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Current Weekly News for Leakey, Camp Wood, Sabinal, Utopia and Surrounding Areas Vol. 6 No. 22
INSIDE
www.hillcountryherald.net
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editor@hillcountryherald.net
June 1, 2016
HEAVY RAINS, HIGH WATER RESCUE ON SABINAL RIVER by Billie Franklin
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THE EXCAVATION AND RESTORATION OF THE SAN LORENZA DE LA SANTA CRUZ MISSION ............................ Page5
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Storms dampen college commencement ceremony
I got word that a search and rescue was on and I was in a hurry, racing from the Methodist Church to my car. Under the Sabinal River bridge on US Highway 90, just outside of town in front of the Flores Junk Yard, teams of firemen with their search and rescue, the Sabinal EMS, all types of law enforcement, were all lined up, watching as a young man in a tree and a woman sitting on top of a camper, awaited their help. The locals went into action and in about an hour or so, all the tension and excitement was over. All turned out well. Both of the victims were able to walk to safety after their rescue. The camper however, was left abandoned in the swelling, swirling waters of the Sabinal River. A special thanks to Amanda Schmidt and Roger L. Rodriguez, Jr. for some outstanding photos of the rescue. A side note, at my home, the rain gauge was full and my son said in a bucket in his yard, there looked to be 6 inches of rain.
REAL COUNTY JUNIOR HORSE CLUB ANNOUNCES 2016 JULY JUBILEE GRAND MARSHALL
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR ............................ Page 3
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INDEX Legals/Jail Register .... Page 3-4 Community News ......... Page 5-7 Feature Story ............... Page 8-9 Obituaries ...................... Page 10 Classifieds ..................... Page 14
Today’s Weather
High: 79° Low: 64°
Each year the Real County Junior Horse Club selects someone who has supported, influenced and been a part of the organization as the July Jubilee Grand Marshall. This year they have selected Buddy and Reba Pape. The Pape family are longtime residents of the area and were instrumental in the organization and growth of the Real County Junior Horse Club. The Pape family moved to Real County on January 1, 1955. They had been searching for a ranch lease when Chub and June Prade contacted them to see if they would consider a deal with them. Buddy, his dad, and
brother moved their cattle, sheep, and goats to the Prade Ranch. Reba joined the family when she and Buddy married in 1957. Both of their children were born while they lived on Prade Ranch. Carolyn was born April 7, 1960 and Cody came along on November 4, 1965. Both kids went to school and graduated from Leakey. When Prade ranch sold the Pape, family went their separate ways. Four years later, Dan Auld called Buddy and wanted to meet with him. Mr. Auld hired Buddy to come and work on the Auld Ranch as his foreman. The family moved back to Real County in 1970. Buddy stayed very busy running the Ranch, but he took time to serve on the Real County ASCS Board for several years and he also served on the School Board for 12 years. Buddy was instrumental in starting the first July Jubilee Rodeo—he worked many hot hours on the chute gate turning out the calves and steers to be roped. He worked for 34 years with the Real County Horse Club and Rodeo. Buddy and several friends spoke about starting a steer roping club. A meeting was held and a Real County Steer Roping Club was formed. Reba always worked in the concession stand held during the July Jubilee Rodeo. When the Jr. Horse Club was formed, Reba was asked to make the Flag for the club to carry during parades and rodeos. The Club still carries this flag design. Reba helped Winnie Lynn hold elections at the Divide House at Garven’s Store for several years. When Winnie retired she turned holding the elections over to Reba. Reba was secretary-treasurer for the Real County Wildlife Association for many years. In 1989, Reba went to work for the HEB Foundation Camp; and she worked there for 7 years. She then went to work for the Bank of Frio Canyon—and worked there for nine years. Buddy and Reba lived in Real County for 46 years. They have many good and happy memories of living here. They moved to Kerr County near Mountain Home in 2004. The family feels that it should be noted that Buddy Pape served in the armed forces before moving to Real Country. He was drafted on October 27, 1952, and served his country in the Korean War for 14 months and 9 days. Buddy and Reba are excited and honored to be selected to serve as Grand Marshalls of the 40th Year Celebration of the 4th of July Jubilee. They would like to thank all of you for giving them this honor. Don’t miss the opportunity to say Thank you to these wonderful folks, come out to the July Jubilee Rodeo or we will see you at the 40th July Jubilee Parade, Saturday July 2, 10am Downtown Leakey, Texas.
REAL COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT HIRES MANN AS NEW CHIEF APPRAISER In a unanimous decision on April, 1 2016, the Real County Appraisal District Board of Directors appointed Michael Mann as the Chief Appraiser for the District. Mr. Mann officially took the helm April 18th, after 13 years as a Residential Appraiser for Kerr Central Appraisal District. He comes from a well-established office under the tutelage of P.H. “Fourth” Coates, longtime Chief of Kerr & Bandera Counties. “Michael was a self-starter, motivated, intelligent, and personable and a real asset to Kerr CAD. I was sorry to lose him as an employee but am very happy he is furthering his career as the Chief Appraiser of Real CAD,” said Coates. When asked what to expect, Coates stated, “first of all, professionalism
along with a friendly and welcoming attitude to the taxpayers of Real County. He is a quality person in all aspects of his life not only as an employee but also as a person and friend. Real CAD is very fortunate to have been able to hire Michael.” Mr. Mann recognizes the challenges ahead for establishing fair and equitable market value for Real County. Accepting the position at this time of year comes as a daunting task as Appraisal Notices are typically mailed to property owners around the month of May. Notices are sent primarily to accounts that have had an increase in market value. Out of nearly ten-thousand accounts in Real County, it is yet to be determined how many will receive a
notice. “In a quick glance at area sales, it is easy to notice that properties are selling, and they are selling for more than what the District currently values them,” stated Mann. “Texas Property Tax Code states that our value in a county must be at one-hundred percent of market value, which derived from sales values.” Real County Appraisal District has previously worked with Eagle Appraisal and Consulting to handle valuations of particular areas in the county. Eagle has done field work inspection of many residential properties in an effort to rectify the State Comptroller’s poor rating of local appraisals. The State audits each county through the Property Value Study (PVS). Currently, Real County
is under year two of a “grace period” and allowed to remedy to the imbalance of the Ratio Study on its own. The Ratio Study compares sales data in relation to appraisal data. Mann noted that “the issues that the State has presented will not be an overnight fix. I am very familiar with Eagle Appraisal and the company’s owner Gary Zeitler. With Gary’s assistance we are already making positive changes.” “Michael is very personable and easy to visit with. Secondly, he is extremely organized and goal completion driven,” said Zeitler. He seeks to “access as much quality information and strives for consistency in all areas.” continued page 7