LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION SEPTEMBER 2006 BESTBEST of CO-OPCO-OP COUNTRYCOUNTRY 20062006 PLUS Assault, the Clubfooted Comet Italian Cooking Hit the Road: Waxahachie to Corsicana The school buses are rolling and excited children are on their way to and from classes. It’s time to start thinking about back-to-school safety! Safety Comes Getting to School First: • Look left, right, then left again before crossing the street. • Take directions from crossing guards. • Cross in front of the bus only after the driver signals it’s OK to do so. SCHOOLSCHOOL Riding the school bus: • Find a safe place for your child to wait for the bus, away from traffic and the street. • Teach your child to stay away from SAFETYSAFETY the bus until it comes to a com- plete stop and the driver signals that it’s safe to enter. • When your child is dropped off, make sure he/she knows to exit ABCsABCs the bus and walk 10 giant steps away from the bus and to be aware of the street traffic in the area. Riding a bike: • Mind traffic signals and the crossing guard. • Always wear a bike helmet. • Walk the bike through intersections. • Ride with a buddy. • Wear light-colored or reflective material. This public service message is brought to you by your local electric cooperative. For more information, visit your local co-op. September 2006 VOLUME 63 NUMBER 3 FEATURES 6 Best of Co-op Country 2006 By Texas Co-op Power Staff Spa . 7 Musician . 8 Public Mural . .9 Enchilada . 10 Fourth of July Celebration . 12 Water Tower . 13 Riding Trail . 14 Lake . 16 FAVORITES Footnotes By Margaret Buranen Assault, the Clubfooted Comet 25 The Frisco water tower finished third in the Best of Co-op Country voting for Recipe Roundup La Dolce Vita 26 Best Water Tower. See page 6 for more contest winners. Focus on Texas Murals 35 Around Texas Local Events Listings 36 Hit the Road By June Naylor Waxahachie to Corsicana 38 25 26 35 ©2006 KATHY ERICKSON TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: John Herrera, Chair, Mercedes; Greg Jones, Vice Chair, Jacksonville; Ray Beavers, Secretary-Treasurer, Cleburne; James Calhoun, Franklin; Charles Castleberry, Tulia; Gary Nietsche, La Grange; William “Buff” Whitten, Eldorado PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Roland Witt, Chair, Coleman; Barron Christensen, Vice Chair, Texas Co-op Power is published by your Douglassville; Bill Harbin, Floydada; Kim Hooper, Bluegrove; Gerald Lemons, Itasca; Larry Oefinger, Hondo; Mark Rose, Giddings COMMUNICATIONS STAFF: Peg Champion, Vice President, Communications/Publisher; Kaye Northcott, Editor; Carol Moczygemba, electric cooperative to enhance the qual- Managing Editor; Suzi Sands, Art Director; Martin Bevins, Advertising Director; Louie Bond, Copy Editor/Writer; Nicole Daspit, ity of life of its member-customers in an Communications Coordinator; Andy Doughty, Production Designer; Sandra Forston, Communications Assistant; Jo Johenning, Production Assistant; Karen Nejtek, Production Coordinator; Shannon Oelrich, Food Editor/Proofreader; Tracy Paccone, Communications Assistant; educational and entertaining format. Alex Sargent, Production Artist; Ellen Stader, Proofreader; Cheryl Tucker, Field Editor; Sarah Bond, Emily Preece, Interns COVER PHOTO Wyatt McSpadden September 2006 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 3 letters SAFELIVING H.E.A.T. Helps Deter Auto Theft GENEALOGY RESEARCH Did you know that a car is stolen AIDS ID THIEVES in Texas every 5.5 minutes? Or Online genealogy records add POWERTALK that more vehicles are stolen to the problems described in between 1 and 5 a.m. than at any the July article, “Ripped Off.” other time of day? Any computer-savvy person The Texas Department of could learn my mother’s maiden Public Safety’s statewide vehicle name from the Internet. My registration program helps law Social Security number is avail- enforcement officials identify able to anyone who sees my stolen vehicles. Vehicle owners health insurance card or bank- who take part in H.E.A.T. (Help ing records. My credit card End Auto Theft) by registering number is easily copied when I their vehicles in a statewide pay for services. Those three database receive decals to put pieces of information would on their vehicles. The stickers give a con artist easy access to authorize law enforcement offi- my credit card account. CHERYL TUCKER cers to stop the vehicles any- This pedal-driven “bullet” car was popular with kids and adults at I contacted my credit card last year’s Renewable Energy Roundup. where in the state to verify company and was allowed to ownership between 1 and 5 a.m. give my mother a “new” maiden GET GREENER IN SEPTEMBER! The decals are also used to alert name that only I know when I Electricity consumption in the United States will increase by 51 officials to check ownership of need access to my account. percent over the next 20 years, says the U.S. Energy Information any vehicle being driven across SARA LAAS Administration. “With a statistic like this, the need for renewable the border into Mexico. Pedernales Electric Cooperative energy is becoming increasingly important,” says Kathryn Houser, You don’t have to be a perma- executive director of the Texas Solar Energy Society. Houser is co- nent Texas resident to participate A DESCENDANT OF founder of the Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair, in the H.E.A.T. program, as long CHOCTAW BILL held each September in downtown Fredericksburg. as you can provide a Texas I was delighted when I opened The Roundup, scheduled for September 22-24, offers plenty of address and phone number. the July issue of Texas Co-op family-friendly activities, educational and commercial exhibits, For more information or to Power and read the article about eco-friendly goods for sale, demonstrations, natural foods, live enroll in the free program, call Choctaw Bill Robinson. He was music, speakers and workshops. The event is a great opportunity Texas H.E.A.T., 1-888-447-5933, my great, great, great grandfa- to get energy conservation tips from the experts. or visit the website, http://records ther on my mother’s side. For more information, go to www.theroundup.org. .txdps.state.tx.us/heat. We grew up hearing stories about his “planting” of new churches and his preaching, always with his rifle at his side! YOU CAN’T KEEP A GOOD HORSE DOWN... Some of the best informa- tion about him and other early American Quarter Horse circuit-riding preachers can be Association Foundation found in the Howard Payne sire Gonzales Joe Bailey University Library in Brownwood. is being exhumed and BILL HOWSLEY moved to a new gravesite Wood County Electric Cooperative in Gonzales. The famous horse, which died in 1947, We receive many more letters will find its final rest than we can fit in the magazine. beneath a granite monu- Visit www.texascooppower.com ment topped with its life- to read a sampling of those. sized bronze statue at J.B. Wells Park. A docu- We want to hear from our readers. Send mentary is being made letters to: Editor, Texas Co-op Power, 2550 about the horse, and he S. IH-35, Austin, TX 78704, or e-mail us at [email protected]. Please include the even has his own website: name of your town and electric co-op. www.gonzalesjoebailey.com. Letters may be edited for clarity and length and will be printed as space allows. —Janis Turk EDD PATTON 4 TEXAS CO-OP POWER September 2006 Experience HAPPENINGS a dramatic story of Texas POWER Experience life before television, computers, refrigerators TO THE and even running water ... life before electricity. POWER WHO KNEW? PEOPLE The Electrification TO THE PEOPLE: THE ELECTRIFICATION OF of Rural Texas SEPTEMBER 2, 2006 RURAL TEXAS, a new exhibit, opens at the LBJ Library THESE FOLKS ARE THROUGH MAY 28, 2007 LBJ LIBRARY & MUSEUM and Museum on September 2 and will run through May NATIVE TEXANS 2313 RED RIVER ST. AUSTIN, TEXAS OPEN DAILY 9 –5 FREE ADMISSION (512) 721-0200 28, 2007. The exhibit will tell the story of the electrifica- WWW.LBJLIB.UTEXAS.EDU THANKS TO THE ELECTRIC tion of rural Texas in the late 1930s and ’40s, one of the CO-OPS FOR BRINGING LIGHT TO RURAL TEXAS Bailey County EC Lamb County EC Bandera EC Lea County EC Bartlett EC Lighthouse EC Belfalls EC Lyntegar EC most dramatic statewide events of the century. Visitors will Big Country EC Magic Valley EC Bluebonnet EC McLennan County EC Bowie-Cass EC Medina EC Bryan Texas Utilities Mid-South Synergy Central Texas EC Navarro County EC Cherokee County EC Navasota Valley EC Coleman County EC North Plains EC Comanche EC Nueces EC Concho Valley EC Panola-Harrison EC learn about Lyndon B. Johnson’s efforts to bring “lights” to Cooke County EC Pedernales EC CoServ Electric Rita Blanca EC Deaf Smith EC Rusk County EC Deep East Texas EC Sam Houston EC Fannin County EC San Bernard EC Farmers EC San Patricio EC Fayette EC South Plains EC Fort Belknap EC Southwest Rural EA the countryside and view vintage artifacts such as a large, Grayson-Collin EC Southwest Texas EC Greenbelt EC Swisher EC Guadalupe Valley EC Taylor EC Hamilton County EC Tri-County EC Harmon EA Trinity Valley EC HILCO United Cooperative Houston County EC Services J-A-C EC Upshur-Rural EC lighted art deco sign from Pedernales Electric Cooperative Jackson Electric Victoria EC Jasper-Newton EC Wharton County EC Karnes EC Wise EC Lamar EC Wood County EC and vintage REA demonstration appliances. Lady Bird PRESENTED BY Johnson narrates home movies from the era. For more infor- President Dwight D. Eisenhower Y PHOTO BY AUSTIN STATESMAN LBJ LIBRAR Poster Design: ©2006 mation, go to www.lbjlib.utexas.edu or call (512) 721-0216.