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Tri-Canyon’s Only Weekly Newspaper!
Current Weekly News for Leakey, Camp Wood, Sabinal, Utopia and Surrounding Areas Vol. 4 No. 45
INSIDE
LEAKEY ISD VOTE ON CHAPTER 41 VOTE TOTALS: FOR: 242 AGAINST: 28
Abbott New Texas Governor
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It i s t h a t t i m e of year! If you are interested in receiving “SANTA” for your children please go by Friends Grill to fill out a form, and return no later than
November 7th. Don’t be late, no late forms accepted, no exceptions. For questions please call Ramona at (830) 232-6301.
www.hillcountryherald.net
November 5, 2014
Real County Wildlife Association Hosts Annual Hunter’s Supper by William Sames IV
The Real County Wildlife Association (RCWA), organized in 1956, held its annual Hunter’s Supper on October 31st at the Alto Frio Baptist Encampment with about 185 attendees. The Hunter’s Supper is held the Friday night before opening day of the regular deer season and is open to member ranches and their hunters. Will Bourland, President of the RCWA, presided over the event. Bourland introduced the outgoing and newly elected RCWA officers. Outgoing officers were Will Bourland, Luther Bushong, and Anne Maul. The 2015 officers will be Johnny Preece, President; Tom Caldwell, Vice President; and Lana Carr, Secretary/ Treasurer. Retired Army Chaplain, Ron Hilburn of San Antonio, asked the blessing and the meal was served. Later, Bourland introduced Alan Armistead as the guest speaker. Armistead is the
Uvalde District Supervisor, for the USDAAPHIS Wildlife Services located in Uvalde, which provides services to 11 counties. Armistead briefed the audience on the role his organization plays in controlling predators in Real County. His office works closely with the Real County Wildlife and Livestock Protection Association (RCWLPA) to fund two predator trappers in Real County. These individuals accounted for the removal of 279 coyotes and 589 hogs in 2014. In support of the local community, Bourland presented $750 checks to the Real County Volunteer Fire Department, the Real County EMS, and the Real County Wildlife and Livestock Protection Association. Hazel Pendley accepted the donations on behalf of the RCVFD and RCEMS and Alan Armistead was presented the donation for the RCWLPA . continued page 2
Larry Hilburn talked with a hunter while Martha Sames and Jesse Luxton listen
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT AND PIONEERS YOUTH LEADERSHIP SHOWCASE RURAL HIGH SCHOOL ENTREPRENEURS
Go d Bless
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editor@hillcountryherald.net
Capital Farm Credit is delighted to announce that it is the presenting sponsor of the Pioneers Youth Leadership high school business plan contest. The Capital Farm Credit Rural Youth Entrepreneurship Competition
will allow high school students in rural Texas communities to gain hands-on experience as early stage entrepreneurs, learn basic business principles, and develop written and verbal communication skills in a business setting as they compete for $24,000 in scholarships and cash awards. The competition is open to high school students in the Pioneers Youth Leadership program, each of whom will research and write a business
plan for a new agrelated business in their community. The preliminary round will take place November 8th at a workshop cohosted by the Rural Business Program at the UTSA Institute for Economic Development, where each student will make a verbal presentation of his or her business plan to a panel of judges. The 10 students with the highest combined
score of verbal presentation and written business plan will compete on February 16th at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, where the top 2 finishers will receive $10,000 scholarships and the other finalists will receive $500 cash awards. continued page 2
Rio Grande College Celebrates New Site in Castroville Burk Feed, Leakey on Saturday, November 8th from 9am to 1pm
November 8th. Richard Gonzales, A member of the Lipan Band will be at the mission site in Camp Wood from 3:30-5 to show kiddos how to put up a tipi. He will give some history about the Indians and their relationship to our mission! Come Out!
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: 59° Low: 48°
Over 500 community members, students, faculty, and staff from the Medina Valley Independent School District, Southwest Texas Junior College, and Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College celebrated the grand opening of the Higher Learning Center last week. The new building expands the MVISD campus located just outside Castroville and it also increases the reach of SWJTC and RGC. The two will begin offering classes in the Higher Learning Center for the spring semester beginning January 20, 2015. The new building features four classrooms that have state-of-the-art technology with 80 inch screens used for teleconference classes. It also includes two computer labs/study centers and a fully-equipped chemistry lab. Superintendent James Stansberry and the MVISD school board envisioned a place where not only their students, but area community members would have access to higher education. That vision became a reality in the Higher Learning Center. Mr. Stansberry, SWTJC President Hector Gonzalez and SRSU President Bill Kibler all spoke of the services the Center will provide. The Red Vests of the Castroville Chamber of Commerce led the ribbon cutting ceremony. Visitors toured the new building, socialized with faculty and staff from the three schools, and learned more about the educational opportunities the new site affords. continued page 2
Superintendent James Stansberry prepares to cut the ribbon to officially open the Higher Learning Center on the campus of the Medina Valley Independent School District. Surrounding him are the presidents of Southwest Texas Junior College and Sul Ross State University, Red Vests of the Castroville Chamber of Commerce, and school board members.-Laura Nelson photo
The Spirit of ‘45 Born and raised in Kerrville, Allie Burton graduated from Tivy High and then for one year attended what was then called Schreiner Institute, now Schreiner University. At the time it was a military school, the students wearing uniforms, learning rifle training, military science, and tactics training. Then he went to the University of Texas in Austin for engineering school. In 1942, he went for aviation cadet training and the Army Air Force gave him pilot training with basics taught at Perrin Field near Sherman, Texas. Primarily he was taught at Hicks Field near Fort Worth. Advance training was taught at Eagle Pass. He received his pilot wings and made 2nd Lieutenant. He then taught pilots at Perrin Field and spent World War II as an instructor. He received his discharge at San Antonio and went back to the University of Texas. Before completing his graduation, his father died suddenly and he went to work at his father’s business. He remained in the active reserves the entire time. Korea became the next war effort and his squadron was called to active duty. He became a ferry pilot at Kelly Field and at the Dover AFB in Delaware. His
By Laura Nelson
by Billie Franklin
job was to move planes to where they were needed, jet fighters and so on. He would go to Lockheed Aircraft plant and Republic Aviation of Long Island, New York, and deliver new planes to the Air Force, F-84 jet fighter bombers. He later went through gunnery school at Luke AFB, in Arizona, and then went on to Korea. He was wing man for the mission leader for 40 planes over the Ch’ongch’on River. His plane was in a vertical dive and was shot down, snapped over vertically with no controls and the tail section gone. The fuselage was left the plane and he had to parachute with his plane exploding in a ball of fire. Upon landing, he was captured by about 200 angry soldiers. Eight men held guns and formed a firing squad. He was ordered to run down the hill, but refused to do so. He advanced toward the soldiers, trying to get in the midst of them to avoid being killed. He was then ordered to go down a steep hill, a foot path, and insisted that he be surrounded by soldiers during the movement. They showed him his airplane, completely consumed by fire. He was held one month as a prisoner, a war criminal, and subjected to interrogation a number of times.
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