Texas Co-Op Power • January 2017

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BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION JANUARY 2017 Reviving the Longleaf Breakfast for Dinner Baronial Bastrop

4TEXAS2 Masters of the game test skills in Hallettsville

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FAVORITES 5 Letters 6 Currents 18 Local Co-op News Get the latest information plus energy and safety tips from your cooperative. 29 Texas History The New London School Explosion By Cyndy Irvine 31 Recipes Breakfast for Dinner 35 Focus on Texas Photo Contest: Churches 36 Around Texas List of Local Events 38 Hit the Road The Baron’s Burg By Gene Fowler Diane Newsome wears custom boots as she ONLINE watches 42 in Hallettsville. TexasCoopPower.com Find these stories online if they don’t FEATURES appear in your edition of the magazine. Texas USA The Top Spot Competition and camaraderie make 42 Waltz Heard ’Round the World 8 the state’s official domino game By Clay Coppedge Story by Sheryl Smith-Rodgers | Photos by Wyatt McSpadden Observations Sylvia Mae’s Soul Food Long Live the Longleaf Texas A&M Forest Service By Cynthia Matlock 12 nurtures remaining pines and the wildlife they support Story and photos by LaDawn Fletcher

NEXT MONTH Open Hearts Knitting network connects co-op members making red hats to raise awareness of babies born with heart defects. 29 35

31 38 BOOTS: WYATT MCSPADDEN. HAT: TEC. YARN: PICSFIVE | DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB

ON THE COVER A player shows his hand at the 2016 State Championship 42 Domino Tournament in Hallettsville. Photo by Wyatt McSpadden

TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Mark Tamplin, Chair, Kirbyville; Bryan Lightfoot, Vice Chair, Bartlett; Blaine Warzecha, Secretary-Treasurer, Victoria; Mike R. Hagy, Tipton, Oklahoma; William F. Hetherington, Bandera; Anne Vaden, Corinth; Brent Wheeler, Dalhart • PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin • COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE: Jerry Boze, Kaufman; Clint Gardner, Coleman; Rick Haile, McGregor; Greg Henley, Tahoka; Billy Marricle, Bellville; Mark McClain, Roby; Gary Raybon, El Campo; Kathy Wood, Marshall • MAGAZINE STAFF: Martin Bevins, Vice President, Communications & Member Services; Charles J. Lohrmann, Editor; Tom Widlowski, Associate Editor; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager; Andy Doughty, Creative Manager; Grace Arsiaga, Print Production Specialist; Chris Burrows, Communications Specialist; Christine Carlson, Communications & Member Services Assistant; Paula Disbrowe, Food Editor; Suzanne Featherston, Communications Specialist; Taylor Montgomery, Digital Field Editor; Jane Sharpe, Senior Designer; Ellen Stader, Communications Specialist; Shannon Oelrich, Proofreader

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Tesla’s Grand Visions Although your item compares Remembering Nelda Laney today’s cellphones and internet Pete and Nelda Laney [The Capitol Ornament Lady, with Nikola Tesla’s comments of 1926, I feel you missed the November 2016] were members of the International point [Currents, Man of Vision, Flying Farmers (still active) and November 2016]. Our current technologies are a pale reflec- Texas Flying Farmers and Ranch- tion of his vision. ers (disbanded). Nelda was IFF His vision saw the earth as the medium of information Queen in 1973–74 and would be transmission. Most likely he saw remembered by many of the cur- it being freely available, as were his early desires with such rent members of the organization. devices as the Wardenclyffe Tower. We have yet to meet KAY RIGGAN | RAYMONDVILLE | MAGIC VALLEY EC his grand visions. ROBERT IRELAND | TYLER CHEROKEE COUNTY EC power was not regularly avail- Rising Stars provider with line-of-sight On Cloud Nine able, so a generator was on I so enjoyed the article about service was the route to go. I’m After I read the Blue Angels standby to supply electric the linemen [Line of Duty, in a low-lying area, so I needed article [Angels and Daredevils, power to a church and the October 2016]. They truly do to acquire and erect a 50-foot November 2016], I looked up associated school. have a higher calling. I was won- tower for an antenna. Reception their schedule and found out Near the front of the church dering if the linemen will hold has been vastly superior to the they will be at Naval Air Station was a board [below] that was an autographing session, espe- DSL that I had disconnected, Corpus Christi on April 1. Our used by students to charge cell- cially for the gentleman on the and it offers plenty of band- 7-year-old would love this show. phones. Tracing the power cord, front cover. After all, they are width. He makes us eat at our local I found two bare wires plugged celebrities. ED DOLZEL | PERRY airport regularly. I hope into a wall outlet. It was not DIANNE CALAME | MINEOLA NAVASOTA VALLEY EC to get tickets for that show. being used because the genera- WOOD COUNTY EC JEANIE MUEGGE | FAYETTEVILLE tor had run out of fuel. FAYETTE EC HERB NORDMEYER | CASTROVILLE Line of Duty was a wonderful MEDINA EC and informative article. I usually GET MORE TCP AT Staying Connected in Haiti read my Texas Co-op Power Electricity is important, espe- Editor’s Note: Co-ops have cover to cover, but I must admit TexasCoopPower.com cially when the supply is lim- helped deliver electricity to my first stop is Recipes. Sign up for our E-Newsletter for monthly updates, prize drawings ited. I just returned from doing more than 140 million people JESSIE FUGER | PIPE CREEK and more! hurricane assessment work in in 43 developing countries, BANDERA EC Haiti. In the town of Jean-Rabel, including Haiti. Linemen from WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! several Rural Internet Service ONLINE: TexasCoopPower.com/share co-ops in I have experienced rural in- EMAIL: [email protected] Texas have ternet service that is slow to MAIL: Editor, Texas Co-op Power, volunteered nonexistent to unavailable to 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, to work ridiculously expensive [Currents, Austin, TX 78701 in Haiti Narrowing of Broadband, Please include your town and electric co-op. through September 2016]. Letters may be edited for clarity and length. NRECA Being unhappy with the Interna- status quo, I did some research tional. and concluded that a local D FE Texas Co-op Power

TEXAS CO-OP POWER VOLUME 73, NUMBER 7 (USPS 540-560). Texas Co-op Power is published monthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC). Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX, and at additional offices. TEC is the statewide association representing 75 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 or email [email protected]. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE is $4.08 per year for individual members of subscribing cooperatives. If you are not a member of a subscribing cooperative, you can purchase an annual subscription at the nonmember rate of $7.50. Individual copies and back issues are available for $3 each. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560), 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please enclose label from this copy of Texas Co-op Power showing old address and key numbers. ADVERTISING: Advertisers interested in buying display ad space in Texas Co-op Power and/or in our 30 sister publications in other states, contact Martin Bevins at (512) 486-6249. Advertisements in Texas Co-op Power are paid solicitations. The publisher neither endorses nor guarantees in any manner any product or company included in this publication. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser. © Copyright 2017 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohibited without written permission.

TexasCoopPower.com January 2017 Texas Co-op Power 5 CURRENTS

PHILANTHROPY BOOK CENTS

JANUARY 15 is the next deadline for public libraries to apply for grants from the Tocker Founda- tion, which considers requests from libraries serving populations of 12,000 or fewer. Past grants have supported outreach and shut-in programs, adult reading classes, after-school projects and bilingual materials.

In Quitman, home of Wood County Electric Cooperative, the library installed an outdoor digital sign that has rallied the community and spurred new activity.

In Denver City, the library, served by Lea County EC, is developing the Reading Rocks Book Club.

In Sinton, home of San Patricio EC, the library is digitizing its newspaper archives.

The foundation is also taking applications for travel stipends to attend the Texas Library Associa- tion’s annual conference April 19–22. That deadline is February 1. Visit tocker.org. HAPPENINGS Find more

happenings all ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| across the state at Well-Worn TexasCoopPower Workhorses .com

The Lavaca County Tractor Pullers Association boasts of bringing the “power of the past” alive with its TEXAS ANTIQUE TRACTOR SHOW & PULL in HALLETTSVILLE. It promises to showcase the machines that helped shape the agricultural world

and build Texas’ rural communities. WORTH REPEATING The event, January 13–14, features a tractor parade and pull, kiddie pull, “If it weren’t for arts and crafts, and food vendors. Hallettsville is in the middle of the county, electricity, we’d all and the surrounding area includes members of San Bernard, Guadalupe be watching television Valley and Fayette electric cooperatives. by candlelight.” INFO a (361) 772-4619, txtractorpull.com — COMEDIAN GEORGE GOBEL

6 Texas Co-op Power January 2017 TexasCoopPower.com BY THE NUMBERS ALMANAC That would be the monthly cost for one 1,500- THE DAWN $109.51 watt space heater used 24 hours a day if the electric rate were 10 cents per kilowatt-hour. OF FORT HOOD

CAMP HOOD, now called Fort Hood, CO-OP PEOPLE was activated 75 years ago to help bolster U.S. efforts during World Pony Up War II. The temporary camp was named for Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood WHAT STARTED OUT as a friendly competition between when it was activated January 14, Linda Forbus at Rusk County Electric Cooperative and 1942, barely a month after the bomb- Debbie Dane at Deep East Texas EC over who could grow ing of Pearl Harbor. By 1950, it was a out their hair fastest grew into a way of helping children. permanent Army post and renamed “Within about six months, she sent a text and said, Fort Hood. The 340-square-mile base ‘You win,’ ” says Forbus, who decided to keep on growing. near Killeen is one of the largest “I wanted to donate as much as I could, however long it military installations in the world. was going to take.” Four years later, stylist Kayla Yaws of Longview cut Forbus’ hair and saved the ponytail to donate. “It was 9 inches,” Yaws says. “We measured it!” The donation to Wigs for Kids could go a long way toward helping a child feel good. Yaws’ salon added the ponytail to a bag of others to be donated. Forbus’ hair “grew out long and beautiful,” Dane says. “It matches her personality—beautiful.”

ARMY DAY PARADE, CAMP HOOD (1942) PHOTO ARCHIVES. FOOTBALL: DMITRY FOLKIN | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM FOLKIN DMITRY ARCHIVES. FOOTBALL: PHOTO

LINDA Did you know? FORBUS ; GEN. JOHN BELL HOOD graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1853 and served on the Texas frontier. Dissatis- fied with his native Kentucky’s neutrality in the Civil War, he declared himself a Texan and joined the Confederate Army.

SPORTS SECTION THIS YEAR, THE SUPER BOWL returns That’s the equivalent of to Texas—February 5 at Houston’s 100,153,846 football fields. Farm Teams NRG Stadium. Texas leads the nation A football field, including the end in farms and ranches, with 248,800 zones, is 360 feet long by 160 feet

TRACTOR PULL & BRAID: DAVE URBAN. CANDELABRA: KUZINA | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. HEATER: BANANA WALKING | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. CAMP HOOD: | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. BANANA WALKING HEATER: | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. KUZINA URBAN. CANDELABRA: DAVE PULL & BRAID: TRACTOR total, covering 130.2 million acres. wide and covers 1.3 acres.

TexasCoopPower.com January 2017 Texas Co-op Power 7 THE TOP. SPOT. Competitions and camaraderie make 42 the state’s official domino game

Story by Sheryl Smith-Rodgers . Photos by Wyatt McSpadden

Most historical accounts credit two Texas boys for de- Deep vising the four-player game in thought, David Boggan in about 1887 in Trapp of Boerne squints at the Spring (now Garner), north- last two white dominoes west of Weatherford. Even lined up in front of him on though rigid religious mores the wooden square-topped of the time condemned card table. Which one should games, William Thomas, 12, he play? Boggan flicks his and Walter Earl, 14, hid in a right wrist and tosses one hayloft and played whist, a out then leans back in his metal folding chair and locks eyes with predecessor of bridge. When their parents found out, the boys his partner. He hopes Sara Beth, his teenage daughter, can throw were punished but not deterred. Together, the pair invented a down a domino that will beat their two opponents. similar game using socially accepted dominoes. At nearby tables, similar dramas unfold inside the noisy Hal- Their families loved the game. So did friends. Soon it became lettsville Knights of Columbus Hall. Help yourself to a kolach popular in nearby Mineral Wells, a resort where Thomas and his and coffee. It’s 9 o’clock on a bright March morning, and the 2016 father delivered fruit from their orchard. Like small-town gossip, Texas State Championship 42 Domino Tournament has begun. the game spread across Texas, passing from family to family and In its 35th year, Hallettsville’s event ranks as the state’s largest from generation to generation. gathering of Texas 42 players. This year’s tournament is March 4. Thus was born Texas 42, named for the maximum number of In 2016, 73 teams of two from across the state and a few from points a player can win in one hand. Game rules and variations New Mexico traveled to this South Texas town with its rich Czech differ by locale, but most share the same objective: Capture and German heritage to vie for the state title. They’re fathers enough dominoes with face values of five or 10 (such as blank- teamed with daughters. Husbands with wives. Grandfathers with five or double five) to win. That’s accomplished by playing the grandsons. Best friends, college buds and siblings, too. Whether highest trump (suit) of the four played dominoes (trick). a working professional or a retired rancher, everyone’s clinking Sound complicated? It can be. That is, until you play a few dominoes. By nightfall, two weary teams will face off, naming games. Then, “treys,” “blanks,” “offs,” “marks” and other 42 buzz- trumps and taking tricks, until one wins. words make more sense. Confidence But wait. What do trumps and tricks have to do with domi- At the Texas State grows when you can study your dominoes Championship 42 noes? Not a thing, if you’re playing straight style, which awards and make a bid or pass without help. Win Domino Tournament points for creating domino chains with end sections that total in Hallettsville, teams a few tricks, and you’ve learned the basics multiples of five. For Texas 42, though, think bridge or spades of two duel all day of Texas 42, designated by the Legislature played with 28 dominoes. until one prevails. in 2011 as the official state domino game.

TexasCoopPower.com January 2017 Texas Co-op Power 9 Sara Beth Boggan, above, teamed “You don’t have to be a with father David, right, at the great player to win,” assures 2016 tournament. “Hallettsville Jody Badum, an Austin broad- was on my bucket list, but now I can check it off,” David says. band company owner and president of the National 42 Players Association. “Forty-two combines luck and skill. That’s what keeps people excited about playing the game—they have a chance to win.” Badum, 44, a Corpus Christi native who’s placed at past state championships but hasn’t yet won, grew up playing 42 with his family. So did James Parvin, 20, a fast-food restaurant manager from Abilene. He’s teamed up with grandfather Jim Smith, 64, to compete for their third year at Hallettsville. “I love this game more than baseball or football,” Parvin says between rounds. 42’s three suit) recycled old barn wood to build the Trey-Deuce Domino Saloon, a community game hall served by Wood County Across Texas, the N42PA sanctions 30 or so tournaments, EC. For Christmas, he gave his twins personalized dominoes and like Hallettsville’s, that draw serious 42 players. Members acquire child-sized game tables. “We play 42 every Friday evening in the points at tournaments to maintain membership and qualify for saloon,” Newsome says. “Sometimes Saturdays, too.” December’s Tournament of Champions. “Tournaments are a way to get people together who love to play 42,” says N42PA secretary Meanwhile, it’s high noon in Hallettsville. Playoffs pause Kent Kopnicky, 33, of Austin. He and twin brother Kole meet up for a catered barbecue buffet. Then games resume. One at a time, regularly with the Austin 42 Club, which hosts games and tour- teams get knocked out. By 3 o’clock, Boggan and his daughter, naments at C. Hunts Ice House. clad in matching maroon domino T-shirts, head home. Morgan Scott, 38, owns Hwy 29 BBQ, a member of Pedernales “Hallettsville was on my bucket list, but now I can check it Electric Cooperative, in Bertram. He’s also a member of the Austin off,” says Boggan, 59, a communications director with the Boerne 42 Club. “Hallettsville is where people who can really play come Independent School District and a member of Bryan Texas Util- to compete,” Scott confides during a break. “There are no easy ities. “I grew up in Lockhart and watched my parents play 42. I marks [points] here, just a lot of sharks.” started playing in high school. Then I went to Texas A&M and Mary Ann Dempsey, 72, a member of United Cooperative minored in 42.” Services from Tolar, and partner Joyce Pence, 69, a member of He’s only half-joking. Texas 42 permeates Aggie culture as a Tri-County EC from Granbury, compete in Hallettsville for fun. popular pastime. Students play the game at wooden tables etched “If it depends on me winning to pay the electric bill, then I’ll be with graffiti at the Dixie Chicken, an iconic hangout in College sitting in the dark,” Dempsey quips. Station. “I learned how to play in 2000 when I served as a coun- Past state champ Waymon Carl “Trey” Newsome III, 46, of selor at a Howdy Camp,” says Hallettsville contender Katie Camp- Mount Vernon brought his entire family to Hallettsville. While bell, 36, from Houston, referring to an A&M orientation session. he plays, parents Waymon and Diane (sporting her domino- No matter where you play, chances are good that the dominoes emblazoned Western boots) and wife Jennifer entertain 6- on the table came from Puremco, founded in Waco in 1954 and month-old twins Carl and Katie Ann. once the country’s largest domino maker. Nowadays, an overseas Talk about 42 addicts! The Newsomes’ devotion runs so deep company manufactures the marble-like dominoes for Puremco. that Trey Newsome (dubbed as a baby with the nickname after Online or at the Waco store, you can choose from a variety of

10 Texas Co-op Power January 2017 TexasCoopPower.com “I grew up in Lockhart and watched my parents play 42. I started playing in high school. . Then I went to Texas A&M and minored in 42.” —DAVID BOGGAN imprinted dominoes and order personalized sets, too. competitions across the state and won the 2014 state title. The Puremco’s story and more about 42 can be mined in Dennis pair faces Gary Mobley, 49, who works for a farm equipment Roberson’s Winning 42: Strategy & Lore of the National Game of company, and daughter Erika Littrell, 22, a softball coach. They Texas. The author, who played at Hallettsville for years with his live in Saltillo and are members of Farmers EC. father, explains the basics of 42, gives advice for winning, and Round after round, Mobley and Houston each rest their chins shares anecdotes from old-timers and celebrities, such as Gov. on one hand and toss out dominoes with the other. Pogue bounces Ann Richards, journalist Bill Moyers and singer-songwriter a knee and fidgets in his metal chair. Littrell, poker faced and steely Robert Earl Keen. eyed, darts glances at her dad. This is her first tournament. Another famous 42 fan was President Lyndon B. Johnson, “I’ve been competing here for 12 years,” Pogue comments who played to relieve stress. On January 31, 1968, the Viet Cong between hands. “It took me 10 years to get to the final table.” launched a series of attacks against South Vietnam in what Shortly before 10 p.m., the last game ends. First-place plaques became known as the Tet Offensive. Around the clock, Johnson and a cash prize go to the new state champs: Pogue and Houston. received updates. Between reports, he played 42 with colleagues. Mobley and Littrell receive plaques and cash for second place. “For one week, there was a constant game of dominoes going in “Keep playing,” Pogue tells Littrell as the two part ways. “We the upstairs living room of the White House,” the late congress- need young players to keep 42 alive in Texas.” man J.J. “Jake” Pickle recalled in a January 1975 interview. Littrell nods. Odds are, she’ll be back in Hallettsville next year. Sheryl Smith-Rodgers of Blanco learned 42 basics with the Blanco 42 Back in Hallettsville, there’s no time for a supper Club, which has met since the 1950s. She is a member of Pedernales EC. break. By 9:30 p.m., a dozen tired spectators focus on four exhausted finalists. Austinites Terry Pogue, 53, a firefighter, and WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com Learn how to play 42 and talk the Leslie Houston, 38, a technology strategist, partner regularly in lingo spoken around the table.

TexasCoopPower.com January 2017 Texas Co-op Power 11 TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE NURTURES REMAINING LEGACY PINES AND THE WILDLIFE THEY SUPPORT

up from the middle of a stand of Protecting the ecosystem of every forest in the state is the mature pine trees reveals strength, forest service’s mission. Tom Boggus, Texas state forester and beauty and majesty. The blue of director of the Texas A&M Forest Service, leads a staff of 550 LOOKING the sky pops through the treetops. that oversees more than 60 million acres of forestland. Only Breezes sound like whispers. A layer of fallen needles muffles Alaska has more. footsteps and amplifies the calls of birds and insects. Ninety-six TFS offices dot the state, and the agency works At one time, the longleaf pine forest covered more than 90 with a network of organizations to provide services that range million acres, beginning in southeastern Virginia and extending from wildfire prevention to estate planning. south to Florida and west to East “We leverage ourselves,” Boggus says. “We train and equip STORY AND PHOTOS Texas. Today, only 3.3 million acres people in the community so Texans can take care of themselves.” BY LADAWN FLETCHER remain, with fewer than 45,000 acres The timber industry also falls under the TFS umbrella. Even in Texas. In much of the region, long- though forests make up less than one-third of the state, timber leaf pine has been replaced by the faster-growing yellow pine or is an important industry. Texas encompasses more than 11 million loblolly pine. Maintaining the longleaf legacy while managing acres of privatedly owned productive timberland, and in 2014 these more commercially expedient varieties is among the chal- the forest sector created a total economic impact of more than lenges that the Texas A&M Forest Service faces. $30 billion as it supported nearly 140,000 jobs.

12 Texas Co-op Power January 2017 TexasCoopPower.com Even though East Texas is known for forests, Central and landowners and industry heavyweights such as International Paper West Texas contain 49.7 million acres of forest. Almost 95 percent to increase longleaf pine acreage and support the wildlife that of the forestland in the area is privately owned. depends on it. More funding has become available to assist TFS’ role as manager and conservationist is evident in its landowners in preserving their forest-based income and to sustain efforts to restore longleaf pine. The old growth of longleaf pine healthy longleaf forest. Successfully managing the timber industry forest timber fueled the new growth of the American South: is a shared goal among landowners and support groups. Lumber mills, railroads and entire communities relied on the Simon Winston of Lufkin is one of the landowners who longleaf. works with TFS. Driving through his tree farm, one sees lush Now, a drive through the Pineywoods of East Texas most likely stands of loblolly and longleaf pine in various stages of growth. features the faster-growing loblolly pine. Just a century ago, the His timber properties are considered the gold standard for land longleaf pine tree was the most prominent and desirable of the conservation and management, and his success has been acknowl- species. To help preserve existing stands of longleaf pine, and edged with the Leopold Conservation Award, administered encourage the planting and growth of more, TFS works with through the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. His well-main- the Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Wild tained longleaf pine stands look more like a park than a wild forest. Turkey Federation, the Nature Winston says even before funding and research was shared with Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service landowners like him, he was concerned about conservation. Longleaf pines, which once dominated East Texas, can and other agencies. “Deer, birds, songbirds, ground-nesting birds—they all do grow to more than 100 feet All these conservation-focused better when the property is managed correctly,” Winston says. tall and live for 500 years. organizations work closely with One controversial component of proper management is the

TexasCoopPower.com January 2017 Texas Co-op Power 13 trees that can grow more than 100 feet tall and live for 500 years, it is often more difficult to see the loss of habitat for hundreds of species of birds, animals and plants. White tail deer, bobwhite quail, indigo snakes and wild turkeys are all native to long- AT ONE TIME, THE LONGLEAF leaf forests, and the restoration of the forest helps maintain a healthy population. PINE FOREST COVERED MORE THAN Wendy Ledbetter has been working with the Nature Conservancy on the longleaf ini- tiative for almost 25 years and has seen how 90 MILLION ACRES, BEGINNING IN working with the landowner’s goals in mind has helped move many stakeholders toward more successful conservation. SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA AND EXTEND- “If they are a timber investment management group, they are managing property for ING SOUTH TO FLORIDA AND WEST TO clients to achieve a financial return,” Ledbet- ter says. “While they may have biological objectives and goals, they also have an obliga- EAST TEXAS. TODAY, ONLY 3.3 MILLION tion to meet financial goals. That puts additional obligations on them,” she says. “Within this group, we are trying to find what can we ACRES REMAIN, WITH FEWER THAN agree on. “Within the last several years, the support, 45,000 ACRES IN TEXAS. funding and attention given to the longleaf ecosystem from federal funding to private funding has increased. Everybody is commu- nicating more, and the resources and knowl- edge are being shared.” use of prescribed burns, which frighten many landowners but Pine is still in high demand commercially. The wood from are necessary for optimum growth of longleaf pine. longleaf pine differs from other woods. It is slow to rot, so it was Prescribed burning mimics the important wildfire cycle. A frequently used in boatmaking. low understory keeps the fires that occur naturally from burning In the early days of the East Texas timber industry, the longleaf too high or too hot. “It keeps your forest from burning up cata- tree was valued beyond the wood it produced. For up to 20 years strophically on the timber side,” says Winston, who alternates before harvest, a tree could be tapped for resin, which was then burning acres on his property. “Plus, it keeps the invasive species distilled into turpentine. Rosin, used to increase the friction down if you are trying to grow timber. If you knock that back, between bows and strings on musical instruments and by gym- your timber will grow better.” nasts and bowlers to improve their grips, is the material left over TFS helps landowners with the important work of developing after the distillation of the turpentine. Pine tar and pine pitch— strategies. “We help them to develop a plan and to help them made from heating sap drippings—was used to waterproof seams achieve the goals they want for their land,” Boggus says. “We try and joints, such as on boats and buckets. to give them land-management tools to help them accomplish To support the growing industry, timber mills sprang up and their objectives.” spawned new towns. The mills needed a way to transport their These plans are created at no charge to the landowner, and forest treasure, and railways—with ties made from the same Boggus says 97 percent of the plans created by his office are virgin pine—formed the infrastructure that made it possible. implemented by landowners to some degree. To restore the long- Conservationists remain optimistic, and those working toward leaf pine, his office needs to reach contiguous landowners reforestation are hopeful about a return to the glory days of the throughout the eastern part of the state. longleaf pine in Texas. Alan Shadow, plant manager for the National Resources Conservation Service, says it isn’t too late ecosystem in the longleaf pine forest is second only for the longleaf pine. to the Amazon rainforest in biodiversity, and over “It’s never too late for Mother Nature,” Shadow says. “She’s the past 20 years, funding has begun to catch up with resilient.” the interest in preserving it. This helps agencies such LaDawn Fletcher is a Houston-area writer who enjoys writing about Texas. THEas TFS collaborate effectively with landowners working to maintain the health of the ecosystem. WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com Check out the Texas A&M Forest Serv- Even though it is easy to notice the loss of the towering pine ice information portal and its Map My Property app.

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V ICE At some point relatively quickly, people will realize how nice Hey Siri, turn o the lights! and convenient it is. The reason Alexa, lock the door! why it’s so popular is because it OK Google, turn on the TV! actually works pretty darn well. — DAVE PEDIGO, Voice-controlled devices of CEDIA, a trade association for the connected home are making life’s little tasks only a comment away

By Sharon Jayson t’s only been a few years since the names Siri and Al- exa appeared on our cultural landscape, but if you haven’t Iescaped the advertising for the two digital personal assistants from Apple and Amazon, you likely are curious about what they Voice-controlled home automation is the hottest thing can do. in consumer technology. Voice commands allow users to Now there’s another big player in the voice- control a growing list of smart devices, from smart light activated device field: “OK Google” is the bulbs that instantly change the mood in a room, to smart command used to activate Google Home, just thermostats, security cameras, lights, stereos, alarm clocks like saying “Alexa” to activate the Amazon and more. Echo or “Hey Siri” to talk to your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. The trio of companies – Apple, Amazon and Google — is vying for switch to make something happen in the home. home’s voice service, as in “Works with Alexa” with experts such as Charlie Kindel, of Amazon, attention and illustrating why voice control is Voice command can be as simple as checking or “Works with Google Home.” explaining the idea behind the voice. the next big thing in home on the weather or adding items to your to-do For more specific commands, a homeowner “The idea was to create a computer in the automation. list, or as sophisticated as controlling lighting would have to do some extra setup, such as cre- cloud that will take care of customers’ everyday Voice control is “the or window shades, or adjusting the thermostat. ating what’s termed “a scene” that encompasses things — whether it’s their shopping lists, playing biggest story in the Pedigo estimates that by year’s end, as many as a series of actions, he says. Creating a “goodbye music, keeping track of schedules, ordering pizza, industry” because of the 15 percent of homes across the country could scene” to leave each day, for example, would keeping control of their devices that are around convenience, said Dave have some kind of voice-control feature. turn off all the lights and adjust the thermostat them,” he said. Alexa “is that computer in the Pedigo, vice president of “Right now, a lot of it is the ‘cool factor,’ but in several rooms, while a command to “watch a cloud that powers all these experiences.” emerging technologies for not for long,” Pedigo said. “At some point rela- movie” could turn on the TV and dim the lights. Although voice has a lot of promise, it’s not CEDIA, an Indianapolis- tively quickly, people will realize how nice and For a preview of what consumers can expect perfect for every situation, said Alex Capecelatro, based international trade convenient it is. The reason why it’s so popular this year, we explored CEDIA’s international CEO of Josh.ai, a standalone artificial intelligence association for the connected home. is because it actually works pretty darn well.” trade show in Dallas last fall, where almost platform named Josh, which uses voice control Devices that use voice commands allow con- Voice control requires a few must-haves, 19,000 attendees roamed the convention, gazing for wireless connected home devices. sumers to control actions by saying commands Pedigo said: A home must be Wi-Fi enabled at products exhibited by more than 500 global “Voice is not the only solution that I think is aloud rather than touching a smartphone screen and each product to be controlled through voice companies. going to replace everything,” he said. “Our guid- to activate an app or using a physical button or has to be a smart product compatible with that Several sessions focused on voice control, ing principle is what is simplest for the end user

18 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE January 2017 bluebonnet.coop

BLUEBONNET MAG JAN 2017.indd 16 12/8/16 10:25 AM Inside THIS MONTH WINTER’S PEAKS Energy usage sets records in winter 22 YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES Apply now for scholarship, youth tour 24 CO-OP BOARD ELECTIONS Interested in running? Find out how 24 At some point relatively quickly, MONTHLY MEETING people will realize how nice Bluebonnet’s Board of Directors will meet at 9 a.m. Jan. 24, and convenient it is. The reason at Bluebonnet’s Headquarters, 155 Electric Ave. (formerly 650 Texas Hwy. 21 East), Bastrop. Find the agenda and last- why it’s so popular is because it minute updates Jan. 20 at bluebonnet.coop. Hover your actually works pretty darn well. cursor over ‘next board meeting’ on our home page. — DAVE PEDIGO, OFFICE CLOSINGS of CEDIA, a trade association for the connected home Bluebonnet’s o¡ces will be closed Jan. 2 for the New Year’s holiday, Jan. 16 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Jan. 19 for a company meeting. CONTACT US Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative P.O. Box 729 Bastrop, TX 78602 Member services: 800-842-7708, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Email: [email protected] OUTAGES Call 800-949-4414 if you have a power outage. Keep up with outages 24/7 at bluebonnet.coop. Hover your cursor over ‘outage report’ on our home page. You can also send us a text message. To get started, text Voice-controlled home automation is the hottest thing BBOUTAGE to 85700 and follow the prompts. Save in consumer technology. Voice commands allow users to that number in your contacts, perhaps as “Bluebonnet control a growing list of smart devices, from smart light Outages.” If your power goes out, text OUT to that bulbs that instantly change the mood in a room, to smart number. Download our free mobile app for iPhone thermostats, security cameras, lights, stereos, alarm clocks and more. or Android and you can report an outage on your smartphone. home’s voice service, as in “Works with Alexa” with experts such as Charlie Kindel, of Amazon, — what’s going to make their life really natural ABOUT THIS ISSUE or “Works with Google Home.” explaining the idea behind the voice. and really easy.” For more specific commands, a homeowner “The idea was to create a computer in the Dan Quigley, also of Amazon, said this technol- Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative produced the blue- would have to do some extra setup, such as cre- cloud that will take care of customers’ everyday ogy will evolve, but for now “We’re at Day One bordered pages 18-25 in this issue of the magazine ating what’s termed “a scene” that encompasses things — whether it’s their shopping lists, playing with voice.” with content that is of speciﬁc interest or relevance to a series of actions, he says. Creating a “goodbye music, keeping track of schedules, ordering pizza, Each of these companies has its own set of Bluebonnet members. The rest of the magazine’s content scene” to leave each day, for example, would keeping control of their devices that are around compatible smart products, although some work is distributed statewide to any member of an electric turn off all the lights and adjust the thermostat them,” he said. Alexa “is that computer in the with other companies’ products. Apple’s Home cooperative in Texas. For information about the magazine, in several rooms, while a command to “watch a cloud that powers all these experiences.” app communicates through Siri from any iPhone, contact Lisa Ogle at 512-332-7968 or email lisa.ogle @ Although voice has a lot of promise, it’s not iPad or Apple Watch to connected devices that movie” could turn on the TV and dim the lights. bluebonnet.coop. For a preview of what consumers can expect perfect for every situation, said Alex Capecelatro, control its HomeKit products. Only products this year, we explored CEDIA’s international CEO of Josh.ai, a standalone artificial intelligence certified as “Works With Apple HomeKit” can trade show in Dallas last fall, where almost platform named Josh, which uses voice control be used to activate garage door openers, lighting Correction: An article about the sources of Bluebonnet 19,000 attendees roamed the convention, gazing for wireless connected home devices. systems, thermostats, door locks, air condition- at products exhibited by more than 500 global “Voice is not the only solution that I think is ing/heating and window shades, to name a few. area towns’ names in the December issue of Texas Co-op companies. going to replace everything,” he said. “Our guid- Power magazine contained an error on Page 22. The Texas Several sessions focused on voice control, ing principle is what is simplest for the end user Continued on next page Revolution ended in 1836.

bluebonnet.coop January 2017 BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Texas Co-op Power 19

BLUEBONNET MAG JAN 2017.indd 17 12/8/16 10:25 AM

Continued from previous page Home survey: The trends Amazon’s voice control of Alexa can do the same but with products that are compatible. 67% For example, Vivint home security products are in building smarter houses Homeowners buy compatible with Alexa. Google Home works smart technology with a variety of smart products offered by such CEDIA, an international trade association for the connected for various reasons. brands as Philips, Samsung and Nest, The majority which Google owns. Amazon Alexa also works home, and home remodeling and design site Houzz.com — 67 percent with Nest products. surveyed almost 1,000 homeowners who are planning or If all this sounds overwhelming, enter the recently completed a home renovation project. Among — want better “home technologist,” a new name for the point security, safety person to help consumers integrate their home the ﬁndings of the 2016 Houzz Smart Home Trends Survey and protection technology so that products can work together with presented at the CEDIA convention: of their homes compatible wireless systems. “They need somebody to help them through this against intruders, and to have full understanding of it,” said Suzie Wil- Percentage of homeowners who 52 percent cite liford, of the National Kitchen and Bath Association. renovated but opted against adding monitoring and “They need a technologist.” smart technologies during their controlling the Smart features aren’t without risk. Security continues 55% projects. Those who said they safety of their to be a concern, as last fall’s hacking of some smart home gadgets illustrates. With more consumers adopting internet- considered the technologies but home when they connected devices in their homes, some products have higher didn’t go through with it cited a lack are away and 30 security standards than others. Security experts warn consumers to of interest, cost concerns or privacy percent cite the make sure the products they buy have built-in precautions to reduce the concerns. ability to monitor chances of being hacked. any activities “We are going to have to start seeing stronger security in home network- ing,” said Pedigo, of the trade association. “The culprit is the general lack of within their home. security awareness nationwide — from the consumers to the manufacturers.” More than 60 percent of individuals have some concern about someone accessing their devices without permission, and the owners of smart products have even more concern, according to Dallas-based market research and consulting company Parks Associates, which was among the presenters at CEDIA. “Once you own a product, you get a sense for the potential risk,” said Tom Kerber, of Parks. “The door locks risk (for being breached) is much more obvious. A thermostat is not. It depends on the type of systems and products.” Kerber said each product working independently with different apps is one approach, particularly for the do-it-yourself market, while products that work as a system with a central controller often require a service provider. However, he noted that the Open Connectivity Foundation, an industry group dedicated to developing standards and certification for devices, is working to make devices compatible with one another, and to bypass the need for a service provider. New data suggests about 15 percent of all households have some type of smart product. Most of these categories have a combined growth rate of nearly 20 percent, Kerber said. “The key here is to just make it simple for the consumer,” said John Ouseph, of GE Consumer & Industrial, “to make purposeful ‘smarts.’ It has to make it smarter for the consumer to use and simpler for the consumer to Phillips Hue Ambience bulbs let the user change the look and feel of a room use.” n with voice commands. The bulbs work with a variety of voice-command devices.

With Amazon Echo, try READY the WeMo Light Switch, $50 This Wi-Fi enabled light switch lets you TO START turn lights on and o, no matter your location. Controlled remotely with an TALKING? Android smartphone or tablet, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, or by talking to PAIR UP Amazon’s Alexa. Smartphone or tablet must have a 3G or 4G LTE internet connection. www.belkin.com — click on WITH SOME Products.

SMART The Amazon Tap, above left, is an Alexa voice-enabled portable Bluetooth speaker. The Echo, center, is the main hub for controlling Alexa-compatible devices. The Dot, above right, accesses Alexa around the house but individual Dots are needed for each room. DEVICES WeMo Light Switch, right, is compatible with Alexa and other voice-control systems.

20 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE January 2017 bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop

BLUEBONNET MAG JAN 2017.indd 18 12/8/16 10:25 AM

67% 25% 75% Homeowners buy A quarter of homeowners are Spending on smart smart technology installing smart devices for systems and devices CEDIA, an international trade association for the connected for various reasons. security and safety, 18 percent diers depending home, and home remodeling and design site Houzz.com The majority say it’s for entertainment, on the type of surveyed almost 1,000 homeowners who are planning or — 67 percent 14 percent cite temperature technology. Three- recently completed a home renovation project. Among — want better control and 12 percent say it’s quarters of those security, safety for lighting. upgrading for smart the ﬁndings of the 2016 Houzz Smart Home Trends Survey and protection home security and presented at the CEDIA convention: of their homes safety spend $1,500 against intruders, or less on those 52 percent cite features, while only monitoring and 45% 5 percent invest controlling the Percentage of those renovat- more than $5,000. safety of their ing homes who are incor- home when they porating smart systems or are away and 30 devices that can be monitored percent cite the or controlled through a smart- ability to monitor phone, tablet or computer; 26 With Apple HomeKit, try the August Smart any activities percent are including voice- Lock HomeKit Enabled, $229 within their home. controlled features. Use your Apple or Android mobile device and tell Siri to lock and unlock your door. Mounted on the inside of your door (you keep your door’s exterior hardware), this locks and unlocks your door, With Amazon Echo, Apple creates a virtual key for guests and keeps track of of HomeKit or Google Home, try who has had access to that the Phillips Hue Ambiance door. It automatically locks light starter kit, $200 behind you and unlocks as you approach (with your Bathe any room with shifting levels of white smartphone). You can also ambient light or a multitude of colors (up turn it on or o when you to 16 million, they say) to match your mood, want. The manufacturer music or movies. The Hue’s small operating promises easy installation. device, called a “bridge,” connects via Wi-Fi www.august.com — click on and can be controlled with a smartphone August Smart Lock tab. app or the voice-controlled devices. The new models have deeper colors. Also works Siri’s voice commands for Apple devices, such as the smartphone Phillips Hue Ambience bulbs let the user change the look and feel of a room with Logitech Harmony, Nest and Samsung at top, can be used to control a variety of products including the with voice commands. The bulbs work with a variety of voice-command devices. SmartThings. www.meethue.com. August Smart Lock, above.

With Google Home, try the Nest Cam Outdoor, $200 Rain or shine, 24/7, this slick small outdoor camera can detect activity. You can check out the scene on your smartphone via the Nest app. It plugs into power, so no batteries to worry about. Video is recorded and Google Home’s voice-connected smart home system comes in an array of colors, above, and lives in the cloud; works with the Nest Cam Outdoor, left, which lets a you can speak user see and talk to visitors remotely. to a visitor or intruder via the camera and your phone. There’s a simple indoor camera too, also $200. Website video makes installation look simple. www.nest.com — click on Products.

bluebonnet.coop January 2017 BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Texas Co-op Power 21

BLUEBONNET MAG JAN 2017.indd 19 12/8/16 10:25 AM Winter’s cold — not summer’s heat — leads to highest demand for energy in Bluebonnet’s area WINTER’S By Will Holford inters in Central Texas are typically mild, sunny and beautiful. They’re our reward for enduring long, hot Texas summers. But as all Texans Wknow, winter weather can change from incredibly pleasant to bitterly cold in a matter of hours. Weather is the driving factor in how much electricity is needed. Hot summer temperatures lead to high demand for energy to cool Texas homes and businesses. The top 10 hourly peak demand records for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, which manages the electric grid for most of the state, were all set during August. But for Bluebonnet, it is the coldest winter mornings that result in the highest demand for electricity. Peak demand for energy occurs at the moment when the most megawatts of electricity are needed to provide enough power to every Bluebonnet member. Nine of the top 10 monthly peak demand records for Bluebonnet’s electric distribution system were set during January, February or March. Only the 10th highest peak record was set in August. “Bluebonnet’s peak demand for power is almost always during a winter month,” said Eric Kocian, Chief Engineer and System Operations Officer for the co-op. “Since we see a spike in demand on cold days, particularly in the mornings, it’s almost certainly attributable to homes’ and businesses’ heating systems. Especially on days when temperatures are in the 20s, electric heat systems require a lot of power and really turn the meters.” John Osgood, a Bluebonnet member who owns a farm in Uhland and owns a heating and air conditioning business with his brother, Charles, confirmed cold temperatures cause heating systems to use more electricity. Osgood used his own home and farm as examples. water. Here is an analogy that might help: Electric demand is like the amount “I’ve got heat pumps at my home and at the farm,” Osgood said. “They of water, measured in gallons per minute, flowing through a hose. At peak are energy efficient and require very little electricity to run the units. But demand, the water is flowing at full force. At lowest demand, the water is if I go to electric mode (on the heating system), they draw about 70 amps, merely trickling out. Electric consumption is equivalent to how many gallons five times more electricity than when using the heat pump.” of water you use during a billing period. Electric demand at the consumer level ERCOT manages the majority of the state’s electric grid, but is how much electricity a home or busi- every electric utility plays a role in providing safe, reliable power ness needs to power every electric device What is the forecast for the to Texas consumers. From ERCOT to the smallest electric utility in use at that given moment. Demand rest of winter? Find out at in the state, the electric grid must be designed and built to be able changes from moment to moment as air bluebonnet.coop, in the Latest to provide enough energy to meet peak demand. As the state’s conditioners in the summer and heaters News section of our homepage. population increases, so too does demand for energy. in the winter cycle on or off. Bluebonnet owns and maintains more than 11,000 miles of At the consumer level, demand is electric distribution lines that carry power from 44 electric sub- measured in kilowatts, except at large industrial and commercial facili- stations to more than 91,000 meters. Aggregated across its entire system, the ties, where it’s measured in megawatts. One megawatt is enough to power co-op uses peak demand data as one way to measure growth on its electric about 200 homes during periods of peak demand. grid. It also looks at the peak demand data at the substations and the power Electric consumption is the amount of electricity used over a period of lines, called feeders, which carry power from the substations to the meters. time, usually a 29- to 31-day billing period. At the household level, con- Bluebonnet’s substations provide power from two to as many as five feeders. sumption is measured in kilowatt hours. The typical home in Bluebonnet’s A feeder can serve several thousand meters along dozens of miles of line. service area uses about 1,200 kilowatt hours of electricity per month. “The peak demand data at the feeder level shows us how that section of At the utility level, peak demand is how much energy is needed to line is performing and if we need to make improvements in order to serve the provide power to every utility customer. Peak demand at the utility level is electric load, especially during periods of peak demand,” Kocian said. “We measured in megawatts, and consumption is measured in megawatt hours. constantly look at the data from the substations to the last meter at the end of Confusing? It can be, especially because electricity can’t be seen like the line to ensure reliability and plan for future growth.” n

22 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE January 2017 bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop

BLUEBONNET MAG JAN 2017.indd 20 12/8/16 10:25 AM Winter’s cold — not summer’s heat — leads to highest demand for energy in Bluebonnet’s area WINTER’S PEAKS

Keep comfy while cutting power use Regardless of what type of system heats your home or business, it’s important to regularly maintain it to keep it running safely and eciently, said John Osgood, a Bluebonnet member who owns a heating and air conditioning business. “If you have all-electric heat, the most important and easiest thing you can do is keep the filter clean,” Osgood said. “If it’s a heat pump, keep the filter clean and you’ll need a qualified technician to make sure the refrigerant is properly charged and the outside condenser is clean. If you have a natural gas or propane system, keep the filter clean and have a qualified technician check out the furnace.” Other ways you can reduce electric demand and consumption, save money, and keep your home comfortable during winter is by closing blinds and curtains on north-facing windows, and opening window coverings on south- and west-facing windows during the day to take advantage of the sun’s energy to warm your home.

water. Here is an analogy that might help: Electric demand is like the amount of water, measured in gallons per minute, flowing through a hose. At peak BLUEBONNET’S TOP 10 PEAK DEMAND RECORD-BREAKING DAYS demand, the water is flowing at full force. At lowest demand, the water is merely trickling out. Electric consumption is equivalent to how many gallons of water you use during a billing period. 495 89 ERCOT manages the majority of the state’s electric grid, but 488 479 USAGE 454 467 every electric utility plays a role in providing safe, reliable power 454 450 444 to Texas consumers. From ERCOT to the smallest electric utility in megawatts 438 (all-time in the state, the electric grid must be designed and built to be able on record-setting days peak) to provide enough energy to meet peak demand. As the state’s 436 population increases, so too does demand for energy. 3 Bluebonnet owns and maintains more than 11,000 miles of HIGH AVERAGE LOW 3 3 34 37 electric distribution lines that carry power from 44 electric sub- 28 32 29 34 31 33 31 stations to more than 91,000 meters. Aggregated across its entire system, the TEMPERATURES co-op uses peak demand data as one way to measure growth on its electric on record-setting days 4 9 7 grid. It also looks at the peak demand data at the substations and the power lines, called feeders, which carry power from the substations to the meters. Bluebonnet’s substations provide power from two to as many as five feeders. DATE Jan. 9, Feb. 10, Dec. 7, Jan. 7, Feb. 6, Mar. 3, Jan. 8, Feb. 23, Mar. 5, Aug. 12, A feeder can serve several thousand meters along dozens of miles of line. of record-setting usage 2010 2011 2013 2014 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015 2016 “The peak demand data at the feeder level shows us how that section of line is performing and if we need to make improvements in order to serve the Nine of the top 10 monthly peak demand records for Bluebonnet’s electric distribution electric load, especially during periods of peak demand,” Kocian said. “We system were set during cold weather in January, February or March. Only the 10th constantly look at the data from the substations to the last meter at the end of highest peak record was set during hot weather, in August of last year. the line to ensure reliability and plan for future growth.” n

bluebonnet.coop January 2017 BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Texas Co-op Power 23

BLUEBONNET MAG JAN 2017.indd 21 12/8/16 10:25 AM Deadline nears for government youth tour, scholarship program here’s no better way to immerse yourself in American history and government than visiting Washington, D.C. TBluebonnet service area high school students are invited to apply for a free trip to our nation’s capital as part of Bluebonnet’s Govern- ment-in-Action Youth Tour. Applications are Resolutions to save due Jan. 27, 2017. Two students (in 10th, 11th or 12th grade) will be selected to visit the U.S. Capitol, meet members of Congress and see historical sites energy, money in 2017 from June 7-16, 2017. They will also receive 12 New Year’s resolutions will help save electricity and money a $500 scholarship during their senior year. Bluebonnet is also offering $2,500 scholar- JANUARY: JULY: ships to graduating high school seniors who Turn your thermostat down by Grill your dinner outside and serve are pursuing a trade and technical certificate, about 10 degrees before you go to bed or leave fresh, cold salads as side dishes, giving your an associate degree in a vocational field, or home in the morning. You can save up to 1 per- stovetop and oven a rest. a bachelor’s degree. The deadline for the cent on heating for every degree you lower the heat for eight consecutive hours. AUGUST: Run your clothes washer, dryer Scholarship of Excellence program is March and dishwasher after dark to keep heat and hu- 1, 2017. FEBRUARY: Pull your refrigerator away from midity out of the air. Applicants for both programs must live in the wall and vacuum or dust its condenser and the home of a parent or legal guardian who is coils. Clean coils can help prevent your fridge SEPTEMBER: Get that heating and air-con- a current Bluebonnet member with an active from overheating. ditioning tech back to the house for a winter account and who resides in Bluebonnet’s ser- heating inspection and tune-up to save on your MARCH: vice area (including towns and cities that are Spring for an annual inspection of winter bills. within Bluebonnet’s service area). Students your heating and air-conditioning system to keep in accredited home extended-study programs it running efficiently and smoothly all summer. OCTOBER: Seal air leaks around windows, are eligible to apply. APRIL: Hire a licensed electrician to inspect doors and other openings with caulk and Applications are available through area your home’s wiring system (at least once a de- weather-stripping. Don’t forget places where high school counselors and vocational in- cade). cables and wires come through walls. structors, at Bluebonnet’s five member -ser MAY: Wash your windows – inside and out – and NOVEMBER: Close off your fireplace and vice centers in Bastrop, Brenham, Giddings, use it just for special occasions. Every time Lockhart and Manor and at bluebonnet.coop. open the drapes. The sun can warm and brighten your rooms better through clean windows. you use it, your home’s heated air flies up the Hover over the Community tab, and click on chimney. Scholarships. JUNE: Trim your hedges, shrubs or trees to For more information, contact a member keep them far enough from your house that they DECEMBER: Replace those old holiday service representative at memberservices@ don’t pose a hazard/problem, but close enough to lights with LED fixtures, which last for years bluebonnet.coop or 800-842-7708. shade windows from summer’s heat. and use far less energy.

Four Bluebonnet Board seats up for election on May 9 luebonnet Electric Cooperative is accept- Candidates can be nominated either by pre- coming a Director link. ing applications for its Board of Directors senting an application for nomination with at Application for nomination forms are available through Feb. 8. Bluebonnet members least 50 signatures from co-op members in their at the co-op’s member service centers in Bastrop, Bwill elect four directors to the board during the respective districts or by paying a $250 filing fee Brenham, Giddings, Lockhart and Manor and at co-op’s Annual Meeting on May 9. in certified funds. bluebonnet.coop, under the About tab and then The Board is made up of 11 directors who The candidate must be at least 21 years old Reports & Forms. serve staggered three-year terms. The four seats and a co-op member in good standing. He or All candidates’ petitions, filing fees and appli- up for election this year represent District 3 for she also must agree to a background check cation for nomination forms must be submitted Bastrop County; District 4 for Lee, Milam and and meet other qualifications outlined in at a member service center by 4 p.m. Feb. 8. Williamson counties; District 6 for Austin, Colo- Bluebonnet’s bylaws, which are available at For more information, contact a member ser- rado and Fayette counties; and District 7 for bluebonnet.coop. Hover over the About tab, vice representative at memberservices@blue- Washington County. click on Leadership and then click on the Be- bonnet.coop or 800-842-7708.

24 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE January 2017 bluebonnet.coop

BLUEBONNET MAG JAN 2017.indd 22 12/8/16 10:26 AM Are you thinking

Bluebonnet S?wants to help! Considering solar power for your home or o ce? Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative can provide valuable information and help you make your solar installation a reality.

To find out more, visit a member service center or call 800-842-7708. At bluebonnet.coop, click on Net Energy Market, then Home Renewables & Green Rates.

bluebonnet.coop

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BY CYNDY IRVINE

During the 1930s, as the gloom of the Great Depression lingered across America, East Texas experienced a financial boom because of the discovery of oil. The new- found resource brought a population surge and unexpected prosperity. New London became home to one of the richest rural school districts in the nation. A modern facility for grades K–11 (there was no 12th grade) was completed in 1932. The campus encompassed busy oil derricks and pipelines, and included an elementary school, a junior/senior high school, a gymnasium and the first-in-the-area lighted stadium for Friday night football games. No expense was spared. Yet, to save the site. Buildings in the area were con- victims are engraved around its base. $300 per month, school officials decided verted into morgues and field hospitals. Parents filed charges of negligence, but to tap into a residue line of Parade Gaso- Floodlights were set up, and rescuers all lawsuits were eventually dismissed, and line Company and obtain free natural gas, searched for victims through the night. no individual was found to be liable or then considered a valueless byproduct Seventeen hours after the blast, the site directly responsible. The Texas Legislature from the oil wells. The oil companies had was clear. The grief-stricken community mandated that all utility gas be odorized no use for the gas, and siphoning some of reeled in shock. so that leaks can be more easily detected; it from a pipeline for homes and busi- Of the 500 students and 40 teachers other states and countries followed suit. nesses was a common money-saving in the building, approximately 294 died Today, natural gas and propane emit the practice. At that time, natural gas had in the explosion, making it the third- distinctive rotten-egg odor of the harmless no distinctive odorized additive. deadliest disaster in Texas history. Only but pungent chemical mercaptan. Unknown to anyone, an estimated the 1900 hurricane in Galveston, in which The London Museum opened in 1998 64,000 cubic feet of natural gas leaked from 6,000–8,000 people perished, and the 1947 across from the explosion site on Texas a faulty connection and accumulated in the Texas City ship explosion, which claimed Highway 42. Visitors can view a collection basement beneath the junior/senior high 576 lives, killed more people. of photographs and newspaper clippings, school building. At 3:17 p.m. on Thursday, Every family in New London was telegrams and letters of condolence, tran- March 18, 1937, as high school classes were affected. Ten days later, when classes scripts of survivor accounts and personal about to adjourn, the machine shop teacher resumed in the gymnasium and makeshift artifacts gathered from the wreckage. flipped a switch to turn on a power sander. tents, only about half of the original stu- The museum also offers a working 1938 The switch ignited the gas, and the dents were in attendance. A new building, soda fountain and small café. Volunteers, building exploded with a force that could which would become today’s West Rusk including head docent John Davidson, be felt for miles. The main school build- High School, opened its doors two years whose older sister died in the explosion, ing’s walls and roof collapsed, crushing later. Many New London residents would are dedicated to promoting awareness of victims in a massive pile of debris. not recover from the tragedy. Some moved the tragedy and keeping alive the memo- Hundreds of people rushed to the scene away; some never spoke of it. ries of those who died that day. and began digging through the rubble. The world shared the community’s “There is an old saying,” says Davidson, Desperate parents struggled to find their grief. Hundreds wired their condolences. “ ‘No one is ever dead, truly dead, until no children. Rescue workers, including nurses Funds for a monument were donated, and one remembers them and no one speaks and doctors, law enforcement, oil field in 1939, a 32-foot tall granite cenotaph was their name.’ We remember.”

PHOTO ARCHIVES PHOTO roughnecks and Texas Rangers, rushed to erected near the site. The names of the Cyndy Irvine is a San Antonio native.

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30 Texas Co-op Power January 2017 TexasCoopPower.com Recipes Breakfast for Dinner

ANDREW ZIMMERN To kick off the New Year, we’re serving breakfast at the end of the day. I can eat huevos at any hour, and the habit is shared by my friend Andrew Zimmern, chef, writer and host of the Travel Chan- nel’s Bizarre Foods. “Everyone—whether you’re 5 or 50 years old—loves the moment when the rules go out the window, and French toast and bacon hit the dinner table,” he says. “Chilaquiles with homemade salsa roja is my favorite way to break the rules.” PAULA DISBROWE, FOOD EDITOR

Chilaquiles With Fried Eggs

SALSA ROJA 4 cups water 4 ancho chile peppers 2 tablespoons safflower oil 1 small white onion, minced (about 1 cup) 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 4 cups diced tomatoes in their juice Salt to taste

SALSA VERDE 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 small onion, minced 2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced ½ pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves 1 ripe avocado 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

TORTILLA STRIPS 12 fresh corn tortillas ⅔ cup safflower oil, or more as needed Salt to taste

CHILAQUILES 2 tablespoons safflower oil 4 eggs 1 cup cotija cheese or queso fresco

FOOD: MADELEINE HILL. ZIMMERN: STEVE HENKE MADELEINE HILL. ZIMMERN: STEVE FOOD: CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

TexasCoopPower.com January 2017 Texas Co-op Power 31 Recipes

Breakfast for Dinner CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 1 ripe avocado, diced THIS MONTH’S RECIPE CONTEST WINNER 1 red onion, minced CARLY TERRELL | UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES We’ll take our eggs and breakfast sausage in enchilada form any time 1. SALSA ROJA: Bring water to a boil. of day. Terrell says this recipe is a family favorite for breakfast, brunch Toast ancho chiles in a small pan over or dinner. Feel free to substitute ham, chorizo or sautéed vegetables medium heat, then remove. Place chiles for the sausage. in a bowl, cover with boiling water and let sit 30 minutes. Remove, trim away stems and seeds, and set aside. Breakfast Enchiladas Continue cooking until the sausage is 2. Pour safflower oil into a medium pan. 1 pound breakfast sausage cooked through and the vegetables and Add onion and garlic and cook 10 minutes Pinch each salt, pepper and ground mushrooms are softened. Remove from over medium heat until caramelized. Add cumin to taste heat and cool slightly. the soaked and cleaned anchos, cumin, 1 green bell pepper, chopped 3. Prepare enchiladas. Spoon a healthy chipotles in adobo sauce and tomatoes. ½ red onion, diced amount of sausage mixture into the Cook over medium heat until sauce has 1 cup button or cremini mushrooms, center of each tortilla and top with a reduced by about 30 percent, about 10 stemmed and sliced tablespoon of cheese. Roll tortilla snugly minutes. 8 flour tortillas and place seam-side down in the baking 3. Remove from pan and let cool. Purée 2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey dish. Repeat, using the remaining tor- the salsa in a food processor or blender. Jack cheese tillas and filling. (Keep the ends of each Season with salt and set aside. 6 eggs, beaten enchilada “open,” or unstuffed, so the 4. SALSA VERDE: Combine garlic, salt, ½ cup milk egg mixture can seep in.) onion, jalapeños, tomatillos and cilantro 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes 4. In a medium bowl, whisk together in a food processor and pulse to form a and green chiles, slightly drained the eggs and milk with an additional chunky paste. Jalapeños, thinly sliced, for garnish pinch of salt and pepper. Fold the toma- 5. TORTILLA STRIPS: Preheat oven to 350 Green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish toes and chiles into the eggs, stir to degrees. Cut tortillas into 2-inch strips, Lime wedges for garnish combine, then pour the entire mixture then place on a cookie sheet and bake Salsa or hot sauce for garnish over the filled tortillas. Gently jiggle 5 minutes to dry slightly. Remove. Reduce the dish to help the egg mixture dis- oven to 300 degrees. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat tribute evenly. 6. In a large skillet (a 12-inch cast iron a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with non- 5. Cover the baking dish with foil and works well) over medium heat, add saf- stick spray. bake 30 minutes, then remove foil and flower oil to a depth of ⅛ inch, roughly 2. Cook breakfast sausage in a skillet top with remaining shredded cheese. ⅔ cup. When oil is hot, fry the tortilla over medium heat. When the sausage Continue to bake, uncovered, another strips in batches until crisp, about 2–3 is about halfway cooked, add the sea- 10–15 minutes, until cheese is melted minutes. Drain on a paper towel and sonings, vegetables and mushrooms. and bubbling. Remove from oven and season with salt. Discard oil and wipe let sit about 10 minutes. Serve with the out the pan. garnish of your choice. Serves 4–6. 7. CHILAQUILES: Return the skillet to high heat and add safflower oil. When very hot, add 2 cups salsa roja and bring to a sim- mer. Add tortilla strips, turning to coat. Cook briefly, adding more salsa as needed to keep the dish saucy. Spill contents of the pan onto an ovenproof platter and cover with aluminum foil. Place in oven $100 Recipe Contest 5–10 minutes. 8. While chilaquiles are in the oven, fry Spectacular Sandwiches is the theme eggs until the whites are set, but the yolks for June’s recipe contest. How do you are still runny. honor the Earl of Sandwich and his 9. Remove the chilaquiles from the oven. classic food combo? We’ll keep your Divide onto plates and garnish each por- secret between you, the readers and tion with cheese, avocado, onions and a two slices of bread. The deadline is fried egg. January 10. 10. Chop avocado and fold with lime ENTER ONLINE at TexasCoopPower.com/contests; juice into the salsa verde. Serve immedi- MAIL to 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701; ately with chilaquiles and eggs. Serves 4. | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. BITT24 TORTILLAS: CLUB. | DOLLAR PHOTO MS.MOLOKO TERRELL. BACKGROUND: CARLY TERRELL: COURTESY FAX to (512) 763-3401. Include your name, address and phone number, plus your co-op and the name of the contest you are entering. TexasCoopPower.com Bacon and Poblano Migas tomatoes and chiles, and cheese over SANDY WOLFF | PEDERNALES EC the vegetables. Cremini mushrooms are also called Bacon and poblano peppers create a savory, not- 3. Beat the eggs and half-and-half baby portobello or baby bella. too-spicy dish that’s easy to assemble and hearty together until well-blended, then pour enough to serve for dinner. Migas are endlessly over ingredients in baking dish. Refriger- versatile, so feel free to adjust the ingredients to ate the mixture overnight, or bake imme- your liking. diately 25–30 minutes at 350 degrees 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese until bubbly and brown. (If refrigerated ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ pound bacon overnight, the casserole might take a bit ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 medium onion, chopped longer to bake.) Serves 4. 1 large fresh poblano pepper, stemmed, 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a seeded and chopped 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. 6 corn tortillas, torn into bite-size pieces Spinach and Mushroom 2. Whisk the eggs and half-and-half 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and Frittata together in a large mixing bowl. Add the green chiles, drained DANICA GOODE | GUADALUPE VALLEY EC remaining ingredients. Stir to combine, 2 cups grated cheddar jack cheese This take on a frittata is an easy-to-assemble then pour into the prepared baking dish. 6 eggs egg bake. 3. Bake 45–50 minutes, or until eggs 1 cup half-and-half have set and top is lightly browned. 1. Fry bacon until crisp, then drain, cool 3 tablespoons olive oil Serves 6–8. and crumble. Grease a 9-by-13-inch 12 large eggs baking dish with cooking spray. Scatter ¼ cup fat-free half-and-half COOK’S TIP For the best flavor and texture, allow the bacon evenly over the bottom of ½ cup finely chopped onion the frittata to rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve dish. 4 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, with your favorite fresh salsa for an extra kick. 2. Sauté the onion and poblano until the stemmed and thinly sliced onion is clear; drain and spread evenly 6 ounces fresh spinach, stemmed and WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com over bacon. Then layer the tortillas, coarsely chopped Check out a tasty variation on hash browns.

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34 Texas Co-op Power January 2017 TexasCoopPower.com Focus on Texas Churches As places of worship, ceremony and reflection, churches hold a special place in the hearts and lives of Texans. Whether modest or majestic, they give us a glimpse into the spirit of a community. GRACE ARSIAGA

WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com Join us for more go-to-meetin’ photos— they’re online, so no need to dress in your Sunday best.

g PATTI FESTA, CoServ: A church on Maui in Hawaii

d MONNI WARREN, Grayson-Collin EC: One of the many beautiful churches on Isla Mujeres, Mexico

o GEORGE LITTRELL, Grayson-Collin EC: Setting for a wedding

g AMBER ENGEL, Jackson EC: Daughter Bailey Engel, 10, found this church in Vanderbilt and thought it made a perfect photo.

UPCOMING CONTESTS

MAY TEXAS ROCKS DUE JANUARY 10

JUNE ROAD TRIP DUE FEBRUARY 10

JULY PLAY BALL! DUE MARCH 10 All entries must include name, address, daytime phone and co-op affiliation, plus the contest topic and a brief description of your photo.

ONLINE: Submit highest-resolution digital images at Texas CoopPower.com/ contests. MAIL: Focus on Texas, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must be included if you want your entry returned (approximately six weeks). Please do not submit o MARVIN PATTERSON, Brookston: irreplaceable photographs—send a copy or duplicate. We do not accept Forest Chapel Chicota United entries via email. We regret that Texas Co-op Power cannot be responsi- Methodist Church in Lamar County ble for photos that are lost in the mail or not received by the deadline.

TexasCoopPower.com January 2017 Texas Co-op Power 35 Around Texas Event Calendar 18 Galveston The Jackie Robinson Story, 1-800-821-8194, thegrand.com January 19 Crockett The Texas Tenors, (936) 544-4276, 7 pwfaa.org Farmersville Farmers & Fleas Market, (972) 784-6846, farmersvilletx.com 21 13 Edna Brackenridge Winter Carnival & Snow Fort Stockton [13–14] Pecos County Live- Day, (361) 782-5456, brackenridgepark.com stock Show, (432) 336-2541, pecos.agrilife.org Tyler Jackie Evancho, (903) 566-7424, 14 cowancenter.org Garland Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and March, (972) 381-5044, January 14–15 garlandtxnaacp.org Grapevine Butchering & Curing Workshop Pick of the Month Grapevine [14–15] Butchering & Curing Harpeth Rising Workshop, (817) 410-3185, nashfarm.org Cleburne January 27 15 (817) 489-4840, songbirdlive.com McAllen Marathon, (956) 681-3333, At Songbird Live Theatre, three classically mcallenmarathon.com trained musicians play original music on cello, banjo and violin, lyrically rooted in the 17 singer-songwriter tradition and wrapped in Lufkin The Pines Theater: Tenore, three-part vocal harmonies reminiscent of (936) 633-0349, thepines.visitlufkin.com Appalachia and medieval Europe.

MUSICIANS: NICK FANCHER | COURTESY HARPETH RISING. HAM: DREAM79 | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. EAGLE: SUSAN SCHMITZ | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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80 TCP E-newsletter YEARS Get links to our best content OF NURSERY BUSINESS delivered to your inbox each month! Feature stories, recipe and photo contest winners, 150 varieties of fruits and pecans for the monthly prize drawings— get it all in the e-newsletter! Southwest. Family-owned and grown. For our 2016–17 Season Catalog, call or visit us on the web. - - 855 993 6497 SIGN UP TODAY AT [email protected] TexasCoopPower.com

36 Texas Co-op Power January 2017 TexasCoopPower.com Van Horn Culberson County Stock Show, (432) 283-8440 28 Orange Pippin, (409) 886-5535, lutcher.org February Fredericksburg [21–22] Hill Country Gem & Mineral Show, (830) 456-5419, Emory [28–29] Rains County Eagle Fest, 3 fredericksburgrockhounds.org (903) 473-3913, visitrainscounty.com Lubbock Mike Farris & the Roseland Rhythm Revue in Concert, (806) 770-2000, Clifton [28, Feb. 4–5, 10–11] Doublewide, ttu.edu Texas, (254) 675-2278, bosqueartscenter.org 22 [3–4] Hot Rods and Hatters Hallettsville State Championship Domino Lockhart Tournament, (361) 798-2311, kchall.com Car Show and Festival, (512) 657-4616, hotrodsandhatters.com 24 Corpus Christi Blacklock’s Introduction 4 to Birds of South Texas, (361) 852-2100, Big Spring Big Spring Symphony Presents stxbot.org Winter Wonderland Concert, (432) 263-8235, bigspringsymphony.com South Padre Island [24–28], Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo, (956) 761-6801, Lake Jackson Abner Jackson Plantation spibirding.com Site Tour, (979) 297-1570, lakejacksonmuseum.org Surfside Beach Beach Marathon, 25 (409) 539-5150, surfsidemarathon.com Amarillo [25–26] Saturday Night Fever, (806) 378-3096, panhandletickets.com Nocona [4, 16–18] Mardi Gras Nocona Style, (940) 825-3526, nocona.org 27 Jasper Annual Chairman’s Banquet, (409) 384-2762, jaspercoc.org Submit Your Event! Denton [27–29] Black Film Festival, We pick events for the magazine directly from (469) 573-0799, dentonbff.com January 28–29 TexasCoopPower.com. Submit your event for [27–29] Quilt Show, Emory Jefferson Rains County March by January 10, and it just might be fea- (903) 926-6695, jeffersonquiltshow.com Eagle Fest tured in this calendar.

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TexasCoopPower.com January 2017 Texas Co-op Power 37 Hit the Road The Baron’s Burg Brilliant, resilient spirit of Bastrop is on full display

BY GENE FOWLER

If it hadn’t been for “Baron” de Bastrop, namesake of the Colorado River town 30 miles east of Austin, there might not even be a Texas. When Stephen F. Austin’s father, Moses Austin, petitioned Spanish authorities in San Antonio de Bexar to establish Texas’ first American colony in about 1820, he was refused. The self-styled baron, a Dutch immigrant named Philip Hendrik Nering Bögel, successfully interceded. I learned about the colorful baron at the Museum & Visitor Center of the Bastrop County Historical Society, which opened in 2013 in a restored former city hall built in the 1930s. By Bastrop standards, that is considered recent construction. The town was platted in 1832 where the spirit of Bastrop. Multimedia artist Maria Maria Montoya-Hohenstein and her “arteology” Camino Real, or Old San Antonio Road, Montoya-Hohenstein makes art from —using recovered dog tags—in Bastrop. crossed the Colorado River. Davy Crockett, found objects damaged in the blaze. She museum exhibits relate, spent the night calls the process “arteology.” or stone sculptures in bronze. here on his way to the Alamo in 1836. Montoya-Hohenstein is a member of First Friday Art Walk is a prime time to Longleaf pine and other types of wood the Lost Pines Art League, which in December experience Bastrop. The sound of music in the area created a thriving timber indus- opened the Lost Pines Art Center and wafting from Pickin’ on the Porch at Larry- try. A lattice screen, rescued from the Reflective Sculpture Garden, a 1.25-acre Land Music draws walkers to The Crossing, charred mid-19th-century home of a Bas- site that repurposed a 100-year-old cotton- a rustic collection of shops and eateries trop timber tycoon, was decorated by seed mill. between Main Street and the river. “We slaves in patterns similar to Adinkra tex- A rainwater collection system provides welcome anybody who wants to play, from tiles and Ashanti architecture of Ghana. water for the site’s sculpture garden “river” beginners to pros,” says owner Larry Wil- Much of the timber came from the Lost modeled on the lower Colorado River, with son. Wilson’s shop walls are covered with Pines, the nation’s westernmost stand of a plantscape that reflects the changing mementos like his 1930s Old Kraftsman loblolly pines, at Bastrop State Park and adja- geography as the river flows to the sea. guitar signed by Willie Nelson. cent areas. Museum exhibits chronicle the Bluebonnet EC also contributed to the Back on Main Street, even Bastrop law tragic Bastrop County Complex Fire of community with a recent $30,000 grant offices become tourist attractions as visi- 2011. The worst wildfire in Texas history, to help restore the 1889 Bastrop Opera House. tors pose for photos beneath the old-timey it claimed two lives and burned more than Helmed by thespian Chester Eitze for 30 hand-painted shingle of fifth-generation 30,000 acres and nearly 1,700 homes. years, the playhouse offers a lively bill of Bastropian Joe Grady Tuck. Three scorched pines and a torched saxo- drama, melodrama and musicals. What does it say? phone testify to the conflagration’s wrath. A kinder incarnation of fire forges art- “Honest Lawyer.” Six solid 10-by-10-inch loblolly columns, work at Deep in the Heart Art Foundry, estab- Gene Fowler is an Austin writer who special- cut from trees burned in the fire and lished in 1980 and owned and operated by izes in history. donated by Bluebonnet Electric Cooper- artist Clint Howard since 1999. Visitors ative, anchor the museum exhibits. can tour the foundry by appointment WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com The Hidden Pines Fire of 2015 and Monday through Friday and watch its 43 . See a slideshow that captures Bastrop’s

recent floods further engaged the resilient employees immortalize artists’ clay, wax art scene. MCSPADDEN WYATT

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