LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION APRIL 2012 HARD WORK THE LACY WAY CUPCAKES TREATY OAK

2012: INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF COOPERATIVES

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TTEXAS’E X A S ’ LARGESTL A R G E S T RRURALU R A L LLENDERE N D E R April 2012 VOLUME 68 NUMBER 10

FEATURES

8 Hot Wheels By Carlos Mendez The Dallas Cowboys are huge in Texas— and so is NASCAR at Texas Motor Speedway, where the track encircles an infield so big it could hold four Cowboys Stadiums. April’s Samsung Mobile 500 weekend is expected to draw 400,000 fans.

14 Hand-Me-Down Work Ethic By Suzanne Haberman Photos by Woody Welch Kirk Lacy, maintenance manager of Texas Electric Cooperatives’ utility pole manufac- turing plant in Jasper, heeds his father’s words: “Don’t do anything you can’t sign 88 your name to.”

DEPARTMENTS ONLINE

Footnotes by Martha Deeringer Treaty Oak 35 TexasCoopPower.com The following April stories are available Recipe Roundup Cupcakes 36 on our website. Focus on Texas Easter 39 Texas USA by Camille Wheeler Around Texas Local Events Listings 40 Above and Beyond: Lineman and Rescuer Mike Seale Hit the Road by Connie Strong Calvert 42 Observations by Harry Noble Let There Be Light: the Delco generator

35 3642

TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Rick Haile, Chair, McGregor; Ron Hughes, Vice Chair, Sinton; Darryl Schriver, Secretary-Treasurer, Merkel; Randy Mahannah, Perryton; Billy Marricle, Bellville; Melody Pinnell, Crockett; Mark Stubbs, Greenville

PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE: William “Buff” Whitten, Chair, Eldorado; Bryan Lightfoot, Texas Co-op Power is published by your Vice Chair, Bartlett; Roy Griffin, Edna; Stan McClendon, Wellington; Gary Nietsche, La Grange; Anne Vaden, Argyle; Larry Warren, San Augustine electric cooperative to enhance the qual- COMMUNICATIONS STAFF: Martin Bevins, Sales Director; Carol Moczygemba, Executive Editor; Camille Wheeler, Associate ity of life of its member-customers in an Editor; Suzi Sands, Art Director; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager; Ashley Clary-Carpenter, Field Editor; Andy Doughty, Production Designer; Sandra Forston, Communications Assistant; Suzanne Haberman, Staff Writer; Kevin Hargis, Food Editor; educational and entertaining format. Ellen Stader, Proofreader; Israel Perez, Editorial Intern

COVER PHOTO AJ Allmendinger and fans at Texas Motor Speedway © Ralph Lauer/Zumapress.com April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 3 MUELLER METALMETTTAAL ROOFINGOOFING

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www.muellerinc.com Mueller metal rroofoof panels araree EnerEnergygy SStartar approvedapproved 877-2-MUELLER springs where the water was tions to all those Rio Grande deeper. I just knew as a kid Valley students for their POWERtalk that there was some thing liv- achievements. My father, ing down in that deep, dark Francisco Ornelas, a retired Letters from Texas Co-op Power Readers water that would drag me teacher, helped establish and under if I were to swim there. lead his chess club at Vernon My mother was the bravest Middle School in Harlingen for DIG IN: VOLUNTEER character and mystique of our woman in the world. many years. It is always nice The delightful article great state. She and many R.D. BREWER reading about students’ “Campground Comrades” in other independent, strong Sam Houston Electric Cooperative achievements these days, the February 2012 edition has Texas women pushed the lim- especially when their work prompted me to write in hopes its of what a woman’s place requires the utmost discipline. of informing your readers that was expected to be. I would GET MORE TCP ALMA E. ORNELAS LAURENTS opportunities to volunteer in have liked to have met her. at TexasCoopPower.com Pedernales Electric Cooperative our state parks can easily be BILL ROGGE Find more letters in the enjoyed without giving up Heart of Texas Electric April Table of Contents. Editor’s note: Watch for our fea- home and hearth (the kind Cooperative ture story scheduled to run in Sign up for our E-Newsletter without wheels). Texas Master June about the phenomenal DEEP, DARK WATER for monthly updates, Naturalists have been doing prize drawings and more! success of Brownsville and Rio it for years. There are at least Your article about Balmorhea Grande Valley students in chess 42 local chapters with 6,000 State Park [“Don’t Forget to competition. trained Texas Master Look Down,” February 2012] CHESS SUCCESS Naturalists across the state, brought back thoughts of Thank you for acknowledging WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! and opportunities to help our growing up in West Texas. Brownsville, the Chess ONLINE: TexasCoopPower.com/share EMAIL: [email protected] state parks have never been The memory that stands out Capital of Texas, in your MAIL: Editor, Texas Co-op Power, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701 so abundant. the most is my mother swim- January 2012 issue [Who Please include your town and electric co-op. JAN DEATHERAGE ming at the far end of the Knew? item] and congratula- Letters may be edited for clarity and length. Texas Master Naturalist CoServ Electric

ARTICLE PLANTED A SEED Thank you for your “Keyhole The Value of Volunteering Gardening” article [February LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION FEBRUARY 2012 Thank you to Texas Co-op Power and writer Charles Boisseau 2012]. I look forward to finally GLOBAL CO-OP SPIRIT KEYHOLE GARDENING MOVIE SNACKS growing a garden this year with for the outstanding and well-timed February 2012 cover story “Campground Comrades” about volunteers in Texas state my 1-year-old daughter, and this 2012: INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF COOPERATIVES article will give me a great start. CAMPGROUND parks. The value of volunteering has never been more appreci- COMRADES PAUL FARINELLA A Natural Fit: Volunteer Park ated than now, when drought and wildfires have reduced visi- Hosts Are at Home in the Wild Pedernales Electric Cooperative tation and revenue needed to keep parks operating. Another option for those who would help: Consider making a donation I greatly enjoyed the magazine at www.texasstateparks.org/helpparks. this month, especially the article Likewise, the story highlighting beautiful Balmorhea State about keyhole gardening—I will Park also is timely, as the most important thing people can do to be trying it soon! Thank you! help keep our parks open is to visit them, since visitor fees pay about half the cost to HELEN SHOUP Central Texas Electric Cooperative operate state parks. A bright spot in tough times is how they bring out the true colors of friends and all who care about these great treasures. STRONG TEXAS WOMAN Carter Smith, Executive Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department That was a fascinating article about a special Texas woman Give Woody Welch kudos for that great cover photo in the February magazine. Nice. [“Dr. Sofie Herzog,” February Kelly Coppage Foster, Bandera Electric Cooperative 2012] who helped shape the

TEXAS CO-OP POWER (USPS 540-560) is published monthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC). Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX and at additional offices. TEC is the statewide association representing 76 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 or email [email protected]. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE is $3.96 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. Direct questions or comments about advertising to Martin Bevins, sales director. © Copyright 2012 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohibited without written permission. Willie Wiredhand © Copyright 2012 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 5 POWERconnections Making the Cut Three major nationwide pro- Energy and Innovation News—People, Places and Events in Texas grams offer homes third-party energy-efficiency certifications. Here’s a breakdown of program standards and a tally of how many homes have made the cut. Banking on Green Homes Energy Star Third-party energy-efficiency certifications can boost homebuilders’ claims and fetch New homes with Energy Star higher sales prices. By Suzanne Haberman labels are generally 20 to 30 percent more energy efficient than standard homes. Features f you’re in the market for an energy-effi- Standard by the International Code Council of Energy Star-qualified new cient house this spring, you don’t have and National Association of Home Builders; homes include effective insula- to take the builder’s word about its per- and LEED (Leadership in Energy and tion, high-performance win- Iformance. Look for third-party energy- Environmental Design) for Homes from the dows, tight construction and efficiency certifications instead. U.S. Green Building Council. ducts, efficient heating and These certifications endorse homes that Local programs, energy audits and cooling equipment, and Energy meet certain energy-efficiency and envi- energy ratings are also available in some Star-rated lighting and appli- ronmental standards meant to save money areas. The City of Austin, for example, ances. In Texas, 29,074 new on utility bills and make wise use of began its green-home rating system in 1991 homes earned Energy Star cer- resources. A home can be energy efficient —the first such program in the country— tifications in 2010. Visit without being certified, but getting the and some electric cooperatives in Texas www.energystar.gov. guarantee of a third party can take the offer energy audits. guesswork out of how it will function. To get homes certified, a builder has to National Green Whether the guarantee is necessary is a work with a rater, an independent party Building Standard question for the potential buyer. “The con- who makes sure homes meet all the energy- The National Association of sumer, we know, responds well to a third- efficiency standards. The builder pays vari- Home Builders’ energy-efficient party certification label,” says Nate Kredich, ous registration and certification fees. building and conservation pro- vice president of residential market devel- Certification programs take into consid- gram, the National Green opment for the U.S. Green Building eration homes’ environmental impacts and Building Standard, sets certifi- Council. “The trust factor is high.” use of resources. Energy-efficient houses can cation criteria for site develop- Third-party energy-efficiency certifica- save homeowners money on their bills. The ment, indoor environmental tions have been available for decades, and EPA estimates that an Energy Star-qualified quality, homeowner education, there are three major programs nationwide: home can cut annual heating, cooling and and resource, energy and water Energy Star by the U.S. Department of water-heating costs by $200 to $400. efficiency. As of March, 3,761 Energy and the U.S. Environmental The potential for saving money over the new and remodeled homes in Protection Agency; National Green Building life of an energy-efficient home can be an the country had earned attractive selling point. “It’s a marketing National Green Building tool,” says Bill Messick, North Texas field Standard certification. Visit studies supervisor for the Texas Comp- www.nahbgreen.org. troller of Public Accounts Property Tax Assistance Division. LEED for Homes While such statistics are not tracked in The LEED for Homes rating Texas, in some parts of the country, studies system sets up standards for of multiple-listing service data show that myriad categories, including homes with third-party energy-efficiency a home’s materials, air quality, certifications fetch higher prices and sell location and water efficiency. faster. In the six-county Portland, Oregon, A LEED-certified home uses metropolitan area, certified new homes 20 to 30 percent less energy sold for an average of 8 percent more than a home built to the between May 1, 2010, and April 30, 2011, 2006 International Energy according to Earth Advantage Institute. Conservation Code. By early “Green homes are starting to stand out,” 2012, there were 1,531 LEED- Kredich says. certified single- and multifamily homes in Texas, most of them Suzanne Haberman, staff writer new. Visit www.usgbc.org.

6 TEXAS CO-OP POWER April 2012 HAPPENINGS Every day, Texas restaurants serve up an estimated 800,000 orders of a beloved culinary favorite: the WHO KNEW? battered, breaded and gravy-smothered chicken-fried steak. While many towns take pride in their own ver- CACTUS CAPITAL sion of the steak (usually a thin cut of beef from the OF TEXAS round), only one—Lamesa, south of Lubbock—is the In the far West Texas town of “Legendary Home of the Chicken-Fried Steak,” as Sanderson, population 876 at declared by the Legislature in May. last count, the desert’s cacti The legend was created from scratch. In 1976, the easily outnumber the people. Austin American-Statesman published a fictional No wonder the Legislature story about a short-order cook at a Lamesa diner who declared Sanderson, the Terrell overlooked the comma in a waitress’ order for County seat, the Cactus Capital “chicken, fried steak.” He cooked the steak like chicken, of Texas in 1999. The arid rolling it in flour and milk and frying it. Trans-Pecos Region in which The story, set in 1911, was meant as a spoof, but some news Sanderson sits features more outlets repeated it as truth. All said, the hoopla has benefited Lamesa, which will hold its than 100 species of cacti—the second annual CHICKEN FRIED STEAK FESTIVAL April 27-29, featuring a most diverse collection in the chicken-fried steak cook-off, hot-air balloon rally, 5K run, motorcycle and classic car shows, U.S.—including strawberry, and live music. For more information, visit www.ci.lamesa.tx.us or call (806) 872-4322. prickly pear, horse-crippler, Find hundreds of happenings all across the state at TexasCoopPower.com. dog cholla and claret cup.

The Rochdale Pioneers—a group of working men in Rochdale, England—established the first modern cooperative business model, 2012 the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society, in 1844. With the mission INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF of providing basic goods at lower prices to member-customers, they opened a store at 31 Toad Lane with meager offerings, including two COOPERATIVES dozen candles and one sack of oatmeal.

Lamar EC Rallies Around CO-OP PEOPLE Family with Blood Drives BY ASHLEY CLARY-CARPENTER did the same throughout the community. Their efforts were rewarded. On November 1, 2010, Lamar Electric Cooperative Member Services “We had people we were turning away because we were so busy,” Director Marci Thompson was busy organizing a co-op blood drive Thompson said, explaining that some people donated on Carter’s when her phone rang. It was LEC member Darlena Shimpock, who behalf at nearby blood drives. “People who knew the family, people asked Thompson: “Can the credits who didn’t ... it was an outpouring of love.” from the blood drive go to my The first drive was so successful that Thompson organized two grandson, Carter Allen Townes?” more for Carter. Carter’s mother, Timberley Townes, said the dona- MICHAEL TOWNES Three days earlier, 3 1/2-year- tion of blood-drive credits—which individuals accrue each time they old Carter was diagnosed with give blood—has helped defray the medical expenses of Carter’s mul- Precursor B-Cell Acute tiple blood and platelet transfusions. Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a Carter is surrounded by family. He, his mom and his father, type of cancer in which the bone Charlie, live in Clarksville near grandparents Gerald and Elaine marrow makes too many immature Townes and grandparents Tim and Darlena Shimpock of Annona. Carter Allen Townes celebrated his fifth lymphocytes, a type of white blood All are LEC members. Carter’s journey—blogged by his mother, birthday on April 11. ‘He’s a happy kid— cell. ALL is the most common type other family members and friends—can be tracked at www.caring what more could you ask for?’ says his of cancer in children ages 1 to 7, bridge.org/visit/cartertownes. mother, Timberley Townes. but Carter’s case is rare and high “We’ve met lots of wonderful people on the way,” says Darlena, risk because his body has not one, but two defective chromosomes Timberley’s mother. “It’s a journey, and it’s happening to show all of that produce leukemic cells. us something.” Thompson’s immediate answer was yes, and she sprang into action on Carter’s behalf, contacting East Texas Broadcasting, which Ashley Clary-Carpenter, field editor operates four area radio stations, to help spread the word. Shimpock Send Co-op People ideas to [email protected].

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN MARGESON April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 7 With eventual winner Matt Kenseth hugging his bumper (left, black Ford Fusion), Clint Bowyer (yellow Chevrolet Impala with Cheerios logo) leads the way during last year’s Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Bowyer finished second.

GETTY IMAGES/COURTESY OF TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY Racing hearts and revved-up engines: NASCAR and Texas Motor Speedway drive Texans wild

Hot WheelsBY CARLOS MENDEZ

It was the smell. Unmistakable. Gasoline. And the sound. Startling. An explosion. But not just one explosion. Forty-three all at once—in the bellies of 43 race cars—that made then 40-year-old Marina Kerr fall in love on a sunny afternoon in April 2003. “So in love,” she said.

8 TEXAS CO-OP POWER April 2012 err, now 49, was at her first the same festival feel. NASCAR is the NASCAR Sprint Cup Driving School. NASCAR race. She didn’t know No. 1 spectator sport in America, aver- And the NASCAR Racing Experience in K much about auto racing. But aging close to 100,000 fans a race, and which fans can drive a real racecar that was OK. She liked cars, and the it has more of the top-20 attended around the track. enormous track of Texas Motor events than any other sport in the Texas Motor Speedway is a poster Speedway, off Interstate 35 West United States. On TV, it is the nation’s child for the hit that NASCAR racing has between Fort Worth and Denton, was No. 2-rated regular-season sport, become in this state in the track’s 17 filled with them. behind the NFL. years in North Texas. “When I was 13, 14, 15, and my girl- NASCAR fans drive all over the “Every type of person you can imagine friends were out at the mall buying country to get to a race, taking their is out here,” said Troy Bagwell of Decatur, makeup, I was over at my brothers’ RVs or motor homes or sometimes just a first-time visitor to the track in best friend’s house with my head their pickup trucks. They camp inside November for the AAA Texas 500. “It’s under the hood of a ’69 Chevelle SS the track. They camp outside the track. really cool.” Super Sport, and I’ve been crazy about They come early, and when the race is cars ever since,” she says. over, they pack up and begin the trip Dallas Cowboys … and NASCAR But up until that day at her first back home, or to the next race. The fans come mainly from Texas, of race, in the seconds before the start, It’s a family vacation for some, an course. But Texas Motor Speedway before the traditional command— annual tradition for others. For many, President Eddie Gossage says the track “Gentlemen, start your engines!”—she it’s a requirement of sorts, necessary to has season-ticket holders in all 50 states. didn’t know how crazy. fill a latent need for speed, especially in The sagging economy has dragged down “The first time I came out, they a state like Texas with wide-open Texas Motor Speedway’s attendance were still running leaded gasoline in spaces and a seemingly endless expanse numbers to about 150,000 for the most the cars,” she said. “And when they of highways. Fittingly, perhaps, Texas recent Sprint Cup races, the headline cranked up those 43 motors and the provides a huge fan base and one of the attraction. But in recent years, the track smell of that gasoline ... I was in love. biggest and fastest tracks on the series. has drawn as many as 216,000 fans for I was so in love.” And every April, the fans and the one day of Samsung Mobile 500 racing. best teams and drivers converge for “I never would have expected it,” Kerr America’s No. 1 Spectator Sport the biggest sporting event in Texas, said last November at the AAA Texas More people than Marina Kerr of based on attendance: a weekend of 500, sitting with a book in a lawn chair, Grand Prairie have been smitten by racing that culminates with the shaded by her RV that’s been parked in Texas Motor Speedway. The mile-and- Samsung Mobile 500, one of 36 races the infield at Texas Motor Speedway for a-half track, encircling an infield so big in NASCAR’s annual, points-based that four Cowboys Stadiums (home of Sprint Cup Series. Almost a decade ago, Grand Prairie's Marina Kerr attended her first NASCAR race. ‘I was in the Dallas Cowboys) could fit inside it, During three days of racing this love. I was so in love,’ she says of that experi- is big and loud and alive on race day. spring, April 12-14, Texas Motor ence at Texas Motor Speedway. A typical race weekend looks like Speedway officials expect 400,000 this: NASCAR fans, on the scene for fans—the usual crowd—to pack the days now, fill the infield with tents, infield and grandstands in anticipation RVs and flags with the numbers of of the grand finale: the Samsung Mobile their favorite drivers flying. Souvenir 500 in which big-name drivers such as stands sell shirts, jackets, headphones, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Dale Christmas ornaments—anything with Earnhardt Jr. are scheduled to compete. a driver or a sponsor logo. Crowds mill The scene, on a slightly smaller and gather around pit road and the scale, will repeat November 1-4 with garage, snapping pictures, hunting the NASCAR Camping World Truck autographs and watching the crews Series and Nationwide Series races make final race-car preparations (the and another Sprint Cup Series race: cars now run on a 15-percent ethanol the AAA Texas 500, which is the blend fuel). eighth of 10 races in the Chase for the At the start/finish line, Willie Cup that culminates the Sprint Cup Nelson, Trace Adkins, Foreigner and Series and determines its champion. ZZ Top have all put their tunes to And every June, the track welcomes warm-up duty for the crowd. the IZOD IndyCar Series, the coun- Motorcycle daredevil/stuntman Robbie try’s top open-wheel racing series. Knievel, son of the late Evel Knievel, Those are just the biggies. There’s a has jumped cars and buses at the dirt track, too. Bring-your-own-street- start/finish line. car drag races on Friday nights in the But it’s not only Texas Motor summer. The Texas Motorsports Hall of Speedway that buzzes. All 26 of the Fame. Banquet rooms for proms and

nation’s official NASCAR tracks offer weddings. Condos off Turn 2. The SHARON ELLMAN

April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 9 © RALPH LAUER/ZUMAPRESS.COM © SAM SHARPE/WWW.THESHARPEIMAGE.COM

rule. And for NASCAR to have become this big, it’s just amazing.” Kerr represents a growing trend: About 40 percent of NACAR’s fan base is female. And kids are every- where, too. Here at Texas Motor Speedway, they’re carrying around bags full of goodies and souvenirs, tot- ing autograph books and pens as if they were looking for Mickey at Walt Disney World. The Texas track, and many others like it around the country, promotes a family environment. Outside the grandstands, the area between Turn 4 and Turn 1 becomes a midway with games for kids, car exhibits, souvenir stands and racing arcades. Fans can munch on a funnel cake and get their picture taken in a replica of Edwards’ Sprint Cup car. “My daughter got us started in this GETTY IMAGES/COURTESY OF TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY years ago,” said Glynn Timmerman of TOP LEFT: Arguably the most famous driver in NASCAR—Dale Earnhardt Jr., who’s carrying on his late father’s legacy—gives lucky fans the autograph of a lifetime at November’s AAA Texas 500. Arlington, who walked the midway at TOP RIGHT: On race day, everything moves at lightning speed: Here, a pit crew works in seamless the November race with his family and synchronization to get Matt Kenseth back on track during the Samsung Mobile 500 last April. 11-year-old daughter, who had discov- BOTTOM: Kenseth, trading his racing helmet for a cowboy hat, fires a pair of bulletless six-shooters in Victory Lane after winning the 2011 Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. ered NASCAR at the age of 3. “She got me and her mama years ago by watch- a couple of days now. She’s been to grandstands surrounding her like the ing it on TV... She just sat there in front every NASCAR race at Texas Motor walls of a canyon, and she sees them of the TV watching Tony Stewart going Speedway except two or three, she fig- filling up, it still surprises her a little. around and around in circles. She got ures. And over the years, she’s gotten to It’s an awful lot of people for a car race. us all hooked doing it that way.” know many of the people who park near Why? Well, this is Texas, after all. her in the infield. “Texans aren’t about cars,” Kerr said. Texas Speed, Texas Money Kerr doesn’t give the stereotypical “They’re about football. They’re about On November 28, 1994, Bruton Smith, impression of the rowdy race fan. No the Dallas Cowboys, you know? Of owner of seven tracks that hosted old shirt, no beer can. She could be run- course, right now, they’re about the NASCAR races, announced he was ning a PTA meeting. But she knows Texas Rangers because we made it to building an eighth, and that it would be what a winning car ought to sound like. the World Series. But in this part of in Texas. Yet when she looks around at the the world, anyway, the Dallas Cowboys The choice for the site was the

10 TEXAS CO-OP POWER April 2012 Alliance Corridor, a growing business April 1997, drew more than 200,000. area north of Fort Worth with plenty of Which was wonderful. NASCAR Flags open space. Five months later, on April It also drew rain. Days of it. Which Six of the main flags waved during races to 11, 1995, NASCAR drivers Bobby and was not wonderful. Cars, trucks and communicate with drivers: Terry Labonte, Texas-born brothers, RVs were stuck in the mud. The park- and Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon ing lots were not paved the first year. helped break ground on Texas Motor That, combined with an untested traffic Green: Signals the Speedway at the northeast corner of plan, produced a problem-filled first beginning of a race the intersection of Interstate 35 West day. It took fans hours to get into the and any restarts; and Texas Highway 114. The site is speedway and out. the track is clear. about 22 miles north of downtown “The parking lot was a mud bath,” Fort Worth and 40 miles northwest of said racing reporter Bryan Broaddus, downtown Dallas. who grew up in Dallas and covers the The facility was designed with speedway for ESPN Dallas. “It was dif- Yellow: The track is more than 190,000 fans in mind. “I ficult just getting in and out. But I not clear (accident, was just amazed at the amount of never wavered from going to the track debris, weather- grandstands they were building,” and supporting the track.” related issues, etc.)— Bobby Labonte said. “I thought, ‘Can As faithful as NASCAR fans are, slow down and hold they fill them up?’ I knew they would. Texas Motor Speedway could have lost your position When things happen in Texas, it’s a lot of them that day. The track had behind the pace car. going to be big.” not made a good first impression. But Texas Motor Speedway is patterned Gossage, the track president and pro- after Charlotte Motor Speedway and moter, worked the phones. He and his Atlanta Motor Speedway, two other staff called ticket holders personally, to Red: The track is tracks owned by Smith. All three fea- apologize for the inconveniences. They unsafe, and there is ture quad-oval tracks with four cor- delivered on a promise to do better. a situation that ners, offering the best possible views The traffic routes in and out are requires immediate for spectators. now clear and well-rehearsed. Parking attention. Cars But Texas Motor Speedway has its is free. Fans are welcome to bring their must go to a desig- own personality. For one, it’s fast. own food and beverages. Planning a nated location and NASCAR drivers here typically qualify day to go out to the track is no longer stop. at speeds approaching 190 mph. And like planning an expedition. the record qualifying speed is 196.235 “That has a lot to do with Bruton by Brian Vickers in 2006, making it Smith,” Broaddus said, noting that the fastest qualifying lap in NASCAR Smith-owned tracks in such places as Black: Come into the in the past 10 years. He covered the Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, pits immediately mile-and-a-half oval in about 27 1/2 Tennessee and Texas “are very fan- and report to a seconds, breaking the previous speed friendly … Texas is right up there when NASCAR official. mark of 194.224 mph set in 2002. you talk about amenities and parking This flag typically It’s tricky. There’s a bump in one of and how you can see the track.” is waved at an indi- the corners, a holdover from the early Texas Motor Speedway can handle vidual car, indicat- years of the track when it had to be a crowd. As much as anything, that is ing a mechanical repaved a couple of times. what race promoters and sponsors problem or a rules And it’s rich. The Samsung Mobile want. Eyeballs on the cars. Even as violation. 500 in April 2011 paid out more than attendance has dipped with the econ- $7 million, and winner Matt Kenseth omy, Texas Motor Speedway is still got $525,886. That makes it one of the delivering those results. three richest stops on the circuit. (No “The racing is good there, and the White: Waved when driver wants to miss a shot at the fans show up,” Bobby Labonte said, the driver in the Texas money, or the chance to wear noting that big races at Texas Motor lead begins the final the cowboy hat and fire a pair of bul- Speedway make for busy weekends— lap of the race. letless six-shooters in Victory Lane). something that racing sponsors like But mostly, it’s fast. “It’s a man’s race because of the huge crowds. “Texas is track,” racing legend A.J. Foyt, a Texan, one of those places where everybody said. “That kind of race track is the kind puts on their calendar and likes to go.” Checkered: The flag that separates men from boys.” Sure seems like a good place to fall that every driver in love. wants to see—it is On Track After a Muddy Start waved when the Texas Motor Speedway did not start Carlos Mendez is a sportswriter for the winner crosses the

smoothly. The first Sprint Cup race, in Fort Worth Star-Telegram. finish line. FLAGS DAVID KENT

April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 11 Technology Breakthrough ➻ Safe, comfortable bathing from Jacuzzi® Enjoy A Bath Again… What To Look For in a Walk-In Tub: Safely and Affordably Five major considerations to help make an informed decision before buying a Walk-In Tub:

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April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 13 hand-me- down work ethic

BY SUZANNE HABERMAN PHOTOS BY WOODY WELCH

As the pine logs roll through TEC’s pole manufacturing plant, Kirk Lacy hears his father’s words: ‘Don’t do anything you can’t sign your name to.’

irk Lacy remembers how, as a child, his mother would squeeze his hands between her palms and say with pride K that one day, those hands would be calloused from hard work. She also said he would be happy to be alive. To generations of Lacys—from his grandfather Martin C. Lacy Sr., a San Augustine County motor grader opera- tor, to his father, Martin C. Lacy Jr., a maintenance man—hard work meant

14 TEXAS CO-OP POWER April 2012 being able to provide for family. That’s plant’s senior vice president in January line schematics in his office. They’re filed the Lacy way: Work and family keep the and worked with Lacy for 14 years. alongside other souvenirs of his work, hands calloused and the heart tender. That kind of hands-on experience, such as models of 18-wheelers with spe- After nearly 34 years of working at Faulds says, is equivalent to a degree in cialized trailers for hauling pines and Texas Electric Cooperatives’ utility pole engineering, and Lacy’s buddies say he poles, as well as mementos of his family, manufacturing plant in Jasper, Kirk can sit down with the best. like the snapshot of him standing in Lacy’s hands are indeed calloused— That is, if he had time to sit down. Texas Stadium during a 2006 family trip roughened, brawny and browned from to tour the home of the Dallas Cowboys the East Texas sun. “I can’t let my name FROM LIGHTBULBS TO PEELING LINE (the team’s new facility, Cowboys down,” he says. Stadium, opened in 2009). As maintenance manager of the rom a green camouflaged golf cart For Lacy, work and family go hand Manufacturing and Distribution Services with thick, meaty tires, Lacy in hand. plant, Lacy has had his hands on every- makes his rounds to assess the thing from lightbulbs to the giant grounds. As the sun breaks FAMILY MAN, COMPANY MAN machines that can peel bark off 100-foot F through the morning clouds, the tall trees. He’s one of about 80 employees oily smell of creosote used to treat poles he office from which Lacy —pole markers, harvesters, assembly- seems stronger in the humid air. But Lacy works—as well as the mainte- line workers and truckers—playing a part doesn’t detect it. “I smell the flowers,” he nance manager title—first in a carefully choreographed dance on says, sporting a dimpled smile and point- belonged to his father, who the 50-acre plant where as many as ing to a cluster of yellow wildflowers T worked at TEC’s original, now 120,000 slash, loblolly and longleaf pines growing in the midst of the ever-moving closed, treating plant in Lufkin. That’s from East Texas and Louisiana woods are industrial scene he surveys. His eye where Kirk Lacy was born, but he did fashioned into utility poles and shipped sweeps over them, and on to the boiler most of his growing up on a 27-acre all across the country every year. room, steam and creosote-treating farm in the piney Angelina National “I’m proud of everything because I cylinders and pole-peeling lines. Forest near the banks of the Sam have my hands on all of it,” he says. He’s identifying what needs repairs Rayburn Reservoir after his father relo- “I’ve never had just a job.” —and finding ways to increase effi- cated for work. Lacy’s father dedicated ciency. He’s looked at it so many times around 20 years to TEC. ‘CLEANIN’ FLOORS AND FIXIN’ FLATS’ that it just takes a glance to know when “I’ve always eaten from the profits of something needs fixing. “Kirk knows this place. Always,” Lacy says, explaining he 50-year-old Lacy—a 5-foot-8- the plant like the back of his hand,” that TEC paychecks have supported him inch man with broad shoulders Caldwell says. “He knows where every his entire life and now support his wife and a gray-fringed goatee— skeleton is, and how to fix it.” and children, too. “We’ve grown up with began working part time at the Lacy spots slack in a chain below a it. It’s like family.” T plant in 1978. “I started when I conveyer belt in one of the two peeling At 18, Lacy married his teenage heart- was 16, on May 19 at 9 a.m.,” he says. “I systems and a burned-out lightbulb throb, Angela. A black-and-white photo will never forget it.” over the classification department of her as a young woman, posed in jeans He started out just “cleanin’ floors and where poles are measured. Taking and a tank top, is pressed under the glass fixin’ flats,” but within two years, Lacy mental note, he plans to delegate the top of his work desk at the center of a was on full time, climbing from laborer to fixes to his 11-man maintenance team. photo collage, which also features mechanic to welder and millwright. Pausing, Lacy dips into a can of another love: a Yamaha V Star motorcy- Sixteen years later, he moved from the Copenhagen snuff he pulls from a back cle. For about eight years, Lacy says, he garage to the office to serve as mainte- pocket of his Wranglers. and his wife “ripped, romped and nance manager. In his position, he man- Although both peelers are engineer- played,” and then had two children, ages and schedules repairs, construction ing marvels—processing about one Megan, 23, the only woman who has and improvements for the entire Jasper pole a minute, tossing them like tooth- worked in the plant’s manufacturing facility. But that’s just the start. picks over conveyer belts with the area, and Sam, 20, a Marine serving in “It’s not a glamour job, by no thunder-like sound of roller coasters— Afghanistan. Lacy wells up with proud means,” says Assistant Maintenance Lacy takes special pride in peeler No. tears at the thought of his son and pulls Manager Billy Wayne Caldwell, who 1. It’s all about the angle, he explains— out his cellphone to show off a picture of has known Lacy since the two met at it can’t be a straight line. Lacy draws Sam in uniform in front of an American church 31 years ago. “It takes a pretty one across a white sticky note to illus- flag backdrop. At a loss for words, Lacy special person to sit on top of it and trate his point. He thinks best in pic- crosses his index and middle fingers: He manage it.” tures, he says. The angle keeps and his son are that tight. May marks Lacy’s 34th year with pressure on the whole length of the Two years after Sam was born, Lacy TEC—34 years “that I have seen the tree, resulting in a cleaner peel. Lacy adopted the title—and the work ethic— same thing every day,” Lacy says matter- knows the exact angle because he of his father, the former maintenance of-factly. His tenure at the pole plant is designed it, and then built it to the manager. “My father told me, ‘Don’t do the longest in the department, says specs within one-sixteenth of an inch. anything you can’t sign your name to, Charlie Faulds, who retired as the Lacy stows his hand-drawn peeling- boy,’ ” Lacy recalls.

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® Note: GovMint.com. is a private distributor of government and private coin and medallic issues and is not affiliated with the United States Government. Prices and availability subject to change without notice. ©GovMint.com, 2012 **Price based on spot market silver price of $28.88. He takes that to mean doing the best Caldwell shows no surprise. Buy, sell, possible job on everything he touches, babysit, psychoanalyze, weld—“Kirk is and he asks his crew, a gang he calls his good about keeping up with his guys,” “Green Berets,” to be the best of the he says. Lacy lends a hand wherever best. That’s “the way I was raised,” Lacy needed to keep all parts of the plant says. “I’ve got to improve upon myself, moving. or my job might become stagnant, and Caldwell, who calls himself the more they might need someone else.” laid-back of the two, clicks off the dron- ing air conditioner. By the time he can ‘FULL-TILT BOOGIE’ point to a storage cabinet, Lacy is rifling through its contents. He yanks a ut even after all his years at seal from a cardboard box, holds it up the pole plant, Lacy continues to the light and examines it through his to be TEC’s go-to person for aviator-style eyeglasses. It’s not the all-things maintenance at the right fit. And that’s the way the busi- Bplant—from fixing flats to ness of maintenance goes. “You can’t Night watchman John Y’Barbo, left, improving engineering operations. plan a day,” Lacy says. He shoves the reports to Kirk Lacy that a lightbulb “If you put your eyes on it, you prob- box back into the cabinet, shuts it up has gone out over the truck refueling ably got a finger in it,” Caldwell says of and stomps out, yet searching for the station at TEC’s pole manufacturing their profession. part, not ready to give up. plant. No job is too big—or too So when Lacy bursts through the Caldwell, still behind his desk, turns doors of Caldwell’s office—a portable back on the air conditioner. “That’s small—for Lacy, who’s been the building with a remote-controlled air Kirk,” he says, “full-tilt boogie all the plant’s maintenance manager for conditioner that’s too loud to talk over— time.” nearly 34 years. He does it all. and belts out that he needs a grommet to seal an 18-wheeler’s cooling system, Suzanne Haberman, staff writer

who haul poles from the woods to the plant, Pole Manufacturing Facts and then from the plant to utilities; mill- wrights, engineers and more Snippets about Texas Electric Cooperatives’ • Employees work an average of 13 years at utility pole manufacturing plant in Jasper— plant the place, the pine trees, the poles, the people and their parlance, or lingo—shed some light PARLANCE on this deep East Texas operation. • Culls: small, busted, scarred or knotted poles that don’t meet standards; they are sold PLANT whole for raw timber value or to sawmills • Largest manufacturing employer in Jasper • Lily pads: flat, circular slices of wood cut • Encompasses about 50 acres from tops of poles; these slices are burned, • Established by TEC—the statewide associa- and can also be seen on plant’s walkways tion that oversees the interests of 76 electric used as pavers cooperatives and publishes Texas Co-op • Greens or whites: peeled poles that haven’t Power—in 1946 in Lufkin; relocated to Jasper yet been steamed and treated with creosote in the 1960s WHAT IS CREOSOTE? POLES A Chemistry Lesson • Start as slash, loblolly and longleaf pines, for the most part Creosote is the name of a preservative used to • Come from within a 150-mile radius of treat utility poles at TEC’s pole manufacturing Kirk Lacy, maintenance manager Jasper plant. But what is creosote, that heavy, oily, • Available in 5-foot increments between 25 to amber-brown liquid with a scent like tar and by weight, with creosote at the middle. 110 feet long smoke? Because its organic compounds are chemi- • About 120,000 produced annually Creosote is a distillate of coal tar, the sub- cally bonded in a ring (they’re not linear like stance remaining after carbon is extracted many organic compounds), creosote is toxic PEOPLE from coal by steel manufacturers, who alloy to organisms that would try to eat it. Its ability • Cast of 80 employees includes the procure- carbon with iron to make steel. (Creosote can to repel organisms and keep wood pliable ment team, which scouts out and marks trees also be distilled from oil or wood tar, but those makes creosote an efficient preservative in in the woods; harvesters, independent con- products have different applications.) When the pole-making process. tractors who cut down the trees; truckers, distilled, coal tar separates into three products —Suzanne Haberman

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Home Wiring Over the Hill? Consider easy upgrades to boost safety

BY KELLY TRAPNELL is still in good condition and has not been altered or improperly installed. However, fire risk increases in homes othing has the charm of an older home on a family with both copper and aluminum wiring. Corrosion to alu- Nfarm or a cute cottage in a historic downtown dis- minum from copper can lead to loose connections causing trict. But the cozy charm often comes with the need for fires. If your home has aluminum wiring, use only switches, cosmetic and structural upgrades. outlets and other accessories approved for use with that When upgrading your home, a fresh coat of paint and type of wiring system. updated fixtures may come to mind. But what about hiring a professional to update the wiring behind a switch plate or Not enough outlets outlet? Do you know the hidden dangers of aged wiring in The increasing use of chargers for phones and many other your home? electronic devices means outlets are in high demand, espe- cially in older homes where outlets are ESFI not as plentiful. A lack of outlets can result in overuse of extension cords and power strips. Be sure to use quality, 14- gauge or thicker cords that are approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Never overload an outlet. Overloading can cause heat, which increases risk of fire. Consider hiring a licensed electri- cian to add outlets to your home. Plugs fall out of outlets easily Loose plugs are a high fire danger. Older outlets that have lost their grip need to be replaced. Luckily, this upgrade is affordable. Danger in wet areas GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) outlets are now required in areas around water, like near kitchen or bathroom sinks or outdoors. But in older homes, GFCIs may not have been installed. It is fairly simple to replace old receptacles Ground-fault circuit interrupter outlets are required in areas around with GFCIs; hire a professional to water, like near a kitchen or bathroom sink or outdoors, but many older upgrade outlets near water. homes don’t have these important safety features installed. Wind causes lights to blink If you notice your lights blinking on Don’t take on wiring problems yourself—electrical windy days, it may be due to worn wiring in the weather- upgrades often require a professional who knows what head (where overhead lines enter your home). Contact your inspections and permits are needed. Here are a few clues to electric co-op to check weatherhead wiring. find out if your home’s electric network needs a profes- sional upgrade. Sources: This Old House, Underwriters Laboratories

Type of wiring Kelly Trapnell writes about safety issues for the National Modern wiring is insulated, meaning it is covered in plas- Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, tic. Older homes may have copper or aluminum wiring. Virginia-based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus Copper wiring can work just as well as modern wiring if it consumer-owned, nonprofit electric cooperatives.

20 TEXAS CO-OP POWER April 2012 ELECTRIC NOTES

Time To Clean Up Saving STOCKBYTE On Spring Energy Savings Energy The first days of spring often bring with them thoughts of spring cleaning. When you’re busy cleaning out the closets and sweeping under the rugs, don’t forget about cleaning your home’s appliances and energy-consuming equipment. Not only will you be making your home at Work more comfortable and enjoyable, you’ll also be getting more value from your energy dollar. Below, find 10 tips to get you started and estimates on the savings you can expect: 1. Dust the lightbulbs and shades, install compact fluorescent lightbulbs and save about 66 percent on lighting costs per fixture. 2. Clean or replace your air-conditioning system’s filter and save up to 5 percent on cooling costs. Now that it’s warm outside, set the thermostat to 78 degrees when you’re home, and 85 degrees when you’re away, and you’ll save 2 percent on cooling costs for each degree you raise the thermostat setting. 3. Dust the curtains, and on hot sunny days, keep curtains on windows facing south and west closed and save 2 to 4 percent on cooling costs. Take your energy-saving habits to 4. Trim back any plants or vines growing around the outdoor air-conditioner unit, and work and turn off computers and have a professional tune up the system. You’ll save up to 5 percent on cooling costs. lights when not in use. 5. Vacuum your refrigerator’s coils, and if the unit is more than 15 years old, consider replacing it with an Energy Star-qualified model and enjoy an energy savings of 40 percent. Your home isn’t the only place where you 6. Flush the sediment from the bottom of your water heater tank and set its temperature can lighten the “footprint” you leave on to 120 degrees. You’ll save 7 to 11 percent on water-heating costs. Earth. The energy choices you make at 7. Clean out the swimming pool and switch the pool filter and sweeper operations to work can make a big difference, too. early-morning or late-evening hours. Also, consider replacing pool pumps and motors with The principle is the same at home as it energy-efficient equipment. (Energy savings depend on your use.) is at work: Don’t waste electricity. 8. Thoroughly dust computers, CD/DVD players, TVs and VCRs, and then unplug them Here are five simple ways to save energy at work—even if you don’t own the when not in use. You’ll save up to 30 percent on their overall electricity use. building you work in. 9. Wash and dry full loads of laundry during the evening, and use cold water as often as 1. If you’re able to control the temper- possible. You’ll save up to 4 percent on water-heating costs. ature in your work space, keep it com- 10. Scrub the tub. Then, install energy-saving showerheads, faucets or flow restrictors. fortable, but not so cold you need to wear You’ll cut water-heating costs 10 to 16 percent. a sweater in August. For more tips on how you can save energy year-round, please contact your electric co-op. 2. Turn off lights when you leave your office or cubicle. Unplug computers and DIGITAL VISION office equipment when you go home for the day; they keep using electricity even when you turn them off if you leave them plugged in. 3. Replace the incandescent light- bulbs in your desk lamps with compact fluorescent lightbulbs. 4. Close the blinds or curtains near your workspace on sunny days to keep extra heat from radiating in through the windows, making the air conditioner work harder. 5. Choose Energy Star computers, printers and even water coolers when it’s time to replace the old ones at work. They use substantially less energy than other models.

April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 21 Above and

TEXAS USA Beyond

Have rope, will climb: The midday, East Texas sun beat down on the heat-stricken worker. H Stranded 120 feet high on a Rusk County Electric Cooperative com- Thank goodness, munications tower, with just his safety harness belt holding him in place, the local-contract repair technician could only wait for help Rusk County EC’s from his precarious perch above the co-op’s New Prospect substation. The man’s supervisor, an experienced tower climber, carried Gatorade up to the Mike Seale seems worker upon receiving his radioed distress call. But the supervisor, who was work- ing below in the substation control room with Rusk County EC Assistant to always be in Engineering Manager Rhett Reid when the call came, lacked the equipment to get the worker down. the wrong place at So the supervisor descended, and he and Reid assessed a situation worsening by the minute. Bareheaded and without water, so dehydrated that his cramped the right time. and gloved hands resembled claws, the technician slumped over in his saddle-like climbing belt hooked to the tower, his arms limply draped over a support rung and nothing but ground below. By Camille Wheeler Time to take action: Reid called 911 and the co-op’s headquarters in Henderson, 25 miles away. Send a tall bucket truck, he ordered. And send every- body who can help. Now. Inside the headquarters building that day, June 22, 2010, Rusk County EC Crew Foreman Mike Seale was finishing some paperwork when he got the mes- sage: A rescue climber was needed. Somebody who could shimmy more than halfway up a 190-foot-tall tower. Seale jumped in his work truck and sped to the site, where a small crowd, including the firefighting crew on a City of Carthage ladder truck, had gathered. Fully extended, the 75-foot ladder was roughly 40 feet short of reaching the stranded man. Various workers nervously milled about, examining ropes and rig- gings. A City of Marshall fire truck was en route with a 100-foot ladder. But the man had now been stranded for an hour in muggy heat pushing 100 degrees. Seale looked up at the helpless figure silhouetted against a blue sky. “I’ll get up there,” he said. “Give me a long rope, and I’ll get him down.” Seale scanned faces. “Anybody going up with me?” he asked. Silence. After a few seconds, a Carthage firefighter spoke up. Yes. He’d climb, too. Seale and the firefighter, both wearing safety harnesses, headed up. Seale, in the lead, carried a rappelling rope and three bottles of water on his equipment belt. With the firefighter a few feet below him, Seale reached the worker and buckled off, hooking his safety belt to the tower. The man’s hands were cramping so badly he couldn’t hold a water bottle. Seale helped him drink a little and then poured water on his own gloves, rubbing it on the man’s neck and wrists. The worker told Seale he had feared he was going to spend the night on the tower. “Nuh-uh,” Seale said. “That’s what I’m here for.” Time to go. Seale hooked the clevis end of the rappelling rope, which controls

22 TEXAS CO-OP POWER April 2012 descent speed, to the tower and the other end to a D-ring on the worker’s safety Rusk County EC Crew Foreman Mike harness. With the firefighter supporting the worker from below, Seale fed the rope Seale stands tall as the recipient of down to two more firefighters—one on the raised ladder and one on the tower— two Loss Control Program Life-Saving Awards from Texas Electric and steadied the rope as the men slowly lowered the worker mountain-rescue Cooperatives, the statewide associa- style. The rope, agonizingly, was just short of reaching the ladder, and Seale held tion that represents the interests of 76 the worker’s full weight as the firefighters eased the man through the tower frame- electric co-ops. Seale, an avid angler, work and onto the ladder. answers to the nickname of ‘Pike’—a The worker, after a brief hospitalization, fully recovered. And Seale, for his fish notorious for its sharp teeth and heroics, received the 2011 Texas Electric Cooperatives Loss Control Program Life- fighting nature. For sure, there’s no Saving Award—the second of his career. The first, awarded in 2001 for saving the overstating the size of Seale’s heart, says Buddy Bankhead, who recently life of a friend who was accidentally shot while deer hunting, brought attention to retired as the co-op’s general manager. a guy who always goes above and beyond. Of Seale’s spectacular tower-climbing Seale cut his tree-climbing teeth on contract right-of-way crews. Then, as a rescue, Bankhead says: ‘He’s the kind Rusk County EC lineman starting in 1998, he upped the ante, once even scaling a that doesn’t look back and apparently 100-foot-tall pine tree—a makeshift pole, in this case—during an ice storm to didn’t look down—only up.’ string electrical wire for Bowie-Cass Electric Cooperative in Northeast Texas. But the 46-year-old Seale, true to his line- man’s breed, shrugs off praise. “I always happen up in the wrong places at the right time,” he says matter-of-factly. And for that skill, friend and co-worker Rex Barron will forever be grateful. In November 2000, the day after Thanksgiving, Barron and his 30-year-old nephew were deer hunting near Henderson. As the men donned rain gear, Barron’s nephew laid a British .303-caliber rifle on the ground. Something caught the trigger, and the gun fired, blasting a hole in Barron’s upper right leg and shattering the femur. Blood gushed from Barron’s ruptured femoral artery. Without immediate aid, he could die within minutes. Seale, who was hunting almost half a mile away, heard the screams for help from Barron’s nephew and came roaring up on a four-wheeler, finding Barron lying in a puddle of blood. Seale cut off Barron’s clip-on sus- penders, cinching the elastic material tight around Barron’s leg to slow the bleeding. They carried Barron to the four-wheeler, propping him up behind the driver’s seat. Seale jumped behind the wheel, wrapped Barron’s arms around his waist to keep him upright and took off for Barron’s house a mile away. There, one of his sons called an ambu- lance, and Barron underwent emergency sur- gery that night. Today, Barron, a daytime dispatcher for the co-op, easily talks about the steel rod and cadaver bone graft in his leg—and the calm courage of Mike Seale, who put his certified CPR and first-aid training to good use. Without Seale’s quick action, “I’d be in heaven somewhere,” Barron says. “Anybody in need or hurt, he’s there. A good friend to have around.” But even Seale has his limits. “I’m not scared of heights, except for airplanes,” he says. “I do not fly.”

Camille Wheeler, associate editor

PHOTO BY DAVE SHAFER April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 23 24 OBSERVATIONS EA OO POWER CO-OP TEXAS Be Light There Let strung, awondrous Delco generator— brightened rural power lineswere Texans’ nights. BY HARRYNOBLE invention—the Before thefirst April 2012 I engine andgenerator, abankof12 batteries lightbulb system andan electrical grandfather’s Delco unithadthreemajorcomponents: anintegrated gasoline dark, Iworked outmy schedulearoundtheDelco. afternoon my grandfather. Becauseheenteredthebuilding onlyonceaday, anhour before inthepresenceof ordersnottoenteritexcept imagination. AndIwasunder strict in theearly1930s. proved invaluable forrural Texans, mostofwhomdidnothave service electricity inDayton,generators CompanyEngineering Laboratories (DELCO) Ohio.The generator madebytheDaytonLight Plant:agasoline-poweredelectric calledaDelco- hinged woodenwindows—theDelcohouse,whichheldsomething WardSears RoebuckandMontgomery catalogs. outhouse requiresnodescriptionandwasknownasthe final destinationof all potatoesandIrishwith driedpineneedlesandhousedbothsweet potatoes.The high,thepotatoshedwasdeeplypadded andonly4feet by8feet pine. Sixfeet once thedoorslammedshut.Prior usehadblackened allsurfaces. its rock-linedfire pitinthecenteroffloor, thesmokehouse waspitch-black floor, With smellofgasoline,kerosene, innertubesandfreshearth. hadapowerful carshed,withitsdirt but atthesametimeflashed The aheads-uptomy barefeet. the forgeatcenterofblacksmithshopimmediatelygrabbed my attention, brightredcoalsin inharmony withimpeccablemanners.The mares) eattogether corn, scattered themalongthelength ofthetroughandwatchedeightmules(all main attractions ofthelargebarn. Oncountlessoccasions,Ishucked 64earsof structure. every required outhouse.Sincetheirhomewasmy ElDorado, Istillclearlyremember efficient blacksmithshop,acarshed,smokehouse, woodshed,potatoshedandthe room housewithfrontandbackporches,my grandparents hadalargebarn,an There weretwo dozendifferentThere Delcomodelsbuilt intheDayton plant.My building feltmystical,The achallengeto my reasoning,anescaperoutefor my leavesThat oneother building,a10-by-10-foot withonedoorandtwo structure thatsmelledofseasonedoakandrich woodshedwasan openstructure The hayloft andthetroughthatfedeightmules atthesametimeweretwoThe farmer in northwest SabineCounty.farmer innorthwest In arranged six- additiontoasmartly n the1930s,my grandfather wasconsidereda successfulEastTexas inside my grandparents’ house. By charging the batteries each afternoon, we had a few hours of electricity for lights at night. At Delco time, my grandfather would swing the door open, serving two pur- poses: It allowed for the quick release of gasoline and kerosene fumes and let in the day’s remaining rays of sunlight to help him see. Inserting a key that sounded the password of admittance, he punched a button to start the single- cylinder, air-cooled engine directly con- nected to a direct-current generator running on gasoline. As soon as the engine heated, it switched over and ran on kerosene, a cheaper fuel. The engine powered the generator, and the generator recharged the 12 bat- teries. When the charge was complete, the unit shut itself off. The batteries, then fully charged, provided several hours of 32-volt DC power to operate the house lights and a smattering of small appliances. The gasoline engine/generator was bolted to a foot-high concrete block in the center of the wooden shed. A 1 1/4- inch steel pipe, connected directly to the engine, extended horizontally through the north wall for 6 inches and was capped with a round muffler about 6 inches in diameter. The muffler’s characteristic sound grabbed my fancy and never relinquished it. The engine, as already mentioned, had only one cylinder giving the harsh run- ning sound of “POP … POP … POP … POP … POP ...” Rather than muting the sound, the muffler merely softened it to a gentle “puff ... puff … puff ... puff ... puff ...” The exhaust sound carried as far, but with a kiss-like softness that caressed the eardrums. Watching every move my grandfather made in the Delco house, it wasn’t long before I knew every start-up tactic by heart and was begging him to let me take over the responsibility of charging the batteries every evening. He refused, proba- bly because he personally held the Delco in respect, treating routine procedures with caution. He continued to stand firm on his rejection, and I never got to run the generator. But no matter where I was, I ran for the Delco house when I heard that “puff ... puff … puff ...” As the late 1930s marched across our calendars, bringing a world of progress and change, Grandfather’s little Delco lost its position as an obedient power source. Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative, established in 1938, spread through the backwoods and country roads, offering tremendous progress in electricity, and my grandfather signed up. The Delco went idle, and I never got to hear a “puff ... puff … puff ...” again.

Harry Noble, frequent contributor

ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN KACHIK April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 25 6060 YEARSYEARS OFOF ONLY 95 $29 includes tax, shipping & HomeHome CookingCooking handling Six Decades of Texas’ Favorite Foods, Fads & Facts

Full Color, Hardbound, More Than 600 Recipes From 60 Years of Texas Co-op Power

1940s Menus Wartime Scarcity to Post-War Plenty As soon as it is Wartime Scarcity to Post-War Plenty founded in 1944, Texas Cooperative Electric Power (shortened to Texas Co-op Power by the third issue) sets out to educate new electric consumers about the ways electricity can lighten their load, especially on the farm. Electricity “liberates the farm Cooking With Electricity: Your Family Will Like These wife,” but only if she knows how to use that new oven. Thus, Texas Co-op Power devotes The electric roaster may be called the master of the small cooking appliances. This portable piece of equipment will bake, a whole section, It’s a Woman’s World—Electrically, to using electric ranges, refrigerators, broil, steam and stew. Just plug it into a convenient outlet and it is ready for quick, economical service. You will enjoy s freezers, food dehydrators, steam sterilizers, food grinders, roasters and electric skillets, as preparing complete meals in your roaster at one time. Select foods that will cook well together and follow your instruction 1940s well as electric sewing machines, irons, clothes washers and more. book for preparation and cooking temperatures.

From the very beginning, recipes are an important way to use the last precious bits of leftover meat is to Roaster Dinner Menu component of the publication. Conservation is the combine them with macaroni in a smooth cream sauce. overriding recipe theme during World War II. Sugar and Top the casserole with buttered bread crumbs and bake Roast Beef meat are especially scarce due to rationing, introduced in a moderate oven about 30 minutes.” Creamed Carrots and Cabbage Roasted Sweet Potatoes by the Offi ce of Price Administration in 1942 to help Rice Custard the war effort. As a result, cakes and cookies are less President Franklin D. Roosevelt encourages everyone to 1940 This was a great year for fi rsts, including the fi rst Dairy Queen in Illinois, York Peppermint sweet than those of today. The natural sweetness of fruit have a Victory Garden to produce fruits and vegetables Time: 1 1/2 hours • Temperature: 500° Patties and M&Ms. is used in desserts to help sugar go farther. Meatless for their families so that commercially grown produce dinners, or dinners where a small amount of meat is can be used to feed the soldiers. This program is so 1941 No, Betty Crocker wasn’t a real person, but her cookbooks, starting with the Betty Crocker Cook served over a starch, stretch limited resources: “A good successful that Victory Gardens put out almost half of Book of All-Purpose Baking, teach generations how to cook. all fruits and vegetables in the United States during one 18 Directions—(1) Preheat roaster to 500°. (2) Place sea- Rice Custard war year. The president also encourages people to can soned 3-pound roast with fat side down in the shallow Behold! General Electric introduces the fi rst 1940 1942 Home milk delivery begins (initially as a war conservation measure).The garbage disposal makes pan of the roaster. Brown well on one side, turn and 3 eggs two-door refrigerator/freezer in 1947. food at home or at canning centers. The recipes from life easier in the kitchen. Dannon yogurt enhances healthy living. And, on the other end of the food this era don’t include many ideas for serving fruits and brown on other side. (3) Place sweet potatoes, peeled 3 cups steamed rice spectrum, the corn dog is born at the Texas State Fair. vegetables, presumably because families are eating what and cut in halves lengthwise, around roast. (4) Prepare 1 3/4 cups milk they have in the garden or have put up for the winter. carrots and cabbage and rice custard; place in the veg- 3/4 cup sugar 1943 Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya throws together an impromptu dish for Americans visiting the Victory Club etable pans. Cover and place in the roaster. (5) Cook the 1/2 teaspoon salt complete meal for 45 minutes at 500°. Then reset tem- 2 teaspoons vanilla in Piedras Negras, across the river from Eagle Pass. The beloved snack—nachos—was subsequently Supplies of food and other resources rebound after the perature to 425° and cook for the remaining 45 minutes. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg named in his honor. war, and the nation’s post-war jubilation is mirrored 1/2 cup seedless raisins in recipes. Sweet cakes with lots of frosting become 1944 The Chiquita Banana jingle admonishes America: “You should never put bananas in the refrigerator.” a celebratory treat. Cooks begin experimenting with Creamed Carrots and Cabbage Beat the whole eggs until light, add rice, milk, sugar different fl avors and new products, trends that will and other ingredients. Pour into well-greased vegetable 1946 Minute Maid frozen orange juice saves time in the kitchen, as does Mrs. Paul’s frozen food and expand greatly in the Fifties. Because of the limited 2 cups diced carrots pan and cook as directed under Roaster Dinner. Ragu pasta sauce. Leftovers can be safely stored in Tupperware. availability of packaged foods in rural areas, dishes 2 cups coarsely shredded cabbage made with cake mixes and the like don’t appear in the 2/3 cup hot water Note: This rice custard isn’t as sweet as most custards 1947 Betty Crocker cake mix goes on the market. For the fi rst time, you can enclose your treat with publication until the late Fifties. 1/2 teaspoon salt because home cooks had to limit sugar use due to rationing aluminum foil. Raytheon demonstrates the world’s fi rst microwave oven, the RadarRange. The oven 1 cup medium white sauce (or 1/2 cup sweet cream) or even shortages in the 1940s. If you don’t find it sweet weighs 750 pounds and costs $2,000 to $3,000. Still, it makes nifty popcorn. David Pace starts The December 1944 issue of Texas Co-op Power reports: Paprika enough after cooking, you may want to stir in 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk while the custard is still hot. bottling something he calls picante sauce in a rented room in the back of a San Antonio liquor “Four million homes are cooking with electricity today. Mix the vegetables, place in vegetable pan, add hot store. And the electric dishwasher arrives. The trend to electric ranges, according to manufacturers, salted water. Cook as directed under Roaster Dinner. is shown by sales of 750,000 in 1941, compared with 1948 Despite the invention of the seedless watermelon, seed-spitting contests continue to this day. Two When cooked, drain off the water, mix with cream sauce, 450,000 in 1940. ...The war halted production in 1942.” and sprinkle with paprika. great drinks—Nestlé’s Quik and V-8 juice—also come on the scene. But by 1946, manufacturers fi nally have the resources to begin producing new refrigerators, ranges and other 1949 Pillsbury holds its fi rst bake-off. All hail Jolly Rancher candy, Junior Mints and Minute Rice. appliances, which is big news at the electric cooperatives.

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32 TEXAS CO-OP POWER April 2012

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34 TEXAS CO-OP POWER April 2012 FOOTNOTES IN TEXAS HISTORY Treaty Oak:

BY MARTHA DEERINGER Rooted in Courage

The stately Treaty Oak on Baylor Avenue near downtown Austin has witnessed more than five centuries of Texas his- tory. Deeply rooted in the rich soil of the Colorado River bot- tom, the ancient, 50-foot-tall live oak is the sole survivor of a group of 14 trees known as the Council Oaks, a grove that shaded the ceremonies of Native Americans long before the city of Austin sprouted in the Texas Hill Country. Legend has it that Comanche and Tonkawa maidens brewed a magical tea made from wild honey and tender leaves plucked from the Council Oaks, offering it to warriors as protection in battle. A boundary treaty signed by Stephen F. Austin and local native leaders beneath the tree may have given the Treaty Oak its name. erate act of vandalism. Velpar’s maker, DuPont, offered a In 1861, when Gov. Sam Houston was removed from office $10,000 reward to find the perpetrator. In late June, the for refusing to sign the oath of allegiance to the Confederate Austin Police Department arrested Paul Stedman Cullen, a States of America, he climbed aboard a buggy beside his feed-store worker with a checkered criminal past who was driver, Jeff Hamilton, and said: “We have plenty of time now, accused of trying to kill the tree as part of an occult ritual. since we are both out of office, so turn back and we’ll drive Cullen was convicted of felony criminal mischief and, because over to see the Treaty Oak.” By some accounts, the great of a prior felony conviction, was sentenced to prison. He statesman sat in the shade of the oak’s spreading branches, served three years of a nine-year sentence and died in 2001. contemplating his fears about Texas’ secession. As the tree continued its frightening decline, Austin City The city of Austin grew up around the Council Oaks like Forester John Giedraitis called in the cavalry. A group of broom weeds in June. One by one, the towering trees fell or experts from around the country gathered for a single day to were cut down until, by probably the 1920s, the Treaty Oak tackle the problem. Texan billionaire H. Ross Perot gave a stood alone. blank check to pick up the tab. To reduce stress on the tree, it In 1927—with its diameter measuring a mighty 5 feet wide was cooled during the heat of the day with water mist and chest high on the trunk, and its canopy stretching almost 130 sun-blocking screens. Fertilizer was applied to its aerated feet—the Treaty Oak was admitted to the American Forestry roots, and soil was removed and replaced to a depth of 3 feet. Association Hall of Fame for Trees and declared the most per- The valiant oak produced one flush of leaves after another in fect specimen of a North American tree. a desperate attempt to rid itself of the poison, slowly slipping For the next six decades, the tree spread its dappled shade into critical condition. “Thousands of people from all over the over picnics, weddings and scores of visitors, but, in the spring country visited the Treaty Oak, leaving get-well cards, candles of 1989 ominous signs indicated that all was not well. A wide and letters at its base,” says Giedraitis, now urban forestry band of dead grass encircled the trunk, and an Austin woman program manager for the Texas Forest Service. For many, the phoned the city forester’s office in June to report seeing brown tree became a symbol of old-fashioned quiet strength pitted leaves. Experts discovered symptoms of chemical damage. against the evil that seemed to be invading the modern world. Forestry officials took soil samples, removed six to eight inches Today, about half of Treaty Oak’s crown remains. of topsoil from around the tree and injected a fine powder of Giedraitis took a pencil-sized graft, or cutting, from the tree activated charcoal mixed with water, which binds chemicals to and planted it near its injured sister, where it’s thriving. As for the charcoal mixture’s surface, making them harmless to the the big tree, “The lost crown is growing back,” says Giedraitis, tree. Another solution of microbes helped deactivate more of “and the tree began producing acorns again a few years ago.” the chemical. Then the lab report came: The tree had been The Treaty Oak joins a long list of Texas heroes who waged poisoned with Velpar, an herbicide used to kill hardwoods desperate battles for survival in the Lone Star State. growing among pine trees, which the chemical doesn’t harm. Investigators believed that some or all of a gallon of the Martha Deeringer, frequent contributor toxic herbicide—roughly 25 times the amount required to kill Go to TexasCoopPower.com to see a current photo of the the tree—had been poured in a circle near the tree in a delib- Treaty Oak.

April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 35 RECIPE ROUNDUP

author Jan Moon, owner of Little Cakes, Dreamcakes Bakery in Homewood, Alabama, puts her full creativity on display. Big Possibilities This recipe combines elements of both in one bright pink package.

BY KEVIN HARGIS Cupcakes, those staples of childhood and bake sales, are PINK LEMONADE CUPCAKES some of the hottest little desserts going these days. They are the centerpieces at 1 cup butter, softened weddings and parties, the focus of specialty bakeries and the subject of scores of 1 3/4 cups sugar cookbooks. What is it about these treats that makes them so appealing? 1/4 cup powdered pink lemonade mix For one, cupcakes are somewhat simpler to bake and decorate than a full-sized 4 large eggs cake. As a decorationally challenged baker (a pastry chef, I’ll never be), the littler 3 cups all-purpose flour cakes are easier for me to make pretty than is a whole cake. And for some junior 2 teaspoons baking powder bakers, they’re the first cakes they make. 1/2 teaspoon salt But cupcakes can also be a sophisticated dessert, with fillings and icings worthy 3/4 cup milk of a bakeshop window. They’re also convenient for a quick snack (no cutting nec- Cooking spray essary) and are easily portable. Pink Lemonade Frosting When I think about cupcakes, the first thing that pops in my head is memories Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream of childhood, whether schoolroom treats or a halftime snack (laden with purple butter, sugar and lemonade mix at icing) from the high school football concession stand. At 25 cents each, they were medium speed with electric mixer until a quick seller. creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating The fun of cupcakes is both in the making and in the eating. until blended after each addition. In small Here’s a recipe out of a cookbook full of fun ideas called Big Book of Cupcakes bowl, combine flour, baking powder and (Oxmoor House, 2011). From wild flavors (Sweet Lavender Cupcakes with Wild salt; add to butter mixture alternately with Honey Frosting) to wild decorations (Pup Cakes with sugar dog faces on top), milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Place cupcake papers in two 12-cup muffin pans and coat with cooking spray. Spoon batter into each paper, filling each about two- thirds full. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely. Frost with Pink Lemonade Frosting and, if desired, decorate with pink sprinkles, pink candies or addi- tional lemonade mix.

PINK LEMONADE FROSTING 1/4 cup powdered pink lemonade mix 1/2 cup butter, softened 2to3 tablespoons whipping cream 1 package (16 ounces) powdered sugar Dissolve lemonade mix in 3 tablespoons water. Beat butter, lemonade mixture and whipping cream at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed two minutes or until creamy.

Servings: 24. Serving size: 1 frosted cupcake. Per serving: 329 calories, 3 g protein, 12.5 g fat, 50.4 g carbohydrates, 0.4 g dietary fiber, 109 mg sodium,

2012 © RUTH BLACK. IMAGE FROM BIGSTOCK.COM 37.8 g sugars, 64 mg cholesterol

36 TEXAS CO-OP POWER April 2012 RECIPE ROUNDUP

st DEE LONGE, Navarro County Electric Cooperative PEANUT BUTTER CUP CUPCAKES 1 Prize-winning recipe: Black Bottom Cupcakes 1 box devil’s food cake mix If you’re after a little something sweet, cupcakes are a fairly simple-to-make and 5 large eggs satisfying answer. Whether it’s a full-sized cupcake with a smear of frosting or a 1/2 cup peanut oil one-bite, mini-sized pastry, these treats offer sweet satisfaction without the full- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter sized calorie count. Readers sent in an array of recipes for this month’s contest, 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (about 2 1/4 but a slight twist on an old standby caught the fancy of our judges. Thanks to the pounds), divided Texas Peanut Producers Board for sponsoring this month’s contest. 3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup or less half and half BLACK BOTTOM CUPCAKES cheese, egg, 1/3 cup sugar and dash salt in 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter 8 ounces cream cheese, softened small bowl until well blended. Fold in 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 egg chocolate chips. In large bowl, stir 3/4 cup cocoa powder 1 1 /3 cups sugar, divided, plus additional together 1 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips for sprinkling flour, baking soda and cocoa powder. 1/4 cup heavy cream Dash plus 1/2 teaspoon salt Blend in oil, vinegar, vanilla and 1 cup 24 miniature peanut butter cups 1 cup chocolate chips water. Fill cupcake papers one-third full Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat 1 1/2 cups flour with cocoa batter. Top with heaping tea- together cake mix, 1 cup water, eggs and 1 teaspoon baking soda spoon of cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle oil. Using ice cream scoop, divide batter 1/4 cup cocoa powder with sugar and chopped peanuts. Bake equally into lined cupcake pans. Bake 20 1/3 cup oil 30 minutes. Remove from pans and minutes, then remove to rack to cool 1 tablespoon vinegar allow to cool completely on cooling rack. completely. Mix together peanut butter, 1/ 1 teaspoon vanilla Servings: 24. Serving size: 1 cupcake. Per serving: 179 2 cup powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons 1/4 cup chopped peanuts calories, 2.4 g protein, 8.9 g fat, 22.7 g carbohydrates, half and half. Poke hole in the center of Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cup- 1 g dietary fiber, 135 mg sodium, 15.4 g sugars, 18 mg each cupcake (not all the way through) cake pans with papers. Beat cream cholesterol and fill with about 2 tablespoonfuls

8TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY RECIPE CONTEST Delicious, NUTritious Texas Pecans Fresh, plump and bursting with flavor, Texas pecans can’t be beat. Find out for yourself. Order some Texas pecans and enter our 2012 Holiday Recipe Contest. Send in your best original recipes, sweet or savory, using Texas pecans. Let’s get cracking! $5,000 in Total Prizes 5 Winners! $2,000 Grand Prizewinner. $1,000 Best Savory Recipe. $1,000 Best Sweet Recipe. Two Category Runners-Up Each Win $500. Send us your best original Texas pecan recipes—savory and sweet. Show us how you use Texas pecans to dress up vegetables, meats and salads or your nuttiest cookies, pies and candies. All recipes must include pecans (Texas pecans are our favorite). Winners will be featured in our December 2012 issue. Enter by August 10, 2012, at TexasCoopPower.com. Go to TexasCoopPower.com for details and official rules.

Order your Texas pecans today. www.TexasPecans.org

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Enter online at TexasCoopPower.com. Each entry MUST include your name, address and phone number, plus the name of your Texas electric cooperative, or it will be disqualified. Specify which category you are entering, savory or sweet, on each recipe. Send entries to: Texas Co-op Power/Holiday Recipe Contest, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. You can fax recipes to (512) 763-3408. Up to three entries are allowed per co-op membership. Each should be submitted on a separate piece of paper if mailed or faxed. Mailed entries can all be in one envelope. No email entries will be accepted. For official rules, visit TexasCoopPower.com.

April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 37 RECIPE ROUNDUP

peanut butter mixture. 1 tablespoon vanilla key lime zest. Spoon into paper-lined For frosting, mix together 1 cup butter, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract mini muffin pans and bake for 17 min- remaining powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons key lime zest utes or until a toothpick inserted into cocoa powder. Add enough half and half Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter center of one cupcake comes out clean. to make a creamy consistency. Frost each and cream cheese on medium speed Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, cupcake. with an electric mixer for about 2 min- remove cupcakes from pans and cool For topping, in bowl over double utes, or until creamy. Gradually add completely. boiler, melt together chocolate chips, 1 sugar, beating for 5 to 7 minutes. Add Servings: 30. Serving size: 2 mini cupcakes. Per serv- tablespoon butter and heavy cream. Mix eggs, one by one, beating just until yel- ing: 246 calories, 3 g protein, 11.8 g fat, 30 g carbohy- until smooth and shiny. Drizzle over frost- low is incorporated. Combine flour and drates, 0.3 g dietary fiber, 59 mg sodium, 20.4 g ing and top each with peanut butter cup. salt. Slow mixer to low speed and gradu- sugars, 69 mg cholesterol SARA THRASH Servings: 24. Serving size: 1 cupcake. Per serving: 454 ally add to the butter mixture, beating calories, 6.5 g protein, 26.5 g fat, 51.2 g carbohydrates, just until blended. Stir in extracts and Wise Electric Cooperative 2.9 g dietary fiber, 248 mg sodium, 39.2 g sugars, 63 mg cholesterol $100 RECIPE CONTEST DAWN TRAMMELL August’s recipe contest topic is Salad Days. The sum- Wood County Electric Cooperative mer’s heat is at its peak. What better time to pull out KEY LIME POUND CAKE BITES a cool supper salad? Send us your ideas for meal- sized salads and dressings. The deadline is April 10. 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened Submit recipes online at TexasCoopPower.com/contests. Or mail them to Home 8 ounces cream cheese, softened Cooking, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. You may also fax them to 3 cups sugar (512) 763-3408. Please include your name, address and phone number, as well as the name of your electric co-op. Also, let us know where you found the recipe or 6 large eggs whether it’s one you developed yourself. The top winner will receive $100. Runners- 3 cups all-purpose flour up will also receive a prize. 1/4 teaspoon salt 2012 © OG-VISION. IMAGE FROM BIGSTOCK.COM.

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38 TEXAS CO-OP POWER April 2012 FOCUS ON TEXAS

EASTER For many, it’s a time-honored tradition on Easter Sunday to dress up, go to church and enjoy a little time with family and friends—and try to find that wily bunny’s colorful eggs. Our winners this month reflect those amusing moments we encounter at Easter, from cracking confetti eggs on each others’ heads to happening upon an unexpected bovine donning her Sunday best. From all of us here at Texas Co-op Power, we wish you a happy and blessed Easter. —ashley clary-carpenter

1 Last Easter, Pedernales Electric Cooperative member JoAnn Beissner snapped a photo of 19-month-old granddaughter Carmen Citzler catching her Aunt Allison Fischer off guard with a cascarone, a hollowed-out egg filled with confetti.

Caleb Logan, son of South Plains Electric Cooperative members Jeff and Lesley Logan, cracks a confetti egg over the head of his unsuspecting grandfather, Ernie Watson, also an SPEC member. SPEC member Brenda Farr, Caleb’s aunt, sent in the cheery photo. 3

Mary Ellen Walls, a Central Texas Electric Cooperative mem- ber, says she has been making Ukrainian Easter eggs for nearly 40 years to give as gifts to friends 1 Rascal, a Dachshund mix, and family. One egg—they’re watches over his Easter eggs dyed, not painted—takes three to in the backyard of his mom, 10 hours to complete, she says. 3 Nueces Electric Cooperative member Audrey Gilpin. Gilpin’s Upcoming in Focus on Texas daughter, Rebecca Gilpin-Fritz, ISSUE SUBJECT DEADLINE took the photo. Jun Hard at Work Apr 10 Jul Yard Art May 10 Aug Up Close and Personal Jun 10 Sep Pet Tricks Jul 10 Oct Ooops! Aug 10 Nov Water Towers Sep 10

HARD AT WORK is the topic for our JUNE 2012 issue. Send your photo—along with your name, address, daytime phone, co-op affiliation and a brief descrip- tion—to Hard at Work, Focus on Texas, 1122 Colorado Mooove over, Easter Bunny! St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701, before APRIL 10. “Easter Elsie,” as Pedernales A stamped, self-addressed envelope must be included if you want your entry returned (approximately six Electric Cooperative member weeks). Please do not submit irreplaceable photo- graphs—send a copy or duplicate. If you use a digital Jonna Clark calls this cow camera, submit your highest-resolution images online statue, bides her time on a back at TexasCoopPower.com/contests. We regret that Texas Co-op Power cannot be responsible for photos road between Boerne and that are lost in the mail or not received by the deadline. Fredericksburg, just waiting to Please note that we cannot provide individual critiques of submitted photos. get dressed up for the holidays. 3 AROUNDTEXASAROUNDTEXAS

This is just a sampling of the events EAGLE LAKE [14–15] and festivals around Texas. For 14 Attwater’s Prairie the complete listing, please visit APRIL Chicken Festival, TexasCoopPower.com/events. (979) 234-3021, ext. 221, KINGSLAND [7–8] http://southwest.fws.gov PICK OF THE MONTH 07 House of Arts & Crafts /refuges/Texas/attwater Spring Show, (325) 388- 5693, www.kingsland BURTON [20–21] APRIL 13-14 crafts.com 20 Burton Cotton Gin JARRELL Festival, (979) 289- VICTORIA [13–14] 3378, www.cottongin Rock Solid Heroes Festival, 13 Jam Fest—Jazz, Art & museum.org (254) 289-0263, More, (361) 572-2787, http://cityofjarrell.com http://jamfestvictoria.com EDINBURG [20–21] St. Joseph Festival and BURNET [13–15] Cook-Off, (956) 279- Bluebonnet Festival, (512) 14 4451, http://stjoseph WISE COUNTY 756-4297, www WISE COUNTY Wise Chicks Chicken church-edinburg.org .bluebonnetfestival.org Coop Tour LITTLEFIELD [20–22] HUNTSVILLE Bluegrass Festival, Herb Festival, 14 ROCKDALE (806) 385-3870 (936) 436-1017 Milam County Nature 14 PORT ARANSAS [20–22] PORT LAVACA Festival, (254) 697-7045, Texas SandFest, Go Texan Cook-Off and http://txmn.org (361) 215-0677, More!, (361) 552-2959, /elcamino/naturefest http://texassandfest.com www.portlavacatx.org WISE COUNTY KILGORE Wise Chicks Chicken Coop 24 Taste, Trade & Music Tour, (940) 627-0235, Fest, (903) 984-5022, www.wisechicks www.kilgorechamber.com cooptour.com

FLAG: 2012 © ANATOLY VARTANOV. IMAGE FROM BIGSTOCK.COM. CHICKEN COOP: 2012 © TODD DAVIES. IMAGE FROM BIGSTOCK.COM.

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40 TEXAS CO-OP POWER April 2012 AROUNDTEXASAROUNDTEXAS

RIO FRIO [25–29] LAGO VISTA [27–30] GRAPELAND 25 Nature Quest, (830) 966- 27 Balcones Songbird 28 Folk Festival at Mission 2320, www.hill Festival, (512) 267-7952, Tejas State Park, countrynaturequest.com www.lagovista.org (936) 687-2394

COLUMBUS SHERMAN [27–28] Melody MIDLOTHIAN 27 Rajun Cajun Fest, Ranch Gospel Festival, Lighthouse Art & Music (979) 732-8385, (903) 546-6893, Festival, (972) 723-5282, www.columbustexas.org www.chrystalopry http://lighthouse house.com coffeebar.com HUNTSVILLE [27–28] General Sam Houston Folk WHITNEY Festival, (936) 294-1832 Monarch Butterfly Festival, (254) 694-9755, http://cherokee villageresort.com 4 BRENHAM MAY Maifest BRENHAM [4–5] 04 Maifest, 1-888-273-6426, www.maifest.org We pick events for the magazine directly from SALADO [4–5] Gospel Festival, TexasCoopPower.com. (254) 634-4658 Submit your event for June 20 by April 10, and it just PORT ARANSAS might be featured in this Texas SandFest calendar! SANDCASTLE: 2012 © FABIO FERSA. IMAGE FROM BIGSTOCK.COM. MAYPOLE: 2012 © SUSAN MONTGOMERY. IMAGE FROM BIGSTOCK.COM. 78))013&-0) ,31)633*-2+ VSSJSZIVGSQ 

-RWYVERGIGVIHMX )\TIVXMRWXEPPEXMSR -RGVIEWIXLIZEPYISJ]SYVLSQI )RIVK]7XEV'IVXM½IH 'YX]SYVIPIGXVMGFMPP 7XSTPIEOW The doctor is definitely in at Waco’s Dr Pepper Museum, 0-*)8-1);%66%28= where you can enjoy an ice-cold, hand-pulled Dr Pepper float. Put on your boots and scoot on over to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, where you can see the story of the legendary Rangers come to life. And be sure to make time for the Waco Mammoth Site and learn about the natural history of Central Texas at the Mayborn Museum Complex. To discover more of Waco’s unexpected treasures visit www.wacocvb.com.

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April 2012 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 41 HIT THE ROAD

were beginning to want more than cotton aprons and domestic responsibility. They founded their own chapter of the American Woman’s League, a national organization with roots in California that offered women access to culture, art and education. In 1909, the architectural craftsman-style KATY HAMMAN-STRICKER WOMEN’S HERITAGE CENTER was built in Calvert as the first AWL chapter house in Texas and one of 38 constructed in the nation. Today, majestic live oaks still shade the town where booming has given way to peaceful. Renovated Victorian homes with multicolored and multitextured walls, wide porches, asymmetrical façades and steeply pitched roofs dot the landscape. The Pin Oak Bed & Breakfast, a grand, two-story home built in 1900, is a magnificent H A visit to owner Harold Maris’ historic piece of Calvert’s 46-block historic district, all of which is listed on the National movie theater, THE ELOIA, which dates to Register of Historic Places. 1929, makes it easy to imagine “Gone with the Wind” being shown on its big screen. The Eloia, which was refurbished follow- ing a fire in the late 1940s, is now being PEEPHOLE INTO THE PAST converted to a center for the performing Stop, shop and soak up the Victorian elegance of Calvert. arts that will feature live theatrical pro- ductions, Maris said. BY CONNIE STRONG During any typical shopping day in Calvert, visitors find whimsical shops Down every road in Texas there’s a story, known as the world’s largest cotton gin, with friendly proprietors, such as Candy but for travelers passing through, the a title befitting a town with deep roots in Shores, owner of COMMON SCENTS. stories get left behind as the little towns cotton fields and plantations. Nearby at NATURE’S ART STUDIO, owner disappear from the rearview mirror. From 1870 to 1879, Calvert was the and artist Shelley Harris-Janac will Approximately 30 miles northwest of seat of Robertson County, though no introduce you to 2-year-old Butter Bean Bryan by way of Texas Highway 6, the courthouse was built. A “calaboose” the “beauty queen”—her trick-perform- Victorian town of Calvert puts her best (jail), however, was constructed—com- ing “diva” Chihuahua who literally foot forward in hopes of not being for- plete with a designated women’s dorm jumps through hoops for customers— gotten once visitors have come and gone. and what some might loosely call an after proudly showing off the studio’s With a walking tour of 67 desig- insane asylum. When the county seat Native American-inspired gourd art. nated historical stops, Calvert offers was moved to Morgan—later renamed A few storefronts down, owner M.L. the weekend visitor a peephole into the Franklin, in honor of the original “Sonny” Moss creates high-fire stoneware Victorian era of the 1800s and early county seat in Old Franklin (Franklin and porcelain works at MUD CREEK 1900s, a time when the Ringling Bros. remains the modern-day county POTTERY, which doubles as a learning and Barnum & Bailey Circus was mak- seat)—the prisoners and sheriff fol- center for potters and artists. Moss also ing its way across America to small lowed. The vacant jail, a fabulous specializes in jewel-tone Raku ware—a towns like Calvert. example of Gothic Revival architecture, Japanese pottery glazing method dating Blessed with railroad construction, became a hotel and later a private resi- to the 16th century. Edison’s electric lights, Bell’s telephone dence in Calvert that today is in use as Stepping across the worn-concrete and fertile land, Calvert, founded in the HAMMOND HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST. entrance into Parisian-style COCOAMODA, 1868, became one of Texas’ leading trade The magnificent old building is listed a gourmet chocolate business, hungry centers of the late 1800s. The town on the National Register of Historic day-trippers can satisfy their sweet tooth boasted 14 saloons and a population Places. with exotically flavored truffles—try hovering around 3,000. Casino tables As barbershop quartets serenaded lavender, saffron or rose petal. were stacked with gold. And by 1912, the Calvert’s citizens with four-part harmony Gibson Gin, which closed in 1938, was standards, many of the town’s women Connie Strong, frequent contributor

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