Not for the Faint of Heart: DEVILSDEVILS RIVERRIVER You Run with the Bulls, Texas Vets Get the Bucks
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LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION MAY 2010 A MOVEABLE FEAST FIRST MONDAY TRADE DAYS Not for the Faint of Heart: DEVILSDEVILS RIVERRIVER You Run With the Bulls, Texas Vets Get the Bucks. The RVOS Insurance Run With the Bulls is a series of 5K and Kids K fun runs held across Texas offering a “no bull” approach to raising awareness and funds for Texas Veterans. Our service men and women put their lives on the line for us – running from no one. Now RVOS gives you the chance to run for them. By the way, just like our well-known approach to doing business, these runs will have no bull. TEXAS VFW tSWPTCVMMSVODPN May 2010 VOLUME 67 NUMBER 11 FEATURES 10 Not for the Faint of Heart: Devils River Story and photographs by Jody Horton The wild and remote Devils River melds diverse biological crossroads as it navigates some of the most rugged landscape in Texas. 16 Simply A-mazing Story and photographs by Jody Horton West of San Antonio, the Graff family offers an “agri-tainment adventure” via the South Texas MAiZE, a giant maze carved from 10 a cane field. FAVORITES Footnotes by Gene Fowler The Republic of the Rio Grande 29 Recipe Roundup A Moveable Feast 30 Focus on Texas Farmer’s Bounty 41 Around Texas Local Events Listings 43 Hit the Road by Ashley Clary First Monday Trade Days 46 # # # 29 30 46 16 TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Darren Schauer, Chair, Gonzales; Kendall Montgomery, Vice Chair, Olney; Rick Haile, Secretary-Treasurer, McGregor; Steve Louder, Hereford; Billy Marricle, Bellville; Mark Stubbs, Greenville; Larry Warren, San Augustine PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin Texas Co-op Power is published by your STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Bill Harbin, Chair, Floydada; Gary Nietsche, La Grange; Roy Griffin, Edna; Bryan Lightfoot, Bartlett; Melody Pinnell, Crockett; Anne Vaden, Corinth; William “Buff” Whitten, Eldorado electric cooperative to enhance the qual- COMMUNICATIONS STAFF: Martin Bevins, Sales Director; Carol Moczygemba, Executive Editor; Charles Boisseau, ity of life of its member-customers in an Associate Editor; Suzi Sands, Art Director; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager; Ashley Clary, Field Editor; Andy Doughty, Production Designer; Sandra Forston, Communications Assistant; Kevin Hargis, Food Editor; Camille Wheeler, Staff Writer; educational and entertaining format. Rachel Frey, Intern COVER PHOTO Stefan Pharis, foreground, and Jeff Fazio on Devils River by Jody Horton May 2010 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 3 editor in the March 2010 issue taking us to task for printing letters the December 2009 story “Borderline” about the fence being built along the KEEP THE HISTORY COMING Texas/Mexico border: I always enjoy reading Texas Co-op Power, but the March POWERTALK It was very disturbing to read 2010 issue was my favorite. the criticism of printing the Moses Rose by Clay Coppedge border fence article. If a reader (Footnotes in Texas History, PRAISE THE LORD, PASS should have bought their own wants to avoid controversy, he “Moses Rose Didn’t Budge”) THE PIMENTO CHEESE! private insurance policies (for or she can always skip to the was great! Texas has so much I smiled when I read the hurricane damage). Instead, next article. history and myth, it was nice to “Spread the News” pimento they received federal disaster As far as the article being hear this story. I need more! cheese article by Juddi aid—in essence making the one-sided, it looked to me like DAVID TOWNSEND Morris in the March 2010 rest of us pay their claims. the author was factual. Those Mid-South Synergy issue. In the South, it’s like JAMES VAN DYKE facts indicate that OUR gov- having the family Bible on the Pedernales Electric Cooperative ernment implemented a reac- TAKE IT SLOW coffee table. We put pimento tionary, simplistic and terribly ON RIVER ROAD cheese smack-dab in the I WAS A MIGHTY MITE expensive solution to a very The March 2010 Hit the Road middle of every celery stick. Thank you for printing the complex set of circumstances. article “El Camino del Rio” only Praise the Lord, pass the article covering the Masonic This “quick fix” approach has began to describe FM 170. pimento cheese celery sticks, Widows and Orphans Home had negative effects on many Drive Presidio to Lajitas, then please, and God bless Texas! Mighty Mites (“The Mighty of OUR friends and neighbors Lajitas to Presidio, and you will KIM CORDES Mites: The Orphans Who and on the landscape and believe it is two different roads. Little Elm Could,” December 2009). economy of OUR state without It is some of the most amazing I entered the home in March making much progress toward scenery, and the road signs Editor’s Note: This story did 1939, and I remember all of improving border security. mean exactly what they say. not appear in all editions of those pictured or mentioned I applaud your occasional Take the time to go slow and Texas Co-op Power. It is in the article. I, along with all publication of any article out- soak in the majesty. available on the website, Masonic Home boys, was side the “feel good” realm that If time and daylight permit, www.texascooppower.com. immediately immersed in the might make us more aware of consider driving FM 2810 football culture. Upon advanc- the realities that affect OUR through Pinto Canyon to/from DON’T RELY ON ing to high school age, we daily lives—keep up the good Marfa to/from Ruidosa. It is an GOVERNMENT were then dubbed “Mighty work! unpaved, rugged road through Your March 2010 article Mites.” We did our best to BOB FREE private property, so travel is at “Count Me In!” about the 2010 deserve that title. Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative your own risk. Another interest- census illustrates all that has RICHARD W. OPPERMAN ing point is the Chinati Hot become wrong with this coun- United Cooperative Services Regarding the letter that Springs resort, an oasis in the try. Its main focus is using the advised Texas Co-op Power to Chihuahuan Desert. census to extract money from CONTROVERSY IS OK stay away from controversy, STELLA LUNDY the federal government. A number of readers I say, “If you don’t stand for Wood County Electric Cooperative Hardin County residents responded to a letter to the something, you will fall for any- thing.” I have raised four col- lege graduates. I inculcated this premise as they grew. MELDING THE VINTAGE AND THE MODERN They are all hardworking, red- blooded Americans who have earned the right to stand up The March 2010 edition of Texas Co-op Power, which against “political correctness” featured the cover story “Seeds of Change: Farmer Finds and protect our land. Niche,” was especially meaningful to me. A Texas farmer LES BAILEY, SGM, U.S. ARMY (R) Bartlett Electric Cooperative with soil on his hands wearing jeans, a denim shirt, a gimme cap ... and a cell phone. Just like with electrification We want to hear from our readers. Send letters to: Editor, Texas Co-op Power, in the ’30s, there is always a way to meld the modern world 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701, or e-mail us at letters@texas- and the land, and the electric co-op does it every day! ec.org. Please include the name of your Kelley Stalder, Farmers Electric Cooperative town and electric co-op. Letters may be edited for clarity and length and will be printed as space allows. Read additional letters at www.texascooppower.com. 4 TEXAS CO-OP POWER May 2010 HAPPENINGS Red-dirt music. Texas swing. The sweet sound of a bow drawn across strings. If country and western is your thing, then give those dancing boots a workout at the CANADIAN RIVER MUSIC FESTIVAL. Set for May 8 near the top of Texas in Canadian—practically within shouting distance of Oklahoma, where red-dirt music got its name—the festival promises toe- tapping performances ranging from brash bluegrass to Western folk and dance hall twang. The six-band lineup includes Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys. Nix is continuing the tradition of his father, the late Hoyle Nix, who patterned his West Texas Cowboys band after Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys. Festival headliner Stoney LaRue, a Texas native who cut his musical teeth on The first edition of the Texas Oklahoma’s red-dirt scene, delivers a powerful blend of country, blues and soulful rock. Almanac—whose slogan is Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and older; children 12 and younger are admitted free. “The Source For All Things For more information, call (806) 323-6234 or go to www.canadianrivermusicfestival.com. Texan”—was published in 1857. The 2010-11 edition—the 65th since its first printing—is now Lineman Rescues Paratroopers available, and it’s 736 pages from Lost Pines long. Among this year’s high- CO-OP PEOPLE lights are an article on Lady Bird Johnson and a history of Victor Vaña, a veteran lineman at Bluebonnet he reported that the straps on his equipment Scandinavians in Texas. To Electric Cooperative, was driving home on had cut off his blood circulation, causing his left order a copy, go to www.texas Saturday, January 23, when the call came over side to go numb. almanac.com. his truck’s two-way radio. Vaña quickly backed his truck into position, A dispatcher asked Vaña if he could retrieve a put on his safety harness and raised the boom, Texas Army National Guard paratrooper stuck in lifting his truck’s two-person bucket nearly to the branches of a tree at the Camp Swift train- its full height—just a little over 40 feet.