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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. 40
INSIDE
www.hillcountryherald.net
editor@hillcountryherald.net
October 5, 2016
ROAD CONSTRUCTION MOVES FORWARD QUICKLY by Julie Becker
LIONS CLUB CHILI COOKOFF ................
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By the time you read this article the road construction crew of Allen Keller will be in the process of the first stretch of the new concrete roadway along Ranch Road 337 West out of Leakey. Tony Magnus, Project Manager for Allen Keller reports the concrete roadway will require no forms and will pour at approximately 2000 feet per day. The crew will continue the old road surface removal north on Hwy 83 until they reach the city limits. Magnus said one of his main concerns is safety, safety for drivers and safety for his workers. So with that being said, I will once again encourage everyone to seek alternate routes to their daily destinations.
As you can see in the picture to the right, just because you can see your destination does not mean you can ignore the flaggers and proceed. Magnus says the drop off at some locations can be as much as one foot, yes twelve inches to the bottom. The cure time on the concrete will require 3 days but dirt ramps will be placed as quickly as possible to facilitate traffic flow. After the concrete roadway is completed Magnus says they will move on to installing curbs, and sidewalks. PLEASE BE PATIENT!! It will be wonderful when it is done. You can contact Magnus at 210-422-5319 for any concerns or questions.
TEXAS TECH VISITS THE MISSION SAN LORENZO DE LA SANTA CRUZ, ASKS FOR LOCAL PICTURES PREDATING DISMANTLING OF MISSION by Elaine Carnegie
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REAL COUNTY NEEDS YOUR INPUT ............................. Page 9
On Friday, September 30th Texas Archeology Society, Texas Historical Commission, and Dr. Tamra Walter from Texas Tech University visited the Nueces Canyon area, specifically the site of the historical San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz Mission in Campwood. The visit was specifically to begin plans for the upcoming TAS Field School that will take place at the mission site the second week of June 2017. Dr. Tamra L. Walter is an Associate Professor of Archaeology, Anthropology Graduate Program Director Ph.D., of The University of Texas at Austin. Her areas of Specialization: Historic archaeology, mission stud-
ies, colonialism, and conflict, negotiating identities in colonial settings, coastal Ecuador, prehistoric populations, and interaction with local ecosystems. She will spearhead the field school at Campwood in June of 2017 and she is asking for any local pictures of the San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz Mission in Campwood before it was dismantled. If you have any photos or know anyone who does contact Janis Prather at vjprather@swtexas.net . There was a good turn out as you can see from the group picture. Great fellowship, discussion, and excitement about the upcoming project!
In the large group Photo- L to Right: James Holder (Nueces Canyon Mission Restoration Organization board member}, Jesus Chavez (Mayor of Camp Wood), Judge JD Martinez (Justice of the Peace, Real County, PCT 3 & 4), Raymond Ybarra (Real County Commissioner Elect), Karen Fustes (TAS President, Austin), Tiffany Osburn (Texas Historical Commission and TAS Field School committee, Austin), May Schmidt (TAS Regional Director Region 9, Austin), Pamela Rosar (Mission Compadre/Keeper of the sign), Janis Prather (Vice President, Nueces Canyon Mission Restoration Organization) NCMRO, Sylvia Gunn (TAS Field School Committee - Registrar, Johnson City), Dr. Tamara Walters (TAS, Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, Principle Investigator who will define goals of project and write a report afterwards), Clint Lacy (TAS FS Com, Lake Jackson), Robin Matthews (TAS Education Com Chair, Austin), Jimmy Smith, TAS innocent bystander and someone who always helps, Lake Jackson), Ron Ralph, (TAS FS Com Chair, Austin). Picture was taken by Mission Compadre Vernon Prather.
BIDE-A-WEE HOTEL GETS NEW HOME ............................. Page 8
9 Signs That a Child Has Entitlement Issues ............................ Page 8
by Julie Becker
On Tuesday, the 1929 Bide-A-Wee Hotel moved through downtown Leakey from the original location to a temporary location about 5 blocks away. The old Hotel was built by Mary Porche at what was then the south edge of Leakey. When the hotel was built Leakey had no running water, sewer or electricity. In the early 1950’s the hotel sold and became the Shackelford Hotel. It was quite a site to see as the hotel made it’s way through the road construction, and the sewer line construction!! Can’t wait to see it restored!
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PART SEVEN … HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CONTINUED ............................ Page 13
INDEX Legals/Jail Register ... . Page 3Community News ......... Page 4-7 Feature Story ............... Page 8-9 Obituaries ...................... Page 10 Classifieds ..................... Page 14
Today’s Weather
High: 88° Low: 66°
Last week we talked about what the Hotel Tax is and as promised, this week we are going to talk about how the revenue from a Hotel Tax would benefit us locally. Before we delve into that let’s take a look at Austin. “The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau estimate that the city gets more than 22.6 million visitors annually – and that means lots of hotel reservations. In the next fiscal year, the HOT tax is estimated to generate more than $90 million,” according to an article written by the Austin Monitor in August of this year. In San Antonio, the (HOT) is currently 16.75%, is levied on every room night charge, and is distributed as follows: 7.00% City of San Antonio; 1.75% Bexar County; 6.00% State of Texas; and 2.00% dedicated to the City of San Antonio Convention Center Expansion. Again, in Junction, the primary objective of the Junction Texas Tourism
Board (JTTB) is to entice travelers to the area focused on maximizing hotel occupancy and promoting local businesses. The City of Junction hotel occupancy tax (HOT) is used to achieve these goals by aiding projects, which encourage eligible activities and support tourism in Junction. Before we start on local suggestions let’s review the criteria for use of the HOT funds: Criteria #1: First, every expenditure must DIRECTLY enhance and promote tourism and the convention and hotel industry. 1) Directly promote tourism; and 2) directly promote the convention and hotel industry. Criteria #2: Every expenditure of the hotel occupancy tax must clearly fit into one of nine statutory categories: 1) Funding the establishment, improvement, or maintenance of a convention center or visitor information center; 2) Paying the administrative costs for convention
by Elaine Carnegie
registration; 3) Paying for advertising, and promotions that attract tourists and/or convention delegates to the city or its vicinity; 4) Expenditures that promote the arts. 5) Funding historical restoration or preservation programs. A city may spend a portion of its hotel occupancy tax revenues to enhance historical restoration and preservation projects or activities, or advertising and conducting solicitations and promotional programs to encourage tourists and convention delegates to visit preserved historic sites or museums; 6) Funding certain expenses, including promotional expenses, directly related to a sporting event within counties with a population of under 1 million; 7) Funding the enhancement or upgrading of existing sports facilities or sports fields. 8) Funding transportation systems for tourists. 9) Signage directing tourists to sights and attractions that are visited frequently by hotel guests in the
municipality. Any project in our area would have to meet these criteria. Some of the things we could address locally with these funds would be: To purchase professional signs to direct our visitors to the crossings, events, and venues so our visitors can find their way more easily. This would qualify under both criteria one and two. Website for Real County Tourism Council that links both Chambers and offers free listing to any lodgings in Real County and link their prospective websites. Renovate the old Theatre, have a silent screen, old movie night and/or bring in and advertise touring companies. This would also meet both criteria. Some other things that have been suggested are Sponsor and advertise/ promote a banquet for the opening of Hunting Season. Sponsor/advertise a Quilter’s Convention. continued page 11