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PEDERNALES ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE NEWS AUGUST 2018 Big Bend’s Fresno Ranch Texas’ OPEC Salsa’s Secret

Howdy, BARDNERS Why midsummer nights in Texas are perfect for Shakespeare

2018 PEC Board ElectionSEE Results PAGE 19 hhothhisomemme is e

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FAVORITES Stormy sky over Letters the Big Bend 5 6 Currents 18 Local Co-op News Get the latest information plus energy and safety tips from your cooperative. 29 Texas History Texas’ OPEC By Robert Springer 31 Recipes The Secret to Salsa 35 Focus on Texas Photo Contest: School’s Out 36 Around Texas List of Local Events 38 Hit the Road Lolling Around Luling By Gene Fowler

ONLINE TexasCoopPower.com Find these stories online if they don’t FEATURES appear in your edition of the magazine. Texas USA All the State’s a Stage Texas’ history, myths and wild The Original Texas Songster 8 spirit provide fertile ground for staging Shakespeare. By Clay Coppedge By Clayton Stromberger Observations A Slice of Heaven Why the Raven Calls the Canyon Book excerpt captures By Lonn Taylor 12 life off the grid in Big Bend. Text and photos by E. Dan Klepper NEXT MONTH Hill Country Gems Scenic swath of Central Texas spotlights culture, history and natural wonders. 29 35

31 38 CANYON: E. DAN KLEPPER. CAIRN: JULIA ROBINSON ON THE COVER Camp Shakespeare youngsters perform The Winter’s Tale at Winedale Theatre Barn. Photo by Caroline Poe Photography

TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Bryan Lightfoot, Chair, Bartlett; Blaine Warzecha, Vice Chair, Victoria; Alan Lesley, Secretary-Treasurer, Comanche; Mark Boyd, Douglassville; William F. Hetherington, Bandera; Mark Stubbs, Greenville; Brent Wheeler, Dalhart • PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin • COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE: Jerry Boze, Kaufman; Clint Gardner, Coleman; Greg Henley, Tahoka; Billy Marricle, Bellville; Mark McClain,Roby; Gary Raybon, El Campo; Kathy Wood, Marshall; Brandon Young, McGregor • MAGAZINE STAFF: Martin Bevins, Vice President, Communications & Member Services; Charles J. Lohrmann, Editor; Tom Widlowski, Associate Editor; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager; Andy Doughty, Creative Manager; Elaine Sproull, Advertising Manager; Grace Arsiaga, Print Production Specialist; Chris Burrows, Senior Communications Specialist; Christine Carlson, Administrative Assistant; Paula Disbrowe, Food Editor; Travis Hill, Communications Specialist; Qasim K. Johnson, Administrative Assistant; Jessica Ridge, Communications Specialist; Jane Sharpe, Senior Designer; Britian Lee, Intern, Shannon Oelrich, Proofreader

TexasCoopPower.com August 2018 Texas Co-op Power 3 “To you, it’s the perfect lift chair. To me, it’s the best sleep chair I’ve ever had.”

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Planting the Seeds I had just received a packet of Keep Texas, Texas milkweed seeds from Lands’ Every day we lose a little bit more of our lush countryside due to progress. Laura End when the May issue of Texas Co-op Power [Naturally Bush has a big job on her hands, and I hope it’s not too late [Naturally Protective, Protective] arrived. I immedi- May 2018]. I hope we can keep Texas, Texas. ately cleared a spot in my yard and planted the seeds. JOEL MUCKLEROY | JOURDANTON JAN ALSGARD | LEANDER | PEDERNALES EC KARNES EC

About MacArthur Gen. Douglas MacArthur was commander in chief of the South Pacific, which was primarily New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and eventually the Philippines [Chain of Com- mand?, Letters, June 2018]. Adm. Chester W. Nimitz was commander in chief of the Pacific Ocean Areas. This in- cluded all of the island groups from the Solomon Islands through Okinawa and Iwo water valves, door locks, etc. recent is a prize-winning account When you find a wolf spider, fol- Jima. JIM NEUMANN | VICTORIA of the Giddings oil strike of the low the beam to get closer. Wolf HOWARD MAX | FAIRVIEW VICTORIA EC 1970s, Gamble in the Devil's spider eyes glow a most brilliant GRAYSON-COLLIN EC Chalk. He’s now writing two aqua, and so do the babies’. East Texas Authors fiction books on life in a small If disturbed, the babies scatter What was Gen. MacArthur I’d hoped the article on East East Texas town in the 1930s. and look like spilled jewels. doing? He was cooperating Texas writer Joe R. Lansdale JOHN NICKOLS | FORNEY SANDY GADSDEN | BANDERA with Adm. Nimitz, who was in [East Texas Mojo, May 2018] TRINITY VALLEY EC BANDERA EC charge of all Pacific operations. would mention Caleb Pirtle III, a D.J. BRUCE | WEATHERFORD Kilgore native now writing out One of my favorite writers! TRI-COUNTY EC of Lindale. He has written over For decades! 75 books—among his more WILLIAM TROCINO | VIA FACEBOOK GET MORE TCP AT Other Connections TexasCoopPower.com Having had a “connected” I will be looking for him Sign up for our e-newsletter for home for the past 17 years, [Lansdale, left] on my next trip monthly updates, prize drawings I was surprised there was no to the bookstore. and more! mention of X-10 or Z-Wave MARY JANE ZORN | VIA FACEBOOK technology [Connecting Your We want to hear from you!

Home, June 2018]. X-10 being Spilled Jewels ONLINE: TexasCoopPower.com/share a power line (the wires in your Beautiful picture of the dedicated EMAIL: [email protected] house) technology and Z-Wave spider mom [Doting Mother, MAIL: Editor, Texas Co-op Power, being a radio frequency system Letters, November 2017]. 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701 of controls for lights, appli- Try this: Shine a bright flash- Please include your town and electric co-op. ances, thermostats, TV and light onto the grass at night, Letters may be edited for clarity and length. stereo, sprinkler systems, holding the light on your head security systems integration, so you can look down the beam. D FE Texas Co-op Power

TEXAS CO-OP POWER VOLUME 75, NUMBER 2 (USPS 540-560). Texas Co-op Power is published monthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC). Periodical postage paid at Austin, TX, and at additional offices. TEC is the statewide association representing 75 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 or email [email protected]. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE is $4.20 per year for individual members of subscribing cooperatives and is paid from equity accruing to the member. 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 Elaine Sproull at (512) 486-6251. 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 sat- isfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser. © Copyright 2018 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohib-

BUSH: GRANT MILLER. LANSDALE: WYATT MCSPADDEN WYATT MILLER. LANSDALE: BUSH: GRANT ited without written permission. Willie Wiredhand © Copyright 2018 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

TexasCoopPower.com August 2018 Texas Co-op Power 5 CURRENTS

HAPPENINGS Y See What Real oumayallgoto Cowboys Do ALMANAC Working cowboys test their skills at the BIG BEND RANCH RODEO, AUGUST 10–11 at Sul Ross State University in ALPINE. Heck of a The rodeo, sanctioned by the Working Ranch Cowboys Association, pro- Comment vides participating cattle workers an opportunity to educate the public about the everyday work of a ranch. The rodeo includes ranch bronc riding, cattle The words of Davy Crockett, the American folk hero who sorting, cattle doctoring, wild cow milking and calf branding. died defending the Alamo, live The Big Bend winner advances to the WRCA World Championship Ranch on as a pointed message on coffee mugs, T-shirts and other Rodeo in November in Amarillo. Proceeds from the Big Bend Ranch Rodeo knickknacks: “You may all go to go toward scholarships at Sul Ross State. hell, and I will go to Texas.” Consider the backstory of that WEB EXTRAS comment on the anniversary of INFO a (432) 364-2696, bigbendranchrodeo.com a Find more Crockett’s birth—August 17, happenings 1786. Here’s an excerpt from online. the April 9, 1836, edition of Niles’ Weekly Register in Balti- more, which chronicled national history much as The New York Times does today:

“A gentleman from Nacog- doches, in Texas, informs us, that, whilst there, he dined in public with col. Crockett, who had just arrived from Tennessee. The old bear-hunter, on being toasted, made a speech to the Texians, replete with his usual dry humor. He began nearly in this style: ‘I am told, gentlemen, that, when a stranger, like myself, arrives among you, the first inquiry is—what brought you here? To satisfy your curios- ity at once to myself, I will tell you all about it. I was, for some years, a member of congress. In my last canvass, I told the peo- ple of my district, that, if they saw fit to re-elect me, I would serve them as faithfully as I had done; but, if not, they might go to h__, and I would go to Texas. I was beaten, gentlemen, and here I am.’ The roar of applause

was like a thunder-burst.” BOLIVIA: MID-SOUTH SYNERGY MEYER | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. NIELSEN. MUG: IEVGENII SHAW & HARVEY: RODEO

6 Texas Co-op Power August 2018 TexasCoopPower.com WORTH REPEATING “Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow my footsteps and preside over the White House as the president’s spouse. I wish him well!” —FORMER FIRST LADY BARBARA BUSH, who died April 17 in Houston

CO-OPS IN THE COMMUNITY BRINGING LIGHT TO BOLIVIA

In November, 16 lineworkers from six Texas electric cooperatives—Bartlett, Bluebonnet and Pedernales ECs; CoServ; Mid-South Synergy; and United Cooperative Services—built 6 miles of power lines to bring electricity for the first time to 147 homes in the rural Bolivian villages of Batraja, Jerico and San Antonio de Maty.

To help fund the project, the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation presented a $35,000 grant to the co-ops in February.

“It was an amazing adventure,” said WEATHER WATCH Bo Williams, Mid-South operations VP, who led the expedition. “It was hot for sure. It rained every day—but the peo- Never Again, Harvey ple there made it all worthwhile. They were very appreciative and wanted to help every way they could.” HARVEY HAS BEEN RETIRED from the rotating list of hurricane names by the World Meteorological Organization, as were Irma, Maria and Nate—all monster hurricanes in 2017. Harvey struck the Texas coast August 25 as a Category 4 storm with 132 mph winds, killing 68 people and dumping historic amounts of rain on the Houston area. It caused $126 billion in damage, second only to Katrina in U.S. history.

THE RETIRED NAMES have been replaced with Harold, Idalia, Margot and Nigel. Nations hit hard by hurricanes can request the WMO retire names. Each hurricane season, which runs June 1–November 30, storms are named, in alpha- betical order, based on lists that get recycled every six years.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR August 13 is International Left-Handers Day. Roughly 10 percent of people are left-handed, Don’t Be Left Out according to Chris McManus, a University College London researcher who wrote a book United Cooperative Services linemen chapter on the history and geography of Brody Weems, left, and Chase Noland left-handedness. pose with a Bolivian child.

TexasCoopPower.com August 2018 Texas Co-op Power 7 All the State’s a Stage

BY CLAYTON STROMBERGER

If we could, like Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “put a girdle round about the earth / In forty minutes,” and zip around the Lone Star State over summer and fall evenings, O, the Shakespeare we would hear and see! A dozen festivals, all alike in dignity, In fair Texas, where we lay our scene, From famous texts, break to new creativity ...

We begin in the West Texas city of Odessa. As the heat waves rise, is that a shimmering vision of Shakespeare’s Globe we see, sitting in the land of oil fields and Friday night lights? It is! The Globe of the Great Southwest, which, thanks to the vision and persistence of a brilliant high school teacher, appeared in the Llano Estacado a full 30 years before London put up its rebuilt Globe. Today, Odessa’s Globe Theatre hosts performances by the Riverwalk in San Antonio, along the Concho in San Angelo and Odessa Shakespeare Festival. under a canopy of stars in the Hill Country nook of Wimberley, Next, we fly west to El Paso and spy a group of local actors as well as on college campuses in Fort Worth and Kilgore. Last, performing outdoors at Chamizal National Memorial, within above the gently rolling countryside of Winedale, we spy an old shouting distance of the Rio Grande. As the players strut and open-sided hay barn in the twilight, orange light spilling from fret their hour upon the stage with a touch of twang in their inside, and we hear a voice cry out, in a timeless moment after iambic pentameter, we soar from thence over parks filled with the onstage murder of Julius Caesar: families sitting on picnic blankets and watching Shakespeare How many ages hence festivals in Dallas, Houston and Austin. Shall this our lofty scene be acted over

We hear comic prose, stirring verse and laughter along the In states unborn and accents yet unknown! MONCRIEFF ROBERT V: HENRY RATH. MARY MACBETH:

8 Texas Co-op Power August 2018 TexasCoopPower.com THE HISTORY, MYTHS AND WILD SPIRIT OF TEXAS PROVIDE FERTILE GROUND FOR SHAKESPEARE PERFORMANCES

When it comes to the immortal Sweet Swan of Avon, all the Opposite: Macbeth at EmilyAnn Shakespeare was a favorite state’s a stage. This is remarkable when you consider that Shake- Theatre & Gardens in Wimberley. of all social classes as Amer- speare was born almost four decades after Álvar Núñez Cabeza Above: Shakespeare at Winedale ica entered the 19th century, presents Henry V. de Vaca, shipwrecked near Galveston in 1528 like a character out according to eminent Shake- of The Tempest, became the first European to travel into the inte- speare scholar James Shapiro. rior of Texas and wander amid its indigenous people. How did “There is hardly a pioneer’s hut which does not contain a few this Londoner from the time of Queen Elizabeth become our odd volumes of Shakespeare,” wrote French diplomat Alexis de favorite playwright for a Texas midsummer night? Tocqueville after his travels through the United States in 1831. Shakespeare likely arrived in Texas first in an adventurer’s sad- Children learned Shakespeare’s verse from the ubiquitous dlebag or a settler’s trunk. As improbable as it might seem today, McGuffey Readers, which began publication in 1836. Shake-

TexasCoopPower.com August 2018 Texas Co-op Power 9 speare’s plays—primarily the tragedies—were constantly in Richard already had two Mexican wives in San Antonio. “Nothing demand at theaters and opera houses and held their own against daunted at this public accusation of polygamy,” Jefferson recalled melodramas and farces. In October 1835, when James Butler decades later, “ ‘Pud’ pressed his suit with ardor.” Bonham organized a rally in Alabama to support Texas inde- In Texas’ early days, even soldiers performed Shakespeare, pendence, he held it at the Shakespeare Theater in Mobile, a partly to stave off boredom. In the winter of 1846, shortly after bustling town that held its first Shakespearean performance Texas had joined the union, 4,000 troops of the United States more than a decade earlier. Even Sam Houston knew his Shake- Army under the command of Gen. Zachary Taylor were stationed speare and quoted him often. near the village of Corpus Christi in preparation for the conflict “Scholars and historians have now learned that language and that would later become known as the Mexican-American War. dialect was very different during Shakespeare’s time than we While waiting for orders, the soldiers assembled at the Union thought,” says Bridget Farias Gates, artistic director of the Theater, large enough to hold 800, and began rehearsals for EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens in Wim- berley. “Many consider it to be closer to Romeo and Juliet the Texas dialect than to British. So, in a From left: at Wimberley’s EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens. Richard III at the Houston Shakespeare romantic way, this means Texans deliver Festival. The Texas Shakespeare Festival Roadshow cast Shakespeare more closely to original performs Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits at Odessa’s Globe practice than most would think. Theatre with help from an audience member.

“Shakespeare would have loved Texas, both for its own

“I also like to think that the wide expanse of Texan land and Othello. Out of necessity, as in Shakespeare’s London, men often the more laid-back nature of the Texan way of living is a closer played the female roles. James Longstreet, later a leading gen- representation to Shakespeare’s country folk characters,” she says. eral in the Confederate Army, was up for the part of Desde- The first notable professional performance of a Shakespeare mona, young wife of the noble Moor, but was deemed too tall. play in Texas was held February 12, 1839, in Houston, when one Longstreet’s good friend, young Ulysses S. Grant, nicknamed Mr. Lewellen, who had scored a big hit in St. Louis with an eques- “Little Beauty” for his feminine good looks, took over the role, trian melodrama co-starring his horse, Mazeppa, assayed the but eventually a professional actress was hired and brought in title role in Othello. because the soldier playing Othello, as Longstreet later recalled, Competing theaters were built in Houston before the city’s just could not work up the “proper sentiment” while gazing first church; established actors arrived by boat from New Orleans. upon Grant. Theaters attracted a rough-and-tumble crowd looking for diver- After the Civil War, as Texas’ cities and towns began to develop sion—and not necessarily accustomed to the niceties of high cul- civic traditions, the next wave of interest in Shakespeare came ture. Touring actor Joseph Jefferson recalled in his autobiography not from touring actors but from local citizens, especially women, that during one mid-1840s portrayal of Richard III by an aging with a focus on the communal enlightenment of group reading local trouper named “Pudding” Stanley in Houston, a patron and discussion rather than performance. During the first half of

interrupted Richard’s wooing of Lady Anne to warn Anne that the 20th century, there were at least 27 Shakespeare clubs meet- GOFF STEVE THEATER: GLOBE PHOTOGRAPHY. RICHARD III: FOREST BRINKLEY. SCOT AND JULIET: ROMEO

10 Texas Co-op Power August 2018 TexasCoopPower.com ing in the state, from Abilene and Calvert to Waxahachie and cal Center near Round Top and meet the legendary Miss Ima Hogg, North Zulch; many continue proudly to this day. That same dem- who had restored the Winedale property, including a historic stage- ocratic impulse led to the spread of community theaters in the coach inn, and donated it to UT in the late 1960s. early 20th century as the touring system of the barnstorming- Hogg directed Ayres to peek into the property’s old hay barn, actor days faded. In the 1970s, the ripple effect from Joseph with its clay floor and handcarved cedar beams. “I want you to Papp’s Free Shakespeare in the Park in New York City led to a do Shakespeare in that barn,” Hogg informed him, and three wave of park-based festivals around the state. weeks later, Ayres brought his first class. Now, the Shakespeare “Shakespeare would have loved Texas, both for its own energy at Winedale program is one of the leading Shakespeare-through- and spirit and as a setting,” says Jon Mark Hogg, president of the performance programs in the country, with UT students studying board of directors of Be Theatre and producer for Shakespeare and performing three plays each summer. Ayres, a professor on the Concho. “So many of his works are set in historic or myth- emeritus, founded and continues to lead Camp Shakespeare,

energy and spirit and as a setting.”

ical places. The history, myths and wild spirit of Texas, both past residential summer camps for children ages 11–16 who perform and present, would have been fertile ground for the Bard.” an entire play at Winedale at the end of each session. On the educational front, Texas scored a coup in 1946 when The Shakespeare at Winedale logo perfectly captures this long legendary British director B. Iden Payne, who previously had led love affair between a poet and a place. Known as “Cowboy Willie,” the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Shakespeare's hometown, it depicts Shakespeare wearing a cowboy hat and a bandana, Stratford-upon-Avon, came to the Uni- chewing a piece of straw, a wad of chewing tobacco bulging in WEB EXTRAS versity of Texas as a guest professor in his cheek. A few years back, the program printed T-shirts that a Read this story one of the nation’s first collegiate drama read: “Rich History. Vast Countryside. Family Feuds. Shakespeare on our website to departments. would have loved Texas.” see a list of Shake- One of the country’s more unique No doubt. In the meantime, we remain grateful for the gift of speare festivals venues for Shakespeare, the Winedale his words and characters and the chance to bring them to life. and learn more Theatre Barn, came about through a To lift a line from the noble Moor Othello, who was likely the about the Bard Texas miracle. In the fall of 1970, James first Shakespearean tragic hero to grace a Texas stage: He hath from the experts. B. Ayres, then an associate professor of done the state some service, and we know’t. Shakespeare at the University of Texas, Clayton Stromberger is the outreach program coordinator for Shakespeare happened to visit the Winedale Histori- at Winedale.

TexasCoopPower.com August 2018 Texas Co-op Power 11 W HY THE R AVEN

C ALLS THE C ANYON

12 Texas Co-op Power August 2018 TexasCoopPower.com / / /

BOOK EXCERPT CAPTURES LIFE OFF THE GRID IN BIG BEND F rom 2006 to 2013, I divided my time between Marathon, 50 miles north of Big Bend National Park, and Fresno Ranch, an abandoned, off-grid, horse-and-mule operation located along the Rio Grande. Relatively uninhabited for almost a decade, the ranch encompassed more than 7,000 acres of springs, canyons and volcanic peaks. In 2006, absentee owners recruited Rodrigo Trevizo, a friend of mine and local state park superintendent, to keep an eye on the place. Two years later he moved into the ranch’s adobe studio, determined to bring the rudimentary infra- structure of the ranch back to life. I joined him for weeks at a time, lending a hand to unearth the ranch’s water system, repair livestock corrals and restore the solar power, all while adjusting to the day-to-day challenges of living off the grid. With Trevizo’s help, Fresno became part of Big Bend Ranch State Park, at over 300,000 acres the largest state park in Texas. Fresno Ranch was established in the 1900s as a 640-acre section bordered by the river at its confluence with Fresno Creek and present-day FM 170. During the 1980s, another 10 sections were added, including nine sections up Fresno Canyon and an additional mile of riverfront. At one point, Fresno also covered the Picachos, a 5,000-acre ranch directly across the river in Mexico. Ancient campsites and historic ruins litter the desert terrain around Fresno, sharing a robust cultural history with defunct mer- cury mines and remnant candelilla wax camps. A collapsed magma dome, so large it can be detected from space, dominates much of the ranch’s northeastern horizon. Among These boulders Fresno’s hand-built attributes, a 2,000-square- were placed in foot adobe painting studio lies at its heart, alignment at Fresno Ranch constructed for the late Jeanne Norsworthy, decades ago Texas artist and granddaughter of George B. using a tractor. Dealey, publisher of the Dallas Morning News.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY E. DAN KLEPPER

/ / /

TexasCoopPower.com August 2018 Texas Co-op Power 13 Left: Chupadera Spring in the Cienega Mountains. Below: The author gets a haircut at Fresno Ranch.

/ / / F resno’s natural world shares the allure of wild places found across the entire Big Bend region. The inscrutability of this West Texas country inspires life- long appreciation for its rare natural beauty as well as an unorthodox creativity, resulting in artistic endeav- ors like this one, and often rousing those who hail from gentler places to abandon creature comforts and move to the Big Bend for good. Here, adventurers, artists, and writers live in stone ruins, campers, and make- shift shelters, contending with extreme summer tem- peratures, winter freezes and venomous wildlife like scorpions and rattlesnakes, all in an attempt to under- stand the enigma possessed by mountains and canyons scattered throughout hundreds of uninhabited miles. Much of the territory’s draw may reside in the region’s volcanic upheaval, conjured from the planet’s bedrock, and a geography lit by an ever-changing light, as cryptic as the human psyche. WEB EXTRAS With time and consideration, an artist can thrive here a Read this story on conclusions that reveal as much about the land as on our website to our own internal landscapes. see a slideshow Writer and photographer E. Dan Klepper works from Mara- of Fresno Ranch. thon. Why the Raven Calls the Canyon was published by Texas A&M University Press in 2017.

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If North Texas Is Your Market, We’ve Got You Covered. Ta rg et customers close to home with the North Texas advertising section of Texa s Co-op Power. We know that now, more than ever, it makes sense to target your audience with a trustworthy name—a name like Texas Co-op Power, which creates more advertising options for regional and local businesses like yours. Our North Texas advertising section targets homeowners living around Texas’ largest metropolitan area. With a regional circulation of 527,000 and a readership of 1,212,100, Texas Co-op Power delivers a huge audience that’s loyal and responsive. Be part of a statewide magazine—without the statewide cost. Reach North Texas customers with Texa s Co-op Power. Call or email today.

NORTH TEXAS AUDIENCE Circulation 527,000 • Readership 1,212,100

Call: Elaine Sproull at (512) 486-6251 Email: [email protected]

TexasCoopPower.com August 2018 Texas Co-op Power 17 Happy 80th birthday, PEC! The 2018 annual meeting brought the cooperative together for business and family fun

hank you to the nearly 700 members and guests chance to vote in person and hear the election results who joined us June 23 for the 2018 PEC Annual firsthand. TMeeting in Spring Branch. Attendees enjoyed exhibits, presentations, food and prizes, plus had the We look forward to seeing all of you again next year! n

18 Texas Co-op Power PEDERNALES ELECTRIC August 2018

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From left to right: Milton Rister, Paul Graf and Amy Lea SJ Akers. Board election results

Members in District 1 elected Milton Rister to serve as their board director. District 6 members re-elected incumbent Paul Graf, and District 7 members re-elected incumbent Amy Lea SJ Akers to represent their cooperative interests. Graf and Akers have served the cooperative for three years. Rister replaces former director Cristi Clement, who served District 1 for nine years.

The PEC Board of Directors will vote on officers at the August regular board meeting on Aug. 20.

Visit pec.coop/election for the complete results.

August 2018 PEDERNALES ELECTRIC Texas Co-op Power 19

pec tcp 082018.indd 3 7/9/18 9:29 AM PEC Senior Energy Service Advisor Chris Denison shows a member a temperature reading taken with a digital thermometer. He said measuring temperature differentials in your home using an inexpensive digital probe thermometer is easy. Testing your HVAC is easy as 1, 2, 3 Is your system operating efficiently? Find out and take charge of your electric bills.

s summer temperatures said PEC Senior Energy Service “The difference between the rise, so do electric bills. And Advisor Chris Denison, “we always temperature of the air going into Awith heating and cooling start with HVAC. That’s where your HVAC unit’s air filter and the accounting for about 55 percent you can find the biggest potential temperature of the air coming out of energy use*, your HVAC system savings." of the vents should be about is the best place to start looking 20 degrees. Seventeen or 18 degrees for savings. But you don’t need an expert like is acceptable, but if it’s below that, it’s Denison to test the efficiency of your time to have the unit serviced.” “When we’re evaluating the energy equipment. He said it’s affordable efficiency of a home or business,” and easy to do yourself.

20 Texas Co-op Power PEDERNALES ELECTRIC August 2018

pec tcp 082018.indd 4 7/9/18 9:29 AM pec.coop

Summer cooling tips

Set thermostats to 78 degrees. Every degree lower increases your energy use by 6-8 percent.

Bump the thermostat up 3-5 degrees when you leave home for long periods.

Use ceiling fans to feel cooler, but turn them off when you leave Test your HVAC unit the room. Check your HVAC air filters monthly, and replace them when With a digital probe thermometer they’re dirty. (about $12), measure the temperature of the air being pulled into your HVAC filter. Keep all supply vents and interior doors open to ensure maximum air flow throughout the house. While the air conditioning is blowing, Close shades and drapes during measure the temperature of the air the day, and consider installing coming from the vent. solar screens on windows that receive direct sunlight.

Use weatherstripping to seal air If the vent air is about 20 degrees lower leaks around movable building (17 degrees is acceptable), your unit is components, such as doors or operating efficiently. If not, it’s time to have operable windows. your unit serviced. Caulk around all gaps, holes and stationary components inside and out, including telephone, While you’re testing, you may also check different rooms in your home to electrical, cable, gas, water discover potential duct or air delivery issues. n spigots and more.

*Based on a 3,000-square-foot, all-electric home with a family of four using an average of Learn more cooling tips at 2,200 kilowatt-hours per month.. pec.coop/energy-saving-tips.

August 2018 PEDERNALES ELECTRIC Texas Co-op Power 21

pec tcp 082018.indd 5 7/9/18 9:30 AM PEC employees

come true for Kyle teen with leukemia

PEC United Charities program funded trips and more for local kids with cancer

n Sept. 16, 2015, then 11-year-old Luke (for privacy, only first names are used) was diagnosed with acute Omyeloid leukemia, a fast-growing form of cancer with a survival rate of 26 percent. After six and a half months of fighting for his life in the hospital, the Kyle resident wrote a letter to Make-A-Wish Central and South Texas about how he had always wanted to visit Paris. Thanks to Make-A-Wish and PEC United Charities, his wish came true.

“At first, the (medical staff) sat me down and told me he wasn’t going to make it,” Luke’s mother, Nicole, said. “The anticipation of Luke’s wish made him fight harder to survive.”

After Luke was released from the hospital on April 4, 2017, he went through extensive physical therapy so he could be healthy and strong for his trip to Paris in July. During the trip, he and his family visited the catacombs, the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Musée d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower.

“While we were looking out over the city of lights from the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, Luke began sobbing,” Nicole said. “I was worried and asked him what was wrong, and he

22 Texas Co-op Power PEDERNALES ELECTRIC August 2018

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“If we can turn them into the heroes of their journey, it changes their whole perception and makes a world of difference.”

Kathrin Brewer CEO of Make-A-Wish Central and South Texas

said, ‘Mom, it’s just so beautiful.’ We were thrilled and grateful that Luke was able to have this wonderful experience that he had dreamed of for so long.”

Today at 14, Luke is in remission, and he’s hopeful that he’ll soon be cancer-free. Make-A-Wish Central and South Texas CEO Kathrin Brewer said it’s contributors like PEC that give children like Luke hope and a greater chance for survival.

“Not many people know that 70 percent of these kids go on after their wish is fulfilled to live a full, great life,” Brewer said. “If we can turn them into Luke’s wish to go to Paris came true last summer, thanks the heroes of their journey, it changes their whole to Make-A-Wish Central and South Texas and PEC United perception and makes a world of difference.” Charities program.

Photo courtesy of Make-A-Wish Central and South Texas. This year, PEC United Charities, a nonprofit organization operated by PEC employees for charitable giving, donated $7,529 to Make-A-Wish Central and South Texas to help grant the wishes of Luke and more kids like him. n

August 2018 PEDERNALES ELECTRIC Texas Co-op Power 23

pec tcp 082018.indd 7 7/9/18 9:30 AM Understanding your bill

SAMPLE BILL

1. Account number 5. Account summary what PEC pays power the base power cost. This can include: suppliers for electricity, • Franchise fee: the 2. Service dates • Service availability plus or minus the power amount a city charges charge: a portion of the cost adjustment. PEC to deliver electricity 3. Mult cost of operating electric • Transmission cost within city limits. Some meters record a equipment, plus other of service: the cost • Power of Change: a portion of usage, and expenses. for using the Electric voluntary program where a “multiplier” is used to • Delivery charge: costs Reliability Council of members round up their calculate billing. for delivering electricity Texas transmission bills for local nonprofits. 4. Compare your monthly use that are driven by the system. amount delivered. • Power cost adjustment: 6. Payment amount due • Base power cost: increases and decreases

24 Texas Co-op Power PEDERNALES ELECTRIC August 2018

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PEC line crew surprises coloring TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR BILL WITH MY USAGE contest winner at Buda school Feb Plus, 2 other students receive age category prizes Mar Apr Jun May

Our free My Usage tool in SmartHub lets you analyze your energy use, compare electric bills and determine where you can start saving. Visit pec.coop/smarthub today to start exploring your ways to save.

STAY SAFE FROM SCAMS

Grand prize winner Ashlynn Gamboa (third from the right) thanked her family for encouraging her to work hard on her entry: “I’m going to share my gift card with them.”

hen Buda student Ashlynn Gamboa won grand prize in our National Lineman Appreciation Coloring Contest, we didn’t just call her to let Wher know. We sent a line crew to surprise her at her school! On We will never ask for a prepaid May 15, PEC lineworkers from the Kyle District Office showed up at Santa Cruz card or demand cash payment. Catholic School in a bucket truck to announce Gamboa’s win and talk to her Report suspicious activity to and her classmates about how they keep the lights on. 888-554-4732. Learn more at pec.coop/scam. Kids in two age groups, 4-7 years old and 8-11 years old, entered our coloring contest for the chance to win a $50 Visa gift card or the grand prize: a $100 gift card and the line crew visit. PEC BY THE NUMBERS

Our 2018 coloring contest winners are: Grand prize winner 4-7 years old 8-11 years old 308,085 Ashlynn Gamboa, category winner category winner Active accounts 11 years old Mayah Sanchez, Lilly Wisdom, 7 years old 11 years old 257,738 Members CONSERVATION TIP $149.19 June average Avoid wash hour traffic residential bill Don’t run your dishwasher, washing machine or dryer during Power Rush 1,470 kWh Hour. If we all reduce our use from June average 2-6 p.m. this summer, we could lower residential use our transmission costs next year!

As of June 30, 2018

August 2018 PEDERNALES ELECTRIC Texas Co-op Power 25

pec tcp 082018.indd 9 7/9/18 9:30 AM “I’’ve gotten many compliments on this watch. The craftsmanship is phenomenal and the watch is simply pleasing to the eye.” —M., Irvine, CA

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The story of the strangely named and powerful Texas Railroad Commission

BY ROBERT SPRINGER

For a three-person agency originally tasked with overseeing intrastate railways, the Railroad Commission of Texas has exerted an outsized impact on an unex- pected market: oil. The commission’s story is one of power and influence that spans more than a century. In the late 1800s, railroads were a dom- inant economic force, analogous to what the tech industry is today, according to David Prindle, professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the book Petroleum Politics and the Texas Railroad Commission. The industry was abusing its power, and a nationwide move- An oil gusher in Port transportation, with oil, of course, so the commission’s ment caused Congress to create the Inter- Arthur, circa 1901 the railroad com- influence began to wane as large reserves state Commerce Commission in 1887 to mission, so let’s let were discovered in the Middle East, Ven- regulate railroads. Texas followed suit by the railroad commission regulate oil and ezuela and Nigeria, causing Texas’ share of creating the Railroad Commission of Texas gas pipelines.” global production to decline. in 1891 to regulate railroads that did not When the East Texas oil field was dis- Yet even as the railroad commission’s cross the state line. covered in 1930, chaos ensued because of influence diminished, its price control The story behind the curiously named the oversupply of crude that field pro- model was being studied by another group commission getting into the oil regulating duced, Prindle says. This oversupply interested in regulating its production to business begins in 1901 with the Spindle- caused prices to plunge, scaring produc- control prices—the group that became the top oil strike, which made Texas one of ers. Prindle says there was a “huge fight” Organization of the Petroleum Exporting the world’s top oil-producing areas. (The over whether the government would be Countries. The proto-OPEC hired the rail- well was so prolific that it soon produced able to regulate production from the wells. road commission’s chief engineer to show “more oil in one day than all the rest of The government won out over the oil them how. That action helped set in motion the world’s oil fields combined,” says the producers. By 1935, the commission “had the oil embargoes and gas wars of the 1970s. American Oil & Gas Historical Society.) been given the authority to regulate pro- Today, the commission has the same This sudden oil wealth made Texans duction—that is, not just regulate pipelines mandate and structure as in its heyday, wary of Standard Oil, which had dom- but regulate the amount that each well albeit with less global influence. Periodi- inated the oil business in Ohio and could produce,” Prindle says. Railroad reg- cally, lawmakers try to rename the com- Pennsylvania “by basically monopolizing ulation was out, and oil and natural gas mission to reflect its current mission, but transportation in the pipelines and then regulation was in. the effort invariably fails. “I’ve twice been running the little guys out of business,” From the early 1930s to the early 1970s, called to testify before a hearing of the Prindle says. the commission’s goal was to stabilize the Legislature,” Prindle says. “I put on my After trying and failing to pre-emp- price of oil, as price volatility made it chal- suit and I go down there—I’m the guy who tively outlaw Standard Oil, the Texas Leg- lenging for oilmen to plan. And by con- wrote the book, and I say, ‘Well, yeah, if islature hatched an innovative plan to trolling how much a well could produce you want truth in advertising, change the protect Texas’ small oil producers. “Well, and where producers could drill, the com- name.’ And of course, then nothing ever what are pipelines? Pipelines are trans- mission achieved the price stability goal happens.” portation,” Prindle explains. “Well, we for about 40 years. Robert Springer is a freelance writer who loves

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LIBRARY already have a commission regulating Texas wasn’t the only place in the world Tex-Mex and armadillos.

TexasCoopPower.com August 2018 Texas Co-op Power 29

Recipes

GONZALO GUZMÁN The Secret to Salsa

Whether spooned onto break- fast tacos, devoured with chips or served with grilled red snapper, salsa’s addictive heat elevates every- thing on the plate. This month’s reader recipes serve up a delicious mix of charred, smoky and fiery flavors. To get a salsa fix without cooking, try the following from SALSA CRUDA Gonzalo Guzmán, chef at Nopalito in San Francisco (and author of the eponymous cookbook, with Stacy Adimando). “Unlike a cooked tomatillo salsa, this version retains all the bracing freshness and acidity of its raw ingredients,” he says. He suggests serving Salsa Cruda with meaty appetizers or entrées, like carnitas, or robust vegetables, like grilled portobello mushrooms. PAULA DISBROWE, FOOD EDITOR

Salsa Cruda 1–2 jalapeño peppers, coarsely chopped 7 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed 1 large clove garlic Leaves from ¼ bunch cilantro Salt

1. In a food processor, combine the jalapeños, tomatillos, garlic, cilantro and a generous pinch of salt. Pulse until ingredients are well-blended but the salsa is slightly chunky. 2. Taste and adjust the amount of chiles and salt as desired. a Makes 2 cups.

Reprinted from Nopalito: A Mexican Kitchen

EVA KOLENKO | TEN SPEED PRESS KOLENKO EVA (Ten Speed Press, 2017)

August 2018 Texas Co-op Power 31 Recipes

Enter online The Secret to Salsa to win an Grilled Jalapeño El Gallo salsa and Tomato Salsa THIS MONTH’S RECIPE CONTEST WINNER grill kit. ELIZABETH GARCIA | BLUEBONNET EC Ripe, flavorful tomatoes are key to creating the PHYLLIS BUSTILLOS | UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES best flavor, Garcia tells us. Grilling the vegetables “This is a first-place winner at the State Fair of Texas, and you will not creates a smoky salsa that’s best enjoyed warm find a better, more unique salsa anywhere,” Bustillos writes. Made with with tortilla chips, smoked chicken or grilled fish. both fresh and dried chiles, it’s no wonder this complex, deeply flavored salsa is a staple at her family barbecues. This recipe makes enough to feed a crowd or provide left- 6 jalapeño peppers overs to freeze for a future meal. 3 tomatoes 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary Pick ’Em Up and Dust 1. Prepare a smoker or grill for indi- 2 cloves garlic, chopped ’Em Off Smoked Salsa rect heat cooking. ½ teaspoon olive oil, plus more as desired 2. Combine the tomatoes, tomatillos, Salt 3½ pounds red tomatoes on the vine onion, serranos, poblanos and garlic 1½ pounds large tomatillos, husked in a mixing bowl. Add enough olive 1. Prepare a grill for direct heat cooking and rinsed oil to lightly coat and toss to com- and build a medium-high fire. 1 medium Texas 1015 onion, quartered bine. Place the vegetables in the 2. Grill the jalapeños and tomatoes until 2 serrano peppers smoker or grill (using an aluminum blistered, turning as needed for even cook- 2 poblano peppers drip pan or grate if necessary) and ing, then place in a paper sack to steam. 1 clove garlic smoke at 225 degrees 30–40 minutes, 3. Combine the rosemary, garlic and Olive oil until softened and lightly charred. olive oil in a food processor and pulse 2 dried ancho chiles 3. While the fresh vegetables are into a coarse purée, then allow the mix- 1 dried pasilla chile smoking, place the dried chiles in a ture to macerate for a few minutes. Add 2 dried chiles de árbol small bowl with hot water and allow seeded, stemmed jalapeños and pulse 2 dried guajillo chiles them to soak until softened, then until the peppers are chopped. Remove ½ cup fresh cilantro drain, stem and seed the chiles. to serving dish. ½ cup roasted (or canned) New Mexico 4. Remove vegetables from smoker 4. Place the grilled tomatoes in the food green chiles and cool slightly. Stem and seed the processor, add a pinch of salt and pulse Juice from 1 large lime, approximately fresh chiles and peel the garlic. Com- 4–5 times, then fold into the pepper mix- 1 tablespoon bine the smoked vegetables with the ture. Taste for seasonings and adjust salt ¼ cup apple cider vinegar dried chiles and remaining ingredi- as desired. a Makes about 1½ cups. 1 tablespoon ground cumin ents in a food processor or blender 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano and process until combined. Taste COOK’S TIP For a spicier salsa, use a combina- ½ teaspoon sugar and adjust seasonings, adding more tion of serrano and jalapeño peppers and/or 1½ tablespoons salt salt, lime juice or heat (see sidebar) leave the seeds in a couple of them. To ensure as desired. a Makes about 3 quarts. the vegetables don’t stick to the grill, toss them with enough olive oil to coat before cooking. COOK’S TIP For a spicier salsa, do not seed the serrano peppers. Knock Your Socks Off Salsa RENE BEAUMONT | UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES You’ll want to add the cilantro (about a half bunch, leaves and tender stems) and perhaps a squeeze of fresh lime or red wine vinegar to balance the sweet and fiery flavors.

IF YOUR RECIPE IS FEATURED, YOU’LL WIN A TCP APRON! 4–5 jalapeño peppers $100 Recipe Contest 1 onion, roughly chopped, divided use 4 Roma tomatoes, halved January’s recipe contest theme is 2 cloves garlic, smashed Sunny Citrus. Brighten winter with 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil, plus recipes featuring fresh grapefruit, more as needed orange, lemon or lime. Send us your 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled favorite. The deadline is August 10. tomatoes ENTER ONLINE at TexasCoopPower.com/contests; MAIL ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste to 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701; FAX to

Fresh cilantro (optional) | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM PEPPERS: 9DREAM STUDIO PHYLLIS BUSTILLOS. COURTESY BUSTILLOS: | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. LOSINSTANTES SALSA: (512) 763-3401. Include your name, address and phone number, plus your co-op and the name of the contest you are entering. TexasCoopPower.com 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Combine the jalapeños, half of the Playing With Fire onion, the tomato halves and garlic in a Making salsa at home is often an intuitive process that incorporates garden ingredients, heat mixing bowl, drizzle with enough oil to proclivities and whatever else you have on hand. Whether you’re following a recipe or creating lightly coat and toss to combine. Place on your own, remember that the heat level of fresh peppers can vary widely. One week they a baking sheet and roast 20 minutes, or might be scorching and the next, mild, leaving fire-lovers wanting more excitement. until softened, then allow to cool. To create more flavor and/or fire in your salsa, consider the following ideas. 3. Combine the canned tomatoes, Allow chopped onion to macerate with a squeeze of roasted onion, Roma tomatoes and garlic fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt before combining in a blender and process to combine. Add with other ingredients (this will soften the onion’s the remaining raw onion, 1–2 of the sharp, raw taste and help balance overall flavors). jalapeños, salt and fresh cilantro, if using. Purée the mixture, taste and adjust the Toast dried chiles (in a dry skillet or on the grill) until heat (adding jalapeños as desired) and puffed and lightly toasted before soaking. salt. a Makes about 2 quarts. For a spicier salsa, leave the seeds in a few of COOK’S TIP Don’t skimp on oil for roasting the peppers. When jalapeños and serranos don’t add vegetables—you’ll want to use enough to lightly enough fire, add a blistering habanero, chile pequin, coat the ingredients—and be sure to scrape the Thai bird chiles or ground cayenne pepper to the mix. flavorful juices into the blender. The delicious Vinegar-based pepper sauces like Cholula (my roasting oil will add flavor and help pull all the favorite), Crystal or Tabasco add heat and help make ingredients together. the other ingredients pop. Use them—in addition to salt—to finish and “brighten” your salsa if it needs WEB EXTRAS a Read this story on our web- more flavor. —PD site to see a recipe for Hatch Green Chile Salsa from a Bartlett EC member.

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34 Texas Co-op Power August 2018 TexasCoopPower.com Focus on Texas School’s Out

Not to tell tales out of school, but we reckon these reader photos are sweeter than Texas tea. Can you hear it? Summer is calling Texans, old school and new, to ditch the work and hightail it to the creek for some fun in the sun. GRACE ARSIAGA

WEB EXTRAS a See Focus on Texas on our website for more photos from readers.

d RUDY SEPOLIO, Navasota Valley EC: Granddaughter Olivia keeps cool during summer break in Prairie. o PATRICIA GARCIA, Medina EC: “Ariella is taking advantage of her preschool spring break and taking her little lamb for afternoon walks.” d VIOLA MURRAY, Pedernales EC: Evening at Canyon Lake in August

UPCOMING CONTESTS o BOBBY NORRIS, Pedernales EC: A little girl plays on the low- DECEMBER HIGH CONTRAST DUE AUGUST 10 water crossing at Blue Hole Park JANUARY HARVEST DUE SEPTEMBER 10 in Georgetown.

FEBRUARY TWO OF A KIND DUE OCTOBER 10 a LORI SONNIER, Pedernales All entries must include name, address, daytime phone and co-op affiliation, plus the EC: “My son Kyle loves floating contest topic and a brief description of your photo. in the lazy river. We usually go to several different water parks ONLINE: Submit highest-resolution digital images at TexasCoopPower.com/contests. each summer, and he makes a We do not accept entries via email. MAIL: Focus on Texas, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must be included if you want beeline for the lazy river.” your entry returned (approximately six weeks). Please do not submit irreplaceable photographs—send a copy or duplicate. We regret that Texas Co-op Power cannot be responsible for photos that are lost in the mail or not received by the deadline.

TexasCoopPower.com August 2018 Texas Co-op Power 35 Around Texas Event Calendar August 23–26 Wichita Falls Hotter ’N Hell Hundred Pick of the Month August Quilt Show: Rhapsody in Blue 7 Bandera Cowboy Capital Opry, August 31–September 1 Fredericksburg (830) 796-3045, banderacowboycapital.com (830) 997-7802, vereinsquiltguild.org When Fredericksburg turned 150 in 1996, part of the celebration included a quilt show so 8 [8–12] SPOTC Dog Agility Trials, successful it spurred the formation of the Levelland (806) 894-4161, malleteventcenter.com/events Vereins Quilt Guild, which this month holds its 10th biennial quilt show. The event includes bed turning, a boutique, donation quilt, silent 9 auction, tearoom and vendors. Stephenville Texstar Ford Lincoln Summer Nights Concert Series: Moe Bandy With Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines, 1-800-481-9345, stephenvilletexas.org 10 Junction [10–11] Hill Country Fair Associa- tion Summer Classic Rodeo, (254) 212-9160, facebook.com/hcfajunctiontx Henderson [11–12] East Texas Sacred Harp 11 Convention, (903) 863-5379, texasfasola.org Palestine Dogwood Jamboree: Forever 14 Country, (903) 729-7080, Beaumont [14–15] Paw Patrol Live: Race to dogwoodjamboree.com the Rescue, (409) 951-5400, pawpatrollive.com

QUILT: BILYK KATERYNA | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. CYCLISTS: SEEVERA | DREAMSTIME.COM. BALLOONS: MBLACH | DREAMSTIME.COM

36 Texas Co-op Power August 2018 TexasCoopPower.com 18 27 31 El Paso Magoffin Home Victorian Sci-Fi Stonewall Commemoration of Lyndon Bedford [31–Sept. 2] Blues & BBQ Festival, Book and Tea Club, (915) 533-5147, Johnson’s Birthday, (830) 868-7128, (817) 952-2128, bedfordbluesfest.com thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/magoffin-home- nps.gov/lyjo Kyle [31–Sept. 2] Pie in the Sky Hot Air state-historic-site Balloon Festival, (512) 262-1010, 30 kyletxpieinthesky.com 23 La Grange [30–Sept. 2] Fayette County Fort Davis [23–26] Davis Mountains Fair, (979) 968-3911, fayettecountyfair.org Hummingbird Celebration, (432) 426-3015, fortdavis.com September Wichita Falls [23–26] Hotter ’N Hell August 31–September 2 Hundred, (940) 322-3223, hh100.org 1 Kyle Amarillo Yellow City Sounds Music Festival, Pie in the Sky Hot Air (806) 371-5224, panhandlepbs.org Balloon Festival 24 Fort Stockton Wizarding World of Fort Tyler [24–26] Texas Rose Breed Show, Stockton, (432) 701-0588, thegaragetx.com (903) 882-8696, texasrosehorsepark.com 7 25 Corsicana Show and Dance With the Big Spring Comanche Warrior Triathlon, Others, (903) 872-6779, corsicanaopry.com (432) 263-8235, visitbigspring.com Lubbock [7–9] National Cowboy Galveston An Evening With Robert Earl Symposium & Celebration, (806) 798-7825, Keen, 1-800-821-1894, thegrand.com cowboy.org Victoria Dueling Pianos, (361) 576-6277, theatrevictoria.org Crockett [25–26] Marine Corps League Submit Your Event! 1433 Gun Show, (936) 229-2023, We pick events for the magazine directly from facebook.com/marinecorpleague1433 TexasCoopPower.com. Submit your event for October by August 10, and it just might be fea- tured in this calendar.

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TexasCoopPower.com August 2018 Texas Co-op Power 37 Hit the Road Lolling Around Luling Town with tough reputation still basks in benevolence of its oil history

BY GENE FOWLER

When you drive into Luling, nestled along the San Marcos River about 24 miles southeast of the river’s headwaters at San Marcos Springs, you notice right away that oil plays a major role there. A monumental faux derrick soars beside a visitors center at a major intersection on U.S. Highway 183. And around town, nearly 200 pump jacks—some adorned with bright cartoon figures—summon black gold. Luling also is known for its annual Watermelon Thump festival held the last full weekend in June. And two of its eateries— City Market and Luling Bar-B-Q—are renowned destinations for barbecue pilgrims. From 1874 to 1876, when Luling served A whimsical pump explained Bonnie producing electricity from the river as as the end of the Galveston, Harrisburg jack in front of a Dredla, Luling Foun- early as 1894. passing freight and San Antonio Railway, Austin newspa- dation office man- Due to the setting’s natural beauty and train in Luling pers said Luling was “given over to the ager, as she gave me a newly constructed pavilion, a couple gets devil” and that everyone in town “goes a tour of the 1,123-acre site. married there just about every weekend. armed at night.” Hence, “toughest town “One of our primary programs today is Not even the rattling trains passing in Texas” became a common descriptor. the Foundation Angus Alliance,” she con- in the night could wake me at Luling’s I learned about the town’s drilling his- tinued. “We have over 200 head of bulls, Ainsworth House Inn, named for the com- tory at the Luling Oil Museum, housed in the and we practice freeze branding—that’s a mander who led the 36th Infantry Divi- 19th-century Walker Brothers building, process that uses liquid nitrogen or dry ice sion ashore at Salerno, Italy, in advance one of the oldest mercantiles in Texas. and denatured alcohol. It doesn’t burn the of the Normandy landings of World A colorful wildcatter with mystical incli- animal but turns the branded hair white.” War II. The inn’s Audie Murphy room is nations named Edgar B. Davis brought in At the branding pen, I watched as named for the war-hero-turned-film-star, the original discovery well. Folklore re- Dredla’s brother-in-law, Jason Dredla, who visited frequently. counts that the Massachusetts native applied the more humane process to cattle Before leaving town, I stepped across drilled where he found the prettiest wild- in a chute designed by animal behavior Bowie Street from the inn to examine an flowers, and the facts of his share-the- expert Temple Grandin to be less stressful ancient oak tree. There, according to Lul- wealth binges are better than fiction. on the animals. ing historian Riley Froh, Old West outlaws Davis, feeling that his gushers were gifts Foundation acreage is bordered on the had carved directions to a buried treasure from God and that he needed to give back, west by the San Marcos River, and a few of stolen gold. funded enormous Luling picnics, a coun- miles downriver stands the restored Zedler I couldn’t discern the map, but I still try club, hospitals, wildflower painting Mill. Its grist mill was built in 1874 as Luling felt a living link to the days when Luling contests, a Broadway play about reincar- sprang up with the railroad; a cotton gin was known as the toughest town in Texas. nation and an agricultural demonstration soon was added, followed by a saw mill Gene Fowler is an Austin writer who special- farm called the Luling Foundation. and feed mill. Tools and equipment on dis- izes in history. “Mr. Davis saw local farmers and play at the mill museum include a quadru- ranchers struggling and wanted to help plex pump made in Brenham that pressed . WEB EXTRAS a Read this story on our

them develop diversified ag practices,” cotton into bales. The Zedler family began website to view a slideshow. MCSPADDEN WYATT

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