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Current Weekly News for Leakey, Camp Wood, Sabinal, Utopia and Surrounding Areas Vol. 4 No. 20
INSIDE
MILITARY APPRECIATION
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www.hillcountryherald.net
editor@hillcountryherald.net
May 14, 2014
LEAKEY ISD VOTERS PASS SCHOOL BOND On Saturday, May 10, The Leakey ISD $6,795,000 Bond Election passed by a vote of 353-254. A crowd of about 20 parents, students, and staff members waited by the school library for the results, which were posted around 7:30 pm. The common theme was “It’s time.” This is the first school bond to pass in the Leakey community since 1949...a bond that built the current gymnasium, which is still in use. The current bond, will provide for grades 6-12 two state-of-theart science labs, a computer lab, 12 classrooms, a teacher workroom, K-12 cafetorium, and competition
gym. The current cafeteria and attached classrooms will be renovated to provide additional classrooms to support growth at the elementary level and elementary specialized classrooms including a science lab and computer lab. Hearing of the passing of the bond election, Leakey Board President, Charlie Reagor, said”We greatly appreciate the community’s support! We also realize that with this support comes a great responsibility.” Interim Superintendent, Dr. Barbara Skipper, said”It has been an amazing journey to see the Leakey community come together in this way...and the
BEAUTIFUL RAIN COMES TO THE CANYONS photo by William Sames IV
students are so excited!” Principal, Kay Keen, said “It took careful planning and hard work. This is a historic moment!” Engineer, Frank Johnston, of Kerrville has been working with the board to take a plan developed by the board and administration team, based on community priorities, and transform it into documents the entire community could review prior to the bond issue vote. The target for the new facilities is to be ready for the 2015-2016 school year. The specifics of the plans are posted at www.leakeyisd.org at the “School Bond Election” link.
CITY OF LEAKEY HONORS TREES FAMILY by Julie Becker
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Summer Safety tips
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At Monday’s Leakey City Council meeting, Councilman Hugh Buchanan presented Patsy Trees with a plaque of appreciation. It reads “ City of Leakey In appreciation of Jim & Genevieve Trees and James Lee and Patsy Trees with recognition and sincere Appreciation for the use of the “Trees Well” which has tremendously contributed to the Advancement of the City Public Water Supply.”
Girl Scout In April Twenty College Scholarships for The Cailloux Foundation’s News Twentieth Anniversary Strong winds, lighting, and thunder accompanied the heavy rain and mixed hail that brought much needed water to Real County. This pasture about 3 miles north of Leakey absorbed as much as possible and within hours the grass was tinted green with new life.
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Burk Feed, Leakey, Texas on Saturday, May 17 from 9am to 1pm
by Betty Vernon, Program Director
The Cailloux Foundation (the Foundation) in Kerrville, Texas, is celebrating its twentieth anniversary by awarding 20 college scholarships to area students this month. The Foundation was established by Floyd and Kathleen Cailloux in 1994 to perpetuate their philanthropic vision. Floyd Cailloux was one of the original founders of Keystone International and was instrumental in the company becoming an industry leader in the manufacturing and marketing of flow control products for general industry and municipalities. The Foundation established The Cailloux Foundation Scholarship Program in 2000 to benefit graduating seniors from pre-selected Texas Hill Country high schools. The new scholarship recipients for this year include Ethan Greven from
Bandera High School; Cody Martin and Berenis Lopez from Center Point High School; Caroline Parker from Comfort High School; Hailey Eckert and Katelyn Immel from Fredericksburg High School; Lindsey Milner from Harper High School; Allison Metzger from the Heritage School in Fredericksburg; Maria Mendez from Ingram Tom Moore High School; Damian Del Toro from Mason High School; Hannah Buettner from Medina High School; Miranda Cave from Leakey High School; Isaiah Deleon from Nueces Canyon High School in Camp Wood; as well as Celica Covington, Kylie Flowers, Keelan Gamble, Jordan Kleypas, Meredith Lutz, Anna Marquardt, and Melissa Munoz from Tivy High School. continued page 2
Miranda Cave
The Spirit of ‘45 UTOPIA LIONS
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INDEX State News .................... Page 2 Legals/Jail Register ...... Page 3 Community News ......... Page 4-6 Feature Story ................. Page 7 Obituaries ...................... Page 8 Classifieds ..................... Page 12
Today’s Weather
High:75° Low: 45°
David Brockman, brother of the late Joe Brockman, served in the service from May 22, 1944 to February 6, 1945. He got his basic training at Camp Wallace, Texas, got more training at San Pedro, California, which was a small craft training center for the Navy. In Seattle, Washington, he was commissioned for a mine sweeper. Back to San Pedro, he got shakedown training, anti-aircraft training for 20 millimeter guns, use of water kites, also how to care for his equipment. After the training was over, they headed for Pear Harbor, picked up supplies and escorted the USS Whighaugin, searching for mines during the day and patrolling for submarines at night. By March 26, 1945, they were in sight of Okinawa. There they were attacked by a squadron of Japanese zeros. Patrol planes shot them all down. In the harbor, the ships all made a smoke screen to protect them from the enemy. On April 3, 1945, they helped with the landing of troops by covering them with gun power. Again they were attacked by Japanese planes. One plane was shot down and the ship ran over that plane, damaging part of their mine sweep. First order of business was to rescue the survivors and render first aid. It was then that David
Isaiah Deleon
by Billie Franklin
learned how to give morphine and worked for 72 hours straight, just rendering aid. His mine sweep, the USS Facility AM 233, went to the Carolina Islands for repair. Once repaired and out of dry dock, they headed to Okinawa, hit a fierce typhoon, rode out the storm, and were at Okinawa for about a week. They were called to sweep for mines in the China Sea. While there, the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Japanese
surrendered. Next they went to Sasebo, Japan and swept Hiroshima Bay, in full view of the distruction by the atomic bombs. He recalled the look of the children, especially. They were malnourished, acting more like animals than humans. Then David suffered an appendix attack, was packed in ice, and as soon as was possible, he was placed on a hospital ship, the USS Samaritan. After surgery, he stayed for 21 days in recovery. Back on his mine sweep, they headed for home. They towed yard mine sweepers back, leaving several in different places on their return. Dischared on February 26, 1945, he went home to Quemado Valley and went into farming. He attended a vocational school at Normandy for 33 months to learn his vocation better. He was taught mechanics, welding, and learned by on the job training. He met his future wife, Ethel, when she moved to Quemada Valley. By 1979, he went into the pest control business, joined later by his son-in-law. At the age of 62 he semiretired, letting his son-in-law buy the business. He still works part-time, has a small pension from the Navy, and with social security benefits, he and his wife live comfortably.