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Tri-Canyon’s Only Weekly Newspaper!
Current Weekly News for Leakey, Camp Wood, Sabinal, Utopia and Surrounding Areas Vol. 6 No. 8
INSIDE
www.hillcountryherald.net
February 24, 2016
editor@hillcountryherald.net
CADDEL-SMITH CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS by Billie Nast
............................ Page 11
Tennessee Jane Sees Papa Riding In From Texas
............................ Page 9
The Caddel-Smith Chapter, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, met at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 11, 2016, in the McNelly Room at the First State Bank in Uvalde with 20 members and one guest present. The meeting was called to order by President Judy Burleson at 10:30 a.m. She welcomed members and guests in attendance, and led the pledges to the United States and Texas flags. President Burleson stated that the DRT 125th Annual Convention will be held in Addison, Texas, on May 12-14. Registration is open at this time. We were reminded that we can donate pavers to be placed at the new DRT Headquarters in Austin, Texas. Pavers may be purchased for approved DRT ancestors and other memorials. Some of our members have already done this and our Chapter has a paver. The pavers purchased by our members will be placed with the Chapter paver. First Vice President Jakelynn Crawford stated that the next meeting would be on Saturday, March 5th, at the United Methodist Church in Leakey, and would begin at 2 p.m. Awards will be presented to winners in the DRT Essay Contest. Members are encouraged to bring cookies and to arrive early to help set up the room for the large group expected to attend. Guests will be the essay winners, Scholarship winner, and their families. Registrar Roberta Himebrook reported that the application for membership from Chris Lacey was being processed, Joan Martin’s application had been received, and that two interested prospective members had contacted her. Members voted to accept Chris Lacey as a candidate for membership. continued page 5
LEAKEY ISD VASE
Left to right, Kristi Powers-great niece of Lt. Gray, Karen Collins-Kristi’s mother and niece of Lt. Gray, Jakelynn Crawford-Kristi’s aunt and niece of Lt. Gray. The Aunts are holding pictures of Lt. Gray. This was a very moving and emotional program, very well done.
by Joan McCarson
LEAKEY ISD GRAND OPENING ............................ Page 7
Pictured LtoR: Quinten Pigg, Sydney Jones, Sofia Rodriguez, Alexis Webb, Jake Gray, LC Medina not pictured
VASE (Visual Art Scholastic Event) competition in San Antonio at John Marshall High School, February 6, 2016. The Leakey ISD VASE art students traveled to Marshall High School Saturday morning at 8:00 AM on February 6th. First we had to go through qualifications before the students go to adjudication. Each event will have a team of qualified jurors composed of certified public school art educators, supervisors and/or college faculty. Each juror will conduct an eight-minute individualized interview with each student for each art work presented. The interview scores are based on: student research and application, artwork
Sabinal Band Students Make School History .............................. Page 4
Getting an early start on spring ............................ Page 9
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INDEX Legals/Jail Register ...... Page 3 Community News ......... Page 4-6 Feature Story ................. Page 7 Obituaries ...................... Page 8 Classifieds ..................... Page 12
Today’s Weather
High: 64° Low: 36°
On Wednesday, February 10, 2016, two of Sabinal’s finest band students competed for a chair in the coveted All State Band. This was the first time in school history that a student has advanced to this competition. Taylor Chapman, on alto saxophone, was 5th chair in the state, and Nathan Valdez, on clarinet, was 9th chair in the state. Taylor and Nathan participated in the Association of Texas Small School Concert Band with students from 1A through 3A schools across the state. Once they earned their chair, students rehearsed high level music from Wednesday night through Friday evening. The students also attended the annual Texas Music Educators Association music convention in San Antonio. The four day convention was held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Students were able to meet clinicians, learn from other directors, and also test out new instruments and equipment. Clinics, concerts, and workshops also took place during the convention. Congratulations to Taylor and Nathan on all of their achievements for the year! They made our band, school, and community so proud of their efforts. GO BAND! By now most of you have heard about Zumba. You know, that dance party exercise infomercial that was on TV every day? Yep, that Zumba. Well did you know that it is here in the Frio Canyon? Actually, it’s been here for 5 years at the same location, the Frio Canyon Parks Association building. Here in Leakey, we do Zumba a little differently. We do a version called Zumba Gold, which is another way of saying low impact, lighter version. However, we still have plenty of hip action, shimmying and shaking, and fun dance moves. For me, one of the best things about Zumba is learning about a whole world of music – artists from Cuba, Norway, Miami, Brooklyn, Colombia, LA, India, Africa, and the list goes on. Another great thing about Zumba is the variety of dance
by Beth Lawless
styles offered. We do everything from Bollywood to disco, salsa to hip-hop, and the cha-cha. It’s all done with very simple steps, repeated with the verse and chorus of a song. Zumba was started in 1990 by Beto Perez of Colombia. He was teaching an aerobics class, and one day discovered he had forgotten his class music. Luckily he had some tapes in his car of his favorite Latin artists. Using the music he loves, he improvised choreography in his class
sources, execution and technique, use of elements and principles of art, aesthetics, critical judgment and personal expression. Students are rated on their art process and interview then receive ratings I, II, III or IV. Rating I is accomplished; Rating II is strong; Rating III is excellent; and Rating IV is Superior. The number of entries at our regional VASE event was 1,517 pieces of artwork registered, 1,350 pieces of artwork actually juried on February 6th, and only 116 pieces of artwork advanced to state. There were 9 districts and 4 private schools, 35 schools, and 78 teachers participating. continued page 4
by Zach Sims
Pictured LtoR: Taylor Chapman, Nathan Valdez
that day. It was a huge hit, and the rest is history. Today, Zumba classes are everywhere – in 180 countries around the world in more than 200,000 gyms and studios, with about 15 million people having fun getting fit. More than 5 years ago, my friends Toy Pendleton and Pat Walzel, and I drove to Uvalde 2-3 times a week to attend the Zumba classes taught by Evelyn Ortiz. But the 3 times a week commute was very time-consuming. Out of curiosity, I investigated what the requirements are
to become a Zumba instructor. I was surprised to learn that it was quick, fairly easy, and not too expensive. Many years ago, I was certified to teach Jazzercise and taught with 3 other instructors in Midland, Texas. Although it had been 23 years since I had taught a class, I became licensed to teach Zumba at the age of 58. And we are still going strong 5 years later. Who knows, maybe we will have more Zumba instructors and classes here in Leakey soon. Don’t be shy; come try a class. First class is free and only $5/class after that. All classes are held at the Frio Canyon Parks building on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 10-11: 30 a.m. Wear comfortable clothes and flexible athletic shoes. If you love to dance and love great music, come give it a try!