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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. 36
INSIDE
www.hillcountryherald.net
editor@hillcountryherald.net
Update on the Leakey Wastewater Treatment Plant Project
September 3, 2014
“WHERE ARE THEY NOW?”
by Julie Becker
NEW TEXAS LAWS
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Each month Naismith Engineering produces a progress report for the Nueces River Authority and City of Leakey regarding the wastewater system and improvement project. Thank you to Adam M. Luke for providing the updates. This month’s summary included several important issues. First, is the issue regarding easements. Easement documents and title insurance continue to be secured for the various land acquisition efforts throughout the project area. At lift station Site 3 near Sherman Lane, the landowners have requested the site be moved. Although easement documents for this site have been closed and filed with the county, the Nueces River Authority and Naismith Engineering intent to negotiate the location of the site to satisfy the landowners. The Leakey Springs Property Owners Association held its annual meeting over the Labor Day holiday weekend. The Association and subdivision consists of residents along three roads: Sherman Lane, Fisher Lane and Leakey Springs Road. While the entire Leakey Springs subdivision
has been approved by the Texas Water Development Board to be in the project area, currently only Sherman Lane is in the design plans. Fisher Lane has not been included because of a large drainage/creek separating the residences from Ranch Road 337. Residents along Fisher Lane want to be included in the project, and are going to discuss with neighboring land owners the possibility of granting an easement such that a Fisher Lane sewer pipe can drain north into the Main Street lift station. With land owner approval, another survey/ appraisal/easement will be required. Similarly, some residents on Leakey Springs Road now want to be included in the project. Previously residents on that road requested not to be included in the project. If a majority of residents agree, then a sewer line will be designed in Leakey Springs Road to connect to the proposed manhole at the east end of Third Street. Formal approval for an easement on Leakey Springs Road will be required. Continued progress of construction will be published when provided.
The Leakey Ex-Students Association continues their “Where Are They Now?” Pictured LtoR: Skipper Twilligear, former Real County Judge G.W. Twilligear, and Steve Twilligear. Skipper is a 1969 graduate of Leakey ISD and Steve is a 1974 graduate of Leakey ISD. Described as a “Boys Fishing Trip” the trio escaped the hot Texas summer from August 9th to the 16th for a fun filled trip to Alaska! Special Thanks to the Judge for the extra special picture of the Hill Country Herald! If you are a Leakey Ex-Student, get your T-Shirt, available at the Hill Country Herald Office, 337 RR 337 West, Leakey (just past the post office) for only $10. Submit your picture and a description for the upcoming editions of the HCH. Proceeds of the T-shirt sales go directly to scholarship funds for LISD students. Let us know where you are now!!
Bandera Electric donates LEAKEY ISD MAKING STRIDES, TAKING STEPS, truck to REALIZING THEIR VISION VFD by Julie Becker
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UPDATE ON THE BORDER CRISIS ............................ Page 2
At the August 25, 2014 regular meeting of the Leakey phase. ISD Board of Trustees, Frank Johnston provided a In other business, Trustees approved the Student Code construction update regarding the demolition and site of Conduct for 2014 – 2015 school year. The major preparation for the new school. You will notice on page change in the code of conduct specifically states that 3 of this week’s paper there is a bid notice from Leakey the school district cannot revoke a transfer student ISD for pre-engineered metal building materials and in mid-year. Prior to the beginning of this Regular site work. Dr. Barbara Skipper, Leakey ISD Interim meeting a Public Hearing was held at the same location Superintendent wisely chose not to publish the entire to discuss the 2014 –2015 budget for Leakey ISD, and bid information but rather to provide a website where the proposed tax rate that will be recommended for you can find all of the information regarding the bid. adoption. Though the meeting had been published in As you can see in the pictures, demolition has begun the paper and posted, there were no citizens present. and within a mere three days, buildings that once Leakey ISD Trustees adopted the budget for the 2014stood on the Leakey ISD campus are now rubble. The 2015 year. They took no action on approval of the tax demolition crew had bid the job to take up to two weeks rate ordinance pending further public notification. but as you can see it is moving along quite nicely. Once Dr. Skipper provided a status update and requested the demolition has been completed and the entire approval for invoice for the gym A/C project. Though mound of rubble has been disbursed and removed from the Leakey ISD campus, the site work will begin. Leakey ISD Trustee Alberto Gonzales questioned the downtime between the bid process. Johnston replied that the bid process would go out at the correct interval, but they have no way of determining how long or how quickly one contractor FIRST DAY OF DEMO will complete their
Bernhards still take pride in meat processing T h e S p i r i t o f ‘ 4 5 business ............................ Page 7
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:90° Low: 70°
Thomas Chilton Stoner was born at home in Uvalde on February 20, 1924. Schooling was done in Uvalde and he was a graduate of the class of ‘43. After graduation, he decided to join the Navy and be a sailor, even though all his friends joined the Marines. He also bought a small ranch, paying for it with money earned while in the service. He went to San Diego for basic training and then to Salinas, California where he was sea drafted to go aboard a battleship, the USS Idaho, and headed to the South Pacific. There he spent 30 months and was in 13 engagements and 9 major battles. The USS Idaho shot down 9 kamikazes, 5 of which were down in less than 4 1/2 minutes. A couple of enemy ships were also sunk and the number of submarines they sunk is unknown. All you saw was an oil slick, he explained. The USS Idaho was in Tokyo Bay on August 14, 1945, when Japan surrendered, and at the signing of surrender on board the USS Missouri. After that, they headed for Norfolk, Virgina. He received his discharge in Houston in January ‘46 and came back to Uvalde. He ranched for a while, then decided to go back to school, attending SWTJC in Uvalde, to obtain a degree in agriculture. From there, he went to Alpine where as a senior, he held a 4.0 average. He obtained not only the
the project has been ongoing for several months, we still have no air-conditioning and the gym. The invoice was for additional materials needed to complete the project. Skipper told the board that she was determined to see this project to its fruition. Following the Principal’s report on the star test results and Leakey ISD enrollment, which as of August 25, the first day of school, stood at 245 students. The Business Manager’s report included the cash flow report, the summary of LISD finances and information electronic bidding. After some discussion though, it was only an information item and not an action item, electronic bidding was deemed unacceptable to the process for Leakey ISD. Dr. Skipper advised the 2014- 2015 budget would be available on their website. With no further business the meeting was adjourned.
THIRD DAY OF DEMO
by Billie Franklin
BS in agriculture, but went for a master’s degree as well, in the biology of range plants. He worked on a survey crew for a while, but at the urging of Dr. Sterling Fly, applied to teach at SWTJC as an ag instructor. He was there for 32 years, ranching at the same time. His is a yours, mine, and ours marriage of 50 years this Christmas, to Shirley Harp, sister to Ben Harp, himself a veteran in the Army Air Corp. (Refer to the April 30, 2014 issue.) Both Chilton and Shirley had lost their first mates, loved to dance, and that is how their relationship grew. He had a daughter, she had a daughter and son, and they had one of each. All five children attended Nueces Canyon ISD. Where the Stoners currently reside, just
past Elephant Mountain in the north west corner of Uvalde County, has been in his family for over 100 years.