SEPTEMBER 2014
Anniversary Special SIGNATURE GENT STYLING SESSION - ONLY $25! (reg. $32)
C a l l t o d a y t o b o o k y o u r e x p e r i e n c e 830.443.4500
BOERNE, TEXAS • 930 E. BLANCO
BOOK ONLINE: WWW.COMPLETEGENT.COM
Most of you won’t know this, but 6 days after opening GENT last September, my younger brother Morgan passed away from cancer. As we close in on GENT’s 1st birthday, I wanted to take the month of September and not only celebrate this anniversary, but also to celebrate my brother. We have established the Morgan Schooley Overcomer’s Scholarship Fund in his honor, and will be sending out more info about the Fund soon. To kickstart this mission, we will be contributing $3 of every service to the Fund throughout the month of September. And, in order to really get GENT rocking this month, every Signature GENT Styling Session will only be $25! (Reg. $32). So come in this month and help us celebrate our 1 year anniversary for GENT throughout September. And raise a toast to my brother. Thanks for a great year,
Benjamin D. Schooley, Owner
Morgan Schooley
SEPTEMBER Explore what's inside this issue!
From the Publisher
8
34 My Town
10 Calendar
38 Spiritual
16 Troubadour
42 Old Timer
20 Art 24 History 28 Songs 30 Gardening
EXPLORE magazine is published by Schooley Media Ventures in Boerne, TX. EXPLORE Magazine and Schooley Media Ventures are not responsible for any inaccuracies, erroneous information, or typographical errors contained in this publication submitted by advertisers. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EXPLORE and/or Schooley Media Ventures. Copyright 2014 Schooley Media Ventures, 930 E. Blanco, Ste. 200, Boerne, TX 78006
Contributing Writers
Marjorie Hagy (History) MARJORIE is a bibliophile, a history nut and an insomniac, among several other conditions, both diagnosed and otherwise. When she's not working tirelessly to avoid getting a real job, she nurses an obsession with her grandson and is involved in passing legislation restricting the wearing of socks with sandals. She is an aspiring pet hoarder who enjoys vicious games of Scrabble, reading Agatha Christie, and sitting around doing nothing while claiming to be thinking deeply. Marjorie has five grown children, a poodle to whom she is inordinately devoted in spite of his breath, and holds an Explore record for never having submitted an article on time. She's been writing for us for five years now.
Kendall D. Aaron (Spiritual)
I’m just a normal guy. I’m not a theology student, I don’t preach in church, and I’ve never written a book. I’m just a normal guy that thinks, and feels, and is on a never-ending journey attempting to be the best person I can be. I fail frequently at this quest, yet each day, the quest continues. I’ve lived in Boerne since the late ‘80s, I’ve got a most beautiful wife, three wonderful children, and just really, really love God. Thanks for going on my spiritual journey with me.
6
Rene Villanueva (Music)
Rene Villanueva is the lead singer/bass player for the band Hacienda. Having toured worldwide, hacienda has also been featured on several late night shows, including Late Show with David Letterman. Rene and his wife Rachel live in Boerne, TX and just welcomed thier first child.
Old Timer (Ramblings)
The Old Timer tells us he's been a resident of Boerne since about 1965. He enjoys telling people what he doesn't like. When not bust'n punks he can be found feeding the ducks just off Main St. or wandering aimlessly in the newly expanded HEB. Despite his rough and sometimes brash persona, Old Timer is really a wise and thoughtful individual. If you can sort through the BS.
Keith Amelung (Gardening)
As a former nursery owner and manager Keith specialized in herbs, natives, roses and aquatic plants. There he discovered heirloom veggies, as a way to offer something unique to his customers. For more than two years, Keith worked for Fertile Garden Supply. During the last year with this company Keith appeared as the in-house “garden-guru” for NBC’s local ‘San Antonio Living’ show. It was Keith’s great pleasure to substitute/ guest-host for Bob Webster on the KTSA Garden Show for nearly ten years. Currently, Keith offers his services under the banner of Have Spade, Will Travel Landscape & Consulting. He enjoys speaking to garden clubs throughout the area on a wide variety of subjects such as organic/chemical-free gardening, deerresistant and native plants, water gardening and of course heirloom vegetables.
Publisher Benjamin D. Schooley ben@hillcountryexplore.com Creative Director Benjamin N. Weber ben.weber@smvtexas.com ADVERTISING SALES 210-507-5250 sales@hillcountryexplore.com
EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
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Custom home in Cordillera Ranch on a secluded cul-de-sac. Features include a pool, 5.23 Acres, and easy access to the golf course and clubs.
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From the Publisher Dearest EXPLORE reader, There was a time that I was broke. No, broke is the wrong word; I was flat out-busted.
things, but I like to think that they hold a different level of importance for me now. If we
I had two young kids, and a respectable little house here in town, but make no mistake,
all went broke at some point in our lives (preferably early on), then we would experience
my bank account was registering in the double digit range most days.
a bare living room with little more than a folding chair to sit on and empty bedrooms
In fact, things got so bad that I started selling most everything that wasn’t bolted to
with sleeping bags on the floor. And you would survive. You really would. And you
the floor in my house. I sold an old piano I had, all of my furniture, electronics, and virtu-
would come away wiser because once the object of your desire is deemed unnecessary
ally every piece of home décor I owned. At the end of all of it, I took a picture of my
for your happiness, it loses its power over you.
then 2 year old son sitting in an old folding chair in my living room watching a 19” tube
A population of people that cherish their freedom and understand that their happi-
tv that was simply sitting in the middle of the floor.
ness is not tied to money. What a beautiful thought, huh? How would our world look?
When I see that picture now, I just smile. At the time, I might have smiled, but I also
How would our community look? Look, I’m no great theologian determined to have you
might have cried. That same son went through his toddler years asleep at the end of my
burn your money in the back yard and move into a treehouse, but I will say brothers and
bed in a playpen because I couldn’t afford a crib. Such crazy times.
sisters, that there is more to life than what we desire. Sometimes we must experience
Now, keep in mind that I didn’t have a lot of money to begin with, but “losing it all”
the uncomfortable to have our eyes opened to the priceless.
to the point that the kids and I (I was a single dad at the time) were left without a couch
I did. No, I didn’t desire that knowledge, but I was given it. Now, it’s little more than
to sit on was pretty humbling. I had all these great plans and ambitions, and yet there I
a memory that gives me a great chuckle, but at the time, it was a real nail-biter of an
sat in my furniture-less living room with two little kids running around and looking to me
experience. And I survived. I still laughed, and I still tucked my kids into bed, and I still
for answers. And I assure you I didn’t have any, other than to liquidate anything of value
rose every day ready to conquer the world. I still….LIVED.
so that we could keep the lights on and the AC purring.
Welcome to September. May you EXPLORE all that this great world has to offer,
During that same time, I remember putting the tent in that bare living room and hav-
and seek the beauty it has in store for you. May you remember that your happiness is
ing “camp-outs”. I remember soccer matches in those empty rooms as “Kids vs Dad”.
defined by you, that your freedom is fleeting, and that the smiles that come from your
We laughed and laughed and fell down and wrestled and somehow I always lost.
heart are the true treasures.
While I might have lost our epic soccer shootouts in the main hall, the more important thing is that we always woke up to a new day. Despite our hardships, there
Smiling,
was always “US”, and slowly but surely as the days, weeks, and months wore on, I was able to get us a bit more stable. At the end (or what I would categorize as the end of that adventure), there was still US. The kids won’t remember a lick of this adventure, and why should they? They had Dad, and a home, and a warm place to sleep, and some toys. They were already pretty “rich”. For dear old Dad, I walked away a little wiser from that time. There are a few things that I think that all people should experience. One is going
ben@hillcountryexplore.com
to jail. Yes, I went to jail once. No, I didn’t do anything incredibly damaging or violent, but yes, I spent the night in Travis County Jail while I was in college. Yes, I absolutely deserved it. Yes, I was a punk kid hell bent on proving to the world that I was smarter than, well, all of you. And that smart mouth landed my ass in a jail for the night. And you know what? I’ve never been back. Want to know why? Easy: Cause I went to jail once, and don’t plan to ever go back. Lose your freedom, my friends, and you’ll desire it more than anything. I think that if most people spent just one night in jail, they would make different decisions with their life and ensure that they never find themselves there again. I did. The second thing is that I think that we should all go broke, at least once. We are a culture so defined by our social status and our account balances, our cars and our home values, our 401ks and our private schools. I would be lying if I said I never think of these
8
EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
Top brands, great prices, and incomparable service. Men’s & Women’s Clothing • Boots • Hats • Saddles & Tack 28765 IH 10W • Boerne, TX 78006 • 830-981-5577 • www.txtacknrags.com
SEPTEMBER
Get out and enjoy the great Texas Hill Country! The most comprehensive events calendar. Send submissions to info@hillcountryexplore.com
September 5 FREDERICKSBURG First Friday Art Walk
Tour fine art galleries offering special events, refreshments and extended viewing hours. www. ffawf.com
September 6 BURNET Summer Music Series Finale
Features music by Aaron Watson. Hours are 7:30–11 p.m. Haley Nelson Park Amphitheater, 301 Garden Trails Drive. www.cityofburnet.com
September 6 CASTROVILLE 170th Birthday Celebration Various locations. www.castroville.com
September 6-28 WIMBERLEY “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”
EmilyAnn Theatre and Gardens www.emilyann.org
September 9-January 4 SAN MARCOS The Making of ‘Gone With the Wind’
This exhibition, drawn from producer David O. Selznick’s archive, reveals surprising new stories about the making of “Gone With the Wind” and illustrates why the film remains influential and controversial 75 years after its release. Harry Ransom Center www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions
September 12 UVALDE Four Square Friday
Enjoy shopping, food, live music and art. Hours are 6–9 p.m. Downtown. www.visituvalde.com
September 12-14 FREDERICKSBURG Fall Planting Days
Features daily lectures and demonstrations by John R. Thomas showing successful and timely wildflower planting techniques. Wildseed Farms www. wildseedfarms.com
September 12-October 5 WIMBERLEY “Young Frankenstein”
This musical parody is based on the 1974 comedy film. Wimberley Playhouse www.wimberleyplayers. org
September 13 BOERNE Moondance Concert Series
Enjoy live music under the stars and oak trees. Cibolo Nature Center, 140 City Park Road. www. cibolo.org
September 13 BOERNE Second Saturday Art and Wine
Hours are 4–8 p.m. Various venues. www.secondsaturdayartandwine.com
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September 13 BURNET Kids’ Day Out
September 20 SAN MARCOS Junior Water Safari
September 13 FREDERICKSBURG Fredericksburg Professional Bull Riders
September 20–21 GRUENE Old Gruene Market Days
Activities include archery, steer-head roping, casting with rod and reel, a fish tank, gemology, face painting and other children’s activities. Hours are 9 a.m.–3 p.m. The Y at Galloway Hammond Recreation Center.
This must-see event features 40 of the PBR’s best riders and some of the crankiest bulls. Gillespie County Fairgrounds www.gillespiefair.com
September 13-14 BOERNE Market Days
Artists, crafters and vendors share their creative wares to the sounds of homegrown Texas musicians. Main Plaza. www.boernemarketdays.com
September 14 GRUENE Gospel Brunch with a Texas Twist Serves awe-inspiring gospel music coupled with a mouth-watering buffet from 10:30 a.m.–noon. Advance tickets recommended. Gruene Hall. www. gruenehall.com
September 18 GRUENE Come and Taste It
Complimentary tastings are offered of a craft beer and three wines from Texas wineries. Hours are 5–8 p.m. Grapevine Texas Wine Bar, 1612 Hunter Road. www.grapevineingruene.com
September 18 MASON Texas Songwriters in the Round
Enjoy live entertainment every third Thursday at 5 p.m. Sandstone Cellars Winery.
September 19-20 BURNET Bulldog Thunder Truck and Tractor Pull
Burnet County Fairgrounds. www.bulldogthunder. com
September 19-21 FREDERICKSBURG Trade Days
Shop with more than 350 vendors in six barns or kick back and enjoy the biergarten and live music. At 355 Sunday Farms Lane. www.fbgtradedays. com
September 20 FREDERICKSBURG Nimitz Foundation Symposium
This two-day symposium features internationally recognized scholars, authors, historians and veterans who share their personal experiences and offer insight into World War II history. Steve W. Shepherd Theater. www.pacificwarmuseum.org
This 16-mile race is a simplified version of the Texas Water Safari race for younger and less experienced canoeists and kayakers. San Marcos City Park. www.texaswatersafari.org/texas-junior-watersafari
Nearly 100 vendors offer uniquely crafted items and packaged Texas foods. Gruene Historic District. www.gruenemarketdays.com
September 21 BOERNE Boerne Concert Band Special Concert
St. John’s Lutheran Church, 315 Rosewood Ave. www.boerneconcertband.org
September 26 COMANCHE Annual Barnie McBee North Central Texas Regional State Championship BBQ Cookoff
Paying 1st through 5th place in all meat categories. Awards to 6th-10th places in meat Grand Championship and Reserve Champion Award Will be announced ComancheChamber.org
September 26-27 KERRVILLE Texas Heritage Music Days
On Friday, enjoy more than 50 performers, demonstrators and musicians, plus living history, storytelling, Western heritage, chuck wagons, teepees and hands-on learning about Texas culture. Includes a free community concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday and the Songwriter’s Workshop from 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday. Schreiner University’s Robbins Lewis Pavilion. www.texasheritagemusic.org
September 27 COMANCHE Comanche County Pow Wow
Come experince fun down at the Comanche County Pow Wow. Many attractions this year including: the moving wall, dancing horses, camels, craft booths,, food and so much more! 10 Am ComancheChamber.org
September 27-28 BURNET Day Out with Thomas
Take a 25-minute ride with a full-size Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hatt, and enjoy stories, music and children’s activities. Burnet Community Center. www.austinsteamtrain.org
September 27-28 JOHNSON CITY Johnson City Market Days
Includes food, artisans and other vendors in the heart of the Texas Wine Country. Memorial Park. www.johnsoncity-texas.com/calendar_of_events/ september.htm
EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
Czech Chefs Return!
Make Your Reservations NOW!! 518 River Road, Boerne, TX • www.littlegretel.com • 830-331-1368
September 2014
www.hillcountryexplore.com
11
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Rehabilitate in Boerne, One Step Closer to Home
Cibolo Creek provides accommodations
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Cibolo Creek stands apart by:
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1440 River Road • Boerne, Texas 78006 • 830.816.5095
C ibolo C reek H ealtH . org
12
EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
Welcome to Boerne
Scan Code With Your Smart Phone
Bluebonnet Realty HOMES FOR SALE
1.) FOR SALE - $550,000 - GREATLY REDUCED Cordillera Home for lucky buyer. Approx. 3761 s.f. of living area on 5.31 ac, 4 bed, 3.5 bath, pool, near clubhouse.
2.) FOR SALE - $219,000 - 4 bed, 2.5 bath, 2553 s.f. of living area, large shady back yard in Bentwood
3.) FOR SALE - $399,900 - 8702 Timberland Trail, immaculate 4 bedroom home in the Woods of Fair Oaks
4.) FOR SALE - $699,000 - Great Potential for this property on Scenic Loop Road behind Mercedes, Toyota and new Nissan dealerships. 3 houses, old smoke house, and storage building on 2.82 acres. Main house has 3000 s.f., and other 2 houses have approx. 1500 s.f. each. Must be shown by appointment only!
HOMES & COMMERCIAL FOR LEASE
5.) FOR LEASE - $1475 - 3 bed, 2 bath restored turn of century home with approx. 1665 s.f. of living area, all new appliances in Comfort, TX
6.) FOR LEASE - $1500 - 3 bed, 2 ba garage, storage, ceramic tile and laminate floors for easy maintenance. Approx. 1500 s.f.
7.) $1750 - 4 bed, 2.5 bath approx. 2600 s.f. of living area, in Boerne Heights
8.) FOR LEASE - $1675 - 3 bed, 2 bath on 1 acre fenced. Approx. 1650 s.f.
MORE HOMES AVAILABLE. CALL FOR LISTINGS.
830-816-2288 • www.boernetexashomes.com
Customized Solutions
From start to finish we want you to be comfortable with your Performance Land Cruisers experience. We can tailor our services to meet the level of input you want. As early as guiding you during the initial purchase of your vehicle, transport, suggestions for customization or conversion options we will be there every step of the way. Your Performance Land Cruiser might be your every day driver, your ranch/utility or your conversation piece vehicle. But rest assured it will continue to perform for years to come and we want you to enjoy your vehicle for whatever purpose you have for it.
Cr eate or Convert
We have the ability to create your vehicle into any road legal (or not) vehicle you have in mind. With our years of experience we can troubleshoot to solve most conversion or customization requests. If you have something special in mind then you have come to the right place. We install & distribute ICON, Rigid Light Industries, ARB, Warn, Rotopax & Auto Meter in addition to our customized parts and solutions. Our personal hobby is hot rods, road racing, hunting & fishing. So feel free to contact us if you share the same interests or visit us on facebook to watch us roll!
Speed Shop
Wether your vehicle is in need of an upgrade or perhaps it’s been sitting in your garage and in need of a complete overhaul or you have one that needs some fine tuning to restore it or turn it into a mega motor machine we have the expertise to create, convert or modify the vehicle of your dreams.
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115 Pleasant Valley - Boerne, Texas 78006
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UPCOMING EVENTS Dr. Bill Nichols,
Classical Realism Artist More Than Beautiful a collection of oil paintings: portraits, still life and nature. Thursday, September 4, 5-7pm Artist’s Reception Exhibit continues through September 27 www.nicholsfineart.com A variety of classes in September and October : watercolor : collage : Standing Firm While Your World is Shaking : Simple Steps to Painting Classical Realism Style Portraits A 6 week class of oil painting instruction September 23 October 28 Instructor: Dr. Bill Nichols & More!
D. Ellis Phelps,
Gallery | Gifts | Classes | Photography | Paintings | Jewelry | Pottery | Fair Trade & Nonprofit Goods and So Much More
Shop, Decorate, Learn and Grow at Intermezzo www.intermezzogallery.com | Find us on facebook at Intermezzo Gallery and Studios
(830) 331-9400 | 119 E. THEISSEN | BOERNE, TX
Artist, Author, Poet the surprising: a collection of paintings in acrylic medium www.dellisphelps.com October 2 - November 1 October 2, 5-7pm Artist’s Reception November 1, 4-6pm Closing with Poetry Reading
6 B I G S C R E E N S | O U T D O O R PAT I O S H U F F L E B O A R D | P O O L TA B L E | D A R T S
M O N D AY - S AT U R D AY 3 P M - 2 A M • S U N D AY 3 - 11 P M BOOK YOUR NEXT HAPPY HOUR/GET TOGETHER WITH US
210.861.0074 1 FM 3551, STE. 100 • BERGHEIM, TX | JUST SOUTH OF 46 & BEHIND THE VALERO
September 2014
www.hillcountryexplore.com
15
By Rene Villanueva
16
EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
I didn’t want to move. I definitely didn’t want to go back to the party. I was alone on the beach, and I mean surrounded by the splendid multitude of nature, only absent of humans.
pulling. So I sat at the shore, dug my heels into the ground and set myself to work. The water was singing. Washing out, hi-hatting in the night, keeping time with the deep bass thud of crashing wave. Striking an old song about the great loneliness in life, and separation. From shore to shore, longing. The laugh came back but this time it came accompanied by a girl.
I’d walked far enough from the neighborhood where I could see the lights
She was dark and thin, and her hair was long, lifting with the wind like the
from windows, but all the talking, smoking, lies and music were overtaken by
way movies wish their California beach girls looked. “What are you doing?” She
the heavy breaths of ocean. So loud and powerful, the wind and wave, yet not
asked.
near as exhausting as talking to the party crowd. Example:
I said I wasn’t sure, but I had pulled so much I wanted to know what was on the other end. She laughed at me.
Apparently there was an underground band in the 90’s and nobody went to their shows. Yet everyone had a story about seeing this band play to literally an empty room. Also, it was repeated to me many times that I had to hear them,
Further down the beach her friends were calling her back to them, but she bent down beside me. “What if it’s supposed to be left alone?” She asked playfully, or maybe she
but I probably couldn’t because the band only made one rare cassette that’s
was serious and her sweet, slightly Spanish accent made it sound gentler, I
nearly impossible to find... but if I could it would be amazing... L.A. voice, “I
don’t know.
mean it was like me and my boyfriend and the bartender... that’s it... gawd can you believe it? They’re just so good...so good. And then we broke up and the ba***** took all my tapes.”
“I’m a little late for that,” I didn’t let her stop me, and kept pulling the rope out of the water, hand over hand.
I’ll admit if I’d passed by the window, having never been inside, I’d probably be envious... I’d probably want to be mingling and drinking and making up sto-
“What if the other side has something you don’t want?”
ries, but not now. Not once I’ve sat on the floor breathing in smoke from vanilla cigarettes, waited for an hour to use the bathroom while people took care of their noses, or drank any that awful metallic punch.
I stopped pulling for a moment and the sounds of droplets falling off the rope, hitting the surface of the water caught my ear. And I looked beside me
So I left.
and the pile of rope coiling by my waist like a monstrous snake much bigger
Oh beautiful ocean. I love the things you say. The stories you tell. Now the
than I thought it was.
party is only filled by distant shadows and I’m safe to take off my shoes and socks. To get close. It felt so good my shirt came off too. “You are what I came for anyway,” I said to the beautiful mouth of the Pacific.
“Or what if the end is right behind the surface, just underneath where it is now, and you could get there with one more pull.”
It’s not hard to understand how it got it’s name. Travel mile after mile of field, desert, mountain. The pain. It must’ve taken a lot of pain to be the first to get here.
Her friends had enough, they were really yelling for her now. I could see their distant shapes walking away.
Then this.
I tightened my grip, dug my heels in deeper, and started pulling again. It was
The moon watching from above like a loving mother. The soft sand pulling in at my feet as if it wants me closer, and the ocean. The great mystery. That perfect embracing vastness. I felt the wind. Pushing hard against my bare
not the end. “Or then again,” she said, “maybe it just goes on and on for miles covering the whole ocean floor with no end.”
chest. And the motion. My world was stillness and motion. The blackness, the space, and me. Listening to the waves come from the dark-beyond, rolling across the sand, over my feet.
“That’s ridiculous,” I said coldly before trying to soften up, “I mean... it has to have an end.”
I fell on my back, spread myself out across the sand, and closed my eyes. Open. The water’s up to my shins, soaking through my jeans. The night was colder and darker than before. The lights from the party were gone. “Had they all left?” I picked myself up, dusted off a layer of wet sand. It wouldn’t be the first time the band went back to the hotel without me, but get-
I think I offended her, cause she stood up to run back to her friends and the night, and the darkness. “You know,” she yelled as she turned back to me, “Don’t be so sure. There are lots of people stuck pulling and pulling, I’ve never seen one find the end.”
ting lost in Spain is another story. There was laughter in the wind, but from whom, I couldn’t say. Maybe people further down the beach. It was too dark. I searched for my clothes along the sand, brushing my fingers around me...
A son of South-Texas, and two of the most beautiful souls I’ll ever know.
can’t find anything. My eyes slowly started adjusting to starlight. I could only
Writer, dreamer, singer of songs, bass player, and professional observer. Toured
see the tops of waves coming in from the oil black waters. And the laugh again
the world with my band of “real-blood-tied” brothers, and friends as Hacienda/
from nobody.
Fast-five. Recorded three albums, written countless songs, played countless
It was like a bump, the end of a rope about as thick as a quarter buried just
shows, including two national tv late-night extravaganzas, festivals, throwdowns,
under my hand. Slowly I began pulling it towards me and it came out of the
parties, and hoot-nights. Lover of books, vinyl, dancing, people who laugh loud,
water. The rope just went on and on and I don’t know why, I just had to keep
walking, vintage craftsmanship, and my home in Boerne.
September 2014
www.hillcountryexplore.com
17
Cordillera Ranch – for those who appreciate the art of Hill Country luxury.
p 46 Verde Point. 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath Tuscan-inspired design. $1,449,000
p 205 Swede Creek . Breathtaking 6 bedroom, 5.5 bath dream home with guest house. $1,999,500
p 602 Rio Cordillera. Classic 5 bedroom, 5 bath, 2 half-bath estate on almost 5 acres . $2,350,000
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September 2014
www.hillcountryexplore.com
19
ART
Nature Lover By Krystal Mathis
“I don’t like nature.” That one offhand remark, offered flippantly by an inner-city Oakland, California native decades ago, changed local artist Cheryl Beck’s outlook on her art. It wasn’t that it influenced her to feel the same; instead it empowered her artistically to show others the beauty of nature through her very own camera lens. This single encounter wasn’t the beginning of her artistic impulse however. Her
swimming, everything. We had no time to rest! We would be at work or taking the kids to their events. We would leave home in the dark and come back in the dark.” And that was just the East Coast! The West Coast, where Cheryl’s serendipitous meeting with the nature-hater happened, was still to come. As they made the move, Cheryl wasn’t too impressed at first. Southern California didn’t fit with this nature
creative spark was with her from birth, and started to blossom under the tutelage of
girl’s vibe. “Southern California was difficult. The people didn’t seem ‘real.’ The
her grandmother in her hometown in Michigan. Cheryl says, “My grandmother was
traffic was horrible; you couldn’t go anywhere on the freeway. What I discovered was
an artist: an oil painter. She painted murals and also gave art lessons. I wanted to
that you have to have clouds to have a pretty sunset. Since there’s never a cloud in
be just like her! And Grandma said if you want to be an artist, you have to observe
California, you can’t have a pretty sunset.”
everything. So that’s what I learned to do.” While 60-year-old Cheryl may have mastered the subtle art of observation early on,
“Eventually,” Cheryl says, “We moved from So. Cal. to No. Cal., and that’s when I got into photography somewhat. At that time, our son was in Colorado, our daugh-
her path to being a professional artist was a little rockier. She explains, “I loved art
ter was in the Army, and we could settle down a bit. We bought a house with an
class in high school. I did quite a bit of drawing and really enjoyed it. I thought I was
amazing yard. I loved my yard…” Cheryl says wistfully.
pretty good at it. My uncles were photographers, but I decided after seeing all those dials and buttons on the cameras that I couldn’t do it. It seemed too complicated.” Also complicated: the business of living! Before she could really explore her interest in art, Cheryl was busy with having children and working hard to help support her family. She met her husband, Tom, at work. “We met 35 years ago. We both
“Our backyard had a flagstone porch with a wood deck with a spa and even a white picket fence. I started to use my creative skills on the yard. I grew lavender and made things for people. I’d grow grape vines to make wreaths, lavender and chamomile to make eye pillows, it was all great fun.” “It was so much easier to grow a beautiful yard in California! It was just gorgeous.
worked in a factory in Michigan, making oil seals for planes, trains, and automobiles.
You could walk on the grass barefoot” – an unthinkable activity for those used to
He worked the night shift and I worked the day shift. I thought he seemed like a
battling the Hill Country’s notorious “sticker burr” plants! But Cheryl’s yard wasn’t
pretty cool guy. So I changed my job and started working the night shift just to meet
the best thing about California. She started to learn more about photography
him! As it turned out, my plan worked,” Cheryl says with a laugh.
through her next door neighbor. “He loved photography and was really good. He
After Cheryl and Tom got married, they began their family and their joint work in
had all these beautiful pictures on his wall, and I was so jealous. He would travel
pest control, eventually leading to owning their own pest control business. Starting
all over the world. Every now and then on his travels overseas he’d take pictures of
off in Arizona, then moving around the East and West Coast, kids in tow, was very
camels and stuff and send them to me. It was really inspiring.”
stressful. “Art had to take a back seat during that time. We moved around a lot, and
Cheryl was so inspired that she decided to take her own photographs. On a trip
sometimes we would just pack up ourselves and the kids and we didn’t even know
to Glacier National Park, she had taken many pictures of the beautiful nature scenes
where we were moving to!”
she observed. “Basically, that whole trip I would walk and take pictures. Then one
Cheryl and Tom were also very devoted parents. Cheryl says, “The kids were very involved in sports, and very athletic. They did cheerleading, football, wrestling,
20
year they were having a juried art show for the Dixon-May Fair, and I thought, ‘Let’s try this out for real.’ I entered 5 of them, and one actually took second place in the
EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
“That first year after I completed the course, I just delved into every art show I could. I met every artist I could meet. During that time, I met David Frank with Boerne Spotlight, and ended up working with him to photograph events. As it turns out, I love photographing events. With Boerne Spotlight and Hill Country Spotlight, I help cover quite a few events. We did Dickens on Main last year, and a lot of events throughout the area.” For naturally shy Cheryl, event photography does have some additional benefits. “It‘s fun because I can be bolder behind the camera. I can be outgoing but mostly am really kind of shy. So before photography I never wanted to draw attention to myself. I’m always conscious of doing something I shouldn’t be! I covered Luminaria [an art event in San Antonio] one year, and there was a line to get in to one of the installations. I used my press pass to bypass the line and come right up to the door and they let me in! So that’s definitely a fun part in of all that.” One experience in particular helped Cheryl really narrow her preferred artistic subject. “I was juried in to a show with the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm called Art & Conservation.” Art & Conservation is a project that pairs landowners with artists after a jurying process, allowing the artists to capture the beauty of Texas private lands. The artists’ creations are then exhibited in a gallery showing. Cheryl says, “Being in Art & Conservation has led to some ‘ins’ with some ranches. What I really want to do is ranches, to find that special spot on someone’s property and pass it through the generations.” Art & Conservation is a biennial project, and Cheryl was juried in again this season. Which is great for Cheryl since she says that “Art & Conservation is really exactly what I want to be doing. When I’m out in nature, I’m calmer, in my zone. When I’m doing an event, my adrenaline is pumping, and I’m looking for the right shot because it’s gone if you miss the moment.” One thing that Cheryl has learned is that it’s important that artists “allow themselves to be weird. I was weird in school and I hated it, but now as an adult, I’m so happy I’m weird. You can kill it if you live in that proverbial box. My motto now is be as weird as you want.” Cheryl has taken her artistic love and has made a name for herself in the community and even has a viable business. Cheryl says that in order to be successful, “it’s not all about creativity. There’s also the business side. Yes, there’s artistic ability and determination, but you have to be sure to spend your money in the right place too. Of course, the education part is also really important. Ideally, do that part before you start spending money!” Cheryl also says that to be a nature photographer, one has to be willing to do whatever it takes to get the best shot. “You have to be willing to go out in bad weather or at night, because often that’s the best shot. You have to be willing to climb mountains, fall down mountains, land in ant hills, and definitely love nature. You have to have a real passion. Because only then are you willing to do whatever it takes.” Sometimes “whatever it takes” includes networking and volunteer work. “Volunteer work is important in promoting my business, me as a person, and my reputation. I have volunteered with Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia, also with the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm, and other parks in the area. It helps because then people know me and know I’m serious about nature.” Cheryl is so serious about capturing nature’s true beauty that she doesn’t manipulate her surroundings to find the perfect picture. “I never stage the scene for a nature picture. In my view, you’re supposed to leave it the way God has it. And a lot of that is in the same vein as my conservation goals. That’s the beauty I want to
I love the idea of finding something that people don’t really see the beauty in, and then I find a way to show the beauty of it.
show people to preserve and protect. So I rarely mess with it. I like it to be the way it was.” Cheryl is pleased with all that she’s accomplished. Now she serves on the Board of the Hill Country Council for the Arts as Secretary. She says, “I’m glad that I can be a part of what goes on in the art world in Boerne. I’m part of promoting art and getting the word out.“ She has been a part of getting the word out as well through her photography group, “Boerne Outdoor Photographers,” and via organizing and leading Boerne’s participation in the annual “Worldwide Photo Walk.” She has been
nature division. I was really thrilled about that! I talked to the judge, and he said that
a part of many art shows and has had her own work displayed in local galleries. It’s
if I had entered something bigger than the 5x7 I had printed, I might have taken
been quite a journey, but Cheryl now feels that she is expressing herself as an artist
first. So it was definitely a learning experience, and very encouraging.”
and furthering her goals as a conservationist and teacher.
“Shortly after that, we moved here. And I just absolutely fell in love with the land-
Artists often say that finding their artistic impulse is like finding their true calling.
scape. To a lot of people it’s just sticks and stones, but I love the rocks. I love the
Cheryl feels the same, but is unusual in that her true calling has been found later
idea of finding something that people don’t really see the beauty in, and then I find
in life. “I feel lucky because I spent my whole life stressed and praying for God to
a way to show the beauty of it. I’m kind of a teacher, I guess. I want to teach people
tell me what it is I’m here for. Just trying to find out what it is I’m supposed to be
what’s out there and show them the beauty. Being in the Hill Country, I just love get-
doing. I knew that I wanted to do something to better this earth, and that I wanted
ting out there and seeing everything there is. There’s so much!”
to use my God-given abilities to do it. When that light bulb went off in my head that
During this time, Cheryl describes what she was doing as “Just taking pictures of
I should be a photographer, it was also a bigger resolution in my journey of find-
everything for fun.” But she decided to get more serious after coming into a small
ing my purpose. I now have peace in my heart because I know I’m doing what God
inheritance. She describes the scene: “I was out on the porch one morning brain-
wants me to be doing – sharing the beauty of nature with others.”
storming on how I should spend the money, and it was like a light bulb going off. All of a sudden I was like, ‘I’m going to be a photographer.’”
You can learn more about Cheryl’s work through her website cjbdigitalimaging. zenfolio.com.
“I knew I had to buy a good camera and some lenses. I didn’t know what I was doing, so I spent money on things I didn’t know I shouldn’t have. That’s when I realized I needed to take a photography course.” Cheryl signed on with the New York School of Photography and completed a correspondence course that she says taught her a lot. “I learned a lot, but of course there’s always something more to learn. Now I think I learn a lot just by getting out and doing stuff in the Hill Country.”
September 2014
www.hillcountryexplore.com
21
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HISTORY
By Marjorie Hagy
24
EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
It has come to my attention that many people who nowadays call Boerne home are woefully uninformed about the history of this wonderful little town.
these hunting and gathering people had lived around here, at least seasonally, for some ten thousand years or more, before the place was ever “discovered” by Europeans. Back in Europe, in the end days of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany was in a real pickle. It seemed like every other block was an independent city-state, or a duchy or princedom or some such thing. All of them had their own separate armies, sovereigns and currencies, and they all owed money out the wazoo for having waged the seemingly never-ending Napoleonic Wars. All of the monarchs
As far as they are concerned, Boerne, Texas sprang into being around the
of all of the little independent kingdoms were looking to pay off those debts,
year 1992, dreamed up by the same mind that conceived the Wild West village
not by cutting back on the size of the gold buckles for their shoes or strudel in
at Fiesta Texas, in collaboration with whoever thought Dickens on Main was a
the castle, but by squeezing their hapless subjects for every last dime they could
good idea. Their confusion and befuddlement further augmented by the bizarrely
wring out of them, and the hapless subjects were sick of it.
random statue of Wild Bill Hickok, who never visited and almost certainly never
It wasn’t long after, that the American and French Revolutions proved that
even heard of Boerne, perched incongruously on a park bench in front of our own
oppressed people could break away from their oppressors. Folks began to think
Main Plaza. It’s enough to addle anybody, and certainly shocks and horrifies this
about what it might be like if they broke away from Germany and tried life on
history writer. Even more mortifying to the soul of this old history nerd, though, is
their own terms somewhere else, somewhere far away. A few folks managed to
the amount of balderdash purporting to be the real history of Boerne! Have you
do just that, and leave their lives of servitude to the ruling monarch. They’d gone
seen this stuff?! Half-truths, confused fairy tales and old urban legends, wrapped
up to Texas, where they wrote letters to their friends back home, describing the
in exaggeration and cloaked in a mantle of silliness! Bosh and folderol! Unadulter-
millions and millions of acres there just for the asking. They described lives free
ated pish-posh! It occurs to me that newcomers to Our Fair Village have done
from the intrusive authority; a place where a man could have his own place, prove
their homework, as per the cost of living around here (ridiculous) and where the
his own worth, and raise his own family and his own crops with nothing holding
school district ranks and all of that stuff, but they’ve left themselves completely
him back but the limits he put on himself. These letters were passed from hand
uninformed about the equally (if not more) important topic of how this place
to hand and read secretly by candlelight. Neighbors whispered of the things the
came to be in the first place. This is a shocking state of affairs that shall not be
letters promised, of leaving behind life in the Old World to stake everything on
allowed to continue- not on my watch. Never fear, latecomer to our soil. This his-
the chance of a new, free life in a new country. And secretly they made their plans
tory writer will not allow you to blunder into the mistaken assumption that Ludwig
and booked their voyages. Villages in Germany began to empty out.
Von Borne actually lived here in the town named after him, nor will you ever again
It wasn’t only the peasants and the artisan class who were getting into this
commit the social faux pas of pronouncing the “Berges” of Berges Fest with a
whole Texas thing, either. The noblemen - the second and third sons of the
soft G (and if you’ve lived here all your life and do that, shame on you). In this
upper crust, men of birth and means - could see for themselves the discontent
issue of Explore, I present to you a trimmed-down version of the whole history of
fomenting their country. They had all kinds of ideas about how a new country in
our town. I give you, then, a Short History of Boerne.
an all new world could be run, and how Germany could expand her borders and
To begin, we take a look at the lush and verdant Cibolo Valley; this lovely, roll-
plant a new colony in this place called Texas. In the spring of 1842, twenty one of
ing hill country, rich in forest, river and game. Before Ludwig Von Borne was even
these young men, dreamers bitten by this Texas enchantment, met up to estab-
a twinkle in the eye of Herr Von Borne, who wasn’t a real person because Ludwig
lish an emigration company, which they called the Verein Zum Schutze deutscher
started out life as Lob Baruch. Ok, so before old Herr Baruch ever smiled upon
Einwanderer, in Texas. That is, the Society for the Protection of German Immi-
the lovely young Frauline Whoever-She-Was, for generation upon generation,
grants in Texas, more commonly called the Adelsverein. Their purpose was to es-
and maybe for millennia, the site upon which Boerne would someday be founded
tablish a German colony in Texas by way of mass emigration, but the organization
was known and loved and occasionally inhabited by scores of aboriginal Ameri-
was plagued by trouble from the beginning. Mismanagement and financial woes,
cans, mainly Lipan Apache, Comanche and Kiowa Indians. Evidence suggests that
expired contracts, broken promises and men who were thinkers and dreamers,
September 2014
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25
town of Boerne was built around the Schertz home,” the largest home in town. The folks called it “the mansion” and retreated to it during times of Indian trouble, all the townspeople sheltering together inside the cabin. The mansion was where the first white child born in Boerne was delivered, one Miss Mary Becker, who grew up to run the Becker House Hotel on the same site. Next door was the old cabin which she lovingly preserved for years until it pretty much fell down by itself during WWI. George W Kendall, journalist and founder of the New Orleans Picayune and war correspondent of the Mexican American War, bought a ranch near Boerne in 1853 and moved his flock of merino sheep here. Everyone went wild for sheep, and when the State of Texas formed a new county from parts of Bexar in 1862 (Kerr and Comal Counties), they named it after George Kendall, and Boerne became the county seat. In 1867, Kendall was also instrumental in building St Peter’s Catholic Church, the stricture against building a church in town long since forgotten. It was in 1867, on Priest Father Fleury’s watch, as opposed to planners and businessmen. All of these
lawyers and dreamers, but short on laborers, farmers and
things doomed the Society of Noblemen from the begin-
mechanics. It turns out that some of them may have had
ning. They began shipping German immigrants to Texas,
their fingers crossed when they were saying all that stuff
but agreements and contracts had broken down or were
about sharing everything equally.
never finalized on Texas’ end. The new arrivals were left
Today, no physical trace of Bettina can be found on
without food or shelter once they arrived at their landing
the banks of the Llano and I know, because I looked. But
place, Indianola, on the Texas coast. Maybe even more
even so, I liked standing there looking out over the river
critical, war between the US and Mexico had broken out
and thinking of all those people taking such a giant leap
by the time the German ex-pats arrived. So the wagons,
of faith, just heaving their regular lives out of the way
horses, and oxen they had arranged to carry them inland
and taking this enormous chance. Coming all the way
to the Hill Country were confiscated by the Army, leaving
across the world in order to try what they thought would
all those people stranded in the over-crowded, unpre-
work, but which everyone else surely told them would
pared, filthy port town, where they began to die by the
never work. Well, anyway, Bettina as a commune in Texas
dozens before they could find their own way northward.
doesn’t exist, but just because that experiment didn’t
In the five years they stayed afloat, The Adelsverein
work, didn’t mean those dreams were dead or that the
managed to found two towns which are going concerns,
dreamers threw up their hands and gave up on every-
even now: Fredericksburg and New Braunfels. The third,
thing. I don’t know what all of those dudes did after Bet-
Bettina, lasted barely a year, but that would lead to some-
tina, but at least five of them weren’t finished with Texas
thing bigger for us, we citizens of Boerne.
yet, and they went on home to Germany to think about it
There were men in Germany who were thinkers and
some more. They went back to the old drawing board to
dreamers, intellectuals who conversed in Latin, liberals
see if they could improve their plan at all.
and abolitionists who were educated, intelligent, and
Evidently, they felt they could improve, and that anoth-
even brilliant. They discussed, in Latin - which at the time,
er Latin colony in Texas was feasible. In 1849, eight men
was a sign of their higher learning – philosophy, litera-
who had been with the Darmstadt Forty in the establish-
ture, music, ideas, the nature of man, and of creating the
ment of the socialist settlement, Bettina, arrived back in
perfect society and what form that society would take.
Texas. This time they chose a campsite on the north side
These Lateiners (Latin ones) speculated that it might take
of the Cibolo Creek in what would, years later, become
the form of socialism, or a communistic society, one in
Kendall County. These men were Rudolph Carstan-
which all the work and all of the possessions and mate-
jen, Christian Flach, Wilhelm Friedrich, J. Kuchler, Fritz
rial would be shared equally. In 1847, a group of forty
Kramer, Leopold Schultz, Adam Vogt and Phillip Zoeller.
people, called the Darmstadt Die Vierziger, or Society of
It is said that when they saw the morning sun shining
Forty, gathered for the intention of establishing just such
on the crystal-clear water of the Cibolo Creek, they de-
a socialist colony in Texas. In fact, five of these communi-
cided that this would be the site of their new town. They
ties were eventually established here in Texas. Latin, so-
still believed in the perfect society, in the brotherhood
cialistic, and experimental settlements founded by highly
of man, in the utopian ideal of basic human rights to
learned, educated men in the Hill Country.
everyone. They also believed strongly in the freedom to
Among the leaders of the new colony called Bettina
think and believe as one chose, and as Freethinkers, they
was one Ferdinand von Herff, a distinguished doctor and
originally banned churches within their community. This
student of politics who was a co-founder of the Socialistic
was a new socialist community, a new Latin settlement,
Colony and Society, which originally planned to estab-
where enlightened, educated men would discuss philoso-
lish socialist communes in Wisconsin. Instead, von Herff
phy, ideas, and the classics. And so they named their new
and his two co-founders arranged with the Adelsverein
town Tusculum, after Cicero’s summer home. In 1852,
to plant their colony on Adelsverein land in Texas. They
John James and Gustav Theissen laid out the plans for a
named the village Bettina after a social activist and friend,
new town a mile west of the village of Tusculum, with a
and chose a location on the Llano River, northwest of
main street and a plaza. People began to really show up
Boerne. It was in Bettina, under an oak tree on the banks
to the new town, and soon they changed the name to
of the river, that Dr. von Herff successfully performed sur-
Boerne, in honor of a Jewish German author and political
gery to remove a cataract from the eye of a local Indian
activist, and Tusculum was swallowed up and forgotten.
chief - an almost unheard-of undertaking at the time.
The little town of Boerne grew slowly - there were still
The people of the Bettina colony managed, in its year
only ten houses in 1859, ten years after the Boerne Eight
of existence, to erect a few buildings and bring in one
first settled at Tusculum. The principal house in town
crop of corn before the whole thing went bust, and they
was located at the corner of what’s now Main Street and
all went back to Germany. The problem seems to have
Rosewood, a cabin built by John Schertz and his wife,
been that the Darmstadt Forty was long on philosophers,
the former Miss Secunda Ruede. It was said that, “the
26
that townsmen quarried the limestone for the church from Kendall’s Post Oak Ranch, and towed it to town to build the little church building, which still stands in the shadow of the great big new sanctuary. If you Google Boerne right now, the first thing that probably comes up is the Supreme Court ruling on Boerne vs. St Peter’s that’s another bit of history right there. And Dr. Ferdinand von Herff, of Bettina? He didn’t melt back into Germany after that whole venture went bust, you know. Oh no, he only went back long enough to marry his old sweetheart, Mathilde Klingelhoeffer, and to put in a little more time with the Hesse army, and was back in the States by 1849. He dropped the ‘von’ from his name, became a US citizen, and settled in San Antonio, where he helped the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word establish Santa Rosa Hospital, San Antonio’s first. He did, however, retain ties to his beloved Latin settlements, and bought quite a bit of land near Boerne, that today has become the campus of Boerne High School, the Cibolo Nature Center, City Park, the Kendall County Fairgrounds, the campus of Champion High School, and more. It really was quite a bit of land. In the early 1860s, when Tuberculosis was busy being the leading cause of death in the United States, Dr. Herff treated patients whether they had money or not, true to his socialist leanings, and began referring his lung patients to the fresh mountain air of Boerne. They would either get better or die easier of breath, and the reputation of Boerne as a health resort exploded. People from all over the country flocked to town to breathe the pure mountain air. Everybody in town opened their doors to boarders, there were hotels on every corner, and sanitariums popped up all over the place. Then the railroad came to town in 1887. This, my friends and fellow Boerne-ites, is just a taste, a mere fraction of the great and colorful, endlessly fascinating, amazing history of this little village in the Hill Country that you’ve chosen as your home. If you’d like, you may procure several copies of this issue and hand it out to those unfortunate souls who may not know how interesting and unique of a place this is. So they may better understand our history and what makes us who we are. They still won’t know what Wild Bill Hickok has to do with anything, but they’ll have Boerne figured out.
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Kendall Woods Dental September 2014 www.hillcountryexplore.com
27
Usually, when songs get stuck in your head, all you can think about is how to end the misery of having It’s A Small World playing over and over and over. There are some songs though that we can put on repeat and listen to all day long. We all have our favorites that, no matter how often we hear them, we always turn up the volume and sing along. The staff here at EXPLORE thought we’d share some of the songs that get us moving. Hopefully you’ll enjoy them too. Unless you don’t. And if that’s the case we hope they stay in your head ALL DAY LONG!
Josh Garrels – Farther Along I’ve had this song on repeat lately, and simply can’t stop listening to it. A Christian song, it’s one of the more beautiful songs I’ve heard lately lyrically. With lines like “Tempted and tried, I wondered why, the good man dies, the bad man thrives, and Jesus cries because He loves them both, we’re all castaways in need of rope…”, this song will leave you transfixed. www.joshgarrels.com Ryan Bingham – Hallelujah We interviewed Ryan for EXPLORE back in 2011, which was right before the guy exploded on the scene. In his early 30’s, he sounds like he has traveled every road he sings about. “Hallelujah” is a haunting song that brings entire dance halls to a quiet hush. If you haven’t experienced Bingham, stop what you’re doing and look him up. NOW. www.binghammusic.com
Sound Garden - Spoonman No song transports me back to high school like Chris Cornell screaming out “SPOONMAN!” I remember being in art class (stop laughing) and the teacher would put Sound Garden into the CD player (again, stop laughing) and all would be right with the universe.
NEEDTOBREATHE – Difference Maker This band has been doing it the old fashioned way – touring their asses off and putting out solid music. Now, with a substantial fanbase, they are one of the hotter bands you might never have heard of. Difference Maker is a song that you’ll relate to, even if you’re not sure why. Favorite line: If you’re beating death, then raise your hand, but just shut up if you’re not. www.needtobreathe.net 30 Seconds to Mars - Kings & Queens It’s difficult to find the words to begin how cool I think this song is. It starts big and strong and stays that way through pretty much the entire song. And it’s long. The radio version you might hear is only a few minutes long. But the full version is a good 5-6 minutes long. Which is awesome because all too often you’ll be rocking out with a song and it’ll end 2 minutes later. Another reason I can listen to this one song all day long is because the music video is a huge mass of people dressed in crazy fun costumes riding their bikes through a city at night. It’s a lot like the Boerne Slow Ride, but with less beer and more rock music.
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Jace Everett - No Place to Hide This is apparently the theme song to the popular HBO or Showtime or whatever premium cable channel I refuse to pay for, True Blood. I first heard it on Pandora and it was difficult to find a decent version that I could play on repeat. In interviews Jace says he wrote it for a movie that was never made. Which is kind of an interesting tidbit of into. This is an extremely haunting song. A slow, steady rhythm that gets my head bobbing no matter how many times I play it.
Chevelle - Envy and Clones I can’t choose between these two. Chevelle is probably my favorite band and they actually started out as a Christian band. Both songs are classic Chevelle with hard driving guitar and erie vocals. I often play this entire album over and over when I need to get a lot of work done. These two songs in particular are simply toe tapping, head bobbing, cool sounding songs.
The Wailin’ Jennys - Long Time Traveller I don’t think I’ve ever heard a song by these ladies I didn’t like. They’re very low key and acoustic. This song in particular makes me think of my dad. I actually introduced him to this group about a year before he died and he absolutely loved their sound. Long Time Traveller’s sound is very dark (I really don’t know why I like “dark” sounding songs) and the lyrics make me think of my dad towards the twilight of his time with us. It’s hard to listen to for me, but I still love it.
EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
EXPLORE
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10. Generations FCU 24165 W IH 10 #300 San Antonio, TX 78256 210-229-1128 www.mygenfcu.com 11. GENT 930 E. Blanco, Boerne, TX 78006 830-443-4500 www.completegent.com
17. JR Mooney Galleries 305 S. Main St., #400, Boerne, TX 78006 830-816-5106 www.jrmooneygalleries.com 18. Mama’s 30775 IH 10 WEST, Boerne, TX 78006 830-981-9011 www.mamasboerne.com 19. Mellard Dentistry 24200 Interstate Highway 10 #112, San Antonio, TX 78257 210-687-1133 www.leonspringsdentist.com 20. KCN Builders 920 East Blanco Rd., Boerne, TX 78006 830-816-5202 www.kcnbuilders.com 21. Lillian’s of Boerne 107 E San Antonio Ave, Boerne, TX 78006 830-446-2182 www.lilliansshoppe.com
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22. Little Gretel 518 River Rd., Boerne, TX 78006 830-331-1368 www.littlegretel.com
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23. Performance Speed Shop 115 Pleasant Valley, Boerne, TX 78006 830-623-0530 www.pcass-tx.com 24. Phyllis Browning 24200 IH10W, San Antonio, TX 78257 210-698-4700 www.phyllisbrowning.com
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9. Gary Wolff 24200 IH10W, San Antonio, TX 78257 210-643-3165 www.phyllisbrowning.com
16. Hill Country Paddle Sports Boerne City Lake 210-842-4057 www.hillcountrypaddlesports.com
To Leon Springs, Fair Oaks Ranch & San Antonio 6, 9, 10, 19, 24
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7. Dr. Chet Hawkins 806 N Main St., Boerne, TX 78006 830-249-7870
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13. Hearts’ Home Acoustics 109 Oak Park Dr., Boerne, TX 78006 830-331-9840 www.heartshomeacoustics.com 14. Hill Country Arts Foundation 120 Point Theater Rd, Ingram, TX 78025 830-367-5121 www.hcaf.com
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Menger Springs
1. Boot Jack Bar 1 FM 3551, Ste. 100, Bergheim, TX 78004 210-861-0074 www.bootjackbar.com
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25. RANDOM 11 Upper Cibolo Creek Rd. Boerne, Texas 78006 210-724-6921 www.randomtexas.com
28. Texas Ranches For Sale & Lonestar Properties 222 South Main St., Boerne, Texas 78006 830-249-9339 www.texasranchesforsale.com
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26. Riverbed Concrete 39390 W IH-10 Suite C, Boerne, TX 78006 830-981-2210 www.riverbedconcrete.com 27. Texas Investors Title 101 S Main St., #C, Boerne, TX 78006 830-816-5888 www.texasinvestorstitle.com
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29. Toyota of Boerne 31205 I-10 W, Boerne, TX 78006 210-870-1800 www.toyotaofboerne.com 30. Woodhouse Day Spa 908 S. Main St., Boerne, TX 78006 830-331-8511 boerne.woodhousespas.com
s i n m u t Au . . . s u n o p ! d u a e h a k r o w Serious
GARDENING
By Keith Amelung • Have Spade, Will Travel www.havespade.com
see a two year old ‘Scotch Broom’. These are the epitome of an ‘impulse purchase’. Now don’t get me wrong, I have no issues with folks spending whatever they want on disposable items ... like drive through coffee... I just believe the customer should be informed. “The majority of people don’t want to plan. They want to be free of the responsibility of planning. ... The rest is a day-to-day enjoyment of life. “ ― B.F. Skinner, Walden Two There is simply no substitute for a good plan. There are many good folks out there who offer landscape design services and the money spent on their input is usually invalu-
Truthfully it is hard to get in the right frame of mind to write this article while the
able. Find someone you trust – ask for recommendations, not just pictures. It can take a
temperature outside my window is over 100, so I’ve cranked up the AC and carved a
few years for a garden to develop and look awesome; likewise a landscape can fall apart
pumpkin (actually a watermelon) into a jack-o-lantern in hopes of inspiration. We are only
in a month if it isn’t cared for once the crew wraps up. Choose a landscaper who you want
a few weeks away from the high temperature being below 90, and the mornings holding
to move in and pitch up a tent... for me, once you let me in, your yard is now mine and
consistently in the 60’s. This is a great time for gardeners here in the Hill Country. Long
you are the caretaker of the art I have created. You better believe I’m going to check up
term residents know that our fall gardens can be far and away more vibrant and colorful
and make sure you are honoring my work! But like I said, I am but one of many out there...
than the best of any springtime – not so many wildflowers though - but our perennials can
So let’s recap. Fall is the best time to do serious landscape work. Develop a plan;
be breathtaking. All we need is rain... and a little fertilizer J
hire help with this if you aren’t sure about things like irrigation, drainage, shade tolerance
I know I have said this a time or two, and will probably repeat myself every other
etc...Don’t feel like you have to do everything at once; Plant large trees and shrubs now,
month... but I believe it bares repeating... It is my humble opinion that our garden calen-
expand flagstone or mulch pathways during winter and plant your perennial color in the
dar starts September 1st, and ends in July. We typically don’t have bitterly cold winters
spring... as an old friend use to say “Eat the elephant one bite at a time”.
(last year being an exception to prove the rule) but we can count on a brutally hot summer. Any good landscape or nursery professional will echo that fall (autumn for you re-
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” - B. Franklin
cently transplanted yanks) is the best time to plant. I’ll expand this to ‘Fall is the best time to do serious landscape work”. Let’s take a few minutes to discuss this, shall we.
No, I didn’t forget! September is definitely Veggie season, our ‘Second Spring’ if you
As I just mentioned, our summertime temperatures and lack of rain are far more
will... Plant bush beans, squash, and cucumbers in September; also start adding your
stressful on plants than our typical winter weather patterns. Trees and shrubs fair far bet-
fall veggie transplants like broccoli, cabbage, kale and lettuce. Come by the Herff Farm
ter when planted in the fall and allowed to develop deep strong roots before the heat
Farmer’s Market Saturday mornings... I’d love to see you!
of summer grabs hold. Evergreens trees like Live Oaks and Arizona Cypress along with shrubs such as Yaupon Holly, Chinese Fringe Flower and Evergreen Sumac all sport year-
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone
round foliage which generates energy to feed roots that grow all winter long. Even the
planted a tree a long time ago.”
deciduous trees and shrubs (the necked ones) expand their root zones during the winter
- W. Buffet
months. Mulching all new plantings is always beneficial, to the point of being ‘gardening law’. Add proper watering of course, which is far more lenient without the suns 100 degree blowtorch stressing you for weeks on end! Even perennial flowers establish well if they can grow for a month two before the first hard frost. One of the first flowers I planted when moving to Boerne, Mexican Bush Sage, was purchased from a local nursery in January. When I asked the proprietor if they had any available I was met with a quizzical look “Well, they have all frozen back... the pots are stacked up back behind the greenhouse... I guess I can sell them to you if you want?”... I bought six. And, you guessed it, no discount! These dormant root balls were planted the next afternoon, temperatures in the 60’s. That spring five of the six emerged, by fall they were stunning, growing over five feet tall and six feet across. So that’s why I always have to pause when folks ask “is it too late to plant perennial flowers?” Think about it this way... that same plant is going to be sitting outside all winter long with nothing to insulate its tender little roots from the freezing temperatures but a thin layer of black plastic. Trust me when I say this little plant would be much happier planted in the soil with a nice warm layer of mulch to keep it snuggled in over the winter... Now that I have planted the seeds of ‘fall planting’ lets discuss the topic which is dearest to my heart – Planning. I am blessed to have chosen a profession which brings me into contact with so many wonderful folks. I often hear how they have spent countless monies on impulse decisions at their favorite plant-getting-place, only to be constantly vexed. Basically wasting money time and again trying to guess what might work in that shady spot or where to plant these beautiful gardenias??? Let me offer an example; for more springs than I can count many retailers have offered a beautiful yellow flower called a ‘Scotch Broom’. It is labeled as a perennial, and demands a fairly hefty price... grant you it is very pretty. I’ve seen many ‘Scotch Brooms’ in peoples shopping carts and even chatted with a lady I noticed planting several in her front yard. Here we are, for almost ten years these plants have been sold - by the thousands in this area... and I have yet to
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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
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DROP BY TO MEET THE BUSINESSES THAT KEEP BOERNE HEALTHY & BEAUTIFUL! EXPERIENCE WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!
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Dr. Novak’s Health & Wellness
Featuring Music by:
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September 2014
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$10.00 OFF no online ordering, in-store use only, minimum purchase $50.00
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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
How long have you been in Boerne? Brian was born and raised in Acapulco, Mexico, and grew up surfing and spending time on his family’s ranch. He moved to SA in 6th grade and attended Hobby Middle School. I moved from Albuquerque, New Mexico to San Antonio in 4th grade and attended Boone Elementary and Rudder Middle School. We both graduated from Clark High School. We’ve spent most of our lives on the north side of SA, and have had ties to the Fair Oaks and Boerne communities for quite some time. We’ve always felt like “unofficial” residents and knew that we eventually wanted to move here. We oficially moved to Boerne about a year ago with our 2 girls, and live right in the heart of downtown. We ride our bikes or walk up to Main St. together almost daily. You may have seen us riding the trikes around at some point.
joined the chamber with Lisa, and have enjoyed the benefits of being a member. Other business owners in this community have given so much love and support that I have never felt any resistance to the idea of a shabby little tour bus. One Love Bike Rentals has been a little more difficult to get up and running. We’ve had a little resistance from the city about starting a bike rental business, and some feel that Boerne is, “just not ready for something like this yet”. We really disagree. With the new trail system, the unique shops and boutiques, great restaurants to stop for a bite and a drink, and all the historical buildings, we’ve got some plans for self guided tours that will drum up some business for Boerne in a fun and exciting way. All the major cities and communities surrounding us have bike rental businesses that are very successful. We just need a little more time, but hope to have the bikes renting this fall.
Give us a brief history of how the businesses came to be? We have 2 businesses growing in this community. With The Shabby Bus, it truly was a beautiful accident, and it definitely was not my original business plan. I graduated from UTSA and began teaching at NISD. I taught 4th grade for 7 years, and truly loved working with my students. However, I had a dream to start an after school enrichment program here in Boerne. I resigned from NISD in June of 2013, we moved our family to Boerne that summer, and I started to put my plan into action. Part of the plan involved buying a 15 passenger bus to transport the kiddos. We found a great deal on a little shuttle bus in Arlington (she was originally used a stadium shuttle bus at the Dallas Cowboy games.) We drove up there as a family, and I drove her back to town. I continued on with the rest of my plan, and was set to receive a “government guaranteed small business loan”, when the government shut down happened. I was told that would delay my plans about 3-6 months. We could not afford that delay, and didn’t know what to do next. It was too late for me to get any teaching positions, and I felt desperate. All we could do was pray, and ask for guidance. I remember sitting at the kitchen table with my head in my hands saying, “What am I going to do now? All I have is this silly bus”. Then the idea just kinda hit me... “I have a BUS!!!” My master carpenter husband and I got to work and turned her into The Shabby Bus she is today. One Love Bike Rentals is still in the early stages. Anyone who knows Brian knows he is a huge reggae fan. We even named our daughter Marley. After moving to Boerne, we really took up bike riding as a family. We biked all over town and up and down Boerne’s trail system. Brian and I have also joined Boerne’s Slow Ride gang a few times on their rides. One day we were just discussing how Boerne should have a bike rental business. Brian began working on his business plan, and pretty soon bought some great bikes. We are really close to getting this business off the ground and look forward to some cooler weather when we can put this plan into action for good!!
What about Boerne makes having your businesses easy/difficult? I think that the great location of Boerne has made all the difference for The Shabby Bus. We’re close enough to San Antonio for a safe group bus ride to town for any night out with friends or a special event. We’ve done group shuttles for dinner at Pearl and Southtown, shows at the Majestic Theater, Concerts, and Spurs games. However, we’re most know for our Hill Country tours. The 45 minute drive to Fredericksburg is a lot more fun when you’re with your friends on the bus, and you don’t have to worry about driving back home after all the wine tastings. I also think that Shabby works great for our creative and artistic little town. The community has really supported and complimented the bus wherever she’s gone. We try to do as much as we can for the community in return and really enjoy being a unique bus just for Boerne. For One Love Bike Rentals, it has been a little harder to get started, but we are confident that once the business is officially open to the public, it’ll be such a fun and unique addition to our quaint little town. These are not your typical bikes. We have adult sized trikes and tandems. Everywhere we’ve ridden them so far, we’ve had lots of compliments, interest, and questions about when we’ll be renting them. We truly think the community is ready for something like this. It hasn’t been easy, but that’s just part of starting any new business. It’ll be that much more rewarding when we have that official ribbon cutting in the future.
We here at EXPLORE take pride in the little community we have here nestled in the Hill Country. This month we feature Summer & Brian Poole, owners of The Shabby Bus and One Love Bicycle Rentals. Small business owners who are working hard to make their dreams come true, and loving every minute of it.
What have been some obstacles you have run into with getting the businesses up and running? Once we decided to put The Shabby Bus into action, we have had nothing but open arms in this community. Susan Cole, who works for the city, got me all set up with my permit. I’ve spent quite a bit of time with Larry, Val, and Wendy at the visitors center. I
September 2014
If you didn’t have your businesses, what do you think you’d be doing? I’m a certified teacher. I would be back in the classroom. I truly do miss working with the kiddos, and do see myself teaching again in the future. Brian is a master carpenter and custom cabinet builder. He continues to work for prestigious home builders in and around the area as he gets One Love up and running. What part(s) of the businesses are the most enjoyable? Least enjoyable? If you have ever seen any of our posts on Facebook, you probably know what my favorite part of this business is. It’s so much fun being part of a fun memory that a group is making. When my groups are on the bus, it’s such a stress free zone. I’m in charge of the driving and the details. They just get to sit back, relax, and have fun with some of their favorite people. I get to witness it. A lot of times the groups ask me to join them for certain things. I’ve been part of the tasting tours (although I didn’t do the actual tasting), jumped off a 20 foot deck at Dave’s Place, joined groups for lunch, danced on the bus, and jumped in for many pictures. Just recently I took a group to the grape stomping event at Becker and was asked to join them in the bucket of grapes to stomp around. My favorite part is definitely all the fun I get to witness and be a part of. I even like driving the long stretches. I’ve always been a road trip girl. There’s not much I don’t enjoy. Sometimes there are long periods where I’m waiting on the bus alone. Even that is great because I always bring a book and enjoy the quiet reading time. For now, it’s probably more the uncertainty of the business. It’s been kind of feast or famine this past year. There are going to be slower periods during the year for the bus, and I’m just now learning what they are. October will be my one year mark, so I still have so much to learn about running a business like this. The bikes aren’t officially being rented to the public yet, but we still like to take them out for spins with our family and friends. There is no doubt how much fun these bikes are, and when you get a group riding together, it just doubles the fun. The bikes truly are head turners, and we’ve received so many compliments. Plus, you’re getting a great workout in. What are the long term plans for you? We have some secrets up our sleeves. Shabby is not going anywhere. This first year has been a great year for us, and we see big things happening for her in the future. As Boerne continues to grow, this little business will too. One Love Bike Rentals will become a reality. We hope to have a great location near downtown and close to the trails. We’re in the process of finding our perfect spot now. As with any new business it just takes time and determination. It seems that we’ve found a “nitch” in this community for fun and funky modes of transportation. We want people in this community to come to us when they want to do something different and fun. It may seem we’re in the transportation and tourism industry, but really we’re in the business of making unique memories. We plan on continuing with that for many years to come. What would you like to say to the Boerne community? We’re not done yet!! This idea of community is very important to us. We love bringing people together and creating memories. Keep an eye on us to see what will come next. If you see us driving down the road in Shabby, or riding a One Love bike through town with our kiddos or friends, give up a little wave. We love being a part of this community!!
www.hillcountryexplore.com
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I just went to see Dr. Hawkins yesterday for an exam and cleaning. I was promptly seen, the procedures were done painlessly and in a timely manner with the latest equipment. My necessary dental work was explained fully to me. Everyone in the office greeted me warmly and made me feel special. - Elaine
As a Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, Dr. Chet Hawkins posses the highest level of education recognized for a dentist. As a graduate of the Pankey Institute, he’s had the finest post-doctoral training in the world. “I want to establish a master plan and then develop a blueprint for my patients’ long-term care,” he explains. “We want to solve the causes of the problems before we do anything else to their teeth. Then we can rebuild or repair with confidence that the fix will last as long as possible. We also educate our patients about other health issues related to oral disease. There is a connection between periodontal disease and heart disease that people need to know about.” Dr. Hawkins and his wife, Deby, have been residents of Boerne for 7 years and are excited to serve the residents of Boerne.
We have been going to the Hawkins Dental Office for 25 years. This office is far superior to the average dental office. Their exceptional practice is due to their sincere desire to provide the very best service to their patients. They maintain the latest technology and genuinely care about the welfare of the people who they serve. I cannot find the words to express the high regard that my family and I hold for this dental practice. - Gene Pleasant, friendly staff. No wait. Dr. Hawkins listens to your issues and then provides clear solutions. Great dentist. Also, great hygienist. Overall, great experience. - Cindy
Master in the Academy of General Dentistry • 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE 806 N. Main St. • Boerne • 830-249-7870 • www.drchethawkins.com
First American Realty Company Now Serving the San Antonio Metro Area! Stop by our NEW Office in Boerne, TX
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720 N. Main St. | Boerne, TX 78006 | (830) 249-3000 | Fax: (830) 331-2883 | Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5:00pm | Weekends by Appointment
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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
LOGOS, WEBSITES, BRANDING.
KRISTA UPHAM
And we’ll do a better job than your Uncle’s cousin’s sister-in-law’s best friend’s neighbor’s kid.
C a l l to day to d i sC uss yo u r r e a l estat e ne e ds 210-884-5276
krista @ texasranChesforsale . Com
M A R KET IN G R ES ID E N T I A L & RA N C H P RO P E RT IES IN T HE HIL L CO U N T RY
And we’ve built every issue of EXPLORE you’ve ever read.
501 E. San antonio | BoErnE, tExaS 78006 830.249.9339 officE www.texasranchesforsale.com
210.507.5250 • 930 E. Blanco • Boerne, TX 78006
Sustainable House of the Future!
Saturday, September 6, 2014 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Adult Education Incidental Bird Count
Location: Carpool from CNC Pavilion to the Adams Home Take a tour of one of the most efficient homes in the Texas Hill Country. Join Griz Adams as he explores every facet of his sustainable home. COST: $25 non-members; $20 members
September 22, 25, & 27, 2014 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Location: CNC Park Join a team of citizen scientists and bird enthusiasts to conduct a census at the Nature Center. Cost: Free!
Calendar of Events
Special Events
Moondance Concert: One Minute To Midnight Saturday, September 13, 2014 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Kids
Mother Nature's Storytime: Wiggly Worms! Tuesday September 16, 2014 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Location: CNC Visitor Center Wiggly Worms! We find them in the ground helping to make our dirt healthy. Learn all about worms and even take one home with you! For kids ages 3 - 6 and their caregivers. COST: $5.00 per family
2014 Celebrate the Cibolo Gala: Harmony in Nature Saturday, October 4, 2014 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Location: CNC, 140 City Park Road, Boerne TX 78006 Table Sponsorships Now Available!
Volunteer Opportunities
Second Saturday Volunteer Day of Service
Outdoor Classroom Guide Meeting
Let’s join together to take care of our beautiful Cibolo Nature Center & Farm. Each workday will be different. Call ahead for details (830) 249-4616. Kids are welcome accompanied by parents.
Location: CNC Auditorium Voounteer with us to educate young school children about the natural world and the importance of protecting it.
Saturday, September 13, 2014 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Herff Farm, 33 Herff Road, Boerne Please join the CNC & Farm for our first Pl public viewing of the beautifully restored Herff Farm Homestead. After almost 7 years of hard work and support from generous donors and volunteers, we have completed major restoration and we’re ready to open the doors! This family-friendly party will feature guided tours of the house plus lemonade and other refreshments. COST: Free
September 2014
Thursday, September 4, 2014 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
At the Herff Farm
Historic Herff Farm Homestead Open House Saturday, September 20, 2014 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Location: CNC Stage, 140 City Park Road, Boerne Come enjoy our outdoor concert under the oaks and evening stars at Cibolo Nature Center. One Minute to Midnight serves up an eclectic mix of jazz, soul and contemporary rock: "From Cole to Soul, from Swing to Sting." COST: $10 non-members; $7.50 members; $5 Senior Citizens Age 65 and Up; Free for CO Kids Under 12
Garden Fest at the Herff Farm
Junior Gardener's Club: Pollinators! Saturday, September 27, 2014 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Saturday, September 20, 2014 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Location: Herff Farm, 33 Herff Road, Boerne Join gardening experts for a series of workshops that will help you create and maintain a productive vegetable garden. COST: Free
Location: Herff Farm, 33 Herff Road, Boerne Discover the many wonderful ways that pollinators help our plants and keep everything growing! COST: Free
Every Saturday from 8:30am to 12:30pm 33 Herff Road, Boerne TX 78006
www.hillcountryexplore.com
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SPIRITUAL
By Kendall D. Aaron :: kendall@hillcountryexplore.com
A couple of knuckle-headed teenagers got bored on a Saturday night recently, grabbed some spray paint, and decided that it would be a really good idea to put graffiti on the side of the Boerne Turn Verein Bowling Alley. I’m sure that they laughed devilishly as they did it, and then ran all the way home to sleep in their bedrooms with posters of Miley Cyrus on the walls. Well, unfortunately for the boys, the cops figured out who did it, and unceremoniously arrested those boys. Because of the value of the damage (according to whom, I’m not sure),
I’m also speaking more about our collective thoughts toward the grace God extends to us, and the grace that oftentimes we don’t extend to others.
they are now charged with felonies for property damage. Some of you out there might nod your head and mum-
kids, gave them a sponge and a bucket of water, and
ble, “Serves those damn punk kids right!” while others of
had them stand out in the heat of August and wash that
you might think the charges a bit extreme. As a parent,
building clean? We would take a picture of them stand-
I have seen this play out countless times as it comes to
ing out there all hot and sweaty and miserable and we
“punk kids” and their punishment: we LOVE stern penal-
would post it in the high school with a heading that says
ties, so long as they are not levied against OUR children.
“Still think it’s fun to vandalize?”
We love to think that we live in a society where kids are
Would the punishment be painful? Yeah, I’d think so.
punished harshly because this is a sign to the rest of the
Would they yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness? Yes.
kids that we (as a society) just aren’t going to stand for
They would have been taught the lesson, they would
your shenanigans.
have gained the knowledge, and they would have been
Confession time: I did more crap during my high
free to enjoy the fruit of righteousness and sin no more.
school days here in Boerne than probably these very kids
Two teenage boys get into a fist fight in the cafeteria,
facing felony charges. I probably caused more property
and nowadays, you are charged with assault. What if we
damage and engaged in more idiocy around town than
duct-taped the same two boys together and made them
probably a lot of local kids now. Yes, I knew better. Yes,
endure a week of classes taped to one another? They
my parents would have murdered me had they found
would be picked on mercilessly, but do you think they’d
out. Yes, I knew the consequences and still behaved like
fight again? Would they have learned a lesson?
a knucklehead sometimes. It’s called being a KID. Hebrews 12:11 says “For the moment all discipline
I get that violent assaults, robberies, invasions, and countless other violent acts do not apply to my ex-
seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the
amples. I’m speaking more about our young people who
peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been
commit stupid, stupid things in a small town in Texas on
trained by it.” The discipline being delivered to these
a quiet Saturday night. I’m also speaking more about
kids is certainly painful. They’re facing jail time and a re-
our collective thoughts toward the grace God extends
cord that will haunt them the rest of their lives and keep
to us, and the grace that oftentimes we don’t extend
them from getting most any professional job. Ouch. The
to others. Let’s remember that in the Bible it says if you
real question is “Does it yield the peaceful fruit of righ-
break one of his commandments, you’ve broken them all
teousness”? Will they ever spray paint another building?
in His eyes. Murder. Theft. Idolatry. Lust. You know the
I doubt it. Are they not doing it because they learned a
list. You’re guilty of them all, and the only sentence you
valuable lesson that can help sculpt them into brilliant
deserve is the death penalty. But via God’s grace, He lets
and productive adults, or are they simply terrified that a
you learn painful lessons and then you have the opportu-
childish prank could effectively alter their lives? Maybe.
nity to live in the fruit of righteousness.
I’ve talked about this particular case with a variety
When we consider the punishment of others, it’s quite
of people and I get mixed responses. Again, some are
humbling to remember that we all deserve worse. Let’s
pleased with the stern force of the charges and some
also remember that there an unfathomable number of
shake their heads and say simply, “Damn.” I think that,
laws on the books, and they are broken every day. We
as always, the answer is found in the Scriptures. This is
will never, ever legislate our society into conformity.
a solution that will never be enacted because it would
Never. Just ask God – He only came up with 10 rules,
require the participation of society as a whole, but I can
and every one of us is guilty of breaking them. Every.
always pray. What do you think might happen if, instead
Single. Day.
of felony charges, we grabbed those knuckle-headed
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Old
Timer
This should be a fun assignment. I’ve been tasked with outlining what my day would
your elected officials in action. It’s one less excuse for being misinformed. We’re also
look like if I was Mayor of Boerne. I don’t think I’d ever really want to be the Mayor,
setting up a Facebook account so that you can ask the Council and Mayor questions.
because I could imagine that my head might explode, but I’ll play along. The following
And then they’ll be answered quickly. Lastly, we are going to create a website for the
would be the basic breakdown of my first day on the job as Mayor of Boerne.
City that is easy to navigate and asks for feedback about issues that are important to our citizens. Sounds pretty obvious, doesn’t it? Guess what? None of this currently exists.
8:00am - WELCOME So this is my reserved parking spot? Next to a whole bunch of other prime parking spots reserved for other city staff? Nope. Oops, my foot slipped and I accidentally ran
11:00am – BUDGET I used to run a business back in the day, and was pretty good with a budget. The
over all of the RESERVED signs. That’s what I get for being elderly. On a bright note,
City’s budget is bloated, as is all city budgets. It costs over $240,000 to staff the
there are now 10 additional spots in front of City Hall for the fine citizens to use.
Civic Center? Nope. That’s getting brought under control. What are we paying that knucklehead to sit in the little security hut about by Boerne Lake? We’re paying over
8:02am – CONTRACTOR MEETING
$1,000,000 to the Street Department’s payroll. With all due respect, have you ever seen
Before I even get to my office, I meet with a local contractor who immediately begins to removing those ridiculously stupid glass windows at the Utility Department. The ones
enough work done on our streets to justify that kind of payroll? No way. I’m cleaning house on this budget.
with the little holes cut into them that you have to talk through. Makes me insanely ir-
11:59am – DISCIPLINE
ritated. And now they’re gone. I’m off to a rocking start.
On my way to lunch, I sneak into the CODE ENFORCEMENT office. As they all look
9:00am – FEEDBACK
up from Facebook, I tell them to immediately begin going to every home, business, or
Someone brings me a small collection of letters and emails that staff has received as
project that recently was forced to buy a permit. I don’t care if it was to put up a fence,
feedback. They are all over-the-top positive; praises for staff from citizens. I ask for the
or to build a building. Go there, inspect it, and offer to lend a hand for a few hours. If
rest of the feedback – not just the cherry-picked positive notes. They bring it in by the
we’re going to force citizens to buy permits, we should at least review their work as a
wheelbarrow full. Sigh.
service to the community. Otherwise, we’re simply fining people that follow the rules. This department is on my shit-list.
10:00am – TECHNOLOGY I’m Old Timer, so I’m not exactly an IT guru, but I AM smart. I’ve been to City Council meetings. There are like 6 people in attendance. Our current mayor will tell us that if
12:10 – CHEAP ASS MEXICAN FOOD God bless our German town that is full of Mexican food.
you cared enough about the city dealings, you’d show up to the meetings. That’s such bullcrap. Most of us have lives to lead and don’t have time to listen to the Mayor sit
1:30pm – CITY COUNCIL Quick meeting with City Council. I think I like our City Council. I’m not sure I trust
around and pat himself on the back. This meeting is with an IT team that is going to live broadcast the Council meetings over the net. You could sit at home, sip your coffee, and watch
everything our current (real) Mayor says, but I think that I do trust the Council. They are far more transparent and engaged. What they say is what they mean, and it’s not full of stupid political BS. I just wanted to shake their hands and tell them GOOD JOB.
2:00pm – REALTORS I’ve called a meeting of every realtor I could pack into the Little Gretel. I am telling them that if any of them bring new developers to this town that are trying to build a crapload of houses, I’m going to make things more than tough on them, because I assure you that that’s what the citizens want. I’m going to use my new IT capabilities, and I’m going to make sure that citizens are aware of what they’re proposing. I’m going to make sure the papers print their plans, I’m going to make sure that everybody with ears and eyes is made aware. I’m going to fill their inboxes with feedback from the community, and I’m going to make sure that Council is aware, too. The Mayor can’t vote for or against new developments, but I’m going to make damn sure that it’s difficult for the foreseeable future. I’m not anti-growth for our town, but the current status of rubber-stamping every new proposal in our relentless pursuit of “affordable housing” is OVER. DONE. I’m going to be loud, and I hope the citizens do the same.
3:30pm – COMMITTEE I have formed a new committee – a “Welcome Committee”. I want a team of volunteers that do nothing but welcome new citizens to town. We have a lot of them, and I would like a volunteer to go to your house, welcome you to town, and tell you a little about Boerne. No, we’re not going to lecture you on “how things used to be”, but we would like to tell you about the history of the town, what is available to them via city services, some of the rules, and lastly, they’ll get my cell phone number. If you’re going to move here, we just want you to have a respect for the town. And if there’s something you see that you’d like to address, give me a call. This seems like a no-brainer.
4:00pm – CLOSING TIME I’m tired. But before I leave every day, I’m going to make it a ritual that I have coffee at the Boerne Grill. I’ll have no agenda, but I’ll be there. If you’d like to talk to me, just come talk to me. No need to set an appointment, send an email, or even call me. Just come to the Grill after 4pm, pull up a chair, and let’s visit. So many of our issues and our perspectives could improve if we’d simply sit across from one another and share thoughts. I’ll be there every working day, and would love the conversation.
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