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THE BOERNE STAR
Since 1906
www.boernestar.com
Burn ban off: Commissioners lift restrictions
Tuesday September 25, 2012 • 14 pages $1
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Inside Record-setting night in Boerne
Champion’s Kyle Poeske looks for a receiver on his way to passing for 585 yards in Thursday’s game with Marble Falls. Mustangs’ QB Mike Richardson threw for more than 700 yards to set a state record. See today's sports, pages 9-11.
Happy...
BY GAIL YOVANOVICH Staff Writer
The burn ban has been lifted. At the regular meeting of Kendall County Commissioners Court Monday, County Fire Marshal Jeff Fincke recommended commissioners formally rescind the burn ban, and they agreed. He said 119 Texas counties still had burn bans in place, but the number was slowly decreasing. Although the burn index had been around 700, or Critical, Fincke said it was now at 300 to 400 throughout the county. “The rain that we got definitely put some moisture back into the fuel...right now we’re in pretty good shape,” Fincke said.
Despite lifting the ban on outdoor burning, Fincke urged all residents to use extreme caution when burning brush or trash and to call 830-249-8645 to notify dispatchers when a controlled burn is planned. Fincke also presented an update on the LCRA 700 overlay system for emergency communications. Fincke said the Kendall tower should be complete the first week in October. The following week, Lower Colorado River Authority technicians will reprogram the county’s base radios, then start reprograming 900 radios for the Kendall County Sheriff’s Department and the Boerne and Fair Oaks Ranch police departments to meet the new requirements. The week of Oct. 22 to 28, they will begin installing the radios in all law enforcement vehicles and base stations, with the new system up and running by Nov. 1. Federal
law requires that the new system be in place by Dec. 31, 2012. Commissioners approved several items associated with the Kendall County Youth Agriculture and Equestrian Center project. The first authorized purchase of the building from Horizon Structural Systems, Inc. The second authorized a contract with Speedway Erection Service Company for erecting the building, and the third approved acceptance of a bid for concrete foundation work from Boulder Contracting Co., of San Antonio. County Treasurer Sheryl D’ Spain reported county sales tax collections of $194,060.18 for July, up 21 percent from July last year. So far this year, sales tax collections stood
See COUNTY, page 3
Amazing Goose
Fair Oaks Ranch approves tax increase, budget BY GAIL YOVANOVICH
■ Staff Writer
Statue of noted gander, park improvements unveiled
...Birthday September 25 Robert Parmenter Wilda Sanders Chris Story
BY ELENA TUCKER
■ Staff Writer
Several dozen people gathered on Friday morning to dedicate the newly revamped River Road Park then moved just down the road for thea dedication of the park’s new anchoring sculpture, “Father Gander.” The park’s ribbon cutting acknowledged the months of work and the quarter-million dollars involved in revitalizing Boerne’s much-loved park. City leaders, park department employees, citizens ... and residents of the goose and duck variety attended. Elected officials were recognized along with the many groups who participated in the effort. Improvements to the park include new picnic units, trails and fishing piers, interpretive signage and maps, trail lighting,
September 26 Marjorie Maxwell Ramona Paulus Merna Shilling September 27 Marti Burgess Gertrude Holekamp Verena Mazour Laura Van-Dyke
...Anniversary September 26 Steve & Eleanor Minas
Deaths
See PARK, page 3
John Bures provided bagpipe music for Friday’s “Father Gander” sculpture unveiling. Star photo by Elena Tucker
Fair Oaks Ranch joined Kendall County and Boerne by approving a property tax increase, along with budgets based on the higher rate. At a regular meeting of the Fair Oaks Ranch City Council Thursday, aldermen passed a property tax rate increase of 2.02 cents, bringing the 2012 rate to 26.63 cents per $100 valuation, a 9.32 percent increase from last year. They also adopted the general and utility fund budgets for the fiscal year 2012-13. During the second set of public hearings on Sept. 13 about the general and utility fund budgets and proposed tax rate, Fair Oaks Ranch resident Tom Boone had expressed opposition to all the increases. He particularly objected to a rise in salaries, benefits and administrative costs and the addition of a maintenance employee. “Property values have gone down,” he said, “so we’re giving everyone who works for the city a raise, increasing water and sewage rates, increasing property taxes and adding almost 5 percent to the head count. “I’m worried about fixed income citizens we have in this community who are not going to be able to afford to stay.” Boone thought increasing property taxes sent the wrong message, calling it “a bad decision all over.” In other budget-related matters, the council approved an ordinance authorizing property tax exemptions of $5,000 for homestead, $20,000 for 65 and over if the owner is a fulltime resident, and the amount required by law for disabled veterans. Early payment discounts on property taxes
See FAIR OAKS, page 3
Bertha J. Gilbert Jeffrey Hudson II Carroll W. Johnson Marilyn Jean MacLean For complete obituaries, see page 2 and at www.boernestar. com.
Index At the Trail Bookworm Capital Highlights Classifieds Crossword Focus on the Family Off the Main Paws for Thought Records Service Directory Sports Sticks & Stones Viewpoints
14 6 4 12-13 5 5 4 5 12 6-7 9-10 4 4
Volume 106 • Number 77 All contents copyright 2012 The Boerne Star
Battle of the Bands set to rock area ministries The last weekend of September will feature a days-long event - “The Battle of the Bands” - to be held at the Javelina Harley-Davidson dealership on I-10. The Battle is being sponsored by Taking it to the Streets, a ministry that provides aid and “fellowship” to the homeless and the “have nots” of San Antonio and Boerne, the organization’s founder, Mark Johnson said. A midway carnival will also be present at the weekend affair, providing additional fun for the Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 27 through 30. With several activities - including the actual “Battle of the Bands” Saturday, Sept. 29, at 6 p.m., Johnson hopes to draw attention to a variety of volunteer opportunities that are available to residents of Kendall County. Although the event is a fundraiser, “the main focus is to raise the community’s awareness,” Johnson said. Organizations - some of them based in San Antonio - such as Hill
Make Your Hometown News Your Homepage. THE BOERNE STAR eEdition www.boernestar.com
Country Daily Bread, The Little Black Dress Society, Go Tell Ministries, East Side Fellowship and One Less will have a presence throughout the weekend. “Churches talk about how the congregations need to ‘give back,’ but there are so many people in Boerne who don’t know how to go about it. So we want to let people know about the ministry,” Johnson said. Since youth involvement is the major thrust of the event, Battle of the Bands will feature headlining band, Space Man Stiff, as well as five competition bands. Taking it to the Streets provides ministry opportunities to over 100 youth in the San Antonio and Boerne areas. The organization addresses the needs of San Antonio’s homeless and Boerne’s needy, has a clothing ministry, is partnered with Hill Country Daily Bread and a program in Uganda. For more information visit www. takingittothestreets.com or email mark@takingittothestreets.com.
County commissioners declare October ‘Family History Month’ BY GAIL YOVANOVICH
■ Staff Writer
County commissioners declared Oct. “Family History Month,” and the Genealogical and Historical Society of Kendall County has activities planned for every day of the month except Sundays. Genealogical and Historical Society first vice president Linda Stephens thanked the Kendall County Commissioners Court for its continued support at its regular meeting Monday. Stephens said the society has now moved into the Family History Place at 114 E. Blanco Road in Boerne, across from the Old Courthouse, and will be scheduling open houses soon. The society is celebrating its 31st anniversary. The 2012 Homecoming and Award Ceremony honoring descendants of the First Families of Kendall County will be held Saturday, Sept. 29, at St. Mark Presbyterian Church Family Life Center, 208 W. Bandera Rd. Doors open at 10 a.m. and the program will begin at 10:30 a.m. The recipients of certificates this year will be descendants of Founders and Settlers Brinkmann, Dedeker, Johns, Steves, Edge, Minnich, Patton and Vogt families.
Family owned and operated since 1882.
130 Years of
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The First Families project of collecting the histories of early families and honoring descendants was started by the Genealogical and Historical Society of Kendall County in 1999 and has resulted in 106 notebooks full of family information. County Judge Gaylan Schroeder will open the festivities. Harpist LaVerne Peterson, accompanied by Myra Sabine on flute. will present a program of German, Mexican, Scottish and English melodies. A light luncheon will be served. Attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase First Family pins, past Keys to the Past journals containing family histories and the Family History Cookbook, 150th Anniversary Edition which contains a section on local family histories and one where individual family history can be added. For reservations, call Gwen Adrian, First Families committee chairman, at 830-249-2085 or the Family History Place at 830-331-8730. The society will also hold educational and family history workshops and events throughout October. Call 830-331-8730 for more information. Parks administrative assistant Jennifer Harbuck showed commissioners a new brochure for Joshua
See FAMILY HISTORY, page 3