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Tri-Canyon’s Only Weekly Newspaper! Vol. 9 No. 25
INSIDE
FOR REAL COUNTY
Governor Abbott Announces New Veteran Hiring Incentive ............................ Page 7
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LOCAL HORSE CLUB PLAYNIGHTS
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REAGORS NAMED CITIZENS OF THE YEAR Congratulations to Wade and Barbee Reagor on being named Frio Canyon Chamber of Commerce Citizens of the Year. The Reagors are honored to receive this recognition when there are so many deserving individuals in this community. The Reagors have lived, raised their family and operated businesses for the last 50 years in the Leakey community. They have served thousands of visitors and locals through their lodging, restaurant businesses and feed stores that they have owned and operated together through the years. Not only have they served the community and visitors, over the years, they have employed hundreds of people. Wade grew up in Uvalde and graduated from Uvalde ISD. He made many short road trips to Garner State Park and Leakey until he finally met Barbee while she was living in Leakey and
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running her first lodge and restaurant, Frio Canyon Lodge. Barbee grew up in Leakey and graduated from Leakey ISD and attended college at Baylor University where she studied business. Barbee came back to Leakey during her senior year of college to be with her mom when she was sick. After Wade and Barbee met, it was not long after, that they were married. They stayed busy operating the lodge and restaurant together, and soon their first born, Charles Wade Reagor JR (Charlie) came along. Like stair-steps, two years later Kathy was born, then two years later Linda came along, and like clockwork Lora was next. It was then that Wade and Barbee decided that raising their children on a ranch would be a good idea. They bought a little ranch about five miles north of Leakey on Mill Creek. Not long after
Water News and River Flows Flows at all crossings on the Frio River were taken on June 18, 2018. Fulgham’s Crossing just south of the Alto Frio Baptist Encampment had a flow of 12,962 gpm (gallons per minute) in May and now has a flow of 5,745 gpm; this is over a 65% reducation in flow. The Leakey Springs crossing had a flow of 3,862 gpm last measurement, and a flow of 2,656 gpm this reading; about an 31% decrease in flow since the last measurement. The Mill Creek Crossing showed a decrease in flow this measurement of about 34%; there are still culverts on both ends of this crossing that have reduced or no flow.
beginning life in the country, Jody made her appearance. By 1976 the five Reagor children had arrived and the family of 7 was complete. An eighth member of the family was Archie Large, Barbee’s dad, who passed away in 2009. Wade lost his parents when he was young, and Barbee lost her mom at a young age as well. The two of them had no siblings and raised their family as a close-knit group and have remained that way. The young family moved to Mill Creek, built a log cabin, and began living the country life. And country life they did live. They grew a variety of their own food from livestock to vegetables. They raised and ate hogs, calves, chickens, turkeys, and even rabbits once. The vegetables were raised in a two acre garden which the kids worked in daily in the summer. continued page 4
Through Rain, Sleet and Snow
And in some instances one might add high water, Indians and outlaws but no matter, the mail needed to get from one point to another. It wasn’t always easy and the stories are interesting for sure. The need for a mail delivery system can
Wade and Barbee Reagor
by: Joel Pigg, General Manager, RECRD
This crossing has a flow of 4,824 gpm this measurement which is down from the last measurement of 7,313 gpm in May. On the west prong of the Frio River, conditions are very similar with all flows reduced since the last measurement. The Rancho Real crossing had a flow of 3,995 gpm in May compared to a flow of 2,970 gpm this measurement decreasing the flow by 26%. The Kent Creek crossing showed a decrease in flow of 45% since the last measurement; to a flow of 471 gpm this month down from a flow of 863 gpm last measurement. continued page 11
Somewhere in the West
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Drilling a Water Well?
June 20, 2018
editor@hillcountryherald.net
probably date back to the beginning of time. You might think of it as always needing to get a message to someone somewhere. Who knows maybe if Romeo and Juliet had sent more messages maybe their romance would not have ended as it did. This story will mostly take place here in America and when you think about it, the first messages, notes or letters were probably hand carried from one place to another and sometimes even birds were given the task. As this new country was growing the need to get notes and money to various places was very important. The first United States Postal system was formed on July 26, 1775 by the 2nd Continental Congress.
by Linda Kirkpatrick
Some methods of delivering the mail were farm wagons, ox carts, mules, steamboat, stage coach, train, servants, dog sleds, birds and the Pony Express. The Pony Express is probably the most talked about and exciting form of early mail carrying, however it was never profitable. The first run was April 3, 1860 and the last was October 24, 1861. The telegraph replaced the pony express because it was faster and cheaper to use. Sending mail by Pony Express cost about $5.00 per ounce originally and later reduced to $1.00, a hefty sum for the day. continued page 5
BEC, LCRA Award Grant to Vanderpool VFD
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INDEX Legals/Jail Register ... . Page 3Community News ......... Page 4-6 Feature Story ................ Page 7 Community Events.........Page 8-9 Obituaries ...................... Page 10 Classifieds ..................... Page 14
Today’s Weather
High: 89° Low: 72°
Representatives from BEC and LCRA presented a $16,512 grant to the Vanderpool Volunteer Fire Department for a new rescue vehicle. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Bruce Forey, BEC representative; Mary Lou Aylesworth, Vanderpool VFD member; Jim Aylesworth, firefighter; Al Buckner, fire chief; Thomas Fousek, firefighter; and Lori A. Berger, LCRA Board member.
An area prone to flash flooding will get a new rescue vehicle thanks to a $16,512 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and BEC. The Vanderpool Volunteer Fire Department will purchase an off road vehicle capable of traversing up to 30 inches of water and operating through muddy areas with the LCRA Community Development Partnership Program grant plus $4,100 in matching funds. “Our service area is prone to flash flooding,” said Al Buckner, chief of the Vanderpool VFD. “In emergencies, accessibility and evacuations are precarious.” Vanderpool VFD has a service area of 138 square miles which includes low water crossings. Vanderpool VFD primarily serves portions of Bandera and Real counties and it
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has mutual aid agreements with fire departments in Utopia, Medina and Tarpley. It also includes campsites and Lost Maples State Natural Area. The community grant is one of a number of grants recently awarded through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. The program provides economic development and community assistance grants to cities, counties, volunteer fire departments, regional development councils and other nonprofit organizations in LCRA’s wholesale electric and water service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. BEC is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and a partner in the grant program.