD

3-Year Term

Matt Seidenberger

Adam Riley

J.D. Windham

Mark D. Cornett

1-Year Term

Natalie Smith Bowman

Jake Whittington

Stonewall Heritage Society also is continuing its annual membership drive. New members are being solicited and current members will receive a letter and renewal form as a reminder to send in their dues.

The society meets quarterly at the restored Lindig cabin on Elberta Street. Its goal is to preserve local history by designating and maintaining historic structures, sites and landmarks, to collect and preserve historic furnishings and archival materials, to record and preserve memories about the early years of the area, and to promote an appreciation and awareness of local history and culture.

Membership is open to anyone who enjoys local history programs and fellowship.

Meetings have featured the Pehl family and their battle with polio in 1952, Bryon Schaetter and the history of the Schaetter Funeral Home and family, and the Rocky Hill Orchard and their Belted Galloways.

The spring tours in April have featured a field trip to the Altstadt Brewery, a tour of the local dance halls, and a visit to the J.W. and Ruth Baines home in Fredericksburg.

A quarterly newsletter is mailed to all members with a summary of the last meeting’s program, current business, and information about coming events. Past newsletter articles are available upon request.

Dues are for the maintenance of the Heritage Center cabin and grounds and for the preservation of the tapes that have been collected about past programs since 1994. Many programs were given by people of Stonewall who are no longer living, but who have left their recollections of Stonewall.

An ongoing project is the transference of the recorded information to a permanent form for future

generations. Dues and donations are especially needed for this project. Membership dues are $15 for individuals or $25 for a couple. Business memberships are also available at $30. Lifetime memberships are $200 for individuals or $300 for a couple. The society offers a gift membership and will send a note informing the new member of the gift. Donations in memory of a loved one or friend can also be given, and the society will send a note to the family. Board members of the organization are Loretta Schmidt, president; Ken Otte, treasurer; Nelda Roessler, membership. Bernice Weinheimer is an ex-officio member of the board and serves as the historian.

To become a member, send name, address and phone number along with dues to Stonewall Heritage Society, c/o Nelda Roessler, 220 Altwein Road, Blanco, TX 78606. For more information, call Roessler at 830-5225522 or email her at rbizniz@gmail. com. Persons are asked to include an email address on the membership form.

tures a family of mockingbirds, a tuneful constant on the Texas landscape, that witnesses change beginning with the arrival of German settlers in 1846. Each of the nine birds tells the story of a different historical location of the early settlement, and, thanks to local sculptor John Bennett, can be found as intricate bronze sculptures attached to the corresponding building on Main Street.

Beicker, along with husband Clint and children Bliss, Bowen and Brooke, moved to Fredericksburg in 2015. After attending the Easter Fires in 2018, Beicker was inspired by the city’s “great story worth sharing” but felt Fredericksburg needed more ways to involve children in that story.

“I felt like kids were being pushed out of Main Street, or there was less for them to do,” Beicker said. “And I (thought), ‘We’ve got to keep history and we got to keep kids on Main Street. I think I have an idea.’”

That scavenger-hunt idea came from a project in Greenville, South Carolina, where the Beickers lived before moving back to Texas. In an effort to bring more traffic to Greenville’s main street, a high school student wrote “Mice on Main,” a book that told stories of its buildings as young readers followed corresponding mice statues around park benches or sidewalks.

“We had a blast, we saw things we would have missed if we hadn’t been walking down the street looking, noticing and taking the time,” Beicker said. “Just going into a store, you miss so much of the art and the beauty that is right in front of you. And in (Fredericksburg’s) case, the history that’s right here.”

Beginning the project Beicker said she dove into the tedious project in the fall of 2018 with “no idea about writing or art or the process” or what she signed up for.

“But every little step, a little door kept opening and I learned something new,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’m going to try this.’ And I feel like God just provided and opened the door and brought the right people.”

Two of those people, Bennett and book illustrator Diana Godwin Schwede, Beicker’s mother, joined the ranks in bringing the project to life.

Beicker said she carefully chose the featured buildings based on location, historical significance, age, original purpose or architectural interest. And after a flurry of calls to building owners and tenants and presentations and pitches to commissioners and other community boards over many months, Beicker secured permission to fix the small sculptures to or near each building in the book.

“It wasn’t a hard sell,” she said, “it just took time.”

Each bird’s name and appearance are an intentional nod to the original purpose of the eight locations readers can visit. Fiddle, who flitted around the 1908 general store that is now 330 Gallery on West Main Street, dons an apron and other materials found in a general store, while Ranger, wearing an admiral’s bicorn hat, proudly commands from the Pacific War Museum in a nod to both Admiral Nimitz and his grandfather, who was a Texas Ranger.

Bennett said the project sounded “fascinating” when Beicker approached him and that because Schwede’s illustrations were “so vivid and full of

expression,” it was easy for him to conjure up each bird’s composition.

“I always admire the creative spark to initiate an idea for that start, and that creativity is the hardest part for the artist,” Bennett said. “So, the hard part for me had already been done.”

He also said the project was a “jigsaw puzzle,” as Beicker struggled to decide whether to write the story or obtain permission from building owners for the sculptures first. The story had to be written before Schwede could draw, but Bennett needed to use completed illustrations as his models.

“Amy and I had to secure (exactly) where each sculpture was going to position at each location before I could even start,” Bennett said. “Everything had to be nailed down before I even began to work from the drawing.”

Bennett, who has resided in Fredericksburg with wife Cathy since 2006, was designated the Texas State Artist by the 81st Texas Legislature in 2010. From his home studio, the accomplished sculptor has quietly captured dynamic movement and liveliness in his work, much of which are western or historical figures. Driving north on State Highway 16, one can see his sculpture of a lifesized angel extending a stuffed animal to the children buried in the Greenwood Cemetery.

Bennett said the process, from agreeing to the project to receiving the nine bronze mockingbirds from the foundry, took over a year.

“I didn’t sit down for eight hours a day and work on one,” he said. “I would spend several weeks on a piece, easy.”

The birds are his latest

pieces to serve as a lasting tribute to Fredericksburg’s history and artistic culture.

All nine birds are now installed on Main Street.

“I love the idea of being able to connect to the history of the town,” Bennett said. “We know so many people that have grown up here and they welcomed us… (It is) valuable to be a part of the history in the community and be able to offer something that’s lasting. This is a permanent thing. So that part’s really exciting.”

Schwede said her work is dedicated to her grandchildren, as well as to the families that have visited and grown with Fredericksburg through the years. She said a part of the book’s beauty is how it was a gen-

erational effort, just like the town whose story it tells.

“A German community is … very close, and this is Fredericksburg,” Schwede said. “That’s what’s made Fredericksburg, and so the concept of family — not only blood family, but community — ties it all together.”

As part of Fredericksburg’s 175th Anniversary celebration, Beicker, Schwede and Bennett will host a book launch party from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Pioneer Museum on Saturday, May 7. Books will be available for purchase and can be signed.

“Main Street Mockingbirds” will be available to purchase for $18.99 at places like Pioneer Mu-

seum, Gästehaus Schmidt, The Sweet Lily, Gallery 330, Der Küchen Laden, Liebeskind and Fredericksburg Natural Baby. More retailers will be announced in May.

All profits from the book will go to support the Gillespie County Children’s Foundation.

Beicker said she is “grateful, humble and a little bit awestruck” that she could play a part in creating a lasting way for families to delight in the details of life.

“I loved that we made it by the 175th and that it’s on Mother’s Day weekend for the release,” Beicker said. “I feel like God didn’t have to do that. It’s just the sweet little things and he (says), ‘I’m in the details, and I care.’”

Fredericksburg High School’s chapter of Health Occupations Students of America took five students to the HOSA State Conference in Galveston April 20-22, which featured over 3,200 students competing. While still awaiting final results (only top five finishers are announced at the event), instructor Lisa Ballard said the FHS team placed in the top 10. From left are Anahy Nery, Clara Quay, Autumn Kirchner, Kavan Prema and Tiffany Gonzalez. Advisors are Ballard and Bruce Daley. — Photo by Lisa Ballard

Astronomers’ program on ‘Great

Courses’ video series

Hill Country Astronomers (HCA) will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 2, in the H-E-B Activity Room at Hill Country University Center, 2818 U.S. 290 East.

Participants will watch two videos from the Great Courses video series titled “Experiencing Hubble: Understanding the Greatest Images of the Universe.”

Professor David M. Meyer, Northwestern University, is the speaker.

The videos will cover two areas of the sky — the Sagittarius star cloud and the Eagle nebula. Topics will include the structure of the Milky Way galaxy,

interstellar distances, star colors, Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, interstellar clouds, star formation and the impact of young stars on their interstellar environment.

HCA President Bruce Barton will lead a discussion following the videos. Barton is a longtime amateur astronomer, becoming fully engaged in the hobby 36 years ago with the appearance of Halley’s Comet. He has been vice president and president of West Texas Astronomers (based in Midland/Odessa) and Hill Country Astronomers. He owns a number of telescopes of different sizes

2022 PCAA ‘Concert in the Park’ series begins Sunday

Fredericksburg High School’s Jazz Ensemble will kick off the 2022 PCAA Concert Series at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 1, in the Adelsverein Halle at Marktplatz.

The Pedernales Creative Arts Alliance is an organization that uses the proceeds from their Oktoberfest Festivals to support many organizations doing art-related projects, scholarships for students who pursue college courses in the creative arts such as music and theater, and these concerts — which are free.

PCAA members and Gillespie County residents volunteer their time to help organize and staff Oktoberfest.

To thank volunteers for their efforts, PCAA sponsors a series of concerts held on Sunday evenings, between May and September, in the Adelsverein Halle at Marktplatz, said Debbie Reeh, PCAA spokesperson.

“Our concert series have been held each year for many years and are an excellent opportunity for our community to socialize and enjoy open-air live

music entertainment,” Reeh said.

The entertainment runs from 6:30-8:15 p.m.

“Everyone is invited to bring their lawn chairs, picnics, family and friends,” Reeh said.

The 2022 PCAA Concert Series schedule includes:

May 1 — FHS Jazz Ensemble

May 22 — Rocky King Band

June 26 — Debra Watson & the Smoking

July 24 — Cap City

Aug. 28 — Monte Good & the Honky Tonk

Sept. 18 — The Walburg Boys

For more information, call 830-997-4810.

Spring Leaf Collection ending soon

Fredericksburg’s Annual Spring Leaf Collection Program ends Friday.

and uses them to take images of celestial objects from his personal observatory near Ingram.

Most HCA members live in Central Texas. Some members are accomplished amateur astronomers; others are beginners. No matter one’s experience level, all are welcome to participate in HCA. Club membership is not required to attend monthly meetings. “We hope HCA can fulfill your interest in learning more about the night sky,” said Barton.

For more information, contact Barton at 214-6833392 or hillcountryastronomers@gmail.com.

Entries for 4-H photo contest due soon

Entries for the Gillespie County 4-H Photography Contest are due May 4.

All entries are free and can be turned in at the Gillespie County Extension Office, 38 Business Court.

Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1-5 p.m.

Age divisions for the contest are as follows:

- Clover Kids — First and second grade; - Juniors — Third grade (and eight years old) and fifth grade; - Intermediates — Sixth and eighth grade;

Seniors — Ninth and 12th grade (have not surpassed their 18th birthday as of Sept. 1, 2021).

Each 4-H member may enter one photo in each category of their choosing. Photos must be taken by the 4-H member between the dates listed in the rules and guidelines.

The list of categories are as follows:

- Animals: Domestic;

- Animals: Wildlife; - Catch All;

Dominant Color;

Elements of Design;

Enhanced;

Food;

Landscape & Nature (non-animal); - Night; - People; - Motion/Action; - Plant/Flora; - Shadow/Silhouette; - Details and Macro;

- Theme: The Elements.

Winners will be displayed at the 2022 Gillespie County Fair. For more information, go to https://gillespie.agrilife. org/4h/photography/, or call 830-997-3452.

Lower South Grape Creek Historic School

During this program, city residents are encouraged to gather leaves from their property and rake them to the street.

Residents are reminded of the following guidelines:

Member of the Friends of Gillespie County Country Schools

Texas Exes slate spring highway cleanup, Thirsty Thursday

The Texas Exes Fredericksburg Chapter announces two upcoming events for late April and early May.

The chapter will hold its quarterly Adopt-aHighway trash pickup at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 30 to coincide with TxDOT’s annual state-sponsored, month-long “Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off” event.

Volunteers should meet in the parking lot of Frantzen, Kaderli & Klier Insurance, 108 Theodore Specht Dr., (across from the post office parking lot) at 9 a.m. for a brief orientation and to pick up a safety vest and TxDOT trash bags.

The staff at Frantzen, Kaderli & Klier has given permission for the chapter to use its parking lot as a staging area for the highway cleanup and Fredericksburg Hill Country Hotel is allowing chapter members to use their facilities as needed to ensure a successful cleanup. The chapter is grateful to both these businesses for supporting its efforts.

Volunteers will divide

into teams and each team will be assigned a section of the chapter’s two-mile stretch of U.S. 87 North, from the outbound Adopta-Highway sign next to the Hill Country Hotel north to the inbound sign.

It is recommended that participants wear boots and long pants and bring gloves, water, reach-it grabbers, and any other items deemed necessary to ensure a safe experience.

Anyone can participate. No pre-registration is required, but those planning to participate should arrive on time for their supplies and assignments. The chapter observes all safety guidelines, which will be briefly reviewed prior to the cleanup.

Thirsty Thursday

Then, on Thursday, May 5, the chapter will hold its regular monthly Thirsty Thursday, beginning at 5 p.m. at Hill & Vine, located at 210 S. Adams St.

The meeting will be held outside on the “green.”

This month’s meeting will feature a report from the Nominating

Okra is focus of next ‘Grow It Cook It’ class

By Beth McMahon AgriLife Extension agent

Committee regarding proposed officers for 2022-2023, followed by a vote of members present. Also on the agenda will be announcement of 2022 scholarship recipients, including plans for the chapter’s annual scholarship celebration in June, and other business.

Hill & Vine offers a variety of wine, beers and mixed drinks, plus a full menu of appetizers, salads and sandwiches, and full-meal entrees.

Participants are invited to stay for dinner following the meeting.

All current and former students and their families and all friends of the University of Texas at Austin are encouraged to attend. Texas Exes Fredericksburg Chapter adheres to all CDC, state, and local guidelines regarding COVID-19 during any in-person activities.

For questions about highway cleanup, Thirsty Thursday or for more information, contact chapter president Jamie Morris at 830-992-1796 or jandjmorris.07@gmail.

Top gunners awarded at benefit shoot

Top shooters in the Gillespie County Schuetzenbund Benefit Shoot were Walton Heimann and Sam Crenwelge, both members of the Bear Creek Shooting Club.

The event was Sunday, April 24, at the Grapetown Shooting Range. A total of 91 shooters registered to participate and 84 attended and completed all six prize shots.

“The Grapetown Eintracht Schuetzen

Verein hosted a great event, and all shooters are to be commended for their scores on a difficult, windy day of shooting,” said Myra Klinksiek, secretary of Gillespie County Schuetzenbund. “The skills of the shooters can be seen in the narrow margins of victory.”

After six prize shots, Heimann was tied at 58 out of a possible 60 with two other Bear Creek members, Kristi Creath and Laura Lundquist, for centerfire top honors.

The three shooters went head-to-head and repeated six shots after which Heimann scored a 57, Creath scored a 56 and Lundquist scored a 53. Rimfire or .22 caliber gun shooters battled the winds all day, but at the end of prize shooting, Sam Crenwelge posted a remarkable score of 51 out of 60.

The next Bund activity

will be the Vorfest, hosted by the Bear Creek Shooting Club at the Bear Creek Range on Sunday, July 17. Two weekends later, the two-day Bundes Schuetzenfest will be the highpoint of the 2022 season. It will also be held at the Bear Creek Shooting Range on Saturday and Sunday, July 30-31. Full results are below.

1.

Benefit Shoot results

2. Kristi Creath, CF: 58

Are you afraid to eat okra because it might be slimy? Maybe you’ve never grown okra before and you’re looking for something heat tolerant to add to your vegetable garden. Or maybe you aren’t certain what this traditional southern vegetable is.

If so, the Gillespie County Extension Office has the right program for you!

On Wednesday, May

St. Joseph’s Society

Benefit Barbecue

Sunday, May 1st - 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (or sold out)

Cost $9 Presale, $10/day of — Dine In or Drive Thru To Go

The Restored St. Joseph’s Halle, 212 W. San Antonio St., Fredericksburg

Noon Performance by Fredericksburg Akkordion Klub

13, from 12-1 p.m., the Gillespie County AgriLife Extension Office will host, at its office, the second 2022 Grow It Cook It Program about okra.

Participants will learn not just how to grow okra, but how to properly prepare and cook it, too. Recipe samples are provided, as well as seeds for trial varieties.

Cost is $15 per program, or $25 for this program and the strawberry program on Sept. 23.

Credit cards are not

accepted and checks should be made out to Gillespie ANR Committee. Payment and registration is preferred beforehand, but can be made at the door.

If interested in attending, contact the Gillespie County Extension Office at 830-997-3452 or come by the Gillespie County Extension Office at 38 Business Court to register. Questions can be directed to our office or emailed to Elizabeth. mcmahon@ag.tamu.edu.

her time at FHS,

-

Former FHS student ordained to Sacred Order of Priests

Sylvia Alexandra (Allie) Melancon, a 2004 graduate of Fredericksburg High School, was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in San Antonio on Jan. 8.

Last June, Melancon was ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons at Christ Episcopal Church in San Antonio.

Melancon played soccer

all four years at FHS and was a school mascot during her junior and senior years.

Allie then attended The University of the Incarnate Word and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology, a bachelor of arts degree in religious studies and a minor in education in 2008.

She earned a master’s degree in global leadership from Fuller Theologi-

cal Seminary in 2017 and a Diploma of Anglican Studies from Bexley Seabury Seminary Federation in 2021. During her education, Melancon worked for the church, including as Director of College Missions for the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. Melancon’s first assignment is a two-year curacy at St. Thomas Episcopal Church and School in San Antonio.

Water customers reminded to conserve

Due to persistent drought conditions over the past year and lower than average rainfall forecasted, the City of Fredericksburg is continuing to operate under Stage 3 of its Water Conservation Measures. Stage 3 Water Conservation Measures allow for outside watering once per

week on the customer’s designated day. While no outside watering is allowed on weekends during Stage 3, watering is allowed during the week according to the following schedule: Addresses ending in:

9 or 0 — Friday.

All outdoor irrigation may occur between the hours of 5 and 9 a.m. and again from 7 to 11 p.m. on designated days. More information can be found on the city’s website at www.fbgtx.org/440/Water-Conservation.

Fredericksburg High School graduate, the Rev. Allie Melancon, center, was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in San Antonio. Also in the photo are Rt. Rev. Rayford B. High Jr., left, and Rt. Rev. David Reed. — Submitted photo

During

Melancon, right, played soccer and was a mascot for the Bil

lies.

Eckert named TABC Coach of the Year

Fredericksburg High School assistant basketball coach Kade Eckert was named the 4A Boys Assistant Coach of the Year by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches last week.

Nominated by head coach Tim Kaman, Eckert was honored alongside seven other coaches across the state.

Eckert played a big role in the Billies’ 2021-22 season as he assumed the head coaching position for the majority of the pre-district schedule due to the absence of Kaman. Kaman missed several weeks due to a surgery, leaving Eckert with a bigger role to fill.

“I nominated Coach Eckert for doing a fine job this year,” Kaman said. “Especially in such a difficult situation that we had this year. That honor is welldeserved, and I was thrilled when I saw he won the award.”

Eckert has coached with Kaman for the past three seasons. Prior to his time in Fredericksburg, Eckert served at Harper High School as a girls’ basketball coach and at Lingleville as an athletic director and boys’ coach.

Other finalists included Drew Barkley of Mount Pleasant, Brad Chasteen of Lovejoy, Lewis Edmonson of Hearne, Cody Wolfe of Shamrock, Trevor Johnson of Randall, Wesley Kohl of Seven Lakes and Paul Stepina of Waco Connally.

State-Bound Billies

FHS golf to send both teams to state tournament in May

By Reed Graff Standard-Radio Post Sports Editor

For the second consecutive year, the Fredericksburg Battlin’ Billies golf program is sending both teams to the UIL 4A State Golf Tournament.

Region IV was little trouble for the Billies, as the Lady Billies claimed the Region IV crown in Victoria last week and the boys finished one stroke shy of doing the same. Both squads head into the state tournament with their heads held high.

“We are definitely excited about both teams making it to state,” head coach Tim Kaman said. “To think that we were one stroke away from winning both the boys’ and girls’ region. We played well at the right time.”

Boys make it to state

Going into the 2022 season, Kaman knew he had a younger squad on the boys’ side. But the Billies have done nothing but succeed all season long and he said he has seen that growth from his young team.

“Going into the spring, I was not sure if we had enough firepower to get here,” he said. “Our guys have really worked hard on improving their games.”

After Day 1 of region play, the Billies were in a good spot, holding a 15-stroke lead over Boerne and Kingsville thanks to strong performances from Colin Fairchild, Shepherd Findley and Lewie Melton. Fairchild finished Day 1 tied for first with Wimberley’s Jaxon Donaldson with a total score of 69, which was two under par.

“The key was to keep the ball in play, as there were out of bounds and bunkers and holes on every hole,” Kaman said. “We did a great job of that on Day 1, which is why we had the lead. The second day, we sprayed the ball everywhere. We even hit a few houses.”

After shooting a plus21 on Day 1, a plus-46 on Day 2 resulted in the Billies tying with Kingsville at the end of Day 2.

The tie resulted in a playoff, which the Billies lost by one stroke.

“The 18th hole was our undoing,” Kaman said. “If we could have finished a little better, we would

have won. But that is golf.”

Findley and Fairchild finished third and fourth, respectively. Freshman Lincoln Staats finished tied for 16th with a 165. Lewie Melton finished 25th.

Lady Billies claim the crown Opposite from their male teammates, the Lady Billies rebounded from a slow Day 1 to power their way to a Region

Region IV Golf Tournament April 18-21 at Colony Creek Golf Course in Victoria Boys’ final team standings

1. Kingsville, 67 (36, 31); 2. Fredericksburg, 67 (21-46);

3. Boerne, 83 (36, 47); 4. Calallen, 93 (47, 46); 5. Devine, 112 (63, 49); 6. Pleasanton, 115 (52, 63); 7. Uvalde, 143 (59, 84); 8. Beeville, 146 (88, 58); T-9. Calhoun, 147 (84, 63); T-9. Hondo, 147 (71, 76); 11. Sweeny, 160 (80, 80); 12. Navarro, 168 (85, 83); 13. Grulla, 183 (77, 106); 14. Raymondville, 209 (111, 98); 15. Needville, 266 (154, 112); 16.

IV Championship on Day 2.

“The girls kind of played the opposite of the boys,” Kaman said. “We struggled the first day but played much better the second day.”

The Lady Billies shot a plus-60 on Day 2, topping La Vernia for the region crown by one stroke.

Audrey Benfield led the way for the Lady Billies with a gross score of 161, good for fifth. Paige

Somerset, 300 (158, 142).

FHS boys’ results

3. Shepherd Findley, 149 (74, 75); 4. Colin Fairchild, 151 (69, 82); T-16. Lincoln Staats, 165 (82, 83); T-25. Lewie Melton, 173 (80, 93); T-56. Colton Bernhardt, 188 (98, 90).

Girls’ final team standings

1. Fredericksburg, 127 (67, 60); 2. La Vernia, 128 (61, 67);

3. Davenport, 140 (82, 58);

4. Uvalde, 151 (67, 84); 5. Navarro, 175 (90, 85); 6. Hondo, 210 (123, 87); 7. Calallen, 236

McDade finished tied for 11th with a 172 and Jaley Itz finished tied for 16th with a 179.

“Jaley shot the best round of her career on Day 2 and came up huge as we won the championship by one stroke,” Kaman said. “Paige was consistent with a pair of 85s. (Sterlin) Richardson and (Gracie) Alford hit some really good shots.”

(127, 109); 8. Devine, 258 (134, 124); 9. Rockport-Fulton, 263 (141, 122); 10. Needville, 291 (156, 135); 11. Calhoun, 308 (175, 133); 12. West Columbia, 313 (165, 148); 13. Hidalgo, 326 (168, 158); 14. Zapata, 333 (167, 166); 15. La Feria, 424 (226, 198).

FHS girls’ results 5. Audrey Benfield, 161 (77, 84); T-11. Paige McDade, 172 (86, 86); T-16. Jaley Itz, 179 (95, 84); 20. Sterlin Richardson, 183 (93, 90); 44. Gracie Alford, 211 (107, 104).

What a crazy week, huh?

In my first week back since becoming a father, life did not take it easy on me and let me ease back in, as sports in Gillespie County are as busy as ever.

To start, let’s talk about the week Fredericksburg High School athletics had, starting with the golf teams. Head coach Tim Kaman came into the year with a pair of younger squads, but they have not let that youth hold them back, as both squads will compete for state titles in May.

I don’t think any extra motivation or incentive is needed when battling for a state title, but Kaman went ahead and gave the Lady Billies just that, making a deal with his girls that if they medal, he will let them dye his hair. I hope they get it done and that the hairdo makes it to next basketball season. Maybe he took motivation from his 2022-star Kaleb Partin and his Slim Shady look.

I am gearing up to make my second trip to Kingsville this year, as the Billies insist on succeeding at every sport they play in and keep making it to region championships.

Of course, this time around it is not solely the Billies travelling to the coast, as Harper will meet them there for the big Region IV track meet. I am excited to get out there and watch as the Billies compete for spots in Austin. Stay tuned to our social media accounts for videos and updates from that meet.

Both Harper and Fredericksburg are sending their softball teams to the postseason. It will be curious to see which team sends me to the state level this season, as it seems the Billies have made trips to the state playoffs a habit this year.

I am excited to see how this softball playoff season goes, as I think both squads have the potential to make noise in their brackets.

As for fatherhood, there has definitely been some hurdles to clear and sometimes I wish I could clear them like Gary Seidenberger does in his 110-meter races. There has been a lot of learning, growth and emotions in these first few weeks. I got a lot of advice and warnings heading into

Members of the Fredericksburg Lady Billies golf team pictured with the Region IV trophy are, from left, Audrey Benfield, Gracie Alford, Sterlin Richardson, Paige McDade and Jaley Itz. The Lady Billies won the region title by a stroke. — Submitted photos

Members of the Fredericksburg Battlin’ Billies golf team pictured at the Region IV Tournament in Victora are, from left, assistant coach John Hext, Tristian King, Colton Bernhardt, Colin Fairchild, Lincoln Staats, Lewie Melton, Shepherd Findley and head coach Tim Kaman. The Billies placed second in their region and will compete in the state tournament in May.

Fredericksburg coach Kade Eckert, left, calls out a play during a game last season while sophomore Mark DiCuffa listens. - Standard-Radio Post/Reed Graff

at St. Mary’s, 4:30 p.m. at Oak Crest Park

Softball St. John Bosco at St. Mary’s, 4:30 p.m. at Oak Crest Park

Check out the Standard Sports Talk podcast!

FHS track sending full bus to Region IV Championships

Eighteen Fredericksburg High School athletes will represent FHS at the Region IV track and field meet in Kingsville next week following a successful day at the area track meet in Cuero on Wednesday, April 20.

The District 28-4A champion Lady Billies finished second as a team and qualified 12 girls for the region meet. The Billies finished fourth and will send six athletes, bringing the Billies’ total to 18 state qualifiers.

Lady Billies stay hot at area

Coming off of its eighth straight District 28-4A championship, the Lady Billies track and field team looked to keep competing at a high level at the area meet. When all was said and done, the Lady Billies finished with two gold medals and qualifiers in 11 different events.

“We knew we would have to perform our best,” head coach Dan Aldrich said.

“We had a few illnesses that set us back, but despite those, our girls did what they had to do to qualify themselves for the next round.”

The top three-point scorers for the Billies were sophomores Taylor Grona (23) and Ann Claire Cop (17) and junior Zoe Aldrich (14).

Grona finished first in both the 800-meter run and the 1600-meter

run. Cop took gold in the 3200-meter run and Zoe Aldrich qualified in both the shot put and the discus. Cameran Whiting qualified in both the 4X100meter relay and the 300-meter hurdles. The Lady Billies qualified in both the 4X400-meter relay (Ann Claire Cop, Ava Stuewe, Liepa Motiejunaite and Taylor Grona) and the 4X100-meter relay (Cameran Whiting, Elizabeth Erlandson, Dani Cas-

tro and Rylinn Oliver).

“Our area was very tough, so if you qualified from our area, you have a very good chance of making it to the finals at region,” Aldrich said. “Our girls are excited for that opportunity and will give it their best to see what we can do as a team.”

Six Billies qualify for region

While the FHS boys’ team qualified half the number the girls did, the

FHS graduates continue to succeed in college

A pair of Fredericksburg High School graduates had big weeks in the collegiate golf world last week.

Kaman earns honors Cameron University senior and former Billie Tyler Kaman was selected to the All-Lone Star Conference First Team last week after a strong senior season.

Kaman averaged a 72.97 in over 30

rounds of golf in 2021-22.

He finished the season ranked 15th in the region and recorded three top-10 finishes and finished outside of the top 25 just once.

Kaman also won the Ryan Palmer Invitational back on Oct. 4 in Amarillo after tying the lowest round in program history with a 65.

Langford leads UHV to victory

Former Billie and University of Houston at Victoria sophomore Jaxon Langford claimed the top

Fredericksburg High School Athletes of the Week

Shepherd Findley of the Fredericksburg High School Battlin’ Billies golf team is the FHS Male Athlete of the Week. Findley, a sophomore, shot a two-day gross score of 149 in the Region IV Tournament in Victoria last week. His score led the Billies and was good for third overall. The Billies advanced to the state tournament.

Taylor Grona of the Lady Billies Track and Field team is the Fredericksburg High School Female Athlete of the week.

Grona led all varsity point scorers with 23 points in the District 27-4A, District 28-4A Area meet last week. Grona finished first in the 800-meter and 1600-meter runs.

spot in the Red River Athletic Conference men’s golf championship in Victoria on Tuesday, April 19.

Langford finished the tournament one over 217 and led the Jaguars to their second consecutive RRAC title.

Langford and the Jaguars will compete at the NAIA National Championships set for May 17-20 in Silvis, Illinois.

Billies brought home two gold medals, as well, and have a good chance to compete for a spot at state.

For the second meet in a row, Khristian Torres took first in the 800-meter run, defeating Davenports’ Jaylin Morrow by two seconds.

Derek Whitworth took home first in the discus throw and will represent the Billies at state.

Dane Carter qualified in both the 110-meter hurdles (3rd) and the 300-meter hurdles (2nd) and is the only Billies athlete set to compete in two events.

Gary Seidenberger will join him in the 110-meter hurdles (2nd). Derek Adams will compete in the 1600-meter run and John Dulaney will compete in the pole vault.

fatherhood, but people neglected to tell me to watch my mental. Thankfully, my wonderful wife has been by my side, and we are learning how to parent more and more every day. Rowan has made it out to a couple softball games

The Billies will compete in the Region IV Track and Field Championships at Texas A&M UniversityKingsville on Friday and Saturday, April 29-30. Full

results from the area meet are below:

and his mother continues to be the superstar of the family. We are hoping to make it out to his first baseball game soon. Stay tuned for his big debut, coming to a ballpark near you.

Harper High School Athletes of the Week

Hagen Fleming of the Harper Longhorns baseball team is the Harper High School Male Athlete of the Week. Fleming slugged three hits, including an RBI double and raised his batting average on the season to .533 in a 7-2 loss to Johnson City on Friday.

Kinsey Key of the Harper Ladyhorns softball team is the Harper High School Female Athlete of the Week.

Key finished the regular season as the Ladyhorns leader in strikeouts (90) and wins (8) and is third in Gillespie County in ERA (5.35).

Gillespie County Softball Statistics Leaders

Fredericksburg junior Gary Seidenberger competes in the 110-meter hurdles during a meet earleir this season. Seidenberger is joined by Dane Carter in the 110-meter hurdles at the Region IV Championships in Kingsville on April 29-30. - Standard-Radio Post/Reed Graff

Kaman

Langford

Billies facing elimination after sweep

The window for the Fredericksburg High School Battlin’ Billies baseball teams’ postseason hopes continues to get smaller and smaller as the District 28-4A season creeps to a close.

The Billies (7-15, 1-7) suffered a series sweep at the hands of the Boerne Greyhounds last week. The pair of losses also resulted in the Billies’ losing streak reaching seven games and with just two games left on the docket, their chances at a playoff berth continue to dwindle.

Boerne blasts the Billies

The Billies looked poised to compete with the number two-ranked Greyhounds at the FHS baseball field on Tuesday, April 19 early on.

Through three innings, sophomore Drake Threadgill had held the Greyhounds offense at bay and the Billies found themselves facing just a 1-0 deficit heading into the bottom half of the third inning.

But Boerne pulled away in the fourth inning as Texas State commit Rashawn Galloway blasted the first of his two home runs on the night to give his team a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning. By the time the dust settled in the inning, the Billies stared down a 7-0 deficit.

Galloway squared up another pitch in the seventh, slugging his second homer of the day to secure the 9-0 victory in Fredericksburg. Three days later, the Bil-

Going into the season, Kaman said he felt the Lady Billies had a shot at making a return to the state tournament despite some youth and credited Richardson for her leadership.

“Sterlin has done a great job of leading the team,” he said. “Our girls’ team is relatively young, but they do have experience at state. I knew we had a chance to get to state and our kids handled it well.”

lies went to Boerne to face the Greyhounds on their home turf and unlike their first meeting, Boerne’s offense set the tone early on.

In the first inning, Boerne’s Tyler Garritano slugged a three-run bomb to set his team ahead, 4-0, after an inning.

In the top of the second inning, Fredericksburg senior James Sebera gave the Billies life with his triple to center field, later scoring on an RBI single by sophomore Asher Goehmann.

Garritano made sure his squad held onto the momentum however, as he laced a run-scoring single in the third inning and

The boys will compete in the 4A UIL State Championship Tournament at Legends Golf Course in Kingsland on May 9-10. The Lady Billies will compete at the same course on May 16-17. Kaman said he likes the Billies’ chances at state as long as they continue to improve on their play.

“For both teams, all we need is two solid days,” he said. “If we can be solid for two days, then we can let

later scored on a double by Xander Cloudy.

Garritano finished the night with six RBI as he powered the Greyhounds offense to an 11-1 home victory.

For the Billies, Sebera, Goehmann and sophomore Weston Herber garnered the only hits of the night.

Goehmann took the loss on the mound after surrendering seven runs in three innings.

Senior Quentin Carpenter was solid in relief, however, as he shut out the Greyhounds in his two innings of work.

the chips fall where they may.” While little incentive is needed for a state title, Kaman and the Lady Billies came up with a way to make a medal that much more enticing.

“I told them if they medal at state, they can dye my hair,” he said. “They chose pink! I am ugly enough as is, so I can’t imagine what I would look like with pink hair, but I would gladly do it if it helps them reach

The hope remains While the seven-game skid has the Billies down and a 1-7 district record seems insurmountable, there remains a scenario that includes the Billies in the postseason. The Davenport Wolves, whom the Billies split the district series with, 1-1, sits at 3-5 following a series loss to Wimberley. If the Billies sweep Bandera in their final two games and the Wolves suffer a sweep to the hands of Canyon Lake in their final series, a tie for fourth place would occur, giving the Billies a shot at a postseason berth.

FMS Lady Billies take first in Lago Vista

The Fredericksburg Middle School Lady Billies golf team brought home the hardware from the Lago Vista Tournament held at the Venture Point Club in Lago Vista on Thursday, April 21.

The Lady Billies took first and the boys’ team finished third.

For the Lady Billies, Carolina McDade finished first overall with a one-day score of 41. Logan Pehl-Bellino took second with a score of 54.

Isabella Brown scored a 60 and Brindle Wolf scored a 59 as the Lady Billies won the girls’ division of the tournament with a team score of 214.

their potential.”

The Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post will post updates of the tournament and its results as they become available.

Salado finished second with a 229, Lago Vista took third with a 233 and Marble Falls finished fourth with a 235.

On the boys’ side, the Billies finished third with a team score of 201.

Von Carter finished second overall with a score of 45. Just behind him was Nicklaus Meade with a score of 47. Tucker Hale scored a 50 and Karson Jenschke and Ross DiCuffa both scored 59. The Billies competed in the Llano tournament on Tuesday and will next compete in the Marble Falls Tournament on May 3. Full FMS results from the tournament are below:

Lago Vista Tournament April 21 at Lago Vista

FMS boys’ results

1. Von Carter, 45; 2. Nicklaus Meade, 47; 3. Tucker Hale, 50;

4. Nathan Benfield, 51; 5. Jackson Cobb, 54; T-6. Carson Jenschke, 59; T-6. Ross DiCuffa, 59;

8. John Lutz, 61. FMS girls’ results

1. Caroline McDade, 41; 2. Logan Pehl-Bellino, 54; 3. Brindle Wolfe, 59; 4. Isabella Brown, 60.

Gillespie County Baseball Statistics Leaders

J. DAVIS Harper 3

2. B. Lake, Harper, 2 T-3. A. Goehmann, FHS, 1 T-3. S. Seidenberger, FHS, 1

T-3. J. Word, FHS, 1

S. Seidenberger, FHS, 10

T-8. J. Nunn, FHS, 10

9. A. Goehmann, FHS, 9

T-10. W. Herber, FHS, 7

T-10. J. Sebera, FHS, 7

*Statistics are from April 26

Nunn, FHS, 3

Fredericksburg sophomore Drake Threadgill starts his swing during a game earlier this season. The Billies need a sweep of Bandera to keep their postseason hopes alive. — Standard-Radio Post/Reed Graff

Pictured with the Lago Vista trophy are, from left, Isabella Brown, Caroline McDade, Brindle Wolfe and Logan Pehl-Bellino after the Lady Billies won the tournament on Thursday, April 21. The boys finished third in the same tournament. — Submitted photo

The Apaches finished the regular season with a 9-1 overall record and a 3-0 district record, earning them a first-round bye in the AIAL playoffs.

Road win on Tuesday

The Apaches started the week on the road as they travelled to take on Mount Sacred Heart in San Antonio on Tuesday, April 19. Head coach Rick Loth said the Apaches came out on top despite a control issue on the mound.

“Both teams struggled to throw strikes due to the fact we were playing with a lot of moisture,” he said.

“We were able to put the game away once we made a few adjustments.”

The Apaches scored 15 runs on just six hits, as Sacred Heart walked them 13 times in a threeinning game.

Jackson Moellendorf led the team in hits with two. Noah Tatum, Wolfgang Parsons, Gage Bryant and Brodie Beyer all added singles, as well.

Moellendorf, Creek Frantzen and Sam Brew-

Longhorns to enter postseason as third seed

The district seeding is set for District 29-2A baseball with just one game left on the schedule.

The Harper Longhorns baseball team will compete in the postseason as the third seed out of District 29-2A following a 1-1 week.

The Longhorns blasted Center Point on Tuesday, April 19, 17-1, but then suffered a 7-2 home loss to Johnson City on Friday, April 22.

With a 5-4 record and one game left on the District 29-2A schedule, the Longhorns are headed to the postseason.

Pelting the Pirates

Sophomore Bryson Lake’s six-RBI day was just one of the many highlights in a 17-1 victory over the Center Point Pirates.

Lake went 1-4 in the game, but his one hit was a grand slam in the top of the fourth inning that scored Tucker Fleming, Corey Mauldin and Drew Chandler.

Harper freshman Tucker Fleming makes a throw during the Longhorns 7-2 loss on Friday. The Longhorns finished the regular season at San Saba on Tuesday. – Standard-Radio Post/ Reed Graff

to

er all scored three times, with Frantzen and Brewer walking three times. Parsons scored twice.

District champs

While the Apaches have one more game left on their regular season schedule, they decided to get the district title clinch out of the way in a 17-1 home win over Our Lady of Perpetual Health on Wednesday, April 20.

Moellendorf was lights out on the mound, striking out six with just one hit and one run in three innings of work.

Moellendorf was also 2-3 at the plate with a triple, an RBI and three runs scored. Gage Bryant slugged two doubles and drove in four runs, and both Brewer and Parsons hit doubles, as well.

Moellendorf, Brewer and Tatum all scored three runs each.

“The win clinches us the district championship, which also earns us a first-round bye,” head coach Rick Loth said.

“Hopefully we can make a run toward the AIAL championship.”

The Apaches will finish the regular season at home against St. John Bosco at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Oak Crest Park.

Both Mauldin and senior Ricky Harper recorded two-hit games and both Mauldin and Chandler scored three runs in the blowout victory.

Lake pitched the first three innings of the win, striking out five Pirates in three innings.

The bi-district playoffs present a familiar challenge to the Harper Ladyhorns softball team.

After finishing the district schedule strong having won three of their final four games and securing a spot in the playoffs, the Ladyhorns now set their sights on a rematch of the 2021 bi-district playoffs with the Thorndale Lady Bulldogs.

“We met them last season in the playoffs, and they are an extremely talented team,” head coach Callen Stevenson said of the Ladyhorns’ 25-4 loss in 2021. “I felt like we didn’t get a fair shot because of the weather, but they are a legit state title contender when they put all the pieces together, but I think the pieces we have compliment what they’re good at.”

Thorndale enters the one-game playoff at 11-8 on the year, boasting a 7-3 District 27-2A record. The Lady Bulldogs finished third behind Thrall and Bremond in the District 27-2A standings.

The Lady Bulldogs are powered by a trio of seniors, all three of which are committed to play collegiate softball. Reagyn Trahan (Hill College), Kelsey Kovar (Paris Junior College) and Emilee Baker (Texas State University) provide the fuel for the Lady Bulldogs, but even with their firepower,

the

Johnson City

Harper got the run back in the bottom half of the inning. Following a leadoff single by Davis, Hagen Fleming doubled to the center field wall, allowing Davis to come around and tie the game at 1-1.

The bats fell silent however, as Harper struggled to scratch across runs over the next five innings.

Johnson City scored runs in the second and fourth innings and ran away with the win with two-run sixth and seventh innings.

The Longhorns got back on the board in the seventh inning on an RBI single from Davis but failed to recover from the six-run deficit, resulting in the 7-2 loss.

B. Lake 1 walk, 1 run; J. Davis 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 run, 1 RBI; H. Fleming 3 hits, 1 2B, 1 RBI; R. Harper 1 hit, 1 walk; T. Fleming 1 hit. Pitching: B. Lake (L) 6 IP, 7 hits, 5 runs, 2 earned, 1 walk, 8 SO; H. Fleming 1 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 1 SO.

Bryson Lake got the start on the mound for Harper and held the Eagles at bay early on, limiting the Eagles to three runs through the first five innings.

Johnson City struck first in the top half of the first inning as they scored on a wild pitch.

Harper junior Emma Strickland gets her lead during a game earlier this season. Strickland and the Ladyhorns will meet Thorndale in the bi-district playoffs at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday in Salado. - Noel Stacy/Harper ISD Media CHAMPS

Stenson said he liked how the Ladyhorns matched up with them.

“They’re extremely talented but I think what we’re good at counteracts what they do well,” he said. “I think we’re going to have to bunt, small-ball them and make them play be-

hind their pitching.”

Stevenson said the Ladyhorns are heading into this game playing some of their best softball of the season.

The Ladyhorns finished the season in a loss but had won three straight prior to that and have won five of their last seven games.

The Longhorns wrapped up the regular season at San Saba on Tuesday and will enter the postseason as the third seed from District 29-2A. Playoff information will be posted by the Fredericksburg StandardRadio Post as it becomes available.

PLAYOFF SNAPSHOT

Harper Ladyhorns vs. Thorndale Lady Bulldogs

Where: Salado High School

When: Thursday, 5:30 p.m. Last Meeting: Thorndale beat Harper, 15-4, in the 2021 bidistrict playoffs Coach Stevenson: “I think we are clicking and ready to rock and roll.”

“I felt like the second half of district was the best softball we had played all year long,” he said. “So, I think we are clicking. Our district as a whole is extremely talented and all four of our playoff teams are well prepared to make a run. So, with how we played the back half of the season has us ready to rock and roll.”

The Ladyhorns and Lady Bulldogs will clash at Salado High School at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28. In order to get a win, Stevenson said the Ladyhorns need to continue to do what they have done all season.

“Two keys that I carry into every game are to be aggressive on the bases and we need to be able to small-ball people,” he said. “You have to be able to be aggressive on the bases and put the ball in play against good teams with good pitching. You have to put pressure on them and make them show how good they are.”

Harper softball set for rematch with Thorndale

St. Mary’s Wolfgang Parsons swings at a pitch during a game at Oak Crest Park earlier this season. Parsons and the Apaches defeated OLPH, 17-1, last week to secure the district championship. – Standard-Radio Post/Reed Graff

Apaches clinch district title with win over OLPH

The St. Mary’s Apaches clinched the district baseball championship on Wednesday, April 20, with a 17-1 home win over OLPH.

Runners battle the weather in 2022 Wildflower Run

Age 48-53: 1. Garrett Zenner.

Age 54-59: 1. Tracy Heimann.

Age 60-65: 1. Charles Blackwell.

Age 66-69: 1. Lou Kohagen, 2. Harold Lindemann.

Age 70-75: 1. Stephen Hopkins,

5k. Harper ran the race alongside several other Fredericksburg High School students.

Contestants of all ages, shapes and sizes lined up on the starting line of the 2022 Hill Country Memorial Wildflower Run at Marktplatz on Saturday, April 23.

The race kicked off at 8:30 a.m. to unusually cool and windy weather conditions. Saturday morning had wind gusts up to 30 mph, with a strong headwind as runners approached the finish line.

Both 5k and 10k distances were part of the popular Fredericksburg spring season race event.

to gather at the starting line and be led through a calisthenic warm-up routine prior to the start.

A diverse gathering of runners attended the event.

But all had a sense of comradery typical among runners. There were children, elderly and parents. Several canine friends crossed the finish line alongside their owners.

Hill Country Memorial Hospital presented the event and had a large turnout of staff members participating.

Siblings ran side by side and fathers and mothers crossed the finish line together with their sons and daughters.

At 10 a.m., awards were given out in the Adelsverein Hall. Regardless of the results, many of the runners celebrated their victories, participation and fellowship in the race.

Wildflower Run Results Saturday, April 23

Male 5K

Age 1-6: 1. Robert Winters.

Age 7-8: 1. Seeley Bertrand, 2. Briggs Gonzales.

Age 9-10: 1. Nikolaus Robertson.

Age 15-21: 1. Emmit Harper, 2. Ismael Cruces, 3. Jonah Greene.

Robert Winters ran the 5k race in the male age 1-6 category. He completed the race in just over 35 minutes and was rested in the arms of his mother when he crossed the finish line.

6. Rylinn Oliver, 12.8; 7. Peyton Celotto, 12.81.

Girls’ 100-meter dash

6. Rylinn Oliver, 12.8; 7. Peyton Celotto, 12.81.

Girls’ 400-meter dash

4. Ava Stuewe, 1:01.783.

Girls’ 800-meter run

1. Fredericksburg, 2:16.432.

Girls’ 1600-meter run

1. Taylor Grona, 5:28.11; 4. Ann Claire Cop, 5:34.486.

As the morning sunrise warmed the downtown square, many of the racers could be seen warming up along the sidewalks and nearby streets.

Contestants were invited

Girls’ 4X200-meter relay

Robert Winters ran in the age 1-6 group and crossed the finish line to be embraced by his mother and to catch his breath while resting on her shoulder.

Girls’ discus

2. Zoe Aldrich, 119’.

Girls’ 3200-meter run

1. Ann Claire Cop, 12:07.704.

Girls’ 100-meter hurdles

2. Bella Rozek, 16.030; 6. Minot Frantzen, 17.43.

Girls’ 300-meter hurdles

3. Cameran Whiting, 48.229.

Girls’ 4X100-meter relay

4. Fredericksburg (Cameran Whiting, Dani Castro, Elizabeth Erlandson, Rylinn Oliver), 50.598.

6. Fredericksburg (Peyton Celotto, Dani Castro, Elizabeth Erlandson, Liepa Motiejunaite), 1:47.629.

Girls’ 4X400-meter relay

3. Fredericksburg (Liepa Motiejunaite, Ann Claire Cop, Taylor Grona, Ava Stuewe), 4:07.9.

Girls’ shot put

3. Zoe Aldrich, 119’; 4. Madison Wright, 35’11.5”.

Girls’ triple jump

4. Addie Schoessow, 34’5.5”. Girls’ pole vault

5. Peyton Celotto, 9’6”. 999 TOO LATE TO CLASSIFY

The Lady Bird Johnson Golf Course, under the ownership and operation of the City of Fredericksburg, herein after “City”, seeks an agreement with a qualified Individual, Firm, or Corporation, (Respondent), to provide seventy (70) golf carts and three (3) utility carts for a lease period of 48 months commencing on December 1, 2022. New vehicles, model years 2022 and 2023 are acceptable. Full copies available at www.fbgtx.org. Contact Evan Williamson with questions, (830) 9902009, ewilliamson@fbgtx.org.

Significant dates: Deadline for questions, May 13, 2022 Response or addendum deadline, May 20, 2022. Proposals due by May 25, 2022, before 3:00 p.m.

Age 22-29: 1. Sterling Blocker, 2. Travis Koenig, 3. Tyler Heimann.

Age 30-35: 1. Jordan Byrne, 2. Chad Mancino, 3. Cesar Rosales.

Age 36-41: 1. Felix Duran, 2. Jarime Baethge, 3. Dustin Degraw.

Age 42-47: 1. Jim Leroux, 2. Jesse Winters, 3. Chris Dyer.

www.honorveteransnow.org

TPWD restocking local lakes with catfish

Springtime and catfish angling are back at Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) Neighborhood Fishin’ Lakes across the state.

The program provides friends and families the opportunity to participate in the Texas traditions of outdoor recreation and reeling in catfish close to home.

Starting the week of April 15, TPWD began stocking thousands of catfish at 18 Neighborhood Fishin’ lakes, including five in Dallas-Fort Worth, four in the Houston area, two each in Austin and San Antonio, and one each in Amarillo, College Station, San Angelo, Waco and Wichita Falls.

“Neighborhood Fishin’ lakes are conveniently located in urban and suburban areas so that Texans don’t have to travel far to have a great experience,” said Craig Bonds, Direc-

tor of Inland Fisheries. “Catfish are fun and easy to catch for anglers of all ages and experience levels. If you’ve never fished before, these are the perfect places to get started. If you are an experienced angler, these are the perfect places to introduce fishing to a friend or family member.”

Each of the lakes will receive channel catfish every two weeks through the end of October — with a brief pause during the heat of August. This ensures there are plenty of angling opportunities for everyone throughout the spring, summer and early fall.

Neighborhood Fishin’ lakes are located in city and county parks with ample parking, restrooms, lighting and other recreational amenities, in addition to fishing.

Anglers can keep up to five catfish of any size per

day. At some locations, cleaning tables are available nearby to make it easy for families to clean their catch.

Children under 17 fish for free, but adults who fish must have a fishing license.

Fishing licenses can be purchased for as little as $11 for “one-day, all-water” access. All proceeds go toward management and conservation of the fish and their habitats.

To find the location of Neighborhood Fishin’ Lake or to sign up for email updates, visit www. neighborhoodfishing.org.

Stocking locations can also be found on the Neighborhood Fishin’ website.

Neighborhood Fishin’ is supported by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation through donations from many local partners as well as the local municipalities across the state.

Texas Rangers in need of volunteer help

In preparation for the groundbreaking of Phase II of the Texas Rangers Heritage Center, the Former Texas Rangers Foundation is seeking volunteers to enhance its Volunteer Programming.

Last November, the Former Texas Rangers Foundation assumed management of Fort Martin Scott from the City of Fredericksburg, thereby creating a combined venue site with the Texas Rangers Heritage Center.

Given that, the Volunteer Program will be substantially expanded to include historical interpretation of not only the

Texas Rangers but also that of Fort Martin Scott.

“Those who have any interest in Texas history, the Texas Rangers legacy, Fort Martin Scott, or the early period of the settlement of Fredericksburg, are invited to take advantage of this opportunity to become a part of that history,” said Joe Davis, FTRF president.

Presently, training programs include that of a historical docent and greeter representing the fort and the Texas Rangers, plus opportunities to be involved with the Former Texas Rangers Headquarters Company, who

Logic tennis takes home first in Ingram

The Heritage Logic tennis program had a good day at the Ingram tournament last week. Logic returned home with four first-place medals, in addition to a fourthplace finish.

travel statewide representing the Texas Rangers by presenting educational programs and performing cross ceremonies for deceased Texas Rangers.

“In addition, Scouting programs are held regularly with camping on site, so there is the blessing and opportunity to work with Texas youth,” Davis said. “We’re here to teach Texas values to make good citizens.”

Visit us online to get the latest sports scores –fredericksburgstandard.com or @fbgstandard

First-place finishers for Logic included Meg Roeder in the seventh grade

girls’ singles, Laynie Stollenwerck and Faith Fevig in the seventh grade girls’ doubles, Chip Zgabay in the consolation seventh grade boys’ singles and Garrett Gentry and Jack Pedregon in the consolation eighth grade boys’ doubles.

finished fourth in the seventh grade boys’ doubles division. “We had an outstanding day,” coach Misti Roeder said. “Not only was it a good day of competition, but we had a blessed day full of fun and fellowship. We had four Eagles make it to the finals.”

Members of the Heritage Logic tennis team pictured following the Ingram Tournament last week are, from left, Meg Roeder, Faith Fevig, Reece Harris and Laney Stollenwerck. The Eagles finished the tournament with four first-place finishes. — Submitted photo

Bigger, Louder

Hearing echoes to play drums

Iremember the exact place and moment I decided to play drums.

I was in the fifth grade, attending Homecoming Weekend as the University of Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band passed by on Iowa Avenue in Iowa City, Iowa.

Standing on the curb as the drum section marched by, I could feel those bass drums pounding in my gut. It literally was a visceral experience.

The next week, my dad brought home a cobbled together drum set (the pedal was a Phillips screwdriver with a dishrag masking-taped to the handle) and I started lessons.

Two ladies involved in writing and performing “Primitive Echoes,” a song to be featured at the Symphony of the Hills concert on April 28, recall similar experiences.

With a father who was a band teacher and big band drummer, Sherry Rubins was “born hearing drums.”

“I sort of came by it naturally,” said Rubins, who will perform the tympani solo. “So, I started playing drums when I was five, and I don’t think I thought of doing anything else.”

Today Rubins is coordinator of the percussion program at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Principal Timpanist with the Mid-Texas Symphony. She also presents clinics and performances, and is an artist and educational clinician for Zildjian Cymbals, Remo Percussion, the Yamaha Corporation, and the Vic Firth Company.

While the piece “Primitive Echoes” is a showcase for the percussion section, it holds more personal meaning for her, as the composer is Alice Gomez, a contemporary and friend in the world of classical music. Gomez also started her musical career as a drummer.

“I began my musical journey as a drummer in my father’s Latin dance

FULL HOUSE

Phil Houseal

shakers that I’m actually going to strike the drums with.”

While some may perceive the kettle drum as atonal, they actually boast a surprisingly tunable melodic range. Rubins will be using four of them.

“Absolutely, there is lots of melody,” she said. “Alice has quite a few pitch changes that she’s written, so it’s very melodic, along with obviously rhythmic. So, you’ll hear the sort of modal sound of Native American music, only through the drum set.”

Rubins is looking forward to this concert for several reasons.

“I’m looking forward to seeing people that I know, and we’re all excited about playing live music for a live audience.”

Composer Alice Gomez plans to be in the audience to hear her piece, which has never been recorded.

Sherry Rubins, professor of Practice at UTSA, will handle the percussion solo on “Primitive Echoes,” to be performed by Symphony of the Hills on Thursday, April 28 at the Cailloux Theater. — Submitted photo

band,” Gomez said. “So I have always been drawn to all kinds of drumming and percussion instruments. The rhythms that I used in Primitive Echoes were influenced by Native American powwow drums as well as by log drums and rattles from my own Mexican Indian culture.”

Rubins will turn to instruments used by indigenous people.

“Of course, it’s very rhythmic,” Rubins said of the piece. “It has a Native American feel to it. There’s a moment in this concerto where I have ankle bells, but I’m going to be shaking them. And then some other

“I am looking forward to hearing Sherry play Primitive Echoes with Symphony of the Hills,” Gomez said. “I haven’t heard this piece performed since its premier in 1992. It will be like hearing it for the first time! The excitement of hearing my works performed never wears off. The performers and conductors all have their own interpretations of how the piece is to be played. That’s what makes each performance so exciting.”

Every drummer will agree.

Details:

Kerrville’s Symphony of the Hills presents “Primitive Echoes: Mystery of War and Peace” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28 at the Cailloux Theater, 910 Main St., in Kerrville. Seats can be reserved online at caillouxperformingarts.com or by calling or visiting the Cailloux Theater Box Office, (830) 896-9393.

ON THE COVER

Berto Trevino of Corpus Christi takes flight in the Equalizer during Monster Truck Wars at the Gillespie County Fair Grounds on Saturday, April 23. The event featured four monster trucks, quad racing and monster truck rides and drew a standing room only crowd of all ages. — Standard-Radio Post/Reed Graff

Low Vision Resource Group announces early May meeting

The Low Vision Resource Group will meet Thursday, May 5, at the American Legion Hall, 726 S. Washington St. in Fredericksburg. Doors will be opened at 1:15 p.m. for those who want to come early and

socialize. The meeting will start at 2 p.m. and should end by 3 p.m.

For this month’s program, Rene Perez, COMS, Orientation and Mobility Specialist from San Antonio Lighthouse, will provide information on

advanced orientation and mobility skills and new technology.

The group delivers programs including, discussions and demonstrations to inform people about vision loss, adaptive tools and techniques, as well as

technology available for living as independently as possible.

“These meetings are open to everyone interested in low vision, so come join us and bring your questions,” said Shirlee Crandall, spokesperson.

The group is coordinated by the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind and Vision Impaired. Those with questions

about the meetings or who would like more information about the group, are invited to call Crandall at 210-381-8332.

Dipping into Classic Cheese Fondue

By Mark Wieser

Fondue comes from the French “fonder,” meaning “to melt,” and supposedly had its origins in the 18th century Switzerland, which, as you may know, has four national official languages, one of which is French.

Fondue is nothing more than cheese heated with wine. The combination of water (from the wine) and water-insoluble fat (from the cheese) means that the successful fondue is an emulsion, a dispersion of microscopic droplets of fat in a water solution. That may all sound terrifyingly complex and difficult but take hope!

One really doesn’t need to know that wines with high concentrations of tartaric, malic, and citric acids, malate, tartrate and especially citrate irons are good at chelating calcium ions — just follow the recipe. Do that and your cheese fondue will be a success every time.

Fondue traces its origins to the 1700s among farm families who found ways to stretch their limited resources during harsh winters. Many Swiss farmers had cows producing lots of milk which was preserved as cheese. Many had ample supplies of aging cheeses and fresh-baked bread. Gathered around their warm kitchen tables and with a good supply of wine, Swiss families pioneered a new sensation that one day the rest of the world would consider an extraordinary and delicious way to gather with family and friends to enjoy what we call Gemütlichkeit — simply translated as a happy time. This dish actually has a deeper and more ambiguous history. It’s

Mark Wieser & Case Fischer

first mention dates to Homer’s “Iliad,” written around 800 to 725 B.C., where it was described as a mixture of goat’s cheese, wine and flour.

A 1699 cookbook called it “Käse mit Wein zu Kochen” — cheese cooked with wine became popular along the French Rhone-Alpes region near Geneva. Other versions referred to a dish composed of eggs and cheese in Vincent La Chapelle’s 1735 Fondue de Fromage aux Truffles Fraiches. Many versions were published, but by 1875, it was touted to be the Swiss national dish however it was prepared.

Those first recipes published called for Gruyére cheese, a cheese that had spread throughout the population and become a valuable export. Amazingly, most peasants could not afford it.

World War I destroyed much of the Swiss cheese industry. Exports fell by over 50% causing the Swiss to control their most precious commodity. Export without permission was prohibited. Only those farmers making Emmental, Gruyere and Sbrinz, a hard mountain cheese, were allowed. This led to the formulation of an official recipe for fondue, and in the 1930s the Swiss Cheese Union began a campaign

promoting fondue as the Swiss national dish.

Fondue remained unknown in the United States until its introduction at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, a fair that I attended upon my return from a summer in Europe. I hadn’t realized that Swiss cheese fondue nor Belgium waffles were first being introduced by their countries’ exhibits as I had visited both.

I discovered Fondue Bourguignonne or beef fondue in Zürich earlier and brought home a fondue set — you may remember that recipe. Cheese Fondue appeared more appropriate for winter months.

Cheese Fondue requires a bowl that is safe for use over a Sterno can or a flame. Gruyere, Fontina and Gouda are excellent cheeses

to select individually, or combine all three for a more complex flavor.

Each cheese should be grated for quicker melting and this will result in a smoother sauce.

A classic cheese fondue calls for the addition of a white wine. Choose a dry and high acid wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc. This will keep the cheese smooth and will give it an even texture.

Stir constantly as it melts. Don’t try to rush it as you will want the mixture to melt smoothly. To complete your preparation one will need bread, preferable a French or sourdough baguette. Tear or cut into 1-inch cubes.

Apples, preferably tart ones like Granny Smith, can also be cut into cubes for dipping into the melted cheese. Cherry Tomatoes,

small roasted baby potatoes, steamed broccoli, and even pickles also work well to offer guests.

After its introduction, Cheese Fondue became popular in the United States in the late 1960s and remained so well into the 1970s. It then began to fade from the American scene.

We should reconsider this. Such times make memories, provoke good conversation, and in our fast-paced world, offer quality times which today, it seems, may seldom be experienced by families.

A last word: One can find a lot of recipe variations for Cheese Fondue. This recipe is more or less the original, but always feel free to experiment.

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove

1 pound Gruyére cheese, grated

½ pound Emmentaler or other Swiss cheese, grated

1 cup dry white wine – Sauvignon Blanc

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1½ tablespoons kirsch

Freshly ground pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

Long loaves of French Bread

Preparation:

Rub the inside of a cheese fondue pot or medium enameled cast-iron casserole with garlic clove.

Combine the grated Gruyére and Emmentaler with the wine, cornstarch, and lemon juice in the fondue pot. Heat over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses begin to melt. (About 5 minutes.)

Add the kirsch and a generous pinch of pepper and nutmeg, stirring gently, until creamy and smooth. (About 10 minutes.)

Bring to the table, place on the fondue pot’s stand, and enjoy by spearing a piece of bread, etc., and dipping it in the cheese.

Try a cheese with roots from Switzerland dating back to the 1700s. — Submitted photo

11 a.m.

WINE & SPIRITS INDUSTRY NEWS

We want our readers to take a sip of your good news! Send wine-related news of awards, new facilities, new varieties, personalities, wine makers and more to fbgnews@fredericksburgstandard.com. Cheers!

Mother’s Day brunch, wine, flowers set at William Chris

Moms are in the spotlight this Mother’s Day at William Chris Vineyards at its Mother’s Day Brunch, which will take place from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sunday, May 8.

Tickets are $50 a person and include two tickets for wine cocktails and a served buffet-style brunch.

Additionally, William Chris Vineyards’ Mother’s Day Brunch will have a photo booth onsite for some memorable snapshots, bouquet flowers for Mom, and live music.

“This brunch is perfect for all wine-loving moms and families,” said Chris Brundrett, co-owner.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://bit.ly/3Kf5Mry.

William Chris Vineyards

William Chris Vineyards was founded in the Texas Hill Country in 2008 by Chris Brundrett and Bill Blackmon.

Deciding on a pioneer farm settlement in Hye, they began the project to restore the 1905 Deike farmhouse, which became the original William Chris Tasting Room.

Over the last decade, William Chris has expanded its

estate vineyards and partnered with family-owned farms across the state to source only the highest quality fruit in Texas.

In October 2020, Brundrett, who was recently included in Wine Enthusiast’s 2020 40 Under 40 list, teamed up with fellow winegrower and Lost Draw Cellars owner Andrew Sides to merge their companies and create William Chris Wine Company (WCWC), which is the parent company of the William Chris Vineyards (est. 2008), Lost Draw Cellars (est. 2012), Skeleton Key (est. 2015), and Grower Project (est. 2015) brands, and is the leading producer of 100 percent Texas-grown wines in the Lone Star State.

WCWC prides itself on expressing the genuine taste of Texas terroir through its wines while delivering a one-ofa-kind, world-class experience. They utilize a hands-off winemaking approach, allowing the characteristics of the fruit, the vineyard or AVA, and the vintage to shine in the finished product.

For more information on upcoming events, visit williamchriswines.com.

William Chris Vineyards is celebrating Mother’s Day with an

brunch on Sunday, May 8. A photo booth will also be onsite. — Submitted photo

EDUCATION

Look closer at new middle school campus

Fredericksburg Independent School District is committed to partnering with our community to provide safe and supportive learning environments and engage students in relevant, compelling learning experiences in order to prepare them for a life in a diverse and global society.

As part of FISD’s ongoing planning process, the FISD Board of Trustees called a May 2022 Bond Election to authorize FISD to issue bonds to fund capital improvements throughout the district. FISD is not anticipating any tax rate increases as a result of the 2022 bond election. This column is part of a series of informational columns to provide additional details about bond planning and the impact of a potential bond.

A Closer Look

FHS students place in state technology competition

A total of 11 Fredericksburg High School students placed at the Technology Student Association state convention for their photo or video projects.

The convention was held April 21-23 in Fort Worth. Earning honors were:

- Lainey Clark: Second in Sticker Decal; third in Computer Generated Graphic Art;

- Hank Rawls: First in Sound Editing;

- Sergio Robles: Second in Video Editing, Music Video Lip Sync;

- Anabel Araiza: Third in Video Editing, Music Video Sound Lip Sync;

- Addie Myers: First in Color Action/Motion Sport, second in Color Travel photo-essay;

- Ava Snoozy: Third in B/W Animal Life; first in Color Architecture; third in Color Travel photo-essay; second in Color Montage;

- Imagyn Perez: Second in B/W Close-Up (Macro);

- Maggie Shepard: Fourth in Color Close-Up (Macro);

- Chloe Lovelady: Fifth in Color Portrait Photography.

The decision to build a new Fredericksburg Middle School was not a decision that was made quickly or taken lightly. FISD and the Board of Trustees are keenly aware of the historical significance of the current middle school campus and the memories that many of our community members have at the campus.

This column will help shed some light on the decision-making process and explain how we got to the point of proposing to build a new middle school.

Community Input

A diverse group of community members (the Bond Steering Committee) committed their time to assess all options and explore every avenue before making a recommendation to the board of trustees.

The Bond Steering Committee met for months, toured the current Middle School campus, heard from teachers, students, administrators, architects, and engineers, and eventually recommended a new middle school campus to the board of trustees as the best option.

Why A New Campus?

Much of the Bond Steering Committee’s time was spent discussing possible ways to remain at the current campus.

Some of the considerations that led them to vote to build a new campus were:

The inability to obstruct the view of the historical buildings from the street.

This requirement limits any reworking of the existing campus to the land behind the historic building. The area in front cannot be touched, which removes significant space on the site.

Students would have to be put in portable buildings for a minimum of 18 months during the existing Middle School Campus renovations.

The committee did not want to put students and staff in this position. In addition to the por-

Students who placed at the Technology Student Association state convention on April 21-23 were, front row from left, Maggie Shepard, Anabel Araiza, Addie Myers and Imagyn Perez; back row, Hank Rawls, Sergio Robles, Chloe Lovelady, Lainey Clark and Ava Snoozy. — Photo courtesy FHS Campus Comet

table buildings, there was also a concern of constant noise, disruption, and extra safety considerations that come with teaching and learning in a construction zone.

Limitations to retrofitting the existing campus with technology infrastructure.

Due to the age and layout of the existing campus, retrofitting the existing campus with a technology infrastructure that would support the requirements of today’s curriculum standards would be costly and extensive.

New Middle School Design

If voters approve the 2022 bond, the new middle school campus is anticipated to open in the fall of 2024 and will offer our students and teachers an environment designed for modern instruction.

The building will be fully ADA accessible and will serve our whole community for years to come.

For more information on the design, the 2022 bond proposition, and other projects, visit www.fisd.org/ bondinfo.

FHS girls advance to state contest

Fredericksburg High Schools students are advancing to the UIL Academic State Competition after earning top honors at regionals Saturday.

The competition was held at La Vernia High School.

Placing at regionals and advancing to state are:

- Ella Grandjean: Second place in Editorial, second place in Headline;

- Suzanna Bridges-Keese: Third place in Copy Editing;

- Sophia Lutz: First place in Editorial.

Aven Ottmers was also part of the first place journalism team, but did not place to move on.

Carolina Osterberg earned fifth in Spelling and will not move on to state, as only the first through third places ad-

Fredericksburg High School students advancing to the UIL Academic State Competition on May 6 at the University of Texas at Austin are, from left, Ella Grandjean, Suzanna Bridges-Keese and Sophia Lutz. Aven Ottmers also competed, but did not place to advance. The girls performed well at the regional competition Saturday at La Vernia High School, which allowed them to advance. — Photo courtesy FHS Campus Comet vance.

The state competition will be Friday, May 6, at the University of Texas at Austin.

Heritage earns Cognia accreditation renewal

Heritage School announced Monday it has earned accreditation renewal by Cognia, a nonprofit organization that provides quality assurance for schools, school districts and education service providers.

Cognia, formerly AdvancED, nationally recognizes districts that meet rigorous standards focused on productive learning environments, equitable resource allocation that meets the needs of learners, and effective leadership.

Earning accreditation from the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission means that the school is accredited, and that Heritage School is recognized across

the nation as a school that meets Cognia Standards of Quality and maintains a commitment to continuous improvement.

To earn this, a school district also must implement a continuous process of improvement and submit to internal and external review. Schools in good standing can maintain their accreditation for a five-year term.

“Heritage School is to be commended for demonstrating that it has met high standards, is making progress on key indicators that impact student learning,” said Dr. Mark A. Elgert, president and CEO of Cognia.”

For more, go to cognia. org

Aluminium cans can actually be recycled and put back onto the shelf at your local grocery store in just about 2 months.

Aluminium cans are probably the most recycled item, at least in the United States. While this is true, you can also recycle other forms of aluminium as well.

Recycling an aluminium can helps to save a great deal of energy; in fact, it’s enough to run your home television for about three hours!

Most beverage cans are made up of aluminium, even though there are other products that go into it as well.

Truck Wars returns

Families flock to fair grounds for high-flying event

Both the Outlaw and the Equalizer soar off of ramps during a duo freestyle in the Monster Truck Wars held at the Gillespie County Fair Grounds on Saturday, April 23. The Outlaw, driven by Alex Bardin of Rockport, won the freestyle event as voted on by the fans in attendance, which featured four trucks in total. — Standard-Radio Post/Reed Graff

Adam Wilson prepares to drive his truck, the Sheriff, through the course during Monster Truck Wars at the Gillespie County Fair Grounds on Saturday, April 23. The Sheriff was one of four trucks featured in the sellout event.

A group of quad racers flies around the turn during a quads race. Team Texas, in yellow, defeated Team Oklahoma in the final race to win the event.

Super Crossword Puzzle

(answers on page C13)

WHO TO WHO?

WORD SEARCH

Find the words hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally and backwards.

SUDOKU (answers on page C13)

Not that he ever left

What does it truly mean to be a celebrity on a global level? What does that recognizability, especially for those with boisterous personalities, do to an actor’s psyche as the shine starts to fade?

It’s a nuanced examination that comes from the most unlikely of places, a zany surreal action dramedy where former A-list actor Nicolas Cage takes on perhaps his most challenging role: himself.

With “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,” Cage showcases every side of his acting persona, cranking up the volume of his “Cage-yness” to 11 in a performance that’s incredibly neurotic, exceptionally thought out and cerebral, yet quintessentially heartfelt and emotional in a way only the Academy Award winner could.

The film from writer/director Tom Gormican and co-writer Kevin Etten is a cinematic love letter to Cage’s illustrious and exotic film career, taking audiences on a journey with Nicolas as he battles his inner demons and quite literally talks to his younger self in a wonderful homage to “True Romance,” the most Nicolas Cage film he was never cast in.

“Talent” finds this fictionalized Cage on the brink of retiring from acting following another failed audition when an invitation (and million-dollar incentive) to attend a wealthy businessman’s birthday party in Mallorca, Spain, leads Nick to bond with Javi over vintage German horror films upon

Nicolas Cage a revelation in comedy ‘Unbearable Weight’

Cinematic Considerations

BY MATT WARD

his arrival and begin to develop a movie idea together, all while covertly working for the CIA.

The incredulous nature of the story, while often going to the brink of inexplicable, works amazingly well simply because Cage commits so fully to the fantasy world Gormican and Etten have crafted that viewers cannot help but be carried along for the ride of R-rated hijinks, deep philosophical conversations, and increasingly meta diatribes about the art of screenwriting and hooking audiences into watching a movie.

Even though the entire film veers into the surreal, there’s a subtle through-layer of Cage working through his own struggles with his public persona and how “out there” he gets in his films leaking into his private life. In a way, “Talent” is the perfect opportunity for Cage to fully free himself from the crazed 90s action star persona and continue a career revitalization that began with last year’s “Pig.”

It’s also so easy to fall in love with this wonderfully strange version of Cage because of how genuine Pedro Pascal’s adoration of Nick pours out in every moment of his performance as Javi.

Cage and Pascal have a vibrant chemistry that makes silly inter-

actions over the common love of a children’s movie, or an LSD trip feel whimsical and lighthearted rather than completely ridiculous. The affection both actors have for each other seeps into every aspect of their performances and from the 30-minute mark onward, the best parts of the film are Cage and Pascal’s random conversations that could have nothing to do with moving the plot forward, but are riotously entertaining nevertheless.

Sharon Horgan and Lily Sheen as Cage’s fictional ex-wife and daughter are solid in smaller sup-

porting roles that help ground his performance as a struggle between career and family, while Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz as two CIA agents pushing Nick to spy on his new friend have some funny moments but are largely just filler to flesh out the incredulous story.

Gormican doesn’t muddle the frame with big explosions or fancy camera tricks in an homage to Cage’s action roots, but “Talent” does have a fast pace thanks to exceptionally witty dialogue and the joyride audiences go on is generally smooth despite his relative

lack of experience behind the director’s chair.

“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is a phenomenal, quirky love letter to one of Hollywood’s most eccentric fan favorite actors and Cage’s winning performance paired with terrific chemistry opposite Pascal make this unlikely buddy dramedy a major surprise hit in theaters for 2022.

Matt Ward is a programmer for the Hill Country Film Festival and local film critic, who is also an official Rotten Tomatoes reviewer. Continue the conversation online at www.cinematicconsiderations.com

Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal star in a quirky action dramedy that finds Cage playing a fictionalized version of himself in director Tom Gormican’s “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,” now in theaters.

STAGES

No cover charge unless indicated; times listed are show times. Call venue to confirm artists and times, as changes may occur after publication.

This list is compiled weekly by the Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau and is run free of charge by this newspaper.

Pecan Grove Store

N State Hwy 16, 830-990-4433

Pedernales Cellars

Upper Albert Rd, 830-304-2037

Safari Winery 5479 E US Hwy 290, 830-304-9463

Texas Wine Collective 10354 E US Hwy 290, 830-997-7470

The Ridge Marketplace 13439 S RR 783, 830-896-0420

The Station on 290 23717 W US Hwy 290 830-343-3822

Wildseed Farms 100 Legacy Dr., 830-990-1393

David Lee, Anothony Smith, & Jessee Lee 7 p.m.

Chad Boyd & Michael McMillan, 6 p.m.

Lee Beauchamp 2:30 p.m.

Will Southern 2 p.m.

Stephen K. Morris 1 p.m.

Jamie Villanueva 6 p.m.

Clay Hollis, Daniel Holmes, Jessee Lee, 5 p.m., $

Gary Kyle Benefit, Various Artists, By Donation, Noon

Mindy Brown 2 p.m.

OUTDOORS Reel Men: Quint of 1975’s ‘Jaws’

From the first moment he appears on the screen in the 1975 blockbuster movie “Jaws,” he commands respect. He bides his time listening to the town folk complain and whine and have their pity party before running his fingernails down a chalkboard to get their attention and announcing, “You all know me. You all know what I do.”

They do.

Because he’s Quint, the onenamed, foul-mouthed, grizzled shark fisherman, and he’s the only man that can save the town from a monstrous man-eating Great White.

For a price.

Quint’s not a hero. He’s a businessman. And his character is one of the greatest Reel Men to ever appear on screen. He is the epitome of the Hemingway hero come to life, a man’s man that knows his way is the only way, that action speaks louder than words, and that the world that came after him is as soft as a baby’s butt.

Following his introduction, viewers see nothing of Quint until everything hits the fan and the Fourth of July has been turned into an all-you-can-eat human — and dog — buffet. Knowing that the shark that’s ruining the island’s tourist industry must be killed, the town hires Quint.

The audience then sees that Quint lives alone in a rundown

OUTDOORS ON END

By Gayne C. Young

shack, distills and drinks his own booze, and loves boiling out shark jaws for fun and profit.

Quint explains to the not-nearly-as-manly-as-he powers that be that he plans to catch the shark alone. Chief Brody, who represents the town, insists that he and his nerdy shark-studying buddy Hooper go along with him.

Quint relents and starts packing. When the Chief’s wife drops off her husband for the voyage, Quint always the gentleman, recites poetry.

“Here lies the body of Mary Lee; died at the age of a hundred and three. For fifteen years she kept her virginity; not a bad record for this vicinity.”

The Chief’s wife is not a fan of poetry or Quint. She finds him vile and sends her husband on

his way. Quint takes the two men to sea and shares with them his knowledge.

Among the items he shares:

“Front, bow. Back, stern. If ya don’t get it right, squirt, I throw your ass out the little round window on the side”; “You have city hands, Mr. Hooper. You been countin’ money all your life”; “This shark, swallow you whole,”; “Women today, they can’t handle nothin’. Young girls just ain’t quite smart… like their grandmothers were”; and, “Well it proves one thing, Mr. Hooper. It proves that you wealthy college boys don’t have the education enough to admit when you’re wrong.”

Yes, Quint is knowledgeable beyond his years and rightfully finds Hooper an idiot.

Later, Quint drinks enough to drop a normal man three times over and tells the story of his service in World War II. Quint served on the USS Indianapolis which was sunk by the Japanese. “So, eleven hundred men went into the water, three hundred sixteen men come out, and the sharks took the rest.” Quint wasn’t one of the latter and he’s hated sharks ever since. Can ya’ blame him? He unleashes this hatred upon the shark once it appears. Quint harpoons the 25-foot behemoth with a length of rope attached to a barrel. Then another. Then another. This is to slow the shark and to keep it from being able

to dive below the surface. Quint promises, “He can’t go down with three barrels ... not with three barrels on he can’t.”

He does.

Then he gets more or less free of the barrels, attacks the ship, and bites Quint in half.

The audience is horrified.

Here, at the end of the film, dies a character that represents all that is good and just in the Amer-

ican male and he’s halved by the demonic forces of nature. Quint will be missed. Thank God you can still learn the lessons he has to teach through DVD and streaming.

Young is a Fredericksburg resident and avid outdoorsman whose work appears in the paper, Rock & Vine magazine, and other outdoor publications.

As we are in the midst of a drought with little relief in sight, I am reminded of the fact that as much as 60% of municipal water demand in the summer is for outside use—watering lawns, landscape plants, washing cars, etc. A large part of this use is unnecessary and wasteful.

Here are some ideas that will not only save water, but will also save you some work.

Driving around Kerrville I have noticed people mowing lawns that have largely gone dormant due to the hot, dry conditions. I ask myself, if the grass has pretty much quit growing, why mow it? I think some of this is just habit, part of the weekly routine.

But it is also counterproductive. Mowing frequently, and especially with the mower set to cut the grass short is harder on the grass and leads to the rapid loss of soil moisture.

Mowing less frequently, and especially with the mower set at a high setting, allows the grass to grow a little longer. Longer grass shades the ground more, keeping it very much cooler (30-40 degrees) and thus reducing evaporation. This means taller grass needs less water, and it requires less work on your part as well.

Never cut more than a third of the grass during mowing, as doing so weakens the grass plant, including the roots. Also, allowing the grass clippings to accumulate, at least up to a point, also adds to the shading/insulating effect, keeping the ground even cooler.

If you happen to be at the stage of putting in a lawn, the most water-saving things you can do are to keep the size of the lawn to a minimum and to choose the most water-saving grass species.

Buffalograss requires much less water than does bermudagrass, which in turn requires much less water than

Hill Country Naturalist

Jim Stanley

the water-hog, St. Augustine. The latter two are non-native and require fertilizer, whereas buffalograss does not.

Generally, watering is best done early in the morning.

Many of us who live in the country and thus don’t have to worry about what the neighbors will say, have “lawns” of mixtures of native grasses, i.e. whatever native grasses happen to grow there. These “lawns” usually get mowed only once or twice a year, maybe 2” or 3” high, and in many cases, don’t get watered at all!

Another water-saving idea is to use mulch on flower beds, around perennials, shrubs and trees. Mulch provides the same function as taller grass does, it shades the soil and reduces evaporation. Too much mulch can be counterproductive, however, because it soaks up too much of light rains which never reach the soil and during wet periods can support mold and mildew. I think one to two inches of mulch is ideal. And once the mulch is in place, there will be fewer weeds to pull, and less watering to do, so again, less work.

The installation of drip irrigation for your trees, shrubs and flower beds is another water-saver that is also, long term, a time saver. Drip irrigation (using hoses that are

porous and allow water to slowly seep out) is more efficient because the water drips directly onto the surface of the ground at a rate that it can soak into the ground. This eliminates the evaporation in the air when sprinklers are used. I don’t like the idea of automatic timers for landscapes because they can cause water to be used when it is not needed, but using a timer that will turn off the drip after a certain amount of time can be useful.

As one whose cars are perpetually dirty, I find it easy to forgo the habit of washing cars. During times of water restrictions, everyone can have a dirty car with a clean conscience. And we can all certainly refrain from washing driveways, patios, etc., during these times.

Of course, rainwater harvesting, even if it is just a few rain barrels, is the ultimate water-saving practice and something we should all think seriously about. That subject is a bit too complicated to discuss here today, but I will come back to it in a subsequent column.

Benjamin Franklin said it best, “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.”

Jim Stanley is a Texas Master Naturalist and the author of the books “Hill Country Ecology,” “Hill Country Landowner’s Guide” and “A Beginner’s Handbook for Rural Texas Landowners.” He can be reached at jstmn@ktc.com.

FHS CLASS OF ‘67 REUNION

The Fredericksburg High School Class of 1967 recently gathered for a class reunion, celebrating the 55th anniversary of graduation.

A pre-party was hosted at the home of Linda and Gerald Ottmers and the reunion was held in the ballroom of the historic Nimitz Hotel.

Thirty-eight of the original 127 graduates were in

attendance.

Shown in the photo, are (front row, from left): George Riba, Cheryl Maenius Bowers, Linda

Schuch Ottmers, Carol

Wahrmund Birmingham, Judy Ahrens Wuensche, Karen Alberthal

Barrington, Imogene

Heiner Schollian, Corrine Klein Jung.

Second row: Tommy Leyendecker, Rafael

Joseffy Nichols, Sharon Arlitt Brown, Betty Frantzen Hilderbran, Beverly Burg Anderson, “Otto” Sagebiel, Kay Tatum Geistweidt, Candy Anderegg Feller, Lynette Crenwelge Urquhart, Jennifer Everette Selmin, Wayne Menking.

Back row: Keith Wagner, Leroy Wunderlich, Leon Welgehausen, Dennis Kusenberger, Howard

Worrell, Jone Ward Harrison, Robert Gandre, Jonathan Baethge, Vernon Itz, Larry Reeh, Don Koenig, Chester Ellebracht, Steven Usener, David Usener, Happy Feller, Clyde Henke and Linvill Crenwelge. Not clearly visible in the back row are Jerry Althaus and Curtis Staudt. — Submitted photo

www.honorveteransnow.org

COMMUNITY

Heard on the hillside

Bluegrass Festival takes place at Luckenbach

By Brent Burgess Standard-Radio Post reporter

The mountain music sounds of the banjo, mandolin and fiddle rang throughout the Luckenbach property on Saturday, April 23 during the Luckenbach Bluegrass Festival. The festival was the first of its kind at Luckenbach and featured a lineup of bluegrass and Americana music.

Ricky Skaggs headlined the event following performances from Tony Kamel, Springstreet, Breaking Grass, and Cruz Contreras. While roots music and regional country bands are the norm at Luckenbach, bluegrass music is a new endeavor.

“I did my research to find these bands,” said Jamie Glover, booking manager at Luckenbach.

It was apparent that the Luckenbach audience was accepting of the sounds as

1,100 people decorated the field and hillside surrounding the main outdoor stage.

Tony Kamel, a resident of Dripping Springs, performed his roots-oriented version of Americana songs just before headliner, Ricky Skaggs, took the stage.

Kamel’s music, while not traditional bluegrass, features banjo and acoustic instrumentation revealing a strong bluegrass influence. The non-traditional approach was enthusiastically received by the Luckenbach audience.

Festival headliner Ricky Skaggs took the stage at Luckenbach at 5:30 p.m.

During his performance, he credited his wife, Sharon White, for making him an honorary Texan when they married in 1981.

Skaggs made his way into the bluegrass music scene at a young age, sharing the stage with bluegrass fron-

tiersmen Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley by the age of 5.

Skaggs recorded 12 No. 1 country music singles throughout the 1980s, including “Highway 40 Blues.” While achieving success in popular country music he maintained a commitment to bluegrass influences.

Skaggs mentioned on the stage how his favorite early radio stations featured bluegrass music alongside country music, and expressed a desire that the two genres receive more radio airtime together.

The mostly Texas audience gave Skaggs and his band a warm welcome and loud applause following each of his hits, instrumental jams, and traditional songs.

Based on the crowd response at the Luckenbach Bluegrass Festival, it seems bluegrass music fits in at Luckenbach just fine.

Ricky Skaggs performed with his band as the headliner at the Luckenbach Bluegrass Festival. Skaggs’ performance featured a variety of traditional songs, gospel classics, instrumental jams, and personal hits. — Standard-Radio Post/Brent Burgess

‘Community Night’ set at museum

The National Museum of the Pacific War (NMPW) announces another funfilled night for the local community at Fredericksburg’s Night at the Museum tonight, Wednesday, April 27.

p.m. for a free visit.

“The goal of the program is to give back to the community by hosting local residents and workers to bring their families to enjoy the museum free of charge,” organizers said.

included the hospitality/ lodging, food service, and healthcare industries.

Around

Toastmasters to mark 25 years Friday

Come “Celebrate our 25th Year” with the Fredericksburg Toastmasters at a special meeting at noon on Friday, April 29 honoring the club’s founders.

“Many program participants became city leaders, in part due to the speaking and leadership skills developed as Toastmasters, said Janice Smith, spokesperson.

Chamber of Commerce

President Penny McBride will give brief comments to welcome the Toastmasters Club as a new Chamber member.

Founding and past club members will entertain with tales of their Toastmaster journeys, Smith said.

“We meet every Friday at noon in the First United Bank meeting room at 1108 Texas 16 South (next to

Burger King — South Adams at South Milam),” she said.

Visitors and members should park on the side of the bank and enter the glass double doors in the back. A light lunch will be provided.

To participate in the meeting via Zoom link, contact Janice Smith via email at janice.smith1119@yahoo. com.

The museum invites local churches and their congregations, along with workers in nonprofit organizations, from 5:30-7

Each month, the museum hosts a community night focused on a different segment of the community. Past guests have

z’We have door prizes from our Museum Store, a trivia quiz with prizes, and interactive activities for all to enjoy,” said Museum Director Karen Stevenson. For more information on the musuem, go to www. https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org

86486.35

1,100 people attended Luckenbach’s festival to hear Skaggs perform Saturday afternoon.

COMMENTARY

EDITORIAL

New obituary system honors loved ones

connection.

So, this paper has partnered with Legacy.com to offer a memorialization platform worthy of our loved ones. It is searchable and offers modern ways to remember and share.

W

But we should always remember to honor our loved ones. The Standard-Radio Post has invested in a new system to improve our obituaries beyond traditional print remembrances, and there is an interactive element that can ease the process.

But first, why should we honor our loved ones, and deal with the additional expense? We can break down the reasons with an acronym of the abbreviated word, “OBIT.”

O is for Observe.

We observe the passing of our loved one and all the special things about him or her — their substance, their character or their distinction. What did our ancestor like to do? How did she serve her community? Where did his family originate? What were her religious preferences? How did he connect to friends with his sense of humor or humanity?

B is for Bereave.

We place an obituary to honor our loved one and remember in word and story why these people were so special to us, to our community, to their friends. Their contributions to all will be archived for future generations to see.

I is for Inform.

This is so we state the fact our loved one is no longer with us in as public a way as we can. The only issue with leaving it to social media is lack of reach and social media’s impermanence. (Will these same channels even be available a decade from now?) There is an added timeliness benefit, particularly for a weekly publication. Information travels instantly now, so this will help inform more rapidly.

T is for Track.

We build an ancestral trail and we add another branch to our family tree. This helps those in the present to make connections, as well as those who may be researching family ties decades or centuries from now. We leave the breadcrumbs for families searching for clues about

hen a loved one dies, there are lots of details to attend to, in addition to the normal grieving process. Funeral arrangements, notifying friends and family, setting up memorial contributions, visiting with a pastor — it can all seem overwhelming, particularly in the cases of early or unexpected deaths.In addition to our print design and archiving, the new platform offers permanent online archiving and helpful links to send flowers, plant a tree, or donate to a preferred charity. The site also includes a way to leave memories or offer condolences, as well as share other end-of-life resources.

Our funeral homes in Fredericksburg are professional and trusted with the care of our loved ones’ final hours before burial or cremation. They have decades of service behind them and experience dealing with this platform. The families that own Schaetter Funeral Home and Fredericksburg Funeral Home have been serving the community since the 1800s. That longevity doesn’t happen without trust.

They are also familiar with this new system and will continue to be the family’s first point of contact.

We’ll still be working out a few details, and our Sherrie Geistweidt, proofreader and obituaries editor, is still available to help, if needed. She has handled thousands of obituaries in this community over the years and is familiar with many family ties.

We know when a loved one dies, there is lots to do. But don’t let the chance pass to honor them in a public way.

We hope our changes will ease the way things are done to inform the public, remember and share, while still entrusting the care of loved ones to funeral service professionals.

See the new system online at https:// www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/fredericksburgstandard/browse

Funeral

GUEST COLUMN

By Christine Granados

When I think about funding a brand new Fredericksburg Middle School, I am reminded of the blue, button-down shirt I’ve had in my closet for the past 15 years.

When I started to, ahem, “grow into” my favorite shirt, I noticed that I could no longer button it. Even though the stitches on the blouse were pulled so taut around my biceps that I couldn’t raise my arms above my navel, I thought it still looked good.

What our middle school is experiencing right now is those stitches groaning from the weight of all the students we are packing into this campus.

Let’s just take the nurse’s station at FMS as an example. There are 650 plus students on the middle school campus with one nurse who works in a room the size of a toll booth. If a sick student needs to lay down to wait for a parent, they have leave the closet-sized room and lay on a cot in the hallway because of space limitations.

She also patches up students’ sprained wrists and ankles from all the trips and falls they received walking and running between buildings on uneven cement with steep inclines. They’re in a rush because they have to make it to gym class, art or the band hall in a five minute time-frame. To complicate their lives even more, they have to do this while lugging all their textbooks, notebooks and supplies for every class daily, because there are not enough lockers for every student.

housing the technology brain of the school system in portable buildings to make room for students, dividing the art building in half to make room for a math class and trying to accommodate students in wheelchairs, who cannot get to the second floor of the seventhgrade building because there is no elevator. It was built in the 19th century.

FMS has been stitched together seven times in its 146-year existence (in 1924, 1926, 1938, 1946, 1951, 1997, 2003). One of those times involved President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration Grant (WPA). Depressionera workers built the flagstone wall in front of the school, the 600-seat grandstand and a cinder tract around the playing field.

The building that educates our community’s seventh graders was built in 1879, when women were wearing horsehair-ruffled petticoats. Fredericksburg College, served 150 adults from as far away as Galveston until 1884. Today, 217 seventh graders rush up and down its narrow staircase to the second floor.

The 300 building wasn’t ADA compliant when my two children roamed those same halls between 20122017. Walking the hallway with our eighth-grade tour guide Cassidy Kothmann and a handful of adults felt like being in a sardine can.

The 400 building was built for 130 students. Today, 224 eight graders settle into its classrooms.

Both my pre-teens were in PE and athletics at the middle school and they never once mentioned that the old gym’s sixth-grade locker room was prone to flooding during heavy rains and couldn’t be used on those days. In a gymnasium built in 1951, it’s no surprise that shower heads pop off plumbing fixtures when the water is running and that all toilet seats are blistered and peeling.

The new gym on the campus built in the 1990s isn’t much better. It has no air conditioning. A group of adults stood in it for five minutes and were drenched in sweat. Students have dubbed it “the plastic room,” its red-tile floors that look like plastic move from sideto-side, which is why sporting events are no longer played there.

Our tour guides joked that the middle school track is made of kitty litter. Because of the track’s small size, the track team has to run five laps to equal a mile. The small storage shed for equipment allows for only five hurdles because of space limitations.

Congress

“I have seven classes and I’ve started wearing two backpacks,” said Rylie Schmidt, an eighth-grader giving adults a tour on Sunday. “I wear one in front and another in back.”

It’s not just students who are dealing with worn-out facilities. Our teachers have adapted and made the most of this aging campus like

CAPITOL HIGHLIGHTS

By Gary Borders

Early voting began Monday for local elections and two proposed constitutional amendments relating to property tax reductions. Early voting continues through Tuesday, May 3, with election day on Saturday, May 7. One proposed amendment would authorize the Legislature to limit property taxes on homesteads of elderly or disabled residents, while the other

Despite those conditions, my children received an excellent education thanks to the teachers, aides, librarians and counselors at FMS. My youngest who is at University of North Texas said he was glad Naomi Pyka drilled his seventhgrade English class on simple, compound and complex sentences. He said his FMS education is still helping him today.

The eighth-grade building also has a second floor, and it has an elevator because it was built in 1923. The passenger elevator fits two people and is operated by a key that doesn’t always catch, according to tour guides.

would increase the homestead exemption for school taxes from $25,000 to $40,000.

Voters return to the polls later in May for runoff elections in both the Democratic and Republican primaries. Voters cannot switch parties if they voted in the March 1 primary, but voters who didn’t vote in the primary can participate in either party’s runoff. A full list of runoff races can be found on the secretary of state’s website: sos.texas. gov. Early voting for the

Speaking of small, the standard classrooms sizes in all three buildings are not to Texas Administrative Code that mandates space requirements for a certain number of students in a space. The campus is not ADA compliant either.

These things listed here are just the tip of the iceberg at the middle school, there are many other needs.

I haven’t even touched on what the 26-member Advisory Committee made up of Fredericksburg residents said was needed at the elementary, primary and high schools.

The only solution I see is for Fredericksburg to either lose weight or buy a new blouse. Since losing weight isn’t a viable option, especially with our student population continuing to grow, I vote for the new shirt.

May 24 runoff begins on May 16.

“With multiple opportunities to vote in the upcoming May elections, I strongly encourage all Texas voters to get informed about what’s on the ballot and make a plan to cast one,” Secretary of State John Scott said. To find out what is on local ballots, contact your county’s local election office. Gary

Schaetter

Henry L. Joseph, a member of the Hill Country Memorial Hospital board of trustees since 1967, was re-elected president at the group’s annual meeting last Tuesday.

Local residents will have the opportunity to see the Gillespie County Fair float Thursday evening as it travels down Main Street from the Fredericksburg Coca-Cola corner (Edison Street) to the Nimitz Center corner. The Stonewall Peach JAMboree float will also be participating. Leading the floats will be the Fredericksburg High School Band.

The Arion Maennerchor is hosting the 70th Saengerfest of the Gillespie County Saengerbund, Sunday at the Turner Hall.

Vernon Doss has been elected the first president of a newly organized retired teachers’ group in Gillespie County. The Pedernales Retired Teachers Association has the distinction of being the 100th organization of its kind in Texas.

Twenty-five new trash receptacles are being installed in the downtown section of town this week. The wood and metal backet-type containers were built by the Industrial Arts classes at Fredericksburg High School. Plastic liners will be placed inside for easy removal of the trash.

Hill Country Memorial Hospital reported two births during the past week. A girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Prokopetz, April 18, while a boy was born to Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Morgan, Stonewall, April 21.

During a Sunday banquet, Stonewall

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Time to step up

I joined the staff at Fredericksburg Middle School as an assistant principal in 1978. Prior to that, all my teaching experience had been at the middle school level. I have a special place in my heart for the Middle School and the students who have attended that campus.

We all have a very important decision in the upcoming election. I know there has been much discussion about the proposed site and the utilization of the old campus. I appreciate the efforts of the citizens’ committee and respect their recommendation for a new site.

The plans for the usable buildings to house educational support services and reduce the number of portable buildings in the district are sound.

For me, however, the bottom line is that several of the buildings on the current campus are unacceptable as classrooms. One visit to the campus makes this fact very clear.

These are very important formative years for our kids. They deserve a better learning environment. We have the opportunity to avoid the state Robin Hood program, keeping 100% of our tax dollars local, while not increasing the tax rate. It is time for us to step up and do what is best for the students in our community.

Marc Williamson Fredericksburg

Not the ‘good doctor’

Concerning Tim Koock’s article about “Dr.” Schubbert.

I’m certain that I don’t have the credentials of Dr. Kearney and, unfortunately, I missed his presentation on April 21. However, and I don’t want to sound snippy here, I wrote an article in the October 1996 issue of the late, great “Enchanted Rock Magazine” about Mr. Schubbert.

Though Dr. Kearney and I agree about his arrival in Texas and his travels within the region, Schubbert’s preand post-Fredericksburg history is worth note.

Mr. Schubbert left a trail of dead bodies from Germany, to New York City, to St. Louis (he was a crack pistol shot and duelist) and into Texas. Also, he was no doctor.

Mr. Koock’s article may have glossed over many of the “Doctor’s” more nefarious exploits, but to me, they personify the endurance and determination of our early settlers to persevere despite the poor manage-

Mutual Aid Fire Association honored Hugo Weinheimer who is retiring from the board or directors of the association. For 50 years, Weinheimer was a member of the board and secretary of the organization.

Louis Jordan Post and Auxiliary of the American Legion hosted the 21st District Spring Convention over the weekend.

Diana Lynn Crenwelge, bride-elect of Vernon Haverlah, was complimented with a miscellaneous bridal shower Sunday afternoon at the American Legion Hall.

The St. Mary’s Indians baseball team defeated St. Anthony’s, 2-1.

The Indians’ track team finished in second in the TCIL District 4-AA meet in San Antonio last Saturday. The Indians qualified eight athletes in 11 events for the state meet to be held May 6 in Beaumont.

The Parish Softball League season begins Tuesday evening when Bethany plays the Methodists in the first game, and Zion and St. Mary’s clash in the second game.

The Boerne White Sox put the skids under the Fredericksburg Cubs Sunday afternoon as Boerne romped home with a 9-6 victory, the Cubs’ first loss of the season.

Hindsights Michael Barr

See Mike Barr’s Hindsights column on page D5 of today’s edition.

The Standard welcome responsible letters provided they are of 300 words or less, free of libelous content and written in good taste. Letter writers are asked to submit their name, home address and phone number so we can verify you want your opinion published. Anonymous and chain letters will not be run. Letters may be edited for clarity, grammar and/or length, and writers may submit one letter per 30-days to give all a chance at participation. Letters may be delivered at the Standard-Radio Post at 712 W. Main St., Fredericksburg, TX 78624 or emailed to fbgnews@fredericksburgstandard.com.

ment and rivalries that must occur when you are trying something new, like settling raw country. After all, here we are.

Cork Morris Willow City

Visitor water use

In a recent editorial, it was suggested many water-saving practices we in Fredericksburg could implement to reduce our water consumption.

Fredericksburg has the second-largest daily consumption of water per capita outside of Travis County.

The editorial is right: water — or the lack of it — will be the death of Fredericksburg’s phenomenal growth.

One aspect that was not mentioned, however, are the motels, hotels and shortterm rentals that get booked every day of the year. This pseudo population consumes an extraordinary amount of water compared to the “per capita” of surrounding towns.

I’m not suggesting we do away with them. The direct and indirect revenue they bring to our town keep many people employed who are the lifeblood of the county.

However, it may explain

why Fredericksburg is so high compared to our neighboring cities.

Edward J. Smith Fredericksburg

Day of Prayer

The first Thursday in May has for many years been officially called the National Day of Prayer. On May 5, a great many Americans throughout this great nation will take time to pray for our nation and all facets of our life — our state, national and local governments, our schools and colleges, and so on.

Locally, we have also observed this day in community prayer, and if ever our nation and our state and community need to pray, it is now! So far, I have not heard as to whether there will be a local observance of NDP, come May 5. If there is such an observance, would somebody please let me know where and when we’ll come together on that day.

I hope our community and all communities throughout the Hill Country will take time to come together, asking for God’s mercy on us.

Cordially,

Duncan Holmes Fredericksburg

Cont. on D7

OBITUARIES

Holy Ghost sets Maypole memorial event

Celebration returns as COVID-19 restrictions lessen

Holy Ghost Lutheran Church will host a Maypole celebration at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, May 1, for all the community of people who have lost their spouse during the course of life.

“The last two years, we

have had to cancel our Heart of a Valentine’s dinner celebration due to COVID-19 restrictions,” said the Rev. Bobby Vitek.

“There will be a great home-cooked meal and opportunity to fellowship

Crabapple Club meeting postpones May meeting

Crabapple Community Club will not hold its monthly meeting in May. The gathering has been

postponed until 2:30 p.m. June 5. For more, contact Ginger Holzscheiter at ginger1977@me.com.

Robert Louis Walter

November 17, 1936 — April 17, 2022

Robert Louis Walter passed away on April 17, 2022 at the age of 85, he was born November 17, 1936 to parents Robert Clark Walter and Otelia Bertha Leist Walter in Fredericksburg TX Gillespie County.

He is survived by his wife Bambie Marie Pehl Walter of Fredericksburg, daughters; Barbara Segner and husband Thomas, Sandra Ahrens and husband Douglas all of Fredericksburg; Sisters Ellen and Dr. Womack of Scottsdale AZ, Vernell Crow of Stephenville TX; and 5 grandchildren .

A graveside service took place on Friday, April 22 at 10 a.m. in the Greenwood Cemetery Family Chapel. The family received friends from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. prior to the service.

Memorials may be made to Bethany Lutheran Church Building Fund, Willow City VFD or the charity of your choice.

and share with others. The holidays still hold some meaning after losing a life mate, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t time for joy or celebration.”

This is free of charge and open to all who have expe-

Douglas G. Daniell

October 29, 1940 — April 16, 2022

rienced the sadness of not dancing around the maypole with their beloved, he added.

Those planning to attend should RSVP to the church at 830-997-2288 by April 25.

Helen D. Bingham

May 23, 1922 — April 23, 2022

Helen D. Bingham passed away Saturday, April 23, 2022 in Fredericksburg, Texas at the age of 99. She was born May 23, 1922 in East Gansel, Texas to David B. Peel and Mildred (Cowan). Helen was a resident of Tow, Texas for 30 years since coming from Midland, Texas.

Helen was of the Baptist faith and attended the First Baptist Church of Tow. She was also a member of the Red Hats, a senior citizens club.

Helen is preceded in death by her parents, David and Mildred Peel; husband, H.R. Bingham Sr.; son, H.R. Bingham Jr.; brother, Jack Peel and wife, Louise; sister, Jessie Burgin and husband, Troy. She is survived by her daughters, Sharon Swindle of Kingsland, Texas, and Jackie Pehl and husband, Leroy, of Fredericksburg, Texas; daughter-in-law, Sue Bingham; sons, Dana C. Bingham of San Angelo, Texas, and Mike Bingham of Fredericksburg, Texas; 9 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and numerous great-great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to American Lung Association, 8140 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 106, Dallas, TX 75231. Funeral arrangements made under the direction of Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Homes, Inc. Llano, Texas. E-mail condolences may be sent to whhfuneral1@verizon.net.

Maxine Molberg Birkelbach

January 15, 1921 — April 15, 2022

Maxine Molberg Birkelbach of Fredericksburg died peacefully on Good Friday, April 15, 2022, at the age of 101.

She was born near the rural community of Iredell, Bosque County, Texas, on January 15, 1921, the eldest of Truman James and Eula Sursa Houston’s six children. She married Henry (Heinie) Molberg, an immigrant from Germany to Texas with his family in 1898, on February 24, 1941, and he died October 18, 1989. Thereafter, she married Stanley Birkelbach on Oct. 20, 2001, and he survives her. Although she completed no formal schooling, Maxine worked in retail sales and later — after Henry was disabled in a construction accident near Kerrville — became a well-known small business owner in Fredericksburg, most notably as the longtime proprietor of Mode O’Day Dress Shop on Main Street.

To be a full-fledged businesswoman or “free trader,” as her types were called at the time, she had to go to state district court to have her “disabilities of coverture” removed, which prevented married women from owning property in their own names and transacting certain business. Judge Marvin Blackburn, Jr. signed the order granting her that right in August 1962. Upon learning of her death, longtime area lawyer Chris Wallendorf, who knew her for decades, said, “She was a wonderful person and accomplished much in Fredericksburg that no woman had ever attempted.”

Maxine served as president of the Fredericksburg Zonta Club in 1995-96 and received the club’s Woman of Achievement Award for 1999. She previously received the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Chamber Woman Award in 1986. Maxine was president of the Hill Country Memorial Hospital Hospice Volunteers in 1998 and 1999, a group she helped organize.

She was a three-term member of the City of Fredericksburg Planning & Zoning Commission, an organizer and leader of the St. Mary’s chapter of the Catholic Daughters, a president and vice president of the St. Mary’s Parent-Teacher Club, and a leader and volunteer in various other civic and religious endeavors.

Maxine was also politically active. She served for many years as the chair of the Gillespie County Democratic Party and as an elected member of the State Democratic Executive Committee for the state senate district of which Gillespie County was then a part. During that time, she became the first member of the SDEC to serve concurrently with her son, Kenneth, who represented a senatorial district in the Dallas area. She served six years as vice-chair of the Texas Democratic Chairs Association.

She was an elected delegate to the 1984 and 1988 Democratic National Conventions on behalf of former Vice President Walter Mondale and Sen. Al Gore, respectively. In 1991, Gov. Ann Richards appointed Maxine to the Health Coordinating Council of Texas. She was often an active and vocal supporter of Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Although her declining health prevented her further activities, she was exceptionally fond of now-President Joe Biden, whom she had met several times previously. Bob Slagle, former and longest-serving Chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, said Saturday that Maxine was one of the greatest Democrats he had ever worked with in his more than six-decade career in politics.

In addition to her parents and first husband, Maxine was preceded in death by her five younger siblings: (William W. Houston, Virginia Houston Haynie, T.J. (Jack) Houston, Jr., Floyd F. Houston and Roy Joe Houston) and various aunts, uncles, in-laws, nieces and nephews.

She is survived by her husband, Stanley, her son, Fifth District Court of Appeals Justice Kenneth Molberg and his wife, Linda, of Dallas, and her two step-sons, Randy Birkelbach and wife Karen of Mico, and Ronny Birkelbach of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

She also is survived by grandchildren Collin (Carolyn) Molberg of Portland, Ore., Cameron Molberg of Austin, Rachel (Koda) Chovanetz of Houston, Travis Molberg of Houston, Kevin Birkelbach of San Antonio, Eric Birkelbach of San Antonio, and Christian Birkelbach of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; great-grandchildren Elliott Molberg, Oliver Molberg and Marion Chovanetz; one sister-in-law, Pansy Houston of Hearne; and several nephews, nieces, and other relatives.

Maxine had a warm spot in her heart for those younger relatives who kept up with her throughout her many years, including Wesley and Mary Houston, Mike Houston, Don Houston, and Melissa Knopp Henke, and for her close friend of many years, Bonnie Burg.

A funeral service was held at Schaetter Funeral Home in Fredericksburg on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, with public visitation at 1 p.m., followed by a short service at 2 p.m., with Deacon Patrick Klein officiating. Interment followed at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.

Maxine’s life was characterized by hard work, faith, participatory politics, and a determination to do things right and make things better. And she had an opinion-one forged on and tempered by considerable experience. She was born a few years following the end of World War I, just as the 1918 Flu pandemic ran its course. She drew her first breath as Woodrow Wilson was ending his second term as President, and Warren G. Harding was within weeks of being sworn in as his successor. She struggled through the Great Depression, World War II and the Cuban Missile Crisis, cried and prayed when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, saw the Beatles come to America via the Ed Sullivan Show, viewed the civil rights movement of the 60s and the multiple tragedies of 1968, watched the moon landing, became a part of our computer age, and weathered the Covid-19 pandemic — a virus she contracted and conquered at the age of 100.

Throughout her life, she laughed, danced, and traveled. She loved her husbands, children, grandchildren, their children, all of her family, and her many friends.

If you are able, please remember Maxine by making a contribution to Hill Country Memorial Hospice, the St. Mary’s School Endowment Fund, a charity of choice, or, if you are so inclined, the Gillespie County Democratic Party.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent at www.schaetter.com

Funeral arrangements under the direction of the Schaetter Funeral Home

Douglas George Daniell passed away April 16, 2022, in Fredericksburg, Texas at the age of 81. He was married to Margaret Kitchens Daniell. He was born on Oct. 29, 1940, in Brownwood, Texas to George and Wanda Daniell.

Doug lived in Brownwood until 1985 when he and Margaret relocated to Port Aransas, Texas where they owned property and had vacationed for years. He was a prolific entrepreneur, owning many businesses in his lifetime. Doug never passed an empty lot that he did not know the perfect business for that location. Doug wore many hats, among those car dealership owner and Hertz licensee for most of South Texas.

Doug and his wife left Port Aransas one year ago, retiring to their home in Fredericksburg.

Doug had a quick wit and a wonderful sense of humor. He was known for his limitless generosity, fighting for what he believed in, treating everyone as an equal and forgiving unconditionally. He was a voracious reader who loved sharing quotes, articles and books with all. He loved fishing, shopping for old cars, new boats and spending time with family and friends. He offered advice often to those who knew him, especially his children who sometimes even listened.

Doug is survived by his loving wife, Margaret; brother, Barry Daniell of Brownwood; his children, Alan (Glenda) Daniell of San Antonio, Leanna (Danny) Reynolds of Southlake, Jerry (Lisa) Daniell of Fair Oaks Ranch, Michelle Sowers (Rob Maxham) of Port Aransas. He also leaves behind grandchildren Taber (Adam) Crawford of Argyle, Michael (Kristen) Daniell of Rockport, Tara (Tyler) Tate of Southlake, Mathew Daniell of Cibolo, Jordan Stringer of San Antonio, Cole (Shea) Daniell of Aledo, Jessica (Seth) Hankins of Salt Lake City, Nick and Ben Wengrovitz of Fair Oaks Ranch, Nick, Jace and Emily Maxham of Port Aransas, Jacob Daniell of Fort Worth and Cooper Sowers of Port Aransas, as well as numerous great-grandchildren, nephews and nieces.

Doug is preceded in death by his parents, George and Wanda; his son, Dan Daniell, and grandson, Chad Daniell.

Also left to cherish his memory is daughter-inlaw, Stacy Daniell of Arlington; ex-wife and friend, Ann Hall Schulze of Keller, and many devoted friends.

He will be greatly missed by those who loved him.

A celebration of life was held Saturday, April 23, 2022, beginning at 11 a.m., at The Edge Winery located at 3567 U.S. 290 East, Fredericksburg, Texas 78624.

Arrangements under the direction of Schaetter Funeral Home, Fredericksburg.

Harris Jorgenson

April 9, 1942 — April 18, 2022

Harris “Dean” Jorgenson, 80, of Erhard, Minnesota, died Monday, April 18, 2022, at his residence surrounded by family and under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley.

Dean was born April 9, 1942, to Harry and Hazelle (Foster) Jorgenson in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. He attended District #161 school in rural Erhard and graduated from Pelican Rapids High School in 1960. Dean started early in life owning businesses involving excavating and road construction. His last venture was a company in Texas.

On June 25, 1960, Dean married Carolyn Herting and they had two children, Renee and Rick. On April 26, 1980, Dean married Delores (Norgren) Baker in Fergus Falls.

He was a member of the Eagles in Fergus Falls since 1967. Dean was a member at Bethany Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg, Texas, Tonseth Lutheran Church rural Erhard, and a member of the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Posse.

Some of his favorite past times were fishing, hunting, woodworking, and gardening. He was an inventor at heart.

Preceding him in death were his parents; sister and brother-in-law, Pat and Clayton Holdeman; brother, Dell Jorgenson; nephew, Tim Holdeman; brothers-in-law, David Cusey and Jim Kolle; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Donald and Barbara Norgren, and sister-in-law, Janice Moen.

Dean is survived by his wife, Delores; his children, Renee (Kregg) Wheeler, Rick (Lori) Jorgenson, Dean (Nancy) Baker, Cindy (Scott) Rhoades, and Julie Baker Springer; grandchildren, Christopher Wheeler, Joshua Wheeler, Jessi (Derek) Brandt, Derric Anderson, Nathan (Tina) Anderson, Kacey (Grecia) Anderson, Alecia (Erik) LeRoy, Kylie Taylor, and Stephanie (PJ) Jamison; 19 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; sisters, Becky (Doug Kloss) Cusey and Cyndy J. Kolle; sister-in-law, Ardis Jorgenson, and brothers-in-law, Randy (Diane) Samp, and Norm (Verna) Peterson.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Maplewood Lutheran Cemetery, rural Erhard.

Service: 1:00 p.m. Monday, April 25, 2022 at Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls, with visitation one hour prior to the service.

Clergy: Pastor Anna Monke Gervais.

Interment: Maplewood Lutheran Cemetery, rural Erhard, Minnesota.

Arrangements provided by Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls. Online condolences may be sent to www.olsonfuneralhome.com

Sign up for E-Mail Funeral Notices at fredericksburgstandard.com

Checking in with John Ostrow

John Ostrow was one of those guys who attracted attention wherever he went. He was charming, cosmopolitan and restless. He had already seen much of the world when he came to Fredericksburg to run a hotel in the early 20th century. He was born in Bromberg, Prussia (today Bydgosczc, Poland) on May 27, 1878. The name Ostrow is probably Polish and Jewish.

Little is known about his early life although the opportunities that came his way as a young adult would indicate that his parents were people of some influence. An article in a San Antonio newspaper says he was “born into the hotel business.”

At age 21, Ostrow joined the German Army. He served as a steward to Kaiser Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany — a job that probably didn’t fall into his lap by accident. Ostrow was in charge of the food service aboard the Kaiser’s ship.

The one blemish on his military record was a reprimand from Kaiser Wilhelm for missing church. Each Sunday morning, there was a Lutheran church service aboard ship, and the Emperor insisted that everyone attend.

The Kaiser usually awarded medals to discharged staff members, but when Ostrow left the army, the Kaiser gave him a Bible as a reminder that his religious life needed some attention.

After his discharge in 1902, Ostrow married Johanna Grebe from Hildesheim, Germany. The couple settled in China where Ostrow managed a hotel in Tsingtau, a German colony on the China coast about halfway between Shanghai and Beijing.

Both of Ostrow’s children, Sylvia and Heinz, were born in China. One source claimed he owned the second automobile on the Chinese mainland.

The Ostrow family returned to Germany in 1909, traveling by rail across Siberia and Russia.

Two years later, John Os-

Hindsights

Michael Barr

trow came to the United States. The Galveston Daily News (March 24, 1911) listed “Johannes Ostrow” as a passenger on the German steamship Koln, docked at the port of Galveston. His reasons for leaving Germany are not clear, but some sources hint that he was disillusioned with the German authoritarian regime.

Ostrow got a job in Houston, and once established he sent to Europe for his family.

Three years later, The Galveston Daily News broke the story that “Louis Dietz has sold his hotel building on North San Saba Street in this city (Fredericksburg) to John Ostrow of Houston.”

The Dietz Hotel, later the Ostrow Hotel, was a 3-story building facing San Saba Street (today Main Street). It stood where the Fredericksburg Winery (the old Knopp and Metzger Department Store) now stands.

Newspapers described the new owner as “a hotel man of international experience and widely known by the traveling public.”

Soon his hotel was “famous throughout the south for its hospitality and table.”

John Ostrow was a big part of the Hill Country social life. He was active in the Chamber of Commerce, the Sons of Hermann and the American Red Cross. He loved the theater. He directed community plays performed at Peter’s Hall.

His lively dinner conversations with good friend Robert Penniger, editor of the Fredericksburg Standard, covered art, current events and politics.

John Ostrow ran the hotel in Fredericksburg for 11 years. Then, in 1926, he sold the business to T.G. Cordua “an experienced hotel man from San Antonio.”

At the same time, Ostrow paid $50,000 for the furnishings and a 14-year lease on the Jefferson Hotel at the corner of Houston and

Jefferson Streets in San Antonio, three blocks from the Alamo.

In San Antonio, he and his wife welcomed guests at their home on Patterson Avenue in Alamo Heights near Olmos Park. He directed plays, many in the German language, to entertain the sizeable German population in the Alamo City. After WWII he served as Deputy Tax Collector for Bexar County.

Even after John Ostrow moved to San Antonio, he never lost touch with Gillespie County. He came back often.

Late in life, the old innkeeper told his friends that Fredericksburg was his home, and he wanted to be

Appraiser Whatley is guest at Die Künstler gathering

Lee Ann Whatley, a certified framer and art appraiser, will present “Choosing Your Best Frame — Preserving Your Art” at the May meeting of Die Künstler von Fredericksburg on Thursday, May 5.

Whatley, ISA AM, is a fine art appraiser and professional framer in Fredericksburg. She has a degree in art history specializing contemporary art and the history of photography.

She has owned a fine art photography gallery and has worked as an assistant director for a contemporary fine art gallery in Aspen, Colorado. Whatley has been a conservation and archival fine art framer for 20 years.

Whatley specializes in evaluations and appraisals for Texas Art, American Indian Art, Contemporary Art, American Art

and Fine Art Photography. She is available for consultation for insurance and estate tax appraisals.

The meeting of Artists of Fredericksburg seeks to support all artists and hosts art demonstrations or other relevant speakers to grow the skills and understanding of artists or those interested in art. Doors open at 6 p.m. so all can visit and browse through the many artists’ DVDs. Members may check out up to three DVDs.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Gillespie County Historical Society meeting room located at 312 W. San Antonio Street. Follow the sidewalk on the right around to the entrance to the fellowship hall. Die Künstler, is supported in part by the PCAA/ Oktoberfest and the city and county HOT funds.

buried in Der Stadt Friedhof (City Cemetery). He checked in on Oct. 21, 1959.

Barr is a retired teacher and principal living in Fredericksburg, where he spends his time writing books, columns and magazine articles. Contact him at mikbarr@ aol.com.

The Ostrow Hotel stood where Fredericksburg Winery (Knopp & Metzger Department Store) stands today. — Fredericksburg Standard file photo/Researched by Evelyn Weinheimer

Gravestone of John Ostrow at Der Stadt Friedhof in Fredericksburg. — Photo by Mike Barr

Adventist

FREDERICKSBURG SEVENTH-DAY

ADVENTIST CHURCH

101 East Highway Street • 997-6042

Pastor: Dwight Seek

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. Sabbath School - classes for children, youth & adults

11 a.m. Worship Service

12:30 p.m. Potluck Lunch on 2nd & 4th Sabbath of month - all welcome

Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Study-Prayer

IGLESIA ADVENTISTA

DE FREDERICKSBURG

101 East Highway Street

Pastor: Dwight Seek

Sabado: 9:30 a.m. Escuela Sabaticaclases para niños y adultos 11:00 a.m. Culto de Adoracion

ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS

ANGLICAN CHURCH

The Rev. John B. Onstott, Rector 2015 Singing Wind Dr., Kerrville 830-895-4990 st.michael.aaac@gmail.com kerrvilleanglicanchurch.com

Sunday: Holy Eucharist 10:00AM

Wednesday: Morning Prayer 10:00AM

NEW LIFE CHURCH

102 E. Travis • 830-992-0403

Pastor John Cruz

Sunday: 10:30 a.m. Morning Worship www.newlifefbg.com

FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH (SBC/SBTC)

Jamey Day, Pastor 3022 N. State Hwy. 16 (Llano Highway) 997-9836

Email: faithbc@ctesc.net

Website: www.faithbcfbg.com

Sun.: 9:30 a.m. Fellowship

9:45 a.m. Sunday School

10:55 a.m. Worship Service

Wed.: 6:30 p.m. Bible Study/Prayer

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH (BGCT/SBC)

1407 E. Main • 997-9511

Intercessory Prayer Line 997-9511

Email: staff@fbcfbg.com

Website: www.fbcfbg.com

Gary Covin, Music Minister

Catherine Zenner, Children’s Minister

Kyle Marcus, Student Minister

Sunday Schedule

a.m. Sunday School

a.m. Worship Service

Wednesday Schedule

p.m. Bible Study & Prayer Service

p.m. Youth in the Loft

FREDERICKSBURG

BAPTIST CHURCH

104 Pyka Road 997-6941

Ronnie Dyer, Pastor Sunday: 10 a.m. Bible Study 11 a.m. Morning Worship Wednesdays - 6 p.m. Evening Worship

https://fredericksburgbaptist.org

email: fredericksburgbc@gmail.com

FREDERICKSBURG

CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

Reformed Baptist

157 Schmidtzinsky Rd. 830-446-3232

Cody Carnett, Pastor fredericksburgchurch@gmail.com www.fcf-church.org

Sunday Morning

9:30 a.m. Sunday School All Ages!

10:30 a.m. Worship Service

Wednesday Evening

6:30 p.m. Small Groups & Fellowship

Thursday Evening

6:45 p.m. Boys Trail Life & American

Heritage Girls - Ages 5-18

Adventure & Skills Training

1st Sun. of Month - Lord’s Supper

2nd Sun. of Month - Fellowship Meal

HARPER

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

Main Street - Harper 830-864-4241

Stephen Williams, Pastor

Sunday: 10 a.m. Sunday School 11 a.m. Worship 6 p.m. Worship

PRIMERA IGLESIA BAUTISTA HISPAÑA 301 E. Live Oak 997-8335 Pastor Fernando Zurita

Domingo: 9:45 a.m. Escuela Dominical

11 a.m. Servicio De Adoracion

6 p.m. Union de Preparacion

7 p.m. Servicio de Adoracion

Miercoles: 7 p.m. Servicios de Oracion

STONEWALL BAPTIST CHURCH

214 Ranch Road 1623 N Stonewall TX 78671

Lead Pastor Victor Perez

Sunday 10:30am Worship

Monday THE EDGE (High School & Middle School) 6pm

Wednesday Hymms & Devotional 7pm stonewallbaptistchurch@yahoo.com

Facebook: @stonewallbaptist (830) 992 0546

SQUAW CREEK PRIMITIVE

BAPTIST CHURCH - Doss

Elder Bill Moseley, Pastor Worship Services: 10 a.m.

First and Third Sundays

FREDERICKSBURG BIBLE CHURCH

107 East Austin • 997-8834 Alex Garcia, Pastor

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. & 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday: Bible Study 6 p.m. www.fbgbible.org

HILL COUNTRY CHURCH EFCA

107 East Lower Crabapple Rob Holster, Senior Pastor Daniel Phillips, Youth Pastor 997-3968 http://hccfbg.org

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship 10:45 a.m. Fellowship/Coffee 11:15 a.m. Sunday School

ST. ANTHONY CATHOLIC CHURCH 163 N. Third St. • Harper 830-864-4026

Rev. Rudy Carrola Jr., Pastor Curtis Klein, Deacon Communion Services: Mon. & Tues. 9 a.m.

Masses: Thurs. & Fri. 9 a.m.

Saturday 6 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation:

Thursday-Saturday after Mass Nocturnal Adoration: Mon. 3-8 p.m.

SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER CATHOLIC CHURCH Stonewall • 830-644-2368

Very Rev. John P. Nolan, V.F. Pastor www.stfrancisxavierstonewall.org

Masses: Saturday 5 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. (English/Spanish Bilingual) Tuesday 9 a.m. Wednesday & Thursday 12 p.m. Friday 9 a.m. Religious Ed. Classes, age K-12th

Preaching

Very Rev. John P. Nolan, V.F. Pastor

Francisco de la Torre, Deacon

Pat Klein, Deacon

Marty Robertson, Deacon Amy Voorhees, Music

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE Catholic Mission (Spanish Language) Lincoln & College Sts. 830-997-9523

JEWISH

BETHANY

W. Lower Crabapple 997-2677

www.shepherdofthehillstexas.net

THE

& 3rd

Sun.: Sunday School; 2nd & 4th

Sun.: Relief Society, Priesthood, Young Women; 5th Sun.: Combined

BRIDGE CHURCH 224 FM 2093 (Tivydale Rd) Jimmy Pruitt, Pastor 830-990-0402 www.bridgefbg.com

Sunday Worship: 9:00 & 10:45 a.m.

Youth Gathering - Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.

CALVARY CHAPEL FREDERICKSBURG

101 E. Highway St. Meeting Sundays at 10:30am

Children’s Ministry for ages up to 5th grade.

Pastor Craig Foster | 830-342-0024 Email: ccf@ccfredericksburg.church fb@ccfredericksburg www.ccfredericksburg.church

CME HOUSE OF PRAYER 602 E. Main Street Open Daily from 7am-6pm DESTINY CHURCH

106 S. Edison Street Michael Bell, Pastor 210-349-2295 pastormike@destinychurchfbg.com www.destinychurchfbg.com

Sunday Service 10:00 am

Children’s Ministry Every Service

FREDERICKSBURG CHURCH

103 North Industrial Loop, #101 Fredericksburg, Texas Tommy Russell, Senior Pastor 830-998-8710 or 830-307-8373 www.fredericksburg.church

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH

4270 Ranch Road 1, Stonewall Phone 644-2479 Ryan Meyer, Pastor

ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH

426 W. Main - Fredericksburg 830-997-2195 www.zion-lutheran.com

Rev. Ron Windecker, Pastor SUNDAY WORSHIP AT 10:30AM (2nd Sunday at 8:00AM)

Sunday School at 9:15AM for all ages

Handicapped Accessible Sermons are available on the website Services Broadcast on KNAF at 10:30AM Worship Videos available at www.zion-lutheran.com/youtube

KEHILA: B’RIT CHADASHAH (Del Nuevo Testamento)

Congregational Leader: Ro’im David & Rachel Garcia 302 W. Park St • Fredericksburg 830-990-2607 www.netivimolam.com rabinogarcia@gmail.com

Sunday: 11 a.m. (come early for Fellowship)

Monday Worship 6:30-7:30 p.m. With Youth & Child Care

FREDERICKSBURG COWBOY CHURCH

BANKERSMITH, TX parking lot 7905 Old San Antonio Road Sunday: 9:45 a.m. Welcome/Fellowship 10:15 a.m. Worship 11:15 a.m. Fellowship

GRACE FAMILY CHURCH

1603 E. Main St. (across from Law Enforcement Center)

Pastors Robert & Emma Garcia 830-998-8402

Sunday: 10:30 a.m. Morning Worship Service

Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Study

HILL COUNTRY FELLOWSHIP

Meets at Golden Hub Community Center - 1009 N. Lincoln Pastor Chip Johnston 970-596-2344 www.fellowship.life

10:30 a.m. Sunday Worship

BAD DAYS ARE FOR OTHER PEOPLE

412 Luckenbach Town Loop Meet us in the Dance Hall or at the Outdoor Stage Sundays at 9 am Aaron Toli, Pastor Deb Toli, Chaplain 727-204-9009 bdafop@gmail.com facebook.com/BDAFOP www.baddaysareforotherpeople.com

LIGHTHOUSE

LETTERS

The Poet X

Among the books under review for the Fredericksburg High School library is Elizabeth Acevedo’s “The Poet X,” a book I reviewed two years ago for Tweetspeak Poetry.

The entire novel by this Dominican-American author is written in poems. The mother in the story, Altagracia, and her daughter, Xiomara, have conflicts over faith and culture. They turn to their priest, Father Sean, who acts as intermediary to help them understand their differences and rediscover their love for one another.

The story doesn’t end with easy answers — Xiomara neither becomes a nun (as her mother wishes) nor does she swear off church forever. She’s captivated by the poetry of the Bible, and that appreciation fuels her own growing love for poetry.

The story is set in a contemporary high school, and some of its language and subject matter is best suited for older teens. But at its heart, it’s a story of reconciliation that is all too rare and oh so necessary.

Megan Willome Fredericksburg

Paid for?

I am somewhat confused (regarding last week’s letter by John Wells).

If, in fact, “It’s already paid for,” why the need for a bond election?

Don A. Nagel Fredericksburg

Dog park-loving dog

My name is Pete and I really love the dog park. I

asked my Doggy Mom to write a letter a few weeks ago to the editor of this newspaper, and she did — taking my dictation down as I talked “dog.” It was about no water coming out of those awesome fountains at the park. You see, us dogs had been without water for quite a while and we were getting thirsty, and our doggy people were having to bring jugs of water for us, and it was turning into a real situation …

The letter didn’t make it into the paper because the day after it was sent, low and behold the water started flowing at those fountains! WOW! All us dogs thought that was just a miracle, or karma or something like that, when actually it was all on account of those people who ride around in those white pickups. They are the ones who keep our park looking spiffy by mowing and stuff. I guess they had been waiting for parts or something but now our fountains are fixed!

Yeah, Woof Woof, and a really big doggy Bow-Wow

Thank You to those people in those pickups. They do a bang-up job and if I see them at the Dog Park, I’ll jump in their arms and give them a thank you hug from all of us pups — I may even share my treats with them!

Think they would like that?

Deb Hofmann

(as dictated by the dog parkloving dog, Pete)

Fredericksburg

Grateful for help

To the lovely Heroes of Harper and Fredericksburg, thank you.

When Debi Hamilton and her puppy, Cooper, were struck from behind in what could have easily been a fatal vehicle accident in early March, you did not hesitate to help them. Your kindness and valiant efforts resulted in her safe return home. When her six-month-old Boston Terrier ran away in terror, you did not rest until he was found.

Steve, thank you for finding him and being such a wonderful man. Words cannot express how grateful my brother, Matt Mecke and I are to still have our mom. By the grace of God, she only has scratches and bruises. She has nothing but high praises for the first responders who pulled her out of her vehicle and law enforcement for their swift actions.

Harper, your priceless values as a community are exemplary. A special thanks to everyone in Fredericksburg who has been helping her recover. God bless you all. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts.

Sincerely,

Emalee Hamilton and Matt Mecke Fredericksburg

Home audit

I would ask that everyone, including our elected officials, do an “audit” of their personal budgets to better understand how we citizens and businesses of the city/ county will be able to handle the growth of expenses and value of their dollars and the risks from our worsening economic situation.

The school has before us an $82-million bond election on May 7 but also, the

city is considering bonds for necessary capital improvements. Our city has a surplus, but it needs margin for uncertainties, too.

As of March 2022, overall CPI is up 8.5% in one year — for urban wage and clerical workers, it’s up 9.4%. Gasoline up 48%, used cars up 35%, natural gas up 21.6%, electricity up 11%, food up 8.8% and eating out is up 10%.

Look at your bills. Atmos customer charge is up 17% and usage rate is up 50%. City water rate charge is up 37%, the exorbitant rates for internet, cable and cell phone service is going up again! People moving here find home prices here in Fredericksburg are up at least 30%!

Is there margin in your home budget for what is obviously coming? More inflation, more shortages (wheat, chicken), more “green” new deal regulations, more long-term impacts from the COVID vaccines, more illegal immigrants, more lawlessness and now, by presidential executive order in March, our president has initiated serious planning for a switch to a Central Bank Digital Currency that mimics China’s. Shouldn’t there also be margin in our city, school and county budgets?

Perhaps we could use a local club that could help busy households network together to share how to reduce their household costs and manage to a tighter budget. Perhaps then the city, county and school will follow suit.

George Studor Fredericksburg

HCM celebrates April as ‘Donate Life Month’

April is National Donate Life Month, and Hill Country Memorial and the San Antonio Eye Bank are partnering to remind the public about the importance of organ donation.

“Organ donation is a big way to help those in need,” said Arlene H. Brazell, MSN, Clinical Educator. “One donor can help save the lives of many people. So, we want to get the word out.”

HCM works with the San Antonio Eye Bank to coordinate donor education and organ donations in Central Texas.

“We work with the Eye Bank closely,” Brazell said of the nonprofit, nongovernmental organization.

“They teach our nursing teams the process and the steps of handling all types of organ donations.”

The San Antonio Eye Bank focuses specifically on the gift of sight with corneal donation and transplantation, but they do much more, according to Casandra Castro, Hospital Services & Family Aftercare Coordinator.

“We work to educate and inspire about all organ and tissue donations,” Castro said. “With any event we do, it can encourage those who have been touched by donation to come back out, to let all donor families know that the last memory of a loved one isn’t of them leaving, but that the hospital is honoring them and the decision their family made. It’s a way to honor our ‘donor heroes.’”

Another purpose of National Donate Life Month is to encourage individuals to become organ donors. They can access the state donor registry by signing up at DonateLifeTexas.org.

One of the points Brazell makes is that no one is ever out of the pool of possible donors, even due to age or chronic health issues.

“Surprisingly, a lot of people think that,” she said.

“But you’d be surprised what can be procured. Because every part of the living body — whether it’s bone marrow or skin, corneas, hearts, any kind of tissue, any kind of organ — everything is a potential donor material. It is their job to determine what is possible and what isn’t. So, we make the connection with them, and they handle it from there.”

Brazell understands that making the decision to become an organ donor is not always an easy one.

“We know that sometimes people do have questions about organ donation or are hesitant to discuss it. Of course, our teams respect all of that, it’s very well-handled, and they are extremely professional,” Brazell explained.

In the end, it is worth the effort that literally can change lives.

“Although it’s an unfortunate event when someone passes away, it’s also an opportunity to give somebody else life,” she said.

To become an organ donor, visit DonateLifeTexas.org/saeyebank.

BIRTHS

The following birth announcements were submitted for publication in the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post:

Henry Michael Burdick

Sean and Haley Burdick announce the birth of their son, Henry Michael Burdick, on Friday, April 1, 2022, at Hill Country Memorial.

At birth, he weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces, and measured 22 inches in length.

Welcoming the baby are siblings, Connor, Jace and Ava.

Grandparents welcoming the baby are Randy and Stephanie Alford and Todd and Meg Burdick.

The baby’s great-grandparents are Norman and Judy Maurer, Gay Merritt and Jan Peterson.

Magnolia Denece Leftwich

Allison and John Leftwich announce the birth of their daughter, Magnolia Denece Leftwich, on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, at Hill Country Memorial.

She weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces at birth, and measured 20½ inches in length.

She is welcomed by grandparents, Rusty and Donna Leftwich and DeWayne and Denece Hodges, and a great-grandmother, Martha Mitchell.

Savannah RaeAnne Powers

Jessie Cantrell and Dylan Powers announce the birth of their daughter, Savannah RaeAnne Powers, on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Hill Country Memorial.

Upon arrival, she weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces, and measured 21 inches in length.

She is welcomed by a brother, Dominik Powers.

Michael James Pritchard

Michael and Holland Pritchard announce the arrival of their son, Michael James Pritchard, on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at DuPont Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Upon arrival, he weighed 7 pounds and measured 19 inches in length.

The baby is welcomed by a sister, Skyelar Pritchard, and grandparents James and Dawn Melton of Decatur, Indiana; Billy and JoAnn Leifeste of Fredericksburg and David and Helen Pritchard of Burne, Indiana.

Yelena Jaymes Sanderson

Lori and James Sanderson announce the birth of their daughter, Yelena Jaymes Sanderson, on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at Hill Country Memorial.

The new arrival weighed

Two Fredericksburg couples recently enjoyed a transAtlantic cruise on the Regent Seven Seas Explore, traveling from Miami to the Bahamas, Spain, France and Monaco, before ending in Rome. From left are Richard and DeAnn Johnson and Pamela and Gary Liddell. The cruise left on March 25 and docked on April 10. Locals are invited to photograph themselves with a copy of the Standard-Radio Post when they travel for publication. — Submitted photo

6 pounds, 5 ounces, and measured 19 inches in length.

She is welcomed by a brother, Nicholas Sanderson.

The baby is also welcomed by grandparents, Rene and Deandra Ramirez, and great-grandparents, Domingo and Mary Rendon.

Joaquin Matthias Sorola

Henry Sorola III and Rosario Ramirez announce the birth of their son, Joaquin Matthias Sorola, on Saturday, March 19, 2022, at 8:50 p.m., at Hill Country Memorial.

The newborn weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces, and measured 20¼ inches in length.

He is welcomed by a sister, Ilyanna Renee Sorola, and grandparents, Rene and Maria Ramirez and Henry and Iris Sorola.

Blake Rachelle Stark

Noel Easterwood-Stark and Kelly Stark announce the birth of their daughter, Blake Rachelle Stark, on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at Hill Country Memorial.

At birth, she weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces and measured 20.5 inches in length.

The newborn is welcomed by siblings Waylon and Emerlee Easterwood.

‘Texas Made Texas Raised’ event set

Bethany Lutheran Preschool will host its third annual Texas Made Texas Raised food and wine event on Thursday, April 28 at 7 p.m. at the Vista Oaks Event Center.

The evening of fun and fundraising helps Bethany Preschool continue to meet the childcare needs of Fredericksburg and will feature award-winning Texas wine, gourmet small bites from local chefs, great Texas entertainment, and unique big board and silent auction items.

Tickets are available online at https://texasmade-texas-raised.ticketleap.com, by calling

DOSS NEWS

By Shirley Lange

Wow, everyone is hoping our weatherman on TV is correct, that we here in the Hill Country can report over an inch of rain to fall. I hope our prayers will be answered.

Wildflowers have sprung up but are very short — Indian blankets, wine cups, yellow and white daisies, and oh yes, our Russian thistles are

830-997-8751 or can be purchased at the event.

The funds raised during the event allow Bethany Preschool to continue to offer a safe, quality learning environment, support staff and teacher professional development opportunities, enhance extra-curricular activities, ensure preschool curriculum stays up-to-date and keep costs low for working parents.

Bethany Preschool also focuses on keeping its doors open as many days as possible to allow working parents to be productive assets to their employers and the community. Wineries to be featured

everywhere.

Circle your calendar for our barbecue fundraiser program for our rural school closing set for Saturday, May 21.

Happy birthday to our May folks: Jim Mathis – May 1; Natalie Simmons – May 5; Keagan Seickmann – May 8; Alex Simmons – May 10; Ray Hartmann – May 14; Lois Mathis – May 14; Scott Simmons – May 17; Mitchell Sieckmann – May 17; Garrett Lively – May 20;

at the event include Ab Astris Winery, Los Pinos Ranch Vineyard, Lost Draw Cellars, Narrow Path Winery, Pontotoc Vineyard, Sandy Road Vineyard, Texas Heritage Vineyard, Texas Wine Collective and William Chris Vineyards.

Small bites will be provided by Backwoods BBQ, Clear River Ice Cream, H-E-B, Hill & Vine, Mitch Sharrock, Real Ale Brewing Company, Sysco and Vivere Catering. Live music will be performed by Stephen Morris.

To learn more about Bethany Preschool, go to bethanypreschoolfbg.org.

Laura Simmons – May 28.

Happy anniversary to our couples, including Steve and Lisa Olfers, May 8, and Scott and Laura Simmons, May 26.

The month of May will be very active, voting for important people who will decide the American way, weddings, graduation of high school students, and hopefully moisture to bring folks some hope for the future.

EEA to host spring scholarship luncheon May 5

The Gillespie Extension Education Association Spring Scholarship Luncheon will be held Thursday, May 5. The dine-in or takeout barbecue meal will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gillespie County AgriLife Extension Building at 38 Business Court.

Luncheon tickets are $10 and may be purchased from EEA members, at the Extension Office, or at the

luncheon.

Many items have been donated for the prize drawings and range in value from $50 to $500. The prize tickets are $2 each or 6 for $10 and can also be purchased from EEA members, at the Extension office, or at the luncheon.

The purpose is to raise funds for the scholarships awarded to 4-H members by the Gillespie Extension Education Association and for other projects.

The 2022 scholarship recipients Carson Crenwelge, Holt Geistweidt, Alexandria Sione and Arianna Watson will be recognized at the luncheon.

Watson also received the District 10 EEA Scholarship and a Texas EEA Scholarship. For more information, call the Extension Office at 830-997-3452 or Annabel Wilkinson at 830-456 -9476.

Grow your own starchy treat

When I plant some vegetables in my garden, I know in advance I may not harvest much from them. If the cauliflower doesn’t freeze or burn up in the heat, it will still only give me one crown. My turnips and carrots I can only pull once.

I value these vegetables because they taste great, so I don’t mind not getting much from them. There are a few vegetables though that will produce more than you could ever want and still have good flavor. These include zucchini, cherry tomatoes and sweet potatoes. It should be stated that sweet and Irish potatoes are not related to each other. They are in different plant families. Sweet potatoes grow as vines while potatoes grow as herbaceous bushes.

Sweet potatoes are not necessarily the same thing as yams either. Though they are commonly called yams, true yams are starchier, white fleshed and more tubular. They can also get bigger than sweet potatoes, and they cannot grow here.

The classic sweet potato has orange flesh, but since you are growing them yourself, why not try one in white, yellow or purple? Red skin varieties such as “Red

Lawn & Garden

Beth McMahon

Japanese” or “Murasaki” are good substitutes for Irish potatoes, with their white flesh and slight sweetness. Purple skin and flesh varieties are longer and skinner, and may not be as sweet as orange varieties. Look for “Kotubuki,” “All Purple” or “Okinawa.”

You can’t go wrong with the classic orange skin and flesh sweet potato.

“Beauregard” is the variety most often sold at stores but look for “Jewel” if you have nematodes, or “Vardaman” and “Bunch Porto Rico” if you have a limited amount of space.

Sweet potatoes are grown from fresh shoots from the tuber, also known as slips. You can order them online or grow them yourself.

To start your own slips from a grocery store sweet potato, partially bury it in potting soil in a pot. Or stick a sweet potato halfway in a jar of water near a sunny windowsill. These sweet potatoes will sprout. Remove the sprouts for planting when they are 10 to 12 inches long. These sprouts (slips) can be planted directly into moist soil in your garden or stuck in

some potting soil to root better.

Before starting your sweet potato slips, make sure you have a good spot in your vegetable garden to grow them. They must have eight to 10 hours of full sunlight for good production. Work some compost or manure into the soil before planting. When planting, space them 10 to 15 inches apart with the slips 3 to 4 inches deep.

Go easy on the fertilizer. Too much fertilizer means more vine, less sweet potato. Sweet potatoes will keep producing until the vines freeze. You can start checking to see if they are the right size to eat when the recommended days to maturity for the variety has passed. While you are waiting, the leaves are edible, too. They are best sautéed or used in a stir-fry.

Like digging Irish potatoes, it can feel that just as you’ve pulled all the sweet potatoes out of the ground, you find five more. Cut off the vines, then dig with a potato fork. You can also wait to harvest after the vines die following the first frost. Be through when you remove your sweet potatoes. I’ve left only one or two in the past, only to have that row covered with sweet potatoes again the follow-

GILLESPIE LIVESTOCK AUCTION REPORT

April

ing year.

Treat fresh roots gingerly because they bruise. Before consumption, let your sweet potatoes cure by drying them in a warm shaded place three to five days. Then store in a dark cool area.

Sweet potato weevils are a major pest. They leave small holes in the leaves, feed on the base of the plant, and in the potatoes themselves, their tunneling will give it a bad taste. Sweet potato weevils look like large fire ants and can persist on morning glory weeds in your garden year after year.

Thankfully they are not a common pest in Gillespie County, but if you find them, in the fall remove all sweet potatoes and morning glory from your garden. In the spring, apply an insecticide to the soil when you plant, and then another one midseason. You can use red weevil traps to catch them, too. Tilling twice in the winter may help decrease their numbers.

For questions about growing sweet potatoes, feel free to call me at the Gillespie County AgriLife Extension Office at 830-997-3452 or email me at Elizabeth. mcmahon@ag.tamu.edu.

Private pesticide applicator training announced

Those looking to get their Private Applicator License can participate in a training course on May 18. The course, which will be held from 8:30 a.m. to

12:30 p.m. at the Gillespie County Extension Office at 38 Business Ct., is for people who don’t have a Private Applicator License and need to purchase and

use restricted chemicals. Attending a training is required before scheduling to take the exam. Those interested must RSVP by May 4.

Hotel Pillow

You select the pillow size (standard, queen or king), and the density (7) x-soft, soft, medium, firm, x-firm, xx-firm, xxx-firm, based on your sleeping habits and style.

The YBP pillow feels and acts like a luxury down pillow but is hypoallergenic because it is made from the highest quality microdown fiber!

CORE application set

Gillespie County AgriLife Extension, along with the Kerr, Bandera and Kendall county offices, have announced that the 2022 4-H CORE Academy will be held June 20-24. Students will travel to East Texas with AgriLife personnel and meet with industry and business professionals to get exposed to a variety of career paths.

This year, students will tour Blinn College, Sam Houston State University and Lone Star-CyFair col-

leges.

“We will also meet business professionals with the Houston Astros organization, Culinary Arts Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas Department of Criminal Justice and more,” said Shea Nebgen, Family and Community Health County Extension Agent. The cost is $200 and the deadline to apply is May 1. For more information, call 830-997-3452, or go by 38 Business Ct.

To register, contact Donna Maxwell at donna. maxwell@ag.tamu.edu.

REAL ESTATE

GILLESPIE COUNTY

CRIME STOPPERS

3 ways to report a crime anonymously:

• Webpage: gillespiecountycrimestoppers.com

• Mobile App: P3 Tips

• Hotline: 830-997-8477 (TIPS) GCCS pays a cash reward up to $2,500 100% ANONYMITY GUARANTEED

What to Know About Your Credit Before Buying a Home

It’s not just whether you pay your bills on time that matters.

Like it or not, your credit score is one of the most important numbers in your life, ranking up there with your Social Security number, date of birth, and wedding anniversary. This three-digit number is your financial report card, except there’s no getting rid of it after college. Your credit score shows lenders just how trustworthy you are when it comes to managing your finances, and it can either save or cost you thousands of dollars throughout your life. If you’re in the dark about just how significantly this number can impact you and the details behind your personal score, here’s an overview of what you need to know before hitting the mortgage application process.

How Your Score is Calculated

Your FICO credit score is comprised of five elements, according to the Fair, Isaac Corp.

1. 35% of your score is attributed to how you pay your bills. Points are added for paying on time and deducted for late or missing payments. Note: This is a big portion of your score, so if you’re not paying bills on time, it’s best to get that under control pronto.

2. 30% of your score is based on your credit utilization ratio. Translation: How much money do you owe as a portion of the amount of credit available to you? The lower this ratio, the better.

3. 15% is based on the length of your credit history. When did you open your first account (and is it still open)?

4. 10% of your score goes to the type of credit you have. Think revolving credit (such as credit cards) and installment credit (such as car loans and mortgages).

5. The last 10% is impacted by new credit applications. How often and for what types of credit are you applying?

Where to Find Your Score and Report

To access your credit report, use a website such as annualcreditreport.com, which will give you one free report a year, or creditkarma.com, which will provide you with free access to your score upon signing up for an account.

Once you have copies of your report and score, immediately look for fraudulent or erroneous information. If you find anything, immediately contact both the credit reporting agency and the company that is portraying inaccurate information to determine next steps.

How Your Score Can Cost You

Your score can range from about 300 to 850. You’ll find a variety of breakdowns on what’s considered “good” compared to “excellent” versus “poor,” but in general you’ll want to aim for a score of 740 and higher, which is the “very good” range. The higher your credit score, the more creditworthy you appear to lenders (meaning they can rely on you to pay your debts and pay them on time), which translates into lower interest rates and more money saved when taking out a loan.

Not sure how this can play out financially? Consider this:

Meet Claire: She’s 35, pays her credit card off in full each month, has all her bills on auto-draft, and never misses a payment. She’s had a positive credit history for 10 years and wants to buy a home. Claire was approved for a $200,000, 30-year fixed-rate loan at 3.75%.

Meet Steve: He’s 32, obtained his first credit card at age 18, ran up some debt in college that he’s still working on paying down, and has no system for keeping track of bills. He has consistent late and bounced check fees. Steve wants to buy a home and was approved for a $200,000, 30-year fixed-rate loan at 5.5%.

What’s all the fuss about if they were both approved? Over the life of her loan, Claire will pay $133,443.23 in interest. Over the life of his loan, Steve will pay $208,808.08 in interest. A small interest rate difference of 1.75% translates into $75,364.85 more paid by Steve! $75,000 is a pretty significant sum of money that could be used toward other goals.

Having a solid credit score is one of the most financially savvy tools for you to have on hand when it comes to buying a home. When managed wisely, your credit score will bring you confidence, peace of mind, and more money saved via low interest rates. When mismanaged or not cared for at all, your credit score can delay your success in meeting financial goals and result in additional funds and resources spent correcting past mistakes.

~courtesy houselogic~

For Rent: 3 bdr 2 bath double wide, completely remodeled. In country. Quiet and Scenic. New appliances. $1500 per month plus deposit. No pets. No smoking. Call (830) 889-3199, Broker. UNFURNISHED COTTAGE:

1/BD, 1/bath. Kitchen appliances, 2-burner electric stove top, no oven. Private drive. NO PETS! NO SMOKING INSIDE! $800/ mo (includes electric and water). $400/dep. Near Luckenbach. 830-992-1100. FOR RENT: RV, $800/ month. $300/deposit. Bills paid. Two persons only. 830-456-1770. Se habla Espanol. 1 bedroom trailer, furnished. Rent by the month, $600 monthly includes water, basic cable, electric and garbage. $300 deposit. 10 miles from Fredericksburg. 830-997- 7219.

Furnished Efficency COTTAGE: All utilities paid, including wifi. $1,000/month. $1,000/deposit. 830-7332500.

2-1 Harper, new paint, wood & tile floors, CACH, W/D connections, ceiling fans. Covered patio $1,000/rent $1,000 refundable deposit, refs required, pets neg. 830-383-5274, 111 Dian.

1 Bedroom, 1 Bath Brick cottage in quiet neighborhood, CH&A, Gas Stove, Refrigerator, Washer/Dryer connections, Covered Carport & small Patio. No Pets. $1,000.00/month, $1,000.00 Deposit. 830997-3931.

Small Office

(under 600 SF) for long term lease. Min. 1 yr,

WAREHOUSE

SPACE FOR RENT

Could be used for shop, warehouse, or RV space. Great Highway Access, Water & Electricity. $.90-$1.00 per foot.

Different Sizes Available

Call 830-456-1797 86474.35-39

Real Estate Advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the Fair Housing Act of 1988 which makes it illegal to discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap or familial status (families with children). The law applies to rental, sales or financing of housing and lots reserved for residential use. Advertising in a discriminatory manner such as “adults only” is now illegal. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. Call 1-800-525-0657 to file a complaint.

GENERATORS

GENERAC Standby Generators provide backup power during utility power outages, so your home

Starting at $650/acre. Trans Pecos region. Also the Hill Country (Edwards, Menard, Coke, Val Verde Countiesfree ranging exotics), South Texas (Duval County - whitetail, hogs). Large or small acreage. 30-year fixed rate owner financing, only 5% down. Call toll-free or email for individual prices and terms, www.ranchenterprisesltd.com, 800-876-9720.

ADOPTION

California sunlit nursery awaits newborn. Loving family, secure future, educational opportunities, devoted grandparents. Generous living expenses, relocation possible. Call Lisa 1-510-390-3524 or attorney 1-310-663-3467.

ARROWHEADS

Indian Arrowheads Wanted – Point Type: Clovis, Yuma, Firstview & Eden. Must be old, authentic & unbroken. Absolute TOP DOLLAR paid – up to 5 figures for one point. I am a very serious high-end collector. Call 979-218-3351.

EVENTS

Chicken Fried Steak Festival, April 29-May 1, Lamesa, TX. More than 100 booths, volleyball tournament, 5K Run, live music, children’s story time, pet costume contest, petting zoo, parade, Chicken Fried Steak Cookoff, team roping, car and motorcycle show, worship service, kickball tourney, children’s story time, carnival games, tumblers & dancers, Mister and Miss Chicken Fry Pageant. For registration forms and more information go to www.ci.lamesa.tx.us or call 806-872-2124 ext. 322.

NOTICE TO ALL PERSONS

HAVING CLAIMS AGAINST THE ESTATE OF MARTHA

C. BUCHANAN, DECEASED

Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the estate of Martha

C. Buchanan, Deceased (“Estate”) were granted to Bree Buchanan on April 4, 2022 and issued to Bree

Buchanan on April 4, 2022, Cause No. 11032, pending in the County Court of Gillespie County, Texas.

All persons having claims against this Estate which is currently being administered are required to present them to Bree Buchanan, as independent executor of said Estate, in the care of her attorneys at the address given below, within the time and in the manner prescribed by law:

Katherine C. Akinc

Megan E. McIntyre

c/o Rigby Slack Lawrence Berger Akinc Pepper + Comerford, PLLC 3500 Jefferson Street, Suite 330 Austin, Texas 78731

DATED this 19 th day of April, 2022.

Respectfully submitted, RIGBY SLACK LAWRENCE BERGER AKINC PEPPER + COMERFORD, PLLC 3500 Jefferson Street, Suite 330 Austin, Texas 78731 (512) 225-6586 (Tel)

By: Megan McIntyre

KATHERINE C. AKINC State Bar No. 24065738

kakinc@rigbyslack.com

MEGAN E. MCINTYRE State Bar No. 24108303 mmcintyre@rigbyslack.com

CITATION BY PUBLICATION/POSTINGDivorce (no children) TRC 109,114,& FC 6.409, THE STATE OF TEXAS Cause No. 16786

TO: MIGUEL ESCALANTE DIAZ, Respondent: GREETINGS:

NOTICE TO RESPONDENT:

“You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not file a written answer with the clerk who issued this citation by 10:00 am on the Monday next following the expiration of 20 days after the date you were served this citation and petition, a default judgment may be taken against you.”

The petition of IRMA LETICIA NERI CISNEROS, Petitioner, was filed in the 216th District Court of Gillespie County, Texas on the 24th day of September, 2021, against MIGUEL ESCALANTE DIAZ, Respondent, in cause numbered 16786 and entitled “In the Matter of the Marriage of Irma Leticia Neri Cisneros and Miguel Escalante Diaz. The suite requests: ORIGINAL PETITION FOR DIVORCE as is more fully shown by the Petition on file in this suit.

“The court has authority in this suit to enter any judgment or decree, including but not limited to dissolving the marriage, providing for the division of property, which will be binding on you.” Issued and given under my hand and seal of said Court at Fredericksburg, Texas this is the 19th day of April, 2022.

Petitioner- Pro Se Irma Leticia Neri Cisneros

193 Robin Lane Fredericksburg, Texas 78624

Clerk of the Court: Jan Davis, District Clerk Gillespie County, Texas

By E. Stewart, Deputy 48

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the ESTATE OF EDDIE RHEA JAMES, DECEASED, were granted on August 24, 2021, under Cause No. 10946, pending in the County Court of Gillespie County, Texas to CHARLES WADE JAMES and JOY RHEA MCANEAR.

Claims may be presented in care of the attorney for the estate, addressed as follows:

Charles Wade James, or Joy Rhea McAnear, Independent Co-Executor Estate of Eddie Rhea James, Deceased c/o Larry G. Berkman Baird, Crews, Schiller & Whitaker, P.C. 206 W. Main Street Fredericksburg, Texas 78624

All persons having claims against this estate, which is currently being administered, are required to present them within the time and in the manner prescribed by law.

DATED: April 19, 2022 48

Move It-Another Closet Self Storage Fredericksburg Pursuant to Chapter 59 of the Texas Property Code, Move It-Another Closet Self Storage located at 383 FM 2093, Fredericksburg TX 78624, will hold a public auction of property being sold to satisfy a landlord’s lien. The sale will be held online at http://www. storagetreasures.com. Competitive bids for the unit(s) will be accepted until May 17th, 2022 at 10:00am. Property will be sold to the highest bidder.  Deposit for removal and cleanup may be required. Seller reserves the right to refuse any bid and to withdraw item(s) from sale. Property in each space may be sold item-byitem, in batches, or by the

LEGAL NOTICE:

Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Distiller’s and Rectifier’s Permit by Modisett & Sons, LLC dba Modisett & Sons Distillery, to be located at 405 E. Main Street, Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, Texas 78624. Tom Modisett, Officer, Manager. 48-49

Notice of Proposed Real Estate Transactions

Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Meeting May 26, 2022

Acquisition of Land –Gillespie County Approximately 41 Acres at Enchanted Rock State

Natural Area

In a meeting on May 26, 2022, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (the Commission) will consider authorizing the acquisition of approximately 41 acres at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed transaction before the Commission takes action. The meeting will start at 9:00 a.m. at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Headquarters, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744. Prior to the meeting, public comment may be submitted to Trey Vick, Land Conservation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744, or by email to trey. vick@tpwd.texas.gov, or via the department’s website at www.tpwd.texas. gov. Please be aware that public participation options may change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit the TPWD website at tpwd. texas.gov for the latest information.

48-50

Legal Notice: An application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Winery License by Michael Ros Winery, LLC dba Michael Ros Winery to be located at 982 Old San Antonio Rd, Fredericksburg, Texas in Gillespie County, Texas. Officers of the corporation are Michael Mitrione and Rosann Mitrione.

47-48

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF HELEN DASSINGER WHETSTONE as Independent Executrix of the Estate of THOMAS MOORE WHETSTONE, Deceased.

Pending in the County Court, Gillespie County, Texas, Cause No. 11052.

TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ABOVE ESTATE:

WHEREAS, on the 14th day of April, 2022, in the County Court, Gillespie County, Texas, the undersigned duly qualified as the Independent Executrix of the Estate of Thomas Moore Whetstone, Deceased.

Notice is hereby given that Original Letters Testamentary on this estate were granted and this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present the same to the undersigned within the time prescribed by law. Any person indebted to said estate is hereby notified to pay same to the undersigned: HELEN DASSINGER WHETSTONE, Independent Executrix of the Estate of Thomas Moore Whetstone, Deceased.

Address: c/o Granstaff, Gaedke & Edgmon, P.C.,

Attorneys, Attn: Bryan P. Myers, 5535 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 110, San Antonio, Texas 78229.

Dated at Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, Texas, April 27, 2022.

Application has been made With The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for A Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer’s Permit by Crockett Haus LLC dba Crockett Haus to be located at 112114 N. Crockett Street, Fredericksburg, Gillespie County Texas. Members of said LLC is Edward Cowsar – Member & Robin Cowsar – Member #47-48

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE: Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Mixed Beverage Permit, by Revel TX, LLC d/b/a Revel Kitchen + Catering, located at 721 Brehmer Lane, Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, Texas. Marisa N. Pettit, Maximiliano Pettit, Members. 47-48

48

available. Call Wieser Angus Ranch, 830‑ 997‑5043.tf

KLINE SADDLERY: Custom saddles and saddle repair. Handmade leather goods, Belts, Holsters, and gift items. www.klinesaddlery.com 830‑992‑8565.tf

OXBOW EQUESTRIAN CEN

TER: First class boarding facility located in Freder icksburg. Long/short term care. Christy, 406‑539‑8559 or Dale, 210‑863‑3516.tf

GENERAL LAND CLEARING call Nick Stehling 830‑992‑ 0487.

CONTRACT FARMING: Plow and SPRIGGING! Coastal and Tifton sprigs guaranteed!!! CONTRACT BAILING, square or round bales. Looking for fields to lease. 830‑265‑7776.

LOST: 4‑14‑22. small parrot. Green Cheek Concur in the vicinity of Tivydale and Mel vin Bonn Road. $50 reward. 830‑377‑3354.

340

MARVIN WINDOW PACK

AGES: Wood, various stan dard sizes, new, never used. Call for details, 361‑332‑2158.

BUSH & GERTS (Chicago)

UPRIGHT PIANO: Antique. Also, Carved Grandfather clock. Call for details, 361‑ 332‑2158. USED UTILITY/TELEPHONE POLES for sale: 830‑685‑ 3101.

GOLF CARS AND CARE: We buy and sell used golf cars and chargers. 830‑896‑4455.tf

ROAD BASE MATERIAL: Crushed limestone. $12/ton delivered in Fredericksburg. Large blocks and landscape boulders. 830‑459‑3931.tf

HUNTING LEASE WANTED: Small town business owner looking for deer lease for family. Honest & respon sible. Please consider us. Finder’s fee for any leads. Please call 361 649 6880.

I BUY MOTORHOMES: 830‑ 257‑0044, cell 210‑215‑3724. WE MOVE/ DELIVER RVS.tf

1995 Legend 40 ft 5th Wheel with Slide Out. 2 AC’s, Sliding Glass Door, Kitchenette, Garden Tub, Furnished. $3,500. 830‑997‑7219.

Loren’s Lawn Care. Any size lawn call 830‑997‑4442 or email: lorenslawncarew7@ yahoo.com.

Local Fireman. American Outdoor pressuring wash ing Service includes: Resi dential / Commercial house, roof, driveway, deck, fence, RV, dumpster pad. Call or text 806‑773‑2954; email: zwillard49@gmail.com

Freshen Up Your Home or Office with New Lighting.

For SPEEDY Installation Call Mark @ Handyman Electrical Services. 41 years experience. 830‑456‑1420.

C.C. Handyman Services. Local Carpenter over 35 years Experience. All types of home repairs in cluding all types of weld ing. Tract Skid Loader for Hire. Free Estimates. 830‑ 997‑6176.

I am accepting a few quality lawns to add to my existing client service schedule. I prefer residential or com mercial, properties with irrigation systems within Fredericksburg city limits.

See Business Directory Lawn Maintenance Ad for all services offered. Call/text Jeff Walker/ A Lawn Service at 830‑456‑6385.

Friday, 04/29, 9 to 3 and Saturday, 04/30, 9 to 12. 208 Crestwood. Over 100 angels‑bargain prices, over 300 movies‑ each $1 buy 2, get 2 free, over 200 music CDs, new ladies shoes with original tags $5.00, framed pictures, over 100 ladies jeans & shorts, so much jewelry!! and so much more.

Garage Sale April 29 and 30 from 7am to 1pm.

814 N Edison.

Garage Sale: Clothes, dishes, table with 5 chairs, tools, shoes, plants, Queen Bed. Fri/Sat 830‑2 at 212 W Burbank.

BUYING ALL PRECIOUS METALS, including Gold & Silver Coins, scrap sterling, sterling jewelry, silver plate, gold scrap, and gold bullion. Bring by 116 N Crockett for an up to date market offer. 830‑998‑ 5556, Antique Mall of Fredericksburg, 116 N. Crockett. Will also consider quality consign ments.tf

SILVER STAR LIQUIDA TORS, LLC. Estate Sales, Online Auctions, Live Auctions. Licensed, Bond ed, Insured. Jay Loving, Texas Licensed Auction eer #17575.Give us a call for a FREE consultation. 830‑456‑0611.tf

Estate/Garage Sale:

Furniture, Sm. Fridge, lots of Home Décor, Cookware, Telescope/Lens, Generator, Slide Carousels, Dishes/ match Glasses (8), Luggage, Lawn Mower, Washer/Dry er, Used Vanity/Doors and MUCH more. 3645 Grape Creek RD from 9AM to 5PM on April 29 ‑ 30 and May 1 (half price on Sunday).

Friday and Saturday.

1010 Avenue A. From 8‑?

Lots of stuff, books, house wares. Free Cycle. Holy Ghost Fellowship Hall corner of S Adams and San Anto nio St. Saturday, April, 30, 10:00am. Everything free!

A BILL MARSH ESTATE SALE THIS WEEKEND: 2209

Rock Creek (Riverhill) Fri., Apr. 29, 9‑5; Sat., Apr. 30, 9‑ 3. Once in a lifetime to buy mid‑century modern pieces at estate sale prices!

Living, dining, & bedroom sets, much of it Teak. 1939 Erector set; vintage train with tracks and control; old model airplane motors with starter.

WATER WELL INSTALLA-

TION. Must have PUMP INSTALLERS LICENSE. No drilling involved. 5 paid holidays, regular raises, paid time vacation. Call the office for more information.

TATSCH WELL SERVICE, 830-997-2413.tf

FULL OR PART-TIME HELP

WANTED: Equipment operators. Also, general labor positions available. Call 830-459-0434 (Fredericksburg).tf

HILL COUNTRY PEST CONTROL has immediate opening for SECRETARY. Applicant MUST HAVE Excellent customer service, communication skills, basic computer knowledge, some typing ability. Must have reliable transportation and an excellent work ethic, be at least 18 years of age and able to multi-task. Training will be provided. Please APPLY IN

PERSON ONLY. 94 Metzger Road, Fredericksburg, TX.

Part-time help wanted working with livestock on Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s. Call Gillespie Livestock at 830-997-4394 or Kade Burrow at 830-889-2105.

FULL & PART TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE: CNC

Lathe machinist, milling machine operator, cleaning and processing for precision machining/ manufacturing company in Fredericksburg. Experience great but not required – WILL

TRAIN- LOOKING FOR THESE QUALITIES: strong work ethic, teachable, team worker, productive. Please submit resume to: Dept. D22, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

Middle Aged Couple is looking for work with housing, for more information call 830-868-4581.

Habitat for Humanity of Fredericksburg: Requires part-time/retired experienced

Construction

Supervisor to build one home over 12 months: pull permits, hire and provide oversight for licensed subs (foundation, plumbing, electric, HVAC). MUST BE ABLE TO WORK WITH VOLUNTEERS. Phone 830-9983652. Email fbghabitat. secretary@gmail.com.

GILLESPIE COUNTY is seeking applicants for a full time Deputy Clerk in the County Clerk’s office. Detailed job description and application are available at the County Human Resources Office, 101 W. Main, Room B-102, Fredericksburg, TX or on the County’s website at www.gillespiecounty.org. Application period open until filled. For information, call 830-307-3772. EOE.

TEXAS JACK WILD WEST OUTFITTERS: is hiring full time and part time positions for gun and clothing sales. A good working knowledge of guns is helpful but not necessary. Availability on weekends, computer literacy and passing a background check are musts. Get a career, not a job- benefits include paid time off and matching 401K for FT workers! Competitive pay and bonuses! Stop by 117 N. Adams or email sales@ texasjacks.com to apply.

Kitchen Manager / Chef wanted in Fredericksburg. Daytime hours. Full time.

Email: fbghiringmanager@ yahoo.com.

WANTED EXPERIENCED HOUSEKEEPERS: GOOD PAY- WEEKENDS A MUST BILINGUAL A PLUS. GOOD WORK ETHICS. APPLY @ 1644 W. US HWY 290 BETWEEN HOURS OF 9AM & 8PM. 830-997-2185. CLASS A CDL DRIVER NEEDED. MUST HAVE HEAVY EQUIPMENT EXPERIENCE OR WILLING TO BE TRAINED. Absolutely no smoking. Qualified applicants start at least $20/ hr. Nielsen Construction, 830-644-2649.

CAD Designer Wanted to draw custom cabinet jobs full time on Cabinet Vision or Microvellum computer programs. Send in your resume to info@ kingwoodcabinets.com or come by KingWood Fine Cabinetry 401 S. Lincoln St. MAINTENANCE AND GROUNDS KEEPER NEEDED. Jack of all trades, must have own tools. Hard worker/ good ethics. Apply at Country Inn & Cottages, 1644 West US Hwy 290. 830-997-2185.

FRONT DESK POSITION

Need Reliable Outgoing

Office Person for fast paced operation. Must be able to Multitask, and be a Selfstarter. Must have good Work Ethics, Computer Knowledge, Able to Work Weekends. Verifiable Experience. Apply in person 1644 US Hwy 290 W., 830-997-2185.

HELP WANTED: Full Time Irrigation Helper. Must be hard working, punctual and have a valid TX driver’s license. Prefer experience but will train the right person. Starting at $18.50 per hour/ benefits. Please call 830-997-9437.

Heavy Equipment Construction, Labor Position Available. Benefits. Please call 830-997- 3742 or email resume to qk-construction@ gmail.com

HELP WANTED: Carpenters & Carpenter helpers needed, good pay, 40 hours a week. Call Joe 830-456-4551.

Cimarron Firearms – Seeking Full Time Team Member. World-famous firearms company is seeking full time team member in Fredericksburg. Dependability, professionalism and basic computer skills required. Job involves occasional medium to heavy lifting in a fast-paced, detail-oriented warehouse environment. MUST pass background check before hire. Hours Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm. Email resume to valeriek @cimarron-firearms. com TF

PART-TIME WORK HANDLING LOCAL VENDING MACHINE: 3 visits a week. Very flexible, casual. Must be dependable, have cell phone. 512-627-5847.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Before investing in a business opportunity, get tips from the Federal Trade Commission. Visit ftc.gov/bizopps

Multiple Positions

CTEC is searching for candidates to fill the following vacancies at our Fredericksburg location:

Apply on-line and view job description details at http://ctec.coop. Applications are also available at all CTEC offices. CTEC offers an excellent salary and benefits package. Submit application and résumé to:

Box 553 Fredericksburg, TX 78624

For more information contact Human Resources at (830) 992-2320. E.O.E. M/F/D/V

Make

Must

Rock&Vine

DEPARTMENTS

TASTE

22

GET OUTSIDE

Pulling together all the ingredients for picnic perfection.

Ada Broussard

42

QUEEN OF BAKERS

Fredericksburg’s Rebecca Rather brought her skills to new venture Emma + Olli.

Megan Willome

HAUS

54

PERSONAL ELEMENTS

Incorporating personality into custom builds.

Kimberly Giles

MAKERS

71

COLORING KERRVILLE

Meet the artist who is making downtown pop.

Sallie Lewis

78

METAL ON THE MARK

Entrepreneurs are filling a niche for high-quality cast iron.

Sallie Lewis

IN THE HILLS

87

HIP CATS

Meet some kitties who help their vintner owners.

Sallie Lewis

DRINKERY

92

FRESH & LOCAL

Vista Brewing has a mission to keep their product ingredients local.

Plus, see Hill Country Texas Craft Brewers Cup winners.

Lee Nichols

98

NEW ON THE SCENE

Food family’s brother-and-sister duo takes a chance on unique distilling operation.

Ken Esten Cooke

WINE DOGS

102

These pups help out Alexander Vineyard owners in innumerable ways.

Sallie Lewis

Rock&Vine

Featuring the best life has to offer in the Texas Hill Country.

A product of Fredericksburg Publishing Company.

Publisher/Editor

Ken Esten Cooke

Contributing Editor

Kimberly Giles

Design Editor

Andrea Chupik

Contributing Writers

Mike Barr, Ada Broussard, Sallie Lewis, Lee Nichols, Megan Willome

Contributing Photographers/Artists

Ada Broussard, Barney Kane, Kimberly Giles, Jeremian Dearinger

Advertising/Marketing Director

Kimberly Giles

Account Executives

Kim Jung, Cindy G. Burdorf, Ann Duecker

Rock&Vine Magazine

712 W. Main St. | P.O. Box 1639 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 Phone 830 997 2155 rockandvinemag.com

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:

$30 for two years www.rockandvinemag.com

Time to unpack the picnic blankets

By KEN ESTEN COOKE Editor and Publisher

edbuds. Mountain laurels. Bluebonnets. Peach tree buds. These are some of our favorite signs of spring. They represent life, rebirth, hope, and give us an optimistic look at what is ahead.

This spring, Rock & Vine looks both back and ahead. Sallie Lewis tells the story of Enid Collins, who was a national design star in the 1960s and ’70s with her iconic box purses. She brought a lot of recognition to Fredericksburg, even as she expanded her operations nationwide.

For fun, we had Ada Broussard pen her ode to the picnic, as we leave our winter coats and sit among the wildflowers. Another fun addition are stories on winery cats and dogs, those beloved best friends who work the vineyards with their owners.

We also feted our talented women winemakers with our Grape Dames story, honoring those who bring a determination and feminine touch to this region’s fastest-growing industry.

Fredericksburg isn’t all wineries, either. One talented and industrial local family has created an in-demand product with his experience in the precision metal industry. His Fredericksburg Cast Iron Co. is already getting orders from around the nation.

And Megan Willome wrote a tribute to one of this state’s most talented food creators, Rebecca Rather of Emma + Ollie. You must visit this restaurant when you come to Fredericksburg.

We also featured Covington Winery and Vista Brewing, two Drinkery places to experience.

-R&V-

Lastly, please allow a moment of reflection about one of Rock & Vine’s biggest supporters, Severn Giles, who died in early February. He was the rock of his only daughter, Kimberly, who is this magazine’s marketing director and creative spark. We will miss his friendly voice, and his daughter will miss his counsel, guidance and love. His legacy lives on in her, and it’s a force of nature. Rest in peace, Mr. Giles.

-R&V-

COPYRIGHT: Rock&Vine Magazine is published by the Fredericksburg Publishing Company. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without permission of the publisher. Editorial content does not reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine. Editorial and advertising does not constitute advice or endorsement, but is considered informative.

If you enjoy Rock & Vine, please subscribe at rockandvinemag. com, follow us on Instagram or drop us a line. You can also sign up for our e-newsletter, which has proven hugely popular since its recent launch, focusing on the same quality stories (in brief) we publish in this magazine. We appreciate your patronage and readership.

WRITE US

RockandVineMag@gmail.com

Editorial submissions: ken@fredericksburgstandard.com

ADVERTISE

Kimberly Giles

kgiles@fredericksburgstandard.com

830.285.7230 ig: rocknvine

SUBSCRIBE

$30 for two years

Send to 712 W. Main St., Fredericksburg, TX 78624 or subscribe at RockandVineMag.com

Michael Barr is a retired teacher who writes a history column. Read his bi-weekly column in the Fredericksburg Standard newspaper.

Jeremiah Dearinger is our HAUS contributing photographer. See more of his work at jeremiahdearinger.com

Barney Kane is our resident ad production designer on staff at Rock & Vine Magazine.

Lee Nichols is a freelance writer based in Austin. He loves beer and two-stepping in Texas dance halls.

Ashley Odom is the chef and owner of Feast and Merriment. Living and working in the Hill Country keeps her creatively motivated, and she feels lucky to live in this area with so much food, wine and talent.

Ada Broussard is a writer, gardener and goat wrangler, who was raised in South Louisiana. Her love of regional foods has led to a career in agriculture, where she has overseen CSA operations, from digging to marketing, and consulted with food producers to cook simple and seasonal fare. See more at instagram.com/adalisab/

Kimberly Giles is our Rock & Vine Ambassador, who is always scouting for stories in our Texas Hill Country, email her @ kgiles@fredericksburgstandard.com

Megan Willome is a freelance writer and author of "The Joy of Poetry." To read more of her work visit meganwillome.com.

Andrea Chupik is a graphic designer / art director living in Aledo. View her work at designranchcreative.com.

Sallie Lewis is a San Antonio writer currently based in Fredericksburg. She has a Master's Degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University and her work has been published in The WSJ Magazine, Garden & Gun, and Town & Country. Find her online at sallielewis.co.

VISIT

175 years of German influence. One Texas-sized grand finale celebration!

Fredericksburg, Texas is 175 years old! Mark your calendar for May 5-8, 2022 — the grand finale weekend of our year-long tribute! The festivities will include events like a cowboy cookout, dances, historical ceremonies, Main Street parade, fireworks and more. Come be part of history. Start your planning, learn more about Fredericksburg history and get the most up-to-date schedule of events at

Do you recognize this stretch of Main Street from the July 4th Parade in 1903?

Sincere thanks to the generous sponsors who are making the Fredericksburg 175th anniversary year possible. See 175th.org/sponsors for details.

Photo compliments of Gillespie County Historical Society

n

A HILL COUNTRY FAIRYTALE

By MICHAEL BARR

he Easter Fires Pageant unfolded like scenes from a Disney movie. Silver Arrow, the Indian brave who learned Christianity from the Spanish, saves Princess White Fang from being roasted at the sacrificial fire to the rain gods. Enormous rabbits make tie-dye Easter eggs. Fredericksburg High School Band Director Tom Rhodes, dressed in a bunny suit, directs the Bunny Brass Band with a carrot.

The story of Fredericksburg’s Easter Fires is more than a celebration of the most important Sunday in the Christian world. It is part folklore, part show biz and part fiery ritual from a dark pagan past. It is both a sacred religious ceremony and a Hill Country fairy tale worthy of the Brothers Grimm.

The burning of brush fires on hilltops in the springtime was a custom in Europe for thousands of years before the Germans came to Texas. The fires were part of a preChristian ceremony that heralded the end of winter and the coming of spring. Villagers believed the fields would be fruitful and the houses would be spared sickness as far as the firelight could be seen.

Fire was front and center in those early celebrations because it was so crucial to human development. For millions of years humans found warmth and security in front of a fire. An attraction to fire is burned into our DNA. That’s why we have fireplaces.

Only in more recent times, the last 1,700 years or so, did burning fires on top of hills become associated with Easter.

Early Christians celebrated Easter, the day Jesus rose from the tomb, at different times until the year 325 when they set the date as the first Sunday following the full moon that comes after March 21. This relation to the vernal equinox meant that the celebration of Easter now coincided with the pagan spring festival. Over time, the two events merged.

As Christianity spread over Europe, Bishops tried to stop the pagan rituals, including the burning of fires on the night before Easter, but the old ways hung on in parts of Europe, particularly in some of the German states.

The history of Fredericksburg is portrayed during the town's Easter Fires Pageant. The story mixes the town's founding, Easter legends and stories of settlers of the region. Above, several books have been written about the Easter Fires, including the original history of the event by Fredericksburg's William Petmecky.

Many other modern-day Easter traditions are carryovers from those early Christian and pre-Christian days. Because eggs were not on the menu during Lent (the 40 days of fasting and prayer that begin on Ash Wednesday and end the following month on Holy Thursday), early Christians gave colored eggs as Easter gifts. Even the rabbit, an ancient symbol of fertility, is a remnant of our pagan past.

When the Germans came to the Texas Hill Country in the mid-19th century, they brought these traditions with them. Evidence suggests that the Germans built fires on hilltops to celebrate Easter since the founding of Fredericksburg, and they kept the ancient tradition alive year after year.

Leading up to the big day church groups, school children and families hauled brush, old tires and just about anything that would burn to the top of Cross Mountain, Lehne’s Hill, Kordzik’s Hill and other elevated spots on the outskirts of town. Then at sundown on Easter Eve, as the Abendglocken (evening bells) rang out at churches all over Fredericksburg, huge roaring flames lit up the night sky, casting ghostly shadows and throwing sparks like fireflies hundreds of feet in the air.

In the early years the Easter Fires celebration was not well known outside the Hill Country. Then in the 20th century, word of this unique Fredericksburg tradition slowly spread along the grapevine to the outside world.

Articles describing the Easter Fires appeared in San Antonio newspapers in the 1920s and ’30s. In 1940, The Texas Quality Network announced the event over San Antonio’s WOAI Radio. The publicity attracted visitors who trickled in to watch the ceremony.

Since their earliest days in Texas the Germans told stories to explain the origins of the Easter Fires which had always been a mystery. Those stories took numerous twists and turns as they passed down through the generations. On April 13, 1939, the Fredericksburg Standard published what may have been the first written version of one popular Easter Fires legend.

The story suggests that while the origins of the Easter Fires were in Germany, “the fires in Fredericksburg began when a local man, probably around the date of the founding of the colony in 1846, started a fire on a hillside and came back to tell his children that the fire had been started by the Easter Rabbit for the purpose of boiling and dyeing the eggs that he was to leave in the children’s nest the next morning.”

That legend became a special project for Bill Petmecky, the Fredericksburg Postmaster. Petmecky wrote stories about the Easter Fires legend, and he conceived the idea of an elaborate Easter Fires Pageant to go along with the lighting of the fires on Easter Eve.

The first Easter Fires Pageant took place on March 27, 1948 at the Gillespie County Fairgrounds. Petmecky wrote the script based on Spanish myths, Indian folklore, stories of the early settlers and a variation of the local legend of the Easter Bunny lighting the fires to dye Easter eggs.

Petmecky’s version of the Easter Bunny story takes place on the Saturday night before Easter 1847. John Meusebach, the founder of Fredericksburg, and most of the men are on the San Saba River negotiating the peace treaty with the Comanches, leaving the women and children at home with little protection.

Suddenly, just after dark, fires appear on several hills north and west of town. The Indians are close by, watching the village and using the fires as a form of communication.

In a cabin near Fredericksburg, a pioneer mother and her children watch the fires from the window. The children are frightened so the mother quickly makes up a story to calm their fears.

She tells her children that the Easter Bunny built the fires to cook Easter eggs in large kettles and that little rabbits of the hills gathered wild flowers to make the dye that colored the eggs.

The story quiets the children, and they soon fall asleep.

A few days later Meusebach and the men return to Fredericksburg after negotiating the peace treaty with the Comanches. On hearing the pioneer mother’s story, the men make a promise to keep the Easter Fires tradition alive.

The legend of the Easter Fires inspired a number of children’s books. One of the first was Siddie Joe Johnson’s Rabbit Fires, published in 1951.

In 1952, Petmecky published his version of the Easter Fires legend called “Legendary Tales – Easter Fires of Texas” later changed to “Easter Fires of Fredericksburg.”

Meanwhile the reenactment of Petmecky’s “Easter Fires of Fredericksburg” drew big crowds. By the 1970s, a 600-member cast of local volunteers performed the pageant for thousands of visitors from around the world. Then, after dark, the lights dimmed, the church bells rang and all eyes turned to the glowing hills to watch the flames dance against the night sky like a giant movie screen. R&V

THE PERFECT PLACE TO SIT BACK AND RELAX OR museums & historic sites | parks, golf & outdoor adventure | live Texas music | art galleries | peaches & wildflowers over 50 wineries & tasting rooms | Hill Country cuisine | unique places to stay | German heritage | award-winning shopping

step back in time

VisitFredericksburgTX.com

By SALLIE LEWIS

THE

GRAPE DAMES

In recent years, the Hill Country wine boom has birthed a barrage of new businesses, many of which are driven by female vintners, winemakers, managers, and chemists.

SHERAH MILLS : RUSTIC SPUR + KERRVILLE HILLS WINERY

Sherah Mills of Rustic Spur and Kerrville Hills Winery is a prime example. Mills grew up in Bastrop and began her education at Tarleton State University. “I had always been a really good student but things weren’t clicking,” Mills said of her double majors in Agricultural Education and Agricultural Economics. “It just didn’t seem like that was what I was supposed to be doing.”

Around the same time, her parents moved to Stonewall to pursue their deep-seated dream of starting a vineyard. In 2014, she transferred to Texas Tech and received both her Bachelor and Master degrees in Plant and Soil Science. On the weekends, Mills remembers hurrying home to help her family with the vineyard. “Anytime I wasn’t in class, I was in Stonewall,” she said.

Today, Mills manages the family’s Rustic Spur Vineyard, where she found an early mentor in the winemaker and consultant, John Rivenburgh. “He’s been my mentor for nine years now,” she shared. “Every time he explained what I needed to do it made sense, which was a breath of fresh air after struggling in Ag Economics. From there it became a passion – I couldn’t get enough.”

It seems only fitting that Mills’ vocation is linked to the land, given her long lineage of family farmers. “We have five to six generations of farmers on both sides of my family,” she explained. “I always knew I wanted to be involved in agriculture.”

Today, she works hand-in-hand with her parents both at Rustic Spur and Vintner’s Hideaway, which they opened in downtown Fredericksburg in 2018. “We laugh now because this was going to be their retirement,” she joked. Instead, “it is just hard work six to seven days a week.”

Family duties aside, Mills considers her main job to be the Vineyard and Winery Project Manager at Kerrville Hills Winery. “Being able to help people is my passion,” she shared, and one that she has put to good use through the organization’s incubator program. “Every piece of property has its own story and challenges, but also its own strengths.”

At Kerrville Hills, Mills also works alongside a mostly female management team, which she believes is a promising sign of the market’s growing inclusivity. “When I first started it was definitely a male-dominated field,” she said. Regardless, the 29-year-old believes that the work proves itself. “I am five-foot-two, and when I drive up in a one-ton truck and get in the tractor, or I am the one with the gooseneck trailer hauling the fruit, people find out pretty quickly I can hold my own weight,” she quipped. “I do feel now, especially in the last four years, we are seeing this surge of female winemakers; there are several female viticulturists doing a phenomenal job.”

Moving forward, Mills has toyed with the prospect of a winemaking role, though admittedly, she is most content working outdoors. “My biggest draw is definitely getting to work outside and know the land,” she shared adding, “And I get to take my dogs to work!”

Thus far, this outdoor lifestyle has bred many life lessons. Years ago, when she was first learning the pruning process, she can remember staring at a vine for fifteen minutes, wondering whether to cut. Her trusted mentor, Rivenburgh, offered some sage advice. “He said, ‘It doesn’t matter what cut you make as long as you have the guts to make the cut.’ And I can apply that to so many decisions,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what decision you make as long as you make it and stick to it. Sometime you just can’t worry about it, you have to have the guts to do it and see it through.”

The pruning process is integral to maintaining vines. The dead must come off; this shows the bright stem that can mature because of its color.

Photos by Kimberly Giles

Sherah Mills pruning the vines.

Chickens (over 20 and growing) are a natural pest repellent that Mills likes to use for keeping her vines safe.

MCKENZIE SANVIDO : UNTAMED WINE ESTATES

Mckenzie Sanvido is another woman shaking up the industry. The 31-year-old California native studied biology and chemistry at the University of Nevada, Reno. There, she received a Chemical Ecology grant and fellowship through the National Science Foundation. The opportunity led her to South America, where she performed field work and chemical analysis in the rainforests of Brazil and Costa Rica. Though she had originally planned to pursue a career in pharmaceutical research, her time abroad gave her the conviction to try something different. She took a job as a wine chemist with Constellation Brands and discovered a love for the wine industry while working in Sonoma, New Zealand, and Monterey, to name a few.

This experience proved invaluable to Sanvido, who later went to work with a custom crush facility in Salinas, California. It was there that she realized there wasn’t a local laboratory available for testing wine. In fact, the closest one was in Napa, located three hours away, with turn-around times for samples taking upwards to a week.

At the same time, she had noticed how quickly the Texas wine industry was growing. Determined to fill a void and make a change, Sanvido, along with her South African winemaking husband, Dane, moved to Johnson City in 2019. One month later, they opened The Lab Pros.

“We service around 120 wineries in Texas, Louisiana, California and New York,” she said of their operation. At the lab, they work with winemakers to test the wines’ sugars, acids, and fermentation process, along with performing monthly regulatory checks leading up to bottling. Through the operation, they can deliver results between 24 to 48 hours. “We grew that business really nicely and got to a point where we wanted to do something else, and that was to start a winery,” she shared.

In May, the couple brought their dream to fruition with the opening of Untamed Wine Estates, a production winery and tasting room. After years of working with large corporate wineries, the name was a fitting descriptor for their new lease on life. “We got tired of climbing the corporate ladder,” said Sanvido. “We wanted to break free from that and become untamed.”

Today, she and her husband are focused on quality first and foremost, pursuing grapes from small family growers in places like Monterey and the Russian River Valley. All of the fruit is then transported to Untamed and produced in-house. While Dane manages the winemaking role, Sanvido handles the lab work, in addition to overseeing the tasting room and foodservice operation.

“I’ve always loved cooking and wine and how they interact with each other,” she said. "I developed a huge passion for it. Seeing people enjoy your food and wine, there’s really nothing better.”

Sanvido preps her hand made pizzas to accompany her wines.

Barrel tasting with Sanvido.

Photos by Kimberly Giles

EMILY JONES : SLATE MILL WINE COLLECTIVE + SLATE THEORY

Back in Fredericksburg, Emily Jones is following her own passion in the field. Before she was the Vineyard Manager at Slate Mill Wine Collective and Slate Theory Winery, the twenty-eight-year-old grew up in D’Hanis to a family of ranchers and farmers. Her education led her to Texas Tech University where she met a professor named Dr. Cynthia McKenney who encouraged her to pursue a vocation in viticulture.

As she explored her options, the complexity and ageold nature of winemaking began to draw her in. She started working at Texas A&M’s AgriLife extension in 2016, managing the small research vineyard there. At the same time, she was commuting in the early mornings to Farmhouse Vineyards in Meadow, where she helped sample their vineyards around harvest time.

In 2018, Jones moved to Fredericksburg and took a job at 1851 Vineyards. As fate would have it, she met her husband on the first day of work. Shortly thereafter, his family partnered with and ultimately acquired the vineyard. Together, they rebranded 1851 as Slate Mill Wine Collective and turned it into a custom-crush facility, giving partnered wineries access to the space and equipment needed for the winemaking process, from crush to fermentation, bottling and storage. “It is expensive to make wine and to have a facility to make wine in,” said Jones. Currently, they are working with ten custom crush clients across the state, while also running their own winery off of US-290 called Slate Theory.

Today, Jones admits to feeling a shift in the industry as it becomes increasingly inclusive of female talent. Maureen Qualia feels it too. Qualia is an Instructor of Enology in

the Department of Plant and Soil Science at Texas Tech University in Fredericksburg. “Viticulture and enology have long been male-dominated industries, just like many other industries where the work is physically demanding,” she shared. “I think women are breaking barriers in many industries and wine is just one. Education certainly plays a role in increasing female participation.” From 2014 to Summer 2021, the overall enrollment at the school’s winemaking certificate program was 63% male and 37% female. With its hands-on training and networking opportunities, one can only hope those numbers will keep rising.

Like Sherah Mills and Mckenzie Sanvido, Jones is an expert juggler, handling everything from social marketing to vineyard management, along with tasting room tasks and wine club responsibilities. Farming, however, is the greatest joy of all, and one that has taught her the importance of patience. “I think it makes us better people. Things don’t always go your way but you figure it out.”

After a hard day’s work, Jones and her husband like heading outside with Chloe, their Mini Australian Shepherd, and Clyde, their Mini Goldendoodle and full-time rabbit patrol. “That is how we like to end our day,” she said. “We load them up in the buggy, take a glass of wine, drive through the vines, and watch the sunset. It is everything to us.”

Emily works the front of house as much as she is responsible for the back of house operations. Jones in the field, checking the vines is a daily order of operations.

Five generations ago our family began farming in India, cultivating crops of cocoa, coconuts, rice, and turmeric. Today, our family calls Texas home. We believe our wines exemplify how the blending of two cultures can create something authentic, yet entirely new and exciting. Come experience a heritage reincarnated!

Cynthia Pedregon, the daughter of Frederic and Enid Collins, posed with a handbag during the height of the Collins purse popularity. — Collins family photo

ENID THE ICON

ARTIST ENID COLLINS BECAME A NATIONAL NAME FOR HER POPULAR PURSES

By SALLIE LEWIS

Like the wildflowers that bloom across the landscape in Spring, the Texas Hill Country is home to a vibrant and colorful community of craftspeople. The iconic accessories designer, Enid Collins, is one of the brightest examples in years past, thanks to her popular wooden box bags adorned with flowering decorations and costume jewels. Understanding how these cheery handbags became a national style statement, and available in every major department store across the country, is a great Texas tale worth recounting.

In 1918, Enid Roessler was born in Shelbyville, Illinois, but grew up in San Antonio after her mother passed away. Eventually, she attended Texas Women’s University, where she studied fine art and fashion design.

After college, Enid was teaching a ceramics class at The Witte Museum when one of her students, a charming woman from Michigan, introduced her to her son, Frederic Collins. A sculptor in his own right, the duo hit it off and were married in October 1941.

Two months later, Pearl Harbor was attacked. Unable to serve due to a broken eardrum, Frederic worked as a draftsman in a war plant in Detroit, while Enid built avionics equipment nearby.

After the war, the couple moved to the primitive headwaters of the Medina River, where Frederic planned to pursue his life-long interest in ranching. “My father wanted to be a cowboy and they started doing that, but they weren’t ranchers and didn’t know much about it,” shared Jeep Collins, Enid and Frederic’s son.

When the ranching business failed to support them financially, Enid began exploring different revenue options. With her intrepid interest in fashion and design, she started sketching up a simple leather handbag, the design of which was loosely inspired by one she had seen in Michigan years prior.

SHE WAS ALWAYS A HARD WORKER, WHATEVER SHE DID, SHE DID IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

-Jeep Collins

Enid Collins works on designs in her Fredericksburg studio.

Jeep Collins, son of Frederic and Enid, penned a book in 2021 about his mother.

With a bit of leather and thread, the couple brought Enid’s concept to completion, working together on the drawing, pattern-making, cutting and sewing. Frederic even sculpted small animal figurines from brass, which were used on the bags as ornaments and buckles. It wasn’t long before news of those first ‘Collins of Texas’ designs spread outside of Medina, and early sales were followed by promising partnerships with major retailers like Neiman Marcus.

In the early days, Frederic and Enid made much of their merchandise by hand. Because of this handcrafted nature, the items were expensive, and they began looking for ways to diversify their catalogue and economize their product offering. The couple experimented with wicker and wire, felt and suede, and in the mid-1950s, Enid discovered screen printing. One day, after noticing a cigar box, it occurred to her that a simple wooden shell might make a solid and less expensive handbag container. The idea was a brilliant one, and ultimately made way for the birth of the brand’s iconic “box bag.”

By the late 1950s and early 1960s, these “conversation starters” as Enid called them, could be found in every major department store in the nation. Their quadrilateral shape boasted wide-ranging motifs, like birds, flowers, cable cars, and glitter bugs, all of which were adorned with bright jewels and colored glass. The result was both crafty and quirky, playful and free-spirited, a design emblematic of the decade at large.

As orders grew, production relocated from the small town of Medina to a facility in Puerto Rico, before eventually landing in Fredericksburg. At its peak, Collins of Texas was producing 1,000 bags a week. The 1960s had undoubtedly been a time of growth and prosperity for the couple, though sadly, the decade that followed was challenging both personally and professionally.

By 1970, the Collins had divorced and the company sold to the Tandy Corporation, who fired Enid shortly thereafter. (A group of employees later purchased the business and returned it to its original name. Today, it remains independently owned and operated in Medina.)

Despite their divorce and the subsequent sale of their beloved business, Frederic and Enid’s originality and perseverance left a resounding impact on Jeep and his late sister, Cynthia, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2012. These days, Jeep is a talented jewelry designer and a writer based in Fredericksburg. Most recently, in 2021, he published his book, ENID: From Small Town Texas to 5th Avenue, New York, after finding a collection of illuminating letters that belonged to his mother.

In the title, the author recounts the life of an amazing woman and her family, from her early days of ranching, to the success of Collins of Texas, and her final chapter in Fredericksburg, where she lived to be closer to her children.

“That is the best part of the story for me,” said Jeep of the latter. “She was hurt, but my mother was never one to let things get her down.” Instead, she kept herself busy with different activities and educational opportunities, like ceramics and quilting classes. Despite going to church all her life, Jeep admits something shifted in his mother’s older age as she came to reconcile her faith. “She received Christ as her Savior and it really changed her life,” he explained.

This year, the Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer, Mike Maloy, will release a documentary on Enid’s life and work, sharing the enduring allure of an artist who left an indelible mark on fashion history. In the film, Maloy explores the ongoing fascination with the designer’s vintage box bags, while spotlighting the collectors who continue to unearth them on sites such as Etsy and EBay. One collector in particular, located in Colorado, has acquired over 560 original Enid Collins box bags, 132 totes, 2 leather handbags – and counting.

More than thirty years after her passing, Jeep admits he is grateful for the ongoing opportunity to share his mother’s story, be it in his own published memoir or the upcoming documentary film. Though Enid’s handbags live on in vintage stores and websites around the world, her true legacy lies in her pioneering spirit and steadfast resilience. “She was always a hard worker,” Jeep said with pride. “Whatever she did she did it wholeheartedly.” R&V

TASTE

A TASTE of life in the Texas Hill Country. Chef focused, Farm inspired. In every issue of Rock & Vine

Photo by Leo Aguirre for Fredericksburg Cast Iron Co.

Photo by Ada Broussard

THE PERFECT PICNIC

By ADA BROUSSARD

Photos by ADA BROUSSARD & ROBERT GOMEZ

icnic: It’s a noun, it’s a verb, it’s a table, it’s a blanket. It’s the warmth of the sun on your shoulders, or maybe an oak’s shady reprieve under a perfectly chosen spot. The word likely comes from the French “pique-nique,” a 17th-century potluck meal set inside or out, where guests would bring wine to share. And while not all picnics are potlucks, sharing your blanket space is highly encouraged.

Like young onions and tender asparagus, picnicking is in season here in Texas. If you’re lucky, you might be joined by scads of wildflowers and the banter of water and limestone.

When you picnic, even the simplest of food that has been thoughtfully packed is elevated by the fact that you’re enjoying it al fresco. If you take the extra step and bring a few accessories — textiles, glassware, and maybe a condiment — your meal becomes ritualistic. A quilted, plein air painting, on your plate. The saying “what grows together, goes together” seems somehow relevant when trying to decide on your picnic fare. So many hill country picnic destinations are moments from a vineyard. Do the duteous thing and pack a chilled bottle (or can) of Texas wine for your springtime pique-nique.

A picnic can be as humble as a pocket knife, hunk of hard cheese, and torn bread thrown in a hiking backpack and unearthed after a sweaty summit, or as opulent as a wicker basket stuffed with glassware, delicate fruit, and champagne. I can avouch for both types of meals. But, what you eat matters less when you’re doing the eating outside; the excursion itself will add a flavor of its own.

Warmer weather means a return to outdoors. Break out the baskets and blanket and escape.

Shifting the scenery from kitchen table to outdoor mesa, plus the practice of unpacking your precious cargo of sandwiches and salads can enliven your senses, just like brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand. Have you ever tasted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, slightly smooshed, after a 10-mile paddle down the South Llano River?

Like food with wine, the atmosphere, quite literally, can transform the food you eat. With a tree as your backrest and rocks as your table, you can’t go wrong. But in case you need some tips, here you are.

THE BLANKET

Pack a table cloth or something that can serve as a barrier between the great outdoors and your food. An old blanket or even a patterned top sheet will work. If you feel compelled to bust out your heirloom quilt, consider throwing a tarp underneath.

While going to college in Austin, I bought a thin, earthy tapestry from a vendor on South Congress. When the tapestry wasn’t displayed as dorm decor, I would tote it to Barton Springs to bask in my newfound Texas freedom. This is still my go-to picnic blanket, for its hippy nostalgia, yes, but also for its utility: it’s easy to wash, large enough for several to share, and can easily stuff down into a bag.

Photo by Robert Gomez taken at Arrowhead vineyards along the Pedernales River.

When choosing a blanket, similar to choosing a mixing bowl, always follow the rule that larger-is-better. You’ll want space to both dine and lounge; your blanket is both table and chair. Some of my favorite picnic memories involve gathering a group and connecting blankets into a large and friendly patchwork.

Even when kayaking and packing light, I like to include a clean bandana in my dry bag to use as a “table cloth” for displaying ziplocks of sandwiches, chips, fruit, and maybe a Snickers bar.

THE SPOT

Central Texas is home to a handful of popular state parks which make terrific picnic destinations. There are also a large number of state natural areas and nature preserves, less visited by equally worthy of a picnic.

My picnic list for the spring includes Government Canyon near San Antonio and Hill Country State Natural Area near Tarply.

For a quicker, more leisurely jaunt, why not just load up your family’s dinner and head to your local park.

Likely, there is a picnic table in your hometown that deserves some attention. Center your picnic around an activity like swimming or visiting a nearby town, or, picnic for no other reason beyond lunchtime.

THE FOOD

My favorite picnics are a smattering of fruit, snacks, and salads. Pack food that gets better with time, like a marinated pasta salad or a roasted broccoli salad or a crunchy lentil salad (see below) that can be served cold or at room temperature.

Hot foods served cold, like quiche or fried chicken, is also befitting.

If it’s extremely hot out, I like to throw a couple of frozen water bottles in my picnic basket to help keep things cool, but not cold. For more tender lettuce or tomato salads, pack your dressing in a mason jar and wait to dress your greens until you’re ready to eat.

Finger foods like wraps, sandwiches, and spring rolls are a good option, too. If you’re doing sandwiches for a crowd, one hack is to make a very long sandwich on a whole loaf of french bread. Wrap the long hoagie in saran wrap, and carefully pack a serrated knife in your basket. Delight everyone by slicing up the long sammy on site.

Don’t forget the drinks, whether it’s just plenty of water or something more spirited.

Photo by Ada Broussard

THE NECESSITIES

When packing for a picnic (and for camping, for that matter), visualize the meal happening in the setting you’ve chosen. Do you have everything you need for a good time? Wine opener, hand wipes, serving utensils, trash bags, an empty container for leftovers, and a bag for dirty dishes should all make the list.

Bug spray, sunscreen, and plates? I’m not above eating off paper plates, but in my opinion, paper and plastic are better suited for a backyard barbeque. A picnic can be a sumptuous affair. As though you’re at sipping tea with the royals, allow yourself the luxury of your favorite china, a real fork, and a wine glass. I promise it will delight!

THE EXTRAS

I fully endorse overpacking for a picnic, especially if you’re picnicking near your car. Consider packing pillows, poofs, or folding chairs for a more comfortable lounging experience. It’s more to schlep, but if you plan to hang out a while, you’ll be happy for the seating. A late afternoon meal? Small tea lights are a nice touch, as is a vase to display some flowers.

If you’re picnicking on a blanket on the ground (vs. at a picnic table), consider packing a serving tray that you can use as a hard surface for balancing glasses and bottles. Similarly, if you’re serving a crudités or charcuterie spread, consider bringing a large cutting board to display your food.

Last but not least, picnic responsibility: Picnic it in, picnic it out. R&V

Photo by Robert Gomez taken at Arrow Vineyards, special thanks to DISH, Swig Cheese house, and The Sunday Supply from Hill & Vine.

LENTIL SALAD FIT FOR A PICNIC

Adapted from Bon Appetit’s Just Keeps Getting Better Lentil Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 large bunch of kale or collards

Salt

¾ c raw almonds or pecans or sunflower seeds, or a mix

4 green onions

4 cloves garlic

1 lemon

½ c olive oil

1 ½ c black or green lentils; brown will work in a pinch but these must be very al-dente. Ignore package cooking directions, and keep a close eye on the timing of these, removing from water when they’re just al dente.

2 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp Crushed red pepper flakes

5 oz feta

1 c of your favorite, pitted olives

¼ c chopped fresh herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro, or mint

INSTRUCTIONS:

Destem kale or collards, and discard the stems, or feed them to the chickens. Stack greens and slice into thin, long ribbons. Transfer ribbons to a large, picnic-worthy tupperware or bowl with lid, and massage with a bit of salt until the greens are softer and darker in color, about 2 minutes.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. While you’re waiting, prep ingredients for your spiced oil. Coarsely chop your nuts or seeds if not already in pieces, and set aside. Thinly slice green onions; add white parts to a small, cold skillet, and save green parts for later. Roughly chop or smash 4 garlic cloves and add to skillet. Using a vegetable peeler, remove 3-4 long strips of lemon peel, avoiding the pith. Add peels to skillet (and save lemons for later). Pour ½ cup olive oil and stir well to coat all ingredients.

Add lentils to boiling water and cook like pasta until al dente, about 20 minutes, but maybe as quickly as 15. Make sure to check your lentils along the way. For this salad, you do not want to overcook the lentils and have them become mushy. Once they’re cooked through but still with some bite, drain and set aside.

Heat skillet with green onion mixture over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally until lemon peel curls and garlic starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add nuts/seeds, and stir frequently, for about 3 more minutes. Remove skillet from heat and immediately stir in ground cumin and red pepper flakes to hot oil.

Using a mesh sieve, strain nut mixture. Reserve the oilthat’s the base of your dressing! Spread nut mixture on a paper towel and season with salt.

Crumble feta into your kale/collards container. Roughly chop or tear olives, and add to container. Add sliced green onions and chopped herbs to bowl, saving a bit back for garnish. Add ½ tsp. salt and juice of reserved lemon.

Add well-drained lentils (it’s okay if they’re still warm) to bowl of greens. Season with salt. Add reserved, infused oil and half of nuts. Gently fold to combine.

Pack remaining nuts and green onions in small tupperware to bring to picnic. Garnish your salad just before serving. Eat around the lemon peels, which are edible but strong. Lounge in the sun, and enjoy your picnic.

Photo by Ada Broussard

Rather happily topping off her infamous cinnamon rolls.

EMMA + OLLIE

EARLY + OFTEN

WARM + COZY

By MEGAN WILLOME

hen walking into the historic home that houses Emma + Ollie, it’s like entering the abode of a beloved aunt or grandmother — where everything is made from scratch, where it’s a little crowded with friendly smiles, where you might share The Local Table with strangers and leave as friends. The restaurant harkens back to an earlier time when women lovingly made everything, using produce from the garden, eggs from the hens, and meat from the livestock.

Emma + Ollie began four years ago in the spot where The Nest used to operate. Open for breakfast and lunch, Tuesday through Friday, and brunch only on Saturday, it’s the hot daytime spot in town. Weekday waits may last up to 30-45 minutes, and people start lining up an hour before opening on Saturdays for favorites like eggs Sardou and Monte Cristo. Some people are there to sit down to a meal, and some are there to pick up signature pastries — beignets, brioche, banana bread, Bomboloni, cinnamon rolls, kolaches, muffins or Executive Chef Rebecca Rather’s trademark bacon-cheddar scones.

She’s the magic-maker.

The restaurant’s whole aesthetic comes from Rather — the furniture is hers, as is the enamelware and the sugar containers. Emma + Ollie feels like a home because almost everything a diner touches comes from a home. Ollie is the name of business partner Kathryn Harrison’s grandmother, and Emma comes from Rather’s beloved great aunt.

Rather was raised around white kitchens bursting with baked goods — “shiny, shiny white with white Formica countertops.”

One tip: get to E+O early to gather your favorite pastries, they go quickly.

Start your morning extra special with a delicious treat from Rather, her beignets are all the rave.

“My grandmother, she made pies, and my great aunt Emma made bread,” she said. “Grandmother, when I’d go for Thanksgiving, she’d have pies everywhere. I have all her recipes, her candy, divinity, fudge. She wasn’t a small woman. She was smushy!”

Rather launched into her identity as the Pastry Queen after her divorce. After running the pastry department at Tony’s and other premiere restaurants in Houston, she and her daughter moved to the Catskills in New York. Rather trained with an artisan break baker at Bread Alone as part of a venture of bakery-cafes for Schlotsky’s.

Later she had a succession of restaurants in Fredericksburg. Rather Sweet was known for baked goods. Rebecca’s Table was farm-to-table before that was chic. The Pink Pig leaned into brunch and lunch items. Emma + Ollie brings it all together. Now Rather gets to play in the kitchen, something she’s been doing since her earliest years.

From the time she was a teenager, Rather was cooking for her family nearly every night. She had to work around her

Loyal customers that Rather insisted we take photo of as she and staff adore this couple. Mary

mother’s illness and her father’s refusal to try anything he had eaten once too often during the Depression.

“My father didn’t like chicken, didn’t like tuna or pimento cheese. Once I made chicken Parmesan, and he wouldn’t eat it,” she said.

It’s been a baker’s dozen years since Rather’s last cookbook, and she has ideas for a new one (or two). At Emma + Ollie, she’d like to offer more casseroles to-go, like she did during the pandemic.

“King Ranch, chicken pot pie, lasagna, pastitsio, chicken enchiladas, shepherd’s pie,” Rather said.

And of course, she’s planning more pastries. More comfort food. The chance to make menu items lighter in the spring and put peaches on everything in the summer. To create Cajun-inspired dishes. But no Coq au Vin.

“If I need to feel better, that’s what I make, and I use Julia Child’s recipe. Everyone has their own comfort food. Coq au Vin is mine. If I’m making that, I’m probably not okay.”

Tomato toast with egg and loaded up with fresh arugula is the breakfast of choice for many.

& Bill eat at E+O every morning.

For diners who come to Emma + Ollie, everything is okay. Manager Emily Harper says the goal at the cozy, intimate restaurant is to “make people feel cared for by feeding them.”

“We’ve made this spot at the table just for you,” Harper said. “You can forget about everything happening in the world and just enjoy.”

Emma + Ollie partners with area producers to source food locally as much as possible, including from Rather’s own herb garden. The goat cheese comes from CKC Farms in Blanco, along with sprouts and microgreens from Reverse Pioneers. The pickled vegetables come from Fredericksburg’s own Hat & Heart Farm. In peach season, the fruit hails from Eckert’s, which has provided the Hill Country with peaches for almost 100 years. The sausage is made with ground pork from Center Point’s Zanzenburg Farms, the chickens are from organic provider RedBird, and the grass-fed beef is from 44 Farms, in Cameron. Austin’s Vital Farms provides the eggs.

“People will eat our scrambled eggs — these aren’t 10-cent eggs from some sad place. The customers can tell the difference. They know the product is good and as fresh as it can be when they see it on the plate,” Harper said. If you order the tomato toast or avocado toast, you’ll be treated to sourdough bread from local favorite, JoJu Bakery.

“When there’s someone in town doing the best, you buy it from them,” Harper said.

Breakfast is now served all day, catering to vacationers who like to sleep in and eat late. Lunch service begins at 11 a.m. Plans are in the works to enclose the back patio to accommodate more guests while maintaining an open feel.

Now that spring has sprung, Harper says people should remember Emma + Ollie when planning a picnic. There are take-out lunchboxes filled with a tasty Rebecca’s Chicken Salad sandwich, along with chips or fruit, perfect to take on a hike to Enchanted Rock. (Don’t forget to buy a cookie!)

Or pick up something more romantic. “We recommend coming in and grabbing a bottle of wine from the retail room, a beautiful jar of homemade jam or jelly, a loaf of sourdough and some cheese,” Harper said. Although Rather and Harper are pleased that so many outof-town visitors enjoy Emma + Ollie, they try to take care of their locals, the ones who kept them going during Covid: the standing order from the auction barn, the people who pick up pastries for an office meeting, the ones who walk in and the staff knows exactly what they’re ordering.

“Some people come every day,” Rather said. R&V

Rebecca Rather and her manager Emily Harper.

Arrowhead Creek Vineyard is about bringing people together, in a uniquely enchanting Texas Hill Country setting. Located on 14 beautiful acres right along the Pedernales River, with 2,000 feet of water front- you are sure to find the perfect spot to sit and enjoy a glass of wine. Arrowhead Creek Vineyard is a family owned artisanal vineyard- growing and sourcing the highest quality wines. From the minute you set foot on our property you will feel like part of our family. Everyone is sure to find a wine they love at Arrowhead Creek. Come visit our tasting room- we can’t wait to meet you.

13502 E., US-290

Stonewall, TX 78671

Open everyday 12-6 830-307-7200

Tuesday-Saturday 5pm-9pm

Closed Sunday

Monday

Arrowhead Creek Vineyard

Walk with Us

HAUS

We invite you into our HAUS section, where we will explore our area architects, home styles, and elegant décor.

Photo by Jeremiah Dearinger

CUSTOMIZING A HOUSE INTO A HOME

By KIMBERLY GILES

Photos by JEREMIAH DEARINGER

ichard Laughlin of Laughlin

Homes & Restoration is a longtime resident and specialized builder in Texas Hill County. For over 38 years, he has collaborated with prospective owners and expert craftsmen that manifest dreams into a place that is home for many. His homes, as he states, are like “jewelry” to those that commission him. They tell a story and are a deep reflection of what matters to those who collaborate with Laughlin to build their vision.

Ingrid and Andy Pepper are just these people that commissioned Laughlin. In fact, the Pepper project is the second (just north of Fredericksburg) in the past 15 years since knowing Laughlin.

Andy is from England and a former geologist; his wife Ingrid is South African. They commissioned Laughin three years ago to what the Laughlin team terms the “Pepper Project.”

The mission was defined collaboratively by Laughlin and the Peppers themselves, along with the help of Douglas Grona (who has worked with Laughlin for over 35 years), Martin Ortiz, a reclaimed wood specialist, and Schumann Granite.

“Andy and Ingrid are very worldly, and have museum-quality pieces that we wanted to incorporate into their home build,” Laughlin said. “For instance, the large urn needed light, room and space; the piece over the range was a piece of iron that we framed and incorporated in the kitchen.”

Laughlin wanted to provide ample light space for the Pepper’s Museum quality urn. A detail that Laughlin is fond of.

A piece of iron, framed over the range and careful use of historic limestone unearthed by home owner Andy Pepper, a geologist. The oldest limestone starts at the bottom of the foundation.

Schumann Granite did an exceptional build on the over counter slab that highlights the center island.

This personality project also reflects what Laughlin likes to incorporate with his clients, just as he likes to make his projects personal.

“Andy had this stone sink of his mother’s from England. We utilized this in one of their bathrooms,” Laughlin said. “This reflects our clients’ personality and getting something different when you are hands-on building with ideas that reflect a person.”

The wood staircase was imagined with an in-person meeting with Monty Schumann, who forged the iron staircase. Together, Laughlin and Schumann designed on site with the vision of having an open, modern staircase that utilized historic elements (reclaimed wood) and let in light.

Martin Ortiz is another partner of Laughlin’s for the past ten years. Ortiz travels frequently to obtain reclaimed wood for projects such as the Pepper’s.

“Basically everything you touch and see inside this home is reclaimed wood. The wood beams are mortise and tenon joints with ‘tree nails’,” Laughlin said. “They are all nonstructural beams that were added to the initial structure to compliment the clients’ taste for preservation, texture and earthiness.”

Laughlin is receptive to collaborating with clients and wants to have their influence reflected in what he terms “structural art, just on a bigger scale.” Because Andy Pepper was a former geologist, he wanted to make certain that the limestone that was quarried told a story. So, the oldest exposed interior foundation rock is the oldest leading up to the newest.

“I love when I get to work with clients that see a different way to look at materials, rather than just based on the materials’ value alone,” Laughlin said. “It tells a story and is a personal reflection of our clients’ interest and taste.”

LAUGHLIN HOMES & RESTORATION

For more info on Richard Laughlin homes visit his website: hillcountrybuilder.com

For Martin Ortiz/ reclaimed wood specialist rdesigns@windstream.net

BASICALLY EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH AND SEE INSIDE THIS HOME IS RECLAIMED WOOD. THE WOOD BEAMS ARE MORTISE AND TENON JOINTS WITH ‘TREE NAILS’.

- RICHARD LAUGHLIN

This reclaimed wood, forged iron staircase was designed on the spot while in the home. The idea was to create an airy yet functional staircase that infused the desired materials the Pepper’s wanted within their home.

Photo by Levi Kelly. IG: @levimkelly

A Luxu ry Hote l Pillow made just for you!

You select the pillow size (standard, queen or king), and the density (7 ) x-soft, soft, medium, firm, x-firm, xx-firm, xxx-firm, based on your sleeping habits and style.

The YBP pillow feels and ac ts like a luxury down pillow but is hypoallergenic because it is made from the highest qualit y micro-down fiber!

memory foam mattress

outdoor showers bikes honor bar

Dwellwellexperiece.com kim@dwellwellexperience.com @dwellwellexperience

MAKERS

The Texas Hill Country is filled with vibrant DIY subculture that shows its creativity and reflects a rich tradition. All of them help define this area as a unique “Makers” region. We introduce you to our new makers.

Joleen Franklin

PAINTS KERRVILLE’S TRUE COLORS

By SALLIE LEWIS

Photo by Brandon Robinson

errville native Joleen Franklin knew from a young age she was destined to be an artist. “My Mom says it has always been there, that there’s never been a day I haven’t had some kind of crayon or pencil in my hand,” she said. Growing up an only child, art became her passion. “I remember telling my Mom, ‘I’m different, I’m going to travel, and I’m going to do art.’”

After graduating from Tivy High School in 1992 and attending junior college for a brief stint, she did just that, spending the next few years backpacking across Europe and tapping into various artistic interests, from leather work to painting and drawing. “It was kind of vagabond,” she said. “We stayed in an abandoned castle, in caves in Granada... That’s what opened me up.”

She later spent time exploring Ghana and Mexico, where she pursued everything from farming to jewelry design, and running an art gallery in San Miguel de Allende. South America became another home-awayfrom-home for the artist, who gave birth to her daughter, Trinidad, in Brazil in 2004. Together, they lived in São Paulo and Buenos Aires, where Franklin became initiated into the world of street art. “I started going out onto the streets with the older, artsy people down there,” she said.

“I think it developed into something as I was traveling. I was picking up things that were happening around me.”

Today, Franklin’s many gifts as an artist, a painter, and a muralist specifically are evidenced across Kerrville, where she’s been living and working since 2012. At the River Hills Mall, her two murals reading “Hill Country Kindness” and “Kerrville Strong” have been beacons of hope throughout the pandemic.

Her largest wall to date, a 30-by-25-foot artwork, colors the back of Central Texas Gun & Pawn. “I like the challenge of bigger and bigger walls,” she explained. With larger commissions, the artist enlists the help of a trusted group of girlfriends to help her through the process. “When I have big walls like that, I call the girls in. They come hang out with me and love me … They’re a part of it.”

Without question, the many years of traveling and living abroad have directly influenced Franklin’s style and her appreciation for originality. “I came back to Kerrville and find myself painting bluebonnets and deer which I never thought I’d do, but I’m painting them in my way,” she said. “For me it’s medicinal, it’s sacred, it heals me. I know that flow goes through me as I’m doing my work.”

While Franklin eschews routine for a more free-flowing process, she admits preparation is key. “I prepare myself for a mural. I don’t just go in and say this is what I’m doing,” she explained. “I actually go in and map it out. It helps me a lot.” Meditation and a mix of musical genres, like reggae and techno, also play into her process.

These days, the artist is managing her own company, Aurora Joleen Designs, where her offerings range from painting to woodwork, stonework, metal art and jewelrymaking. “I feel like if you’re going to be an artist these days, being multi-faceted is important,” she said. She also participates in events like the Kerrville Chalk Festival and the city’s Folk Festival, leaving her mark with her signature color. Regardless of the project or subject matter at hand, be it psychedelic skunks, colorful coyotes, or hummingbirds pausing at a bristling flower, she brings love and intention to every brushstroke.

“Everybody has to have that creative outlet. I feel like I knew that from a really early age,” she shared. “It hasn’t always been the most successful road but it has definitely been a happy one.”

Everybody has to have that creative outlet. I feel like I knew that from a really early age. It hasn’t always been the most successful road but it has definitely been a happy one.

- Joleen Franklin

STRIKING WHILE THE IRON’S HOT

FREDERICKSBURG CAST IRON CO. ANSWERS DEMAND

By SALLIE LEWIS Photos by KIMBERLY GILES

ay and Heather Mallinckrodt are heating up the Hill Country at the Fredericksburg Cast Iron Co. A few years before launching their new venture in 2021, the couple moved to Fredericksburg to take over Heartland Enterprises, a full-service production CNC machine shop that makes large-diameter parts for everything from jet engines to fracking equipment.

At the start of the pandemic, the entrepreneurial couple began thinking about ways they could leverage their TexasGerman heritage, diversify their product offering, and use their experience and expertise in the machining industry to create something new.

As parents to three kids, both Heather and Jay admittedly spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing meals for their growing family. “We have been in search of the right pan for a long time, and we had this idea,” said Heather. “It was somewhat pandemic-driven because our core businesses were a little bit slow, and we were cooking a lot.”

After studying the competition, the couple felt confident in their abilities to make a simplified, easy-to-use cast iron skillet for families that would stand the test of time. Unlike the coarse, sandpapery skillets that pervade the iron market, the prototype at Fredericksburg Cast Iron Co. was designed with a machine-polished interior surface, thereby creating an extremely smooth, non-stick experience. Ergonomics also came into play with the addition of an oversized handle, a generous helper handle, and an easy-to-use pour spout.

Jay examining a newly forged skillet on site at his Fredericksburg facility.

I REALLY WANTED TO KEEP IT SIMPLE, IF YOU TAKE CARE OF THIS IT WILL LAST FOREVER.

- Jay Mallinckrodt

The down spout on each cast iron skillet is a unique feature that most factory made skillets do not incorporate in their design.

Aside from the casting, which is done in Corsicana, every skillet from Fredericksburg Cast Iron Co. is made from start to finish in the Mallinckrodt’s facilities on Kerr Road and Tivydale. There, it undergoes a 10-step, hand-crafted production process, and every one is seasoned by hand so customers can start cooking as soon as they get home.

“It is a completely different experience,” said Jay, who has found that both the handmade construction and the heirloom quality of their product has attracted more and more customers both in and out of the state. Last year, the brand sold roughly 400 skillets online with 25% of sales taking place outside of Texas. Recently, they announced their first retail partner with Fredericksburg’s Blackchalk Home and Laundry on South Lincoln Street.

“Obviously we love this community – we are trying to celebrate it,” he said. “What is really fun is having a quality product with Texas and Fredericksburg branding. There isn’t another cast iron product made in Texas.”

Since their first sale in the summer of 2021, the couple has released just one product: The classic No. 10 skillet, a 10-inch cast iron pan weighing around six pounds and retailing at $160. Furthermore, the website is home to a handful of accessories, like leather trivets and handle sleeves that complement the investment. Currently, they are working on a Comal-sized skillet called the No. 14, and a slightly smaller version, the No. 12.

Until then, Heather admits the No. 10 is a mainstay in their family kitchen. “We cook every day in it,” she said adding, “One of our favorite things to do on a Saturday morning is a frittata, it is like a fridge clean-out.” On their website, the couple shares their special family recipes, from lemon pies and peach cobblers to Texas sheet cake and Cornish hen. Much like these dishes, the cast iron they make them in is meant to be shared and passed down to loved ones for generations.

“I really wanted to keep it simple,” said Jay. “If you take care of this it will last forever.” R&V

Just 4.2 miles from downtown Fredericksburg, the estate features 40 acres of vineyards and nearly a dozen boutique Texas brands including the wines of 1851 Vineyards.

The historic farm, settled in 1851, is the location of the first Pioneer Flour Mill, founded by Carl Hilmar Guenther.

WWW.SLATEMILLWINECOLLECTIVE.COM

Tasting Room Hours

Thursday-Saturday: 11-6pm

Sunday-Monday: 12-5pm

Cellar tours are available by appointment: tours@slatemillwinecollective.com

For more information about our tasting room: info@slatemillwinecollective.com

COOL CATS

By SALLIE LEWIS

s a young girl in New Braunfels, Jenna Peters spent her days surrounded by animals. “I have always had a passion for animal welfare,” she said. Growing up, her family had a 10-acre plot of land where horses, cows, goats and cats roamed freely. Looking back, she can still remember “bandaging” one of the goats’ knobby knees by taping toilet paper rolls around its joints.

Knowing this, it is no surprise that her dogged dedication and compassion for animals developed into a career at the Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area (HSNBA). Today, the former vet tech is the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) coordinator at HSNBA and the President of the New Braunfels Community Cat Coalition (NBCCC). The two organizations work hand-in-hand to alleviate the growing population of feral cats by offering free spay and neuter services within the city of New Braunfels and Comal County.

“Kitten fostering is my passion,” said Peters. “The kittens I have prevented from being born into harsh and unwelcome environments is invaluable to me.” In 2014, a staggering 85% of cats delivered to the Humane Society in New Braunfels by Animal Control or private citizens were euthanized. After the TNR program was implemented in 2016, that number dropped to 42%; by 2021, it was just 14%, with most of those euthanized due to illnesses. The TNR program is to thank for this fast-shrinking kill rate, and for the safe re-entry of sterilized and immunized feral cats in the community.

After the cats are vaccinated and neutered, Peters always tries to convince the original trappers to let them return to their colony. Normally, she’s successful. “Most of the time I can educate them, but if they say no and I feel there is a threat to the cat’s life, they are not returned,” she shared. If that is the case, they are placed into the organization’s Working Cat Program and put up for adoption.

IT’S ALL-NATURAL RODENT CONTROL. I’M HOPING THE MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE EDUCATED ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF WINERY AND BREWERY CATS WILL LEAD TO MORE ADOPTIONS.

- Jenna Peters

Today, this program is growing in popularity as more and more people discover the value of working cats in a barn, brewery, business or home setting. To date, more than 750 cats have been placed by the NBCCC. “There aren’t a lot of people in our area that do this,” said Peters. While she and her team work solely in Comal County, chances are if you travel around, you will see an increasing number of cats at breweries and bars across Texas. Peters herself has seen them in places like BS Brewing in Seguin and the Luckenbach gift shop and bar. The trend is tracking on social media as well, where Instagram accounts like @ distillerycats celebrate the felines at work in businesses around the world.

At wineries and breweries in particular, keeping rodents at bay from chewing through pipes or rummaging through the granaries and cellars, is reason enough to adopt, as is saving a life through the process. “It’s all-natural rodent control,” shared Peters. “I’m hoping the more people that are educated about the benefits of winery and brewery cats will lead to more adoptions.”

Currently, she manages the working cat application and adoption process online at www.nbcats.org/adoptme, where the cats are categorized into different levels depending on their personality. Since launching in 2016, the NBCCC has received many testimonials praising the program, including one from a couple named Ed and Heather. In 2017, the duo adopted a feline named “Momma” after a rash of rodents were eating their chicken feed. “Momma has kept our barn and pastures rodent-free for 5 + years,” they said. “She also protects our hens and baby chicks from predators as they free range around our barn. We love this girl and look forward to spending many more years with her helping us keep our barn safe and clean.”

To learn more about the New Braunfels Community Cat Coalition’s Working Cat Program, visit NBcats.org/WorkingCats

Salvation v

Elevate your experience.

"I'll have a Tito's & Soda, please."

VISTA BREWING

By LEE NICHOLS Photos provided by VISTA BREWING

And your meal’s vegetables? “They traveled 300 yards to your plate,” says Vista co-founder Karen Killough, proudly noting that Vista actually has a full-time farmer on staff. Even the honey they use comes from an on-site apiary.

In the case of Driftwood’s Vista Brewing brewpub, it means this:

That Stonewall Peach Lambic beer you are enjoying was aged in casks from William Chris Vineyards in Hye, just 44 miles up the road. From the name, you can probably guess where the peaches came from.

That whiskey barrel-aged stout matured in a cask from Treaty Oak Distilling, 14 miles away in Dripping Springs. The grain for the whiskey came from Barton Springs Mill, next door to Treaty Oak.

The beef in your burger came from Double J Ranch, just 5 miles away.

The limestone-filtered water used to brew your beer came from 450 feet beneath you, pulled from the Middle Trinity Aquifer.

So yeah, when Vista says local, they mean it. And they’ve been awarded for it — three of their brews have received the national Good Food Award, which takes into account local sourcing of ingredients and sustainable business operations.

Killough and her husband Kent, an Austin native, came into this venture without a hospitality background — she was in computer engineering at Dell, Kent was in finance — but with a clear vision of what they wanted.

“The inspiration for Vista was that my husband and I traveled all over the world, and lived in England for a few years,” Killough says. “We went to a lot of country pubs, some you could walk to, some out of the way in little towns and villages. We had the idea of a pub with great food and great beer — a beautiful place to relax, hang out with your family and your dog, where they don’t rush you out. A community gathering place. That’s what a pub is — a community living room.”

“Locally sourced” and “farm-to-table” are buzzwords you hear a lot in the restaurant business these days. They sound nice … but what do they really mean?

Actually, Vista is substantially more than a living room. As she speaks, Killough is sitting in her spacious venue clearly built to be an events hall: “We have a lot of rehearsal dinners here,” she says. “[Nearby] Dripping Springs is the wedding capital of Texas.” Future plans include lodging for overnight stays.

“When we moved back to Texas, we wanted to do something outside the corporate world and started working on this idea for a destination brewery — inspired by the country pub, but more of a Hill Country pub.”

Of course, a good pub needs beer, and Vista has it thanks to head brewer Daniel Heisler. In fact, he might be the only non-local thing about the place — Vista hired the veteran beermaker after his stints at New Holland Brewing (Michigan) and Blackberry Farm Brewing (Tennessee).

“One of his specialties is saisons, and that’s a style we’ve always really loved here,” Killough says. It’s a style that is perfectly appropriate to a brewery tied to a farm, as saisons are one of a variety of European styles known as “farmhouse ales.” “It ties to the land, to the farmers — the history of that style in Europe is something we feel strongly about.”

It’s also a style that is particularly good for a brewery relying on Hill Country well water.

“All of our beers except for the stouts are thematically dry, and you get the flavor of the water’s minerality coming through in a lot of them.

“One of the first beers that was fully his recipe that he made here was a dry-hopped saison, and I just … I love that beer.”

One thing this isn’t dry are the barrels they use for aging certain beers. As noted, they rely on local distilleries and wineries for their barrels, and to get maximum flavor into the beer, they move quickly, heading down the highway to the aforementioned Treaty Oak and William Chris as well as others like Still Austin, Milam & Greene, Balcones and other neighbors.

“We try to source the barrels the day that they empty their product out. We’re picking up those barrels when they’re wet, so we’re getting the flavor of their wine or spirit product and the flavor of the barrel.

Now that might sound fancy, but Killough says that mostly, “We’re not doing super-trendy stuff. We’re doing traditional styles that will appeal to a wide range of drinkers, people of all levels of beer knowledge.”

“We’ve done a couple of really cool projects with William Chris Winery in Hye, including a 100-percent ‘spontaneous’ beer, [meaning] we used the yeast and bacteria that was in their wine barrels [rather than store-bought yeasts]. We did another with both them and Lewis Wines where we took some fresh-pressed grape juice and refermented it into some of our already barrel-aged beers.” R&V

Likewise, she says chef Kyle Barker is producing comfort food she describes as “modern Texas fare.” His burger is Vista’s most popular menu item, and she calls the food “not fancy, but elevated.”

Killough hopes you’ll give all of it a try. “Our number one beer is a flight,” she says.

VISTA BREWING

13551 FM 150

Driftwood, TX 78619

512.766.1842

vistabrewingtx.com

Wed - Thur 4 - 9 pm

Friday 2 - 9 pm

Sat 12 - 9 pm

Sun 12 - 7 pm

San Antonio tasting room:

1333 Buena Vista St

San Antonio, TX 78207

Wed - Thur 4 - 9 pm

Friday 2 - 9 pm

Sat 11 am - 9 pm

Sun 11 am - 8 pm

TEXAS CRAFT BREWERS CUP

The Texas Craft Brewers Cup, sponsored by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, was held January 29-30 in Austin. To no one’s surprise, Hill Country brewers did quite well.

Here’s a list of local medal winners:

TEXAS BREWERY OF THE YEAR

(based on cumulative medal points)

REAL ALE BREWING, Blanco (large brewery category, more than 800 barrels per year)

Pilsner

Hans Pils, Real Ale Brewing, Blanco - Silver

American & International Lager

Altstadt Light, Altstadt Brewery, Fredericksburg - Gold

Golden, Blonde & Light Ales

Firemans #4, Real Ale Brewing, Blanco - Silver

Kölsch

Altstadt Kölsch, Altstadt Brewery, Fredericksburg - Bronze

Strong German & Czech Lagers

River Baptism, Real Ale Brewing, Blanco - Gold

Classic UK Styles

Prairie Fire Irish Red, Fitzhugh Brewing, Dripping Springs - Bronze

Stout & Porter

Texas Cannon Stout, Texas Cannon Brewing, BlancoSilver

Belgian & Farmhouse Ales

Treeform, Roughhouse Brewing, San Marcos - Gold

Texas Sun, Ghost Note Brewing, Dripping Springs - Silver

Brett & Mixed Culture

Berried, Roughhouse Brewing, San Marcos - Silver

2021 SPON Three Year Blend, Jester King, AustinBronze

Smoke & Chili Beer

Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em, Pecan Street Brewing, Johnson City - Bronze

TEXAS HILL COUNTRY’S PREMIER LIVE MUSIC VENUE

Nestled deep in the heart of the beautiful Texas Hill Country, The Backyard in Fredericksburg, TX was opened in 2016 as a dream fueled by a deep love of music, and a passion for making memories with and for the communities & people of Central Texas. Whether you’re a Fredericksburg local, weekend-visitor, or here to experience Texas’ incredibly rich culture — EVO Concerts combines a unique live music experience with its goal of visionary amphitheater offerings, world-class lights & audio, and the hosting of top-tier musicians all within the scenic Hill Country views to create an unforgettable entertainment experience. Our vision is simple, to be a destination for everyone to come together for a good time. See ya’ at the show!

PAST ARTISTS: BILLY RAY CYRUS / TRAVIS TRITT / JOSH ABBOTT BAND / PARKER MCCOLLUM

GRANGER SMITH /JASON BOLAND / CODY JINKS / RANDY ROGERS / KEVIN FOWLER

LEE BRICE / JON WOLFE / MARSHALL TUCKER BAND / WILLIAM CLARK GREEN

Peaches are a natural ingredient and just steps away from the distillery.

Dietz spins tunes to keep the mood fun in

Ella and Dietz Fischer, the sibling pair who are the Hill Country's newest distillers.

the distillery's lounge.

DEEP ROOTS IN FOOD AND DRINK

DIETZ DISTILLERY IS THE LATEST GENERATION’S ARTISANAL INNOVATION

By KEN ESTEN COOKE

Photos by KIMBERLY GILES

ietz Fischer and his sister Ella had their paths in life thought out. But having been raised in the family food business, the call back was strong.

Dietz and Ella opened Dietz Distillery in November and they bring an artisanal touch to the Hill Country spirits scene, with the freshest peaches just a hundred yards away.

“We’re right here by the orchard so we’re able to get fresh peaches that we process the same day they are picked,” she said. “We do peach brandy, it’s a unique thing. We process 4,000 pounds of peaches and get 118 bottles of peach brandy.”

“We’re picking as ripe as possible because we’re not worried about the shipping or things like that,” Dietz added. Factoring in the cost of peaches (planting, growing, labor) means a premium product. But one where the product’s freshness is unquestionable.

In spite of growing up in the food business, Dietz had his sights set on a mechanical engineering degree. But while studying at Texas A&M, he got the bug to learn about the spirits industry. From there, he did an internship with Garrison Bros., the award-winning whiskey distillery in Hye. Then he got the chance to travel to Austria to study fruit distillates with master distiller and family friend Marcus Wieser of Wieser Wachau. There, he learned about unaged fruit spirits, which is a more traditional drink in that part of the world. He learned about apricot and pear brandies. Being from Fredericksburg, using peaches was a natural extension.

“I thought that it would be cool to do a small farm distillery with the German-Austrian tradition, so I started working on that,” he said. Years later, the plan was harvested into the new distillery.

His sister Ella was happy working in New York doing marketing for a retail boutique. But the pandemic caused the store to shutter, and she no longer had a job. She returned to Texas, temporarily and agreed to help Dietz. Then she came to realize it was a good fit and they partnered to continue the family’s history as a food and drink cornerstone in this part of the world.

The pair opened November 18 and have seen steady traffic. The facility also has the advantage of being next to Fischer & Wieser’s Das Peach Haus, long a must-see for visitors seeking peaches, peach wine, jams, sauces and more. They hope to get some crossover traffic.

“We’re super lucky that we have this building,” Elle said.

After getting a cocktail, visitors can go onto the porch, which looks out over the unique “pine tree forest,” a singular stand of trees in the Hill Country. The father of Mark Wieser, half of Fischer & Wieser, was from the black forest region in Germany, so he bought pines from Texas A&M to raise on his land. Just beyond the pine trees lies the peach orchard.

One of their first products is a “Texas style” gin called Five Judges Gin. It’s named for the five judges that have lived on the property, including J.B. Wieser, Jarvis Wieser and Mark Wieser.

Like the roots of those trees, the Fischer and Wieser family ties to the food and drink industry run deep.

dietzdistillery.com

THIS AIN’T JUST WINE COUNTRY

HOME OF THE FIRST LEGAL BOURBON DISTILLERY IN TEXAS AND 4-TIME US MICRO WHISKEY OF THE YEAR

Garrison Brothers Distillery in the Texas Hill Country is dedicated to true Southern hospitality. When you’re here, you’ll feel the warmth of our Texas spirit, alongside the aroma of our sweet mash and the soothing hum of our copper pot-stills making more bourbon. Distillery tours take place at 10, noon, 2 and 4. But you don’t have to take a tour to taste our bourbon. We serve our bourbon flights Tuesday through Saturday from 10 to 5. You can make your distillery tour reservation here:

GARRISONBROS.COM/TOUR

©️2022 Garrison Brothers Distillery. Garrison Brothers is a registered trademark of Lone Star Distillery LLC. Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 47% Alc./Vol. (94 Proof). Cooked, distilled, barreled, and bottled by Garrison Brothers Distillery, Hye, Texas 78635.

DOG DAYS:

PINOT & GIZMO ALEXANDER of ALEXANDER VINEYARDS

laude Alexander has many passions in life. The Canadian-born entrepreneur is actively pursuing one of them – wine – at Alexander Vineyards, located east of Fredericksburg along the 290 Wine Trail. Music is another love, and one that plays into the vineyard’s guest experience, thanks to a treasured record collection and a state-of-the-art sound system.

Wine and music aside, however, there is no love quite like the one Claude has for his dogs.

Growing up in Montreal, his family got its first German Shepherd when he was just a boy. “I’ve been obsessed with the breed ever since,” he said. Today, his elevenyear-old purebred named Pinot, is a bonafide member of the Alexander clan. Loyal and obedient, he says, “Her temperament is unlike any dog I have ever had.”

By SALLIE LEWIS R&V

Kids visiting the vineyard alongside their parents are even known to clamber, climb, pull and poke at Pinot, with hardly a batted lash. One gentleman got wind of her docile demeanor and brought his daughter for a visit. The father had long wanted a dog for his family, though his twoyear old was terrified. “I squatted down, took her by the hand, and introduced her to Pinot,” Claude remembered. “Twenty minutes later, she said, ‘Daddy, I want a dog,’ and the guy started crying.”

In her eleven years, Pinot has also endured great heartache and tragedy, particularly as Claude grieved the loss of his daughter. “She’s been with me through everything,” he shared. “I think we both helped each other when my daughter was killed. You could tell that she was really down and depressed, and I at times had bad days, and we’d meet on the floor and snuggle. It was very comforting.” Even still, Pinot has a way of consoling her owner. “She’ll come over every now and then and put her paw on me as if she knows I need to feel some affection, which has just been amazing.”

Balancing Pinot’s peaceful, affectionate nature is her wild and crazy counterpart, a black-and-white Shepherd Border Collie mix named Gizmo, whom Claude rescued from the Kendall County Animal Shelter. “Gizmo has a much more playful side, and he reminds me not to forget that,” said Claude.

At the vineyard, Gizmo channels his spunky, free spirit by running the grounds and chasing deer. Much to Claude’s chagrin, he’s even excelled at catching skunks. On four occasions, he’s returned back home, his proud white chest stained a pungent yellow from repeated spraying. “I’ve suffered the consequences because he stunk for weeks,” Claude laughed. Alas, it’s a small price to pay for living in the country.

Despite their differences, both Pinot and Gizmo are inseparable. Every day, they follow Claude down to the pond on their property to check the progress of the vineyard’s new Lake|Flato-designed tasting room, opening this summer. “They go and inspect with me,” he shared. “It’s a lot of fun.”

By LORELEI HELMKE

COVINGTON HILL COUNTRY WINERY

s a young petroleum professional, Cindy Lawson left the Great State of Texas to pursue an opportunity in the port City of Seattle. It was here, where Washington wines were starting to make an impact, she was able to change her love of wine into a passionate business.

Over the 20 plus years she lived in Washington she met, married, and converted her beer loving husband, David Lawson, into a wine lover, too.

As a team, they started Covington Winery and many years later the business boasts 4 tasting rooms in the Washington and one in her home State of Texas. Cindy oversaw the build of a beautiful, inviting new facility along 290, It offers gorgeous long range views and plenty of land for their own vines on site.

Covington Hill Country winery offers extraordinary wines from Washington AVAs, as well as a few from Texas, and at least one with grapes from both regions. Don’t miss this tasting room the next time you’re near Johnson City.

2019 Chardonnay

Boushey Vineyard Yakima Valley

Soft, smooth and fleshy, this balanced chardonnay shows a medium hay tone. Aromas of golden delicious apples, and nectarines with hints of cream, bright acidity on the tasty, long finish.

Perfect with baked brie and peach compote or grilled chicken with mango salsa.

2020 Gewurtztraminer

Olsen Vineyard

Yakima Valley

Created in the “orange” style, meaning the skins were left in the juice while fermenting. This process creates incredible body in lighter styled wines. Prepare your senses for peach, apricot and honeysuckle blossoms with a hint of white dust. Racy acidity creates a WOW finish.

The quintessential Thanksgiving wine or a light salad with persimmons.

2020 Field Blend

Zinfandel, Primitivo and Petite Sirah

Chillable Red

A unique wine that seems tailor made for Texas. This is a red wine, not a ròse, showing a dark wild salmon color with essences of pomegranate, Rainier cherries and red plums. Five months in oak imparts hints of tobacco leaf and star anise. Beware, it’s 15% alcohol. Serve this with Texas BBQ and grilled fajitas.

2019 Tempranillo

100% Tempranillo

Texas High Plains

This Texas Tempranillo exhibits the classic traits of its Spanish cousins, beautiful dark brick red hues and oldworld masculinity. Bouquets of cranberry, blackberry leather and char envelope the nose. There is an earthiness in this glass. A solid tannin structure hints that this mouthwatering wine could cellar for a while. Drink with mushroom croquettes or bacon wrapped dates.

2019 Rio Ronde

50% WA Syrah

50% TX Tempranillo

Covington’s storybook wine, named for the Rio Grande (TX) and Grande Ronde (WA) rivers. It pours into the glass, a deep purple ruby color. A thinker’s wine that delivers black plum, black berry, soft leather, cloves, licorice and sweet smoke all wrapped up in a wonderfully structured red.

Pairing choice: Chateaubriand with a Stilton cheese starter. Better get two bottles.

2018 Zinfandel

Stone Tree Vineyard

Wahluke Slope, WA

The vineyard is known for producing highly rated zinfandels. This brambly zin shows a complex nose of ripe blueberry, black cherry, plum, black licorice, hints of cocoa and sweet smoke. It is fruit forward with integrated tannins for a long, glorious finish. Partner with cheeses such as Manchego, Havarti, or goat cheese with fig jam.

2018 Syrah

Yakima, Walla Walla, Wahluke Slope, Heaven Hills –all in Columbia Valley

Classic old-world style Syrah with stunning fruits. Dense aromas of dark plum, ripe blueberries, cherry pie and floral notes greet the nose. This is a fullbodied, mouth filling Syrah offering balance on its long finish.

A great choice with spareribs or hamburgers.

ROCK & VINE WINTER LAUNCH PARTY

Photos by AVA SNOOZY

Bobby & Melissa Humphries

Sallie Lewis & Kimberly Giles

Diego Martinez

Readers of Rock & Vine came out to celebrate with us at Salvation Spirits.

ock & Vine held its winter issue release party on February 16 at The Speakeasy at Salvation Spirits. And did it ever pack the cozy confines of this new venue.

The event featured fabulous, festive foods by Feast & Merriment and Orobianco, which guests devoured. The stars of the night were the venue’s sumptuous cocktails, made with their own distilled spirits. Piccolina’s Small Batch Italian Ice was also a hit with guests.

Live music was provided by crooner Diego Martinez, who was featured in the winter edition. It was the perfect

auditory setting for a lovely evening of great cocktails and conversation.

Auction items featured Fredericksburg Cast Iron Co., a two-night guest stay from Dwell Well in Kerrville, a twonight stay at La Cantera Resort and Spa, and photos of the last issue’s stunning cover shot from photographer Grant D. Pittman. All proceeds benefited Mercy Gate Ministries, which works to combat sex trafficking.

See you at another Rock & Vine party somewhere in the Hill Country!

Cecilia Berber-Thayer and Carol Hicks Bolton

Paula Kaiser, Sarah Johnson and Leigh Lacy

Ken Esten Cooke

Melissa Humphries, Brooke Rogan & Monica Greene

Mixologist Sean Lemaster

Jay and Heather Mallinckrodt

Readers of Rock & Vine came out to celebrate with us at Salvation Spirits.

Julianne King & Christina Harman

BREWERIES DISTILLERIES

10.

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Listing numbers correspond with numbers on map. Locations are approximate not to scale.

WINERIES

1. 12 Fires Winery

100 Durango • Johnson City

2. 290 Vinery

300 W. Main (Hwy. 290) • Johnson City

3. 290 Wine Castle

101 Durango • Johnson City

4. 1851 Vineyards

4222 S. Hwy. 16 • Fredericksburg

5. Ab Astris

320 Klein Rd • Stonewall

6. Adega Vinho 972 S County Rd. 1623 • Stonewall

7. A lexander Vineyards 6360 Goehmann Lane Fredericksburg

8. A ndreucci Wines

2 Locations 8898 US Hwy. 290 308 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

9. A rc de Texas 4555 Hwy. 281 • Johnson City

10. A rmadillo’s Leap Winery

2 Locations 134 E. Main St 6266 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

11. A rrowhead Creek Vineyard

13502 E., US Hwy. 290 • Stonewall

12. Augusta Vin 140 Augusta Vin Ln • Fredericksburg

13. Baron’s Creek Vineyard 5865 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

14. Becker Vineyards

2 Locations 307 E. Main St. 464 Becker Farms Rd. • Fredericksburg

15. Bell Mountain Vineyards 463 Bell Mountain Rd. • Fredericksburg

16. Bell Springs Winery / Brewery 3700 Bell Springs Rd. Dripping Springs

17. Bella Vista Ranch

3101 Mount Sharp Rd. • Wimberley

18. Bending Branch Winery 142 Lindner Branch Trail • Comfort

19. Bingham Family Vineyards 3915 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

20. Blue Lotus Winery 8500 W Hwy 290 • Hye

21. Branch on High 704 High St. • Comfort

22. Brewbonnet (inside Wildseed farms) 100 Legacy Rd • Fredericksburg

23. Calais Winery 8115 W. US Hwy. 290 • Hye

24. Carter Creek Winery 4064 W US-290 • Johnson City

25. Chisholm Trail Winery

2367 Usener Rd. • Fredericksburg

26. Cicada Cellars

14746 E. US Hwy. 290• Stonewall

27. Compass Rose Cellars Inc.

1197 Hye Albert Rd. • Hye

28. Copper Star Cellars (Off Map)

13217 FM 1117 • Seguin

29. Covington Hill Country Wine

8262 W US HWY 290 • Hye

30. Cross Mountain

308 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

31. Dancing Bee Winery (Off Map)

8060 W. US Hwy. 190 • Rogers

32. Das Peach Haus

1406 South Hwy.87 • Fredericksburg

33. Driftwood Estate Winery

4001 Elder Hill Rd. • Driftwood

34. Dry Comal Creek Vineyards

1741 Herbelin Rd. • New Braunfels

35. Duchman Family Winery

13308 FM 150 W. • Driftwood

36. Fall Creek Vineyards

2 Locations 18059-A FM 1826 • Driftwood 1820 County Rd. 222 • Tow

37. Fat Ass Winery Tasting Room

153 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

38. Fat Ass Ranch Winery 51 Elgin Behrends Rd. • Fredericksburg

39. Fawncrest Vineyard & Winery

1370 Westside Circle • Canyon Lake

40. Fiesta Winery - 2 locations 147A E. Main St. 6260 US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

41. F lat Creek Estate

24912 Singleton Bend East Rd. Marble Falls

42. F ly Gap Winery (Off Map)

2851 Hickory Grove Rd. • Mason

43. Foyt Winery - coming soon 38 Jenschke Ln. • Fredericksburg

44. Fredericksburg Winery 247 W. Main St. • Fredericksburg

45. French Connection 1197 Hye Albert Rd. • Hye

46. G eorgetown Winery 715 Main St. • Georgetown

47. Grape Creek Vineyards 10587 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

48. Grape Creek Vineyard on Main 223 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

49. Hahne Estates Winery 14802 US Hwy. 290 East • Stonewall

50. Hawk’s Shadow Estate Vineyard 7500 McGregor Ln. • Dripping Springs

51. Heath Sparkling 10591 US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

52. Hilmy Cellars 12346 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

53. Hill Country Cellars & Winery 3540 S. Hwy 16 Ste 2D • Bandera

54. Horn Wineries 9953 E. US Hwy. 290 • Hye

55. Hye Meadow Winery 9953 US Hwy. 290 • Hye

56. Inwood Estates Winery 10303 US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

57. Kalasi Cellars 414 Goehmann Ln • Fredericksburg

58. Kerrville Hills Winery

3600 Fredericksburg Rd. • Kerrville

59. Kuhlman Cellars

18421 E. US Hwy. 290 • Stonewall

60. L a Cruz de Comal Wines

7405 FM 2722 • Canyon Lake

61. Lewis Wines

3209 W. US Hwy. 290 • Johnson City

62. L imestone Terrace

101 Rocky Meadows Lane

Wimberley, TX

63. Longhorn Cellars

315 Ranch Rd. 1376 • Fredericksburg

64. Longhorn Hills and Winery

555 Klappenbach Rd. • Johnson City

65. L os Pinos Ranch Vineyards

6009 US Hwy. 290. • Fredericksburg

66. L ost Draw Cellars

113 E. Park St. • Fredericksburg

67. L ost Maples Winery

34986 Farm Market 187 • Vanderpool

68. McReynolds Winery

706 Shovel Mountain Rd. • Cypress Mill

69. Mendelbaum Winery/Cellars

10207 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

70. Messina Hof Winery

9996 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

71. Mu rphy's Cellars

120 Fort McKavett St • Mason

72. Narrow Path Winery

2 Locations

FM 1623 (South of Hye) • Albert

111 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

73. Newsom Vineyards

717 Front St. • Comfort

74. Pedernales Cellars

2916 Upper Albert Rd. • Stonewall

75. Pelota Wines, Inc.

3209 US Hwy. 290 • Johnson City

76. Perissos Vineyards

7214 W. Park Road 4 • Burnet

77. Perspective Cellars

247 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

78. P ilot Knob Vineyard

3125 CR 212 • Bertram

79. Pontotoc Vineyard

320 W. Main St. • Fredericksburg

80. Ron Yates Wines

6676 W. US Hwy. 290• Hye

81. Safari

5479 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

82. Saint Tryphon Vineyard

24 Wasp Creek Rd • Boerne

83. Salt Lick Cellars

1800-C FM 1826 • Driftwood

84. Sandstone Cellars (Off Map)

211 San Antonio St. • Mason

85. Santa Maria Cellars

12044 S. Hwy. 16 • Fredericksburg

86. Signor Vineyards

362 Livesay Lane • Fredericksburg

87. Singing Water Vineyards

316 Mill Dam Rd. • Comfort

88. Sister Creek Vineyards

1142 Sisterdale Rd. • Boerne

89. Six Shooters Cellars

6264 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

92. Southold Farm + Cellar

10474 Ranch Road 2721

Fredericksburg

93. Spicewood Vineyards

1419 CR 409 • Spicewood

94. Stone House Vineyard 24350 Haynie Flat Rd. • Spicewood

95. Tejas Winery 8638 US 290 West • Hye

96. Texas Heritage Vineyards 3245 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

97. Texas Wine Collective 10354 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

98. Turtle Creek Winery 211 Earl Garrett Street • Kerrville, TX

99. Texas Hills Vineyard 878 RR 2766 • Johnson City

100. Th ree Dudes Winery 125 Old Martindale Rd. • San Marcos

101. Torr Na Lochs 7055 W. State Hwy. 29 • Burnet

102. The Vineyard at Florence 8711 W. FM 487 • Florence

103. The Vintage Cellar 6258 E. US Hwy. 290 • Fredericksburg

104. Thirsty Mule Winery & Vineyard 101 CR 257 • Liberty Hill

105. Timber Ridge Winery 2152 Timber Creek Rd. • Pipe Creek

106. Untamed Wine Estates 202 RM-1320 • Johnson City

107. Vinovium 214 Edmonds Avenue • Johnson City

108. Wedding Oak Winery

2 Locations 316 E. Wallace (Off Map) • San Saba 290 Wine Rd., • Fredericksburg (Under construction)

109. Westcave Cellars Winery & Brewary 683 Ranch Rd 1320, Johnson City

110. Western Edge Cellars 228 W. Main St. • Fredericksburg

111. William Chris Vineyards 10352 US Hwy. 290 • Hye

112. Wimberley Valley Winery 2825 County Road 183 • Driftwood

113. Wines of Dotson Cervantes 13044 Willis Street • Pontotoc

114. Winotus 115 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg

115. Woodrose Winery 662 Woodrose Lane • Stonewall

116. Zero 815 Winery 11157 W. US Hwy. 290 • Hye

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WELCOME TO YOUR HOME IN THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY.

Discover our family-owned, boutique wine resort in a rustic-meets-upscale oasis in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Stay in our spacious villas with luxury amenities. Pamper yourself in The Spa. Whether you’re visiting for a day or a much needed get away, Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa is the perfect escape.

WINE, DINE & BREW

Equal parts rustic and refined, Old 290 Brewery combines Hill Country craft beer with hearty, Texas-inspired cuisine featuring locally-sourced ingredients. Enjoy awardwinning wines inspired by a founding family of Texas Wine Country. In true Lone Star State style, enjoy live entertainment every Friday and Saturday night.

notes END

SWEET PEA + MINT CROSTINI WITH GOAT CHEESE

Crostini

1 French baguette, cut into 24 (1/4-inch thick) slices

2 tbsp olive oil

1/8 tsp kosher salt

Sweet Pea Puree

2 cups frozen green peas, thawed

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Lemon Goat Cheese

1 cup CKC cheese (or your favorite local variety)

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

For the crostini, preheat oven to 400ºF. Place bread slices in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet. Brush one side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake 4 minutes, flip and bake 4-5 minutes more, until the edges are golden and crispy. Remove from oven and set aside.

For the pea puree, using a food processor or blender, combine green peas, mint leaves, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture is spreadable but slightly chunky. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix goat cheese with lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. To assemble your crostini, spread a generous spoonful of pea puree over each crostini. Top each piece with a small spoon of goat cheese mixture and garnish with a mint leaf, if desired.

BLACKBERRY + THYME MARGARITA

8 fresh blackberries (local if you can find them!)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 Lime Squeezed

1-2 tablespoons Fain’s Honey (if needed to sweeten)

2 teaspoons orange zest

2 ounces silver tequila or smokey mezcal

Waterloo sparkling water, for topping

Instructions

Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and coat in flaky salt and turbinado sugar.

In a cocktail shaker or glass jar, add blackberries, thyme, lime juice, honey (if using), and orange zest. Muddle all of the ingredients together, squashing everything to release the juices from the fruit.

Add the tequila or mezcal. Fill with ice and shake until combined. Strain into your prepared glass. Top with sparkling water, if desired. Serve with fresh thyme sprigs and a few blackberries. Prost!

Recipes provided by ASHLEY ODOM, FEAST & MERRIMENT

Fredericksburg’s first one-stop destination to sip, savor + stay.

Sitting on 140 acres located on the Pedernales River. The Resort features on-site cottages for rent, The Edge tasting room, a five-story wine memberexclusive Tower, a seasonal food menu, incredible water features, golf putting green, and much more.

An elevated tasting room experience featuring English Newsom Cellars.

English Newsom Cellars is proud to be 100% Texasgrown, with one of the largest production facilities in the state. From the stem of the vine to the stem of the glass, each English Newsom wine is carefully crafted in the heart of the Texas High Plains.

We don’t just sell the Texas Hill Country… WE LIVE HERE.

Since 1965, Fredericksburg Realty has been known as the premier real estate brokerage firm in the Texas Hill Country. Over the years, we’ve helped families and investors discover the property of their dreams, from second homes to sprawling ranches and everything in between. Clean country air. Rolling green pastures. Breathtaking golden sunsets. Discover what could be, from our family to yours.