2002_local covers custom.qxp 1/14/20 6:04 PM Page 8

PEDERNALES ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE NEWS FEBRUARY 2020 Crape Murder Legendary Pitmasters Meet Forget Chocolate

CRAWFISH, Y’ALL Mudbug-loving Texans pull up a seat at the communal table

Get a Free Seed PacketSEE PAGE 19 MMADE A D E FFOR O R LLASTINGASTING performance

Let Mueller create a custom steel building that will serve your needs for decades to come. Put us to work on a garage, storage building, workshop or combination of all three. All of our buildings are designed and manufactured in the USA, featuring commercial grade steel and limited paint warranties up to 30 years. That means they’re built to last – and backed by a company that’s been in business for 90 years.

Learn more at: www.muellerinc.com

877-2-MUELLER 8772683553

February 2020 Since 1944

FAVORITES 5 Letters 6 Currents 18 Co-op News Get the latest information plus energy and safety tips from your cooperative. 29 Texas History Meat and Greet By Wyatt McSpadden 31 Recipes Forget Chocolate, My Sweetie Likes . . . 35 Focus on Texas Photo Contest: Power 36 Around Texas List of Local Events 38 Hit the Road The Height of Deceit By Chet Garner

Crawfish and good times ONLINE at Repka’s in Brookshire. TexasCoopPower.com Find these stories online if they don’t FEATURES appear in your edition of the magazine. Texas USA Crape Murder As healthy trees are hacked in the prime On Board the Elissa By Joey Held 8 of their lives, an expert pleads: “Stop the madness!” Story by Sheryl Smith-Rodgers | Illustration by Michael Koelsch Observations

A Texan at Iwo Jima A Tale of Texas Crawfish Tasty crustaceans create a By Gene Fowler 10 feasting frenzy every spring. Story and photos by Eric W. Pohl

NEXT MONTH

Soul Music of South Texas Conjunto coaxes a unique sound and subculture from accordions and 12-string guitars. 31 38

29 35 CRAWFISH: ERIC W. POHL. CONJUNTO ARTIST: COURTESY TEXAS FOLKLIFE

ON THE COVER For many Texans, a crawfish boil marks more than the arrival of spring. Photo by Eric W. Pohl

TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Alan Lesley, Chair, Comanche; Robert Loth III, Vice Chair, Fredericksburg; Gary Raybon, Secretary-Treasurer, El Campo; Mark Boyd, Douglassville; Greg Henley, Tahoka; Billy Jones, Corsicana; David McGinnis, Van Alstyne • PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin • COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE: Marty Haught, Burleson; Bill Hetherington, Bandera; Ron Hughes, Sinton; Boyd McCamish, Littlefield; Mark McClain, Roby; John Ed Shinpaugh, Bonham; Robert Walker, Gilmer; 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; Chris Burrows, Senior Communications Specialist; Grace Fultz, Print Production Specialist; Travis Hill, Com- munications Specialist; Qasim K. Johnson, Administrative Assistant; Megan Myers, Food Editor; Jessica Ridge, Communications Specialist; Chris Salazar, Digital Field Editor; Ally Schauer, Intern; Jane Sharpe, Senior Designer; Shannon Oelrich, Proofreader

TexasCoopPower.com February 2020 Texas Co-op Power 3

Enjoy the Ease of Showering Safely So You Can Stay in the Home You Love! Upgrade your Introducing the bathroom, upgrade ALL NEW your life. With a new Walk-In Shower! walk-in shower, you can make sure your bathroom ages as gracefully as you do. This shower was designed by experts, with you in mind, focusing on safety and convenience when it matters most. Discover how a walk-in shower can help reduce the risk of falling, giving you the freedom to enjoy your bathroom again.

Call today and receive exclusive savings of up to $750 OFF ✔ Commercial Grade Non-Slip Floor ✔ Optional Built-in Seat or FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY ✔ Easy-to-reach Shower Wand Fold Down Safety Seat Call Toll-Free 1-888-463-5808 ✔ Professionally Installed in 1 day ✔ Lifetime Warranty ✔ Tru Temp Anti Scald Shower Valve ✔ Optional Barrier Free www.SafeStepShower.com ✔ Ergo L Shaped Grab Bar Wheelchair Accessible With purchase of a new Safe Step Walk-In Shower. Not applicable with any previous walk-in shower purchase. No cash value. Must present o er at time of purchase. Call Now Toll-Free1-888-463-5808 for more information and ask about our Senior Discounts. Financing available with approved credit. CSLB 983603 F13000002885 13HV08744300 LETTERS

Keeping in Touch I am 84 and rely on good read- Clip–and–Save ing material to keep in touch Recipes with “all.” Seldom have I enjoyed such Being in my 20s, I know that fine articles as your November I am in the minority of issue. I began with interesting Letters, then the woman behind your readership, but that also Wreaths Across America and makes me the future of your the magnificent photos accom- panying the one-of-a-kind readership. I read your articles artists. Then comes my favorite monthly, but I only ever save the recipes, just like my mother and my mother’s subject—history. BRENNA QUEBBEMANN | BLANCO mother before her. I clip them out and keep them in my homemade recipe PEDERNALES EC AND CECA book/binder/scrapbook.

Startling Conclusion The star on the coin looks KASEY MENN | BRYAN | BRYAN TEXAS UTILITIES nothing like the lone star on the flag [A Star Is Born, Decem- ber 2019]. There were stars for centuries on flags, shields and success for rural electrification In October, the McQueeney emblems of nations. Our Texas nationwide [Nixon’s Attack on VFD was the recipient of a founding fathers . . . considered Co-ops, December 2019]. Pic- Power-Up Grant of $20,000 Texas a “lone star”—alone as a tured behind Nixon was REA for the purchase of lifesaving region fighting the tyrannical administrator Dave Hamil, a extrication equipment. This is dictatorship of Santa Anna. dear friend of mine. one of the many ways in which To try to stretch so far to Hamil almost single-handedly GVEC has helped our depart- connect these patriots to an organized national leadership ment to better serve our com- insignificant star on a coin to save co-ops. Nixon was munity. minted in 1817 is a thin pre- forced to sign legislation that MARILYN MARSHALL | NEW BRAUNFELS sumption and certainly not restored federally funded loans GUADALUPE VALLEY EC clear. The Long Expedition in and even greater financial 1819, usually given credibility health to co-ops. for being the first image of BILL MULDOON | KERRVILLE the lone star, is proven history. the past 17 years using the milk CENTRAL TEXAS EC GET MORE TCP AT COY PRATHER | MONTALBA from our award-winning Nubian TexasCoopPower.com TRINITY VALLEY EC dairy goats. Co-ops and VFDs Sign up for our e-newsletter for CAROLINE LAWSON | VIA FACEBOOK I applaud your recognition of monthly updates, prize drawings Made in Texas NAVASOTA VALLEY EC the critical importance and and more! It is great that you are cele- needs of volunteer fire depart- brating the makers in our areas Ryan Drapela [above] is an ments in the communities they We want to hear from you!

[In the Making, November 2019]. awesome young man. He works serve [Putting Others First, ONLINE: TexasCoopPower.com/share Nice photos and nice story. hard to be the best craftsman October 2019]. There are EMAIL: [email protected] TRAVIS FROEHLICH | BASTROP he can be. several volunteer fire depart- MAIL: Editor, Texas Co-op Power, BLUEBONNET EC MARK WOODS | VIA FACEBOOK ments served by our local 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701 co-op, Guadalupe Valley Please include your town and electric co-op. So many of us artisans here Hamil to the Rescue Electric Cooperative, including Letters may be edited for clarity and length. in Texas! . . . My husband and President Richard Nixon’s fail- the McQueeney Volunteer I have been making soap for ure to thwart REA was a huge Fire Department. D FE Texas Co-op Power

TEXAS CO-OP POWER VOLUME 76, NUMBER 8 (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 2020 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohib-

RECIPES: JODY HORTON. DRAPELA: itedJULIA ROBINSON without written permission. Willie Wiredhand © Copyright 2020 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

TexasCoopPower.com February 2020 Texas Co-op Power 5 CURRENTS

M A R K YO U R CALENDAR PIONEERING M.D.

National Women Physicians Day is February 3. The date marks the birthday of Elizabeth Blackwell in 1821. When Blackwell graduated from New York’s Geneva Medical College in 1849, she became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States.

In Texas, 22,550 of the state’s 64,602 physicians—about one- third—are women, according to a March 2019 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

HAPPENINGS Chopin and Friends

Classical music lovers are in for a treat when distinguished Canadian pianist Ryo Yanagitani performs CHOPIN AND FRIENDS: ROMANTIC GENIUS at the Cailloux Theater in KERRVILLE on FEBRUARY 27. Frédéric Chopin was a 19th-century Polish composer and virtuoso pianist who was close friends with French composer Hector Berlioz and sometimes friend, sometimes rival of Franz Liszt. The concert will feature pieces by all three and one by Johann Sebastian Bach, LIFESTYLE one of Chopin’s greatest influences. “This concert is all about showmanship,” says Eugene Dowdy, Cut It Out! conductor and artistic director for Symphony of the Hills, host of the Have you witnessed crape murder event. “Ryo is a wonderful showman as a performer, super energetic. —the horrific and drastic pruning And even Chopin, himself a famous piano performer, also hung out of innocent crape myrtles? Or seen the gnarled, knotty scars left by with other showy composers like Hector Berlioz—composer previous crimes? of a piece named Symphony Fantastique, by the way. Read Crape Murder on Page 8, Who writes a symphony and names it that?” WEB EXTRAS then tell us about your experience a Find more by emailing letters@TexasCoop happenings Power.com or posting on our INFO a (830) 792-7469, symphonyofthehills.org online. Facebook page. Include your name, co-op and city. (We won’t turn

you in to the pruning police.) PIANO & ANTHONY: DAVID MOORE. STETHOSCOPE: CHERNETSKAYA | DREAMSTIME.COM. CANDY: XPIXEL | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. BIRDS: OPENEYED | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

6 Texas Co-op Power February 2020 TexasCoopPower.com TCP CONTEST a $100 RECIPES: HOT OFF THE GRILL Have a smokin’ hot favorite meal you cook on the coals? Enter your recipe online.

BY THE NUMBERS

“There is no history about which there is so much ignorance as this great movement 5,200

for the establishment of equal political rights That’s the number for women. I hope the twentieth century of choking deaths in the U.S. in 2017, according to will see the triumph of our cause.” the National Safety Council. Surgeon Henry Heimlich, who in the 1970s invented —SUSAN B. ANTHONY, in a letter a technique used to help to the editor of the Chicago Tribune, choking victims dislodge December 20, 1900. Anthony was an obstruction from their born 200 years ago, February 15, 1820. airways, was born 100 years ago—February 3, 1920, in Delaware. The Heimlich maneuver is credited with saving thousands of lives.

; Did you know?

In 2016, at the age of 96, Heimlich himself used his technique for the first time to save the life of a woman choking at his retirement home in Cincinnati.

NATURE FINISH THIS SENTENCE

My most unforgettable first date was . . .

Last month we asked readers to finish a sentence that Desolate Skies we started. Your snappy answers are still coming in, and we’ll share them next month. Meanwhile, amid thoughts of romance and Valentine’s Day, how would you finish the The New York Times, reporting While the study was not sentence above? on an analysis in the journal designed to determine the Science, said in September that cause of the 29% drop in Your answers can be silly, serious, deep or superficial. there are 2.9 billion fewer birds population, scientists suggest Post your responses on our Facebook page or email them in the United States and Can- likely culprits are habitat to [email protected]. Please include your ada than there were in 1970. loss and pesticides. name, city and co-op.

TexasCoopPower.com February 2020 Texas Co-op Power 7 BY SHERYL SMITH-RODGERS | ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL KOELSCH

EVERY FEBRUARY, horticulturist Greg Grant dreads the sight of tree trunks topped by sawed-off limbs. The annual chain saw massacre generally targets only one kind of tree: crape myrtles. “I’m never going to get used to that horrifically wrong way of pruning them,” huffs Grant, a Texas A&M Agri- Life Extension agent for Smith County. “Someone’s got to stop the madness.” That madness is known as “crape murder.” No one’s sure how or why the excessive shearing got started, though Grant, a member of Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative, has some the- ories. Despite efforts to counter it, the crime against nature continues. Crape myrtles have long been loved in the South as orna- mental shrubs and trees for their peeling bark, prolific blooms and colorful fall foliage. Their tolerance of hot, dry climates makes them especially suited for Texas landscapes.

AS HEALTHY TREES are hacked in the prime of their lives, an expert pleads: “STOP THE MADNESS!” rr CrapeCrapeIn part, their name refers to the flowers’ crinkly crepeMurdeMurde paper A decade later, she tended a formal garden, which showcased appearance. However, crape myrtles, which are native to India crape myrtles, at their new Italian villa-style home in Paris, Texas, and southeast Asia, are not true myrtle trees, which bear white, now the Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site. Paris residents star-shaped flowers. Instead, crape myrtle blooms—which range planted crape myrtles after fire destroyed almost half the town from white to pink, red and lavender—look more like lilacs, hence in 1916. They planted more for the state’s centennial, in 1936. its nickname, “Lilac of the South.” Today, more than 110 crape In 1997, the 75th Texas Legislature declared the crape myrtle myrtle varieties range in size from 3 feet tall to more than 30 feet. as the official state shrub. (Texas purple sage was deemed the Their earliest cultivation traces back to the Chinese gardens of official state native shrub in 2005.) It also designated Paris as the Tang dynasty, which ruled from 618 to 907 A.D. In 1786, French the state’s official Crape Myrtle City and Lamar County as Crape botanist André Michaux planted crape myrtles in his gardens in Myrtle County Capital. Not to leave anyone out, the Legislature Charleston, South Carolina. In 1799, the ship George Berkeley also named Waxahachie as the Crape Myrtle Capital of Texas ferried plants and seeds from India, including crape myrtles, to and Brazos County as an official Crape Myrtle County. McKinney, George Washington for his Mount Vernon plantation in Virginia. billed as America’s Crape Myrtle City, boasts some 65,000 crape Thomas Jefferson also planted them at Monticello, his home in myrtles across the city and in its 7-acre World Collection Park. Virginia. The tree’s popularity spread across the South. Despite its official standing, not even Paris is immune to Marilda Maxey, wife of Confederate Gen. Samuel Bell Maxey, crape murder. “It’s an ongoing issue here,” sighs Billie Paskin, is believed to have brought the first crape myrtles to Texas in former president of the Lamar County Master Gardeners and a 1857, when the couple moved from Kentucky to Lamar County. Lamar Electric member. “We talk to people, and they still cut

8 Texas Co-op Power February 2020 TexasCoopPower.com off their crape myrtles.” grow 30 feet high under a utility line.” Likewise, Grant—who’s introduced 49 plants, including two Crape murder disfigures the shrubs, spurs growth of more crape myrtle hybrids, to the nursery trade—regularly writes suckers (new shoots) at a tree’s base and decreases a tree’s cold about the foibles of crape murder. “I’m not the crape myrtle hardiness. Grant also suspects that pruning wounds and new police,” Grant says. “People can do whatever they want with their growth attract crape myrtle bark scale, an introduced pest that’s trees. But it’s the No. 1 horticultural phenomenon that you see, spread across most of the Southeast. Sooty black mold and white, and there’s not a single word in any horticultural publication feltlike encrustations on higher limbs indicate a likely infestation. that condones the practice.” Though not a death sentence, the scale can turn healthy trees Grant theorizes that the severe style of pruning originated into eyesores and reduce their vigor by about one-third. in Europe, where upper branches of some trees were pollarded— Bottom line: Crape murder costs money, wastes time and adds cut back to the trunk—to provide fuel. “Perhaps the practice debris to landfills. It’s dangerous, too—chain saws and ladders came with the Spanish, who brought it with them to Mexico,” don’t mix. Left alone, crape myrtles grow into graceful sculptures he says. “From Mexico, it spread across the South.” worthy of admiration. These days, motives for crape murder vary, depending on “The only pruning they need is removal of dead wood, branches who’s wielding the saw. “Homeowners tell me they cut off their that cross and suckers from the base,” Grant says. “The prettiest crape myrtles because they’re too tall,” Grant says. “So it’s impor- ones I’ve seen have never been touched. And I mean never.” tant that people know what size crape myrtle they want and Sheryl Smith-Rodgers of Blanco blogs about her gardening adventures then buy the right one for the site. Don’t plant one that can at sherylsmithrodgers.blogspot.com.

TexasCoopPower.com February 2020 Texas Co-op Power 9 A TALE OF TEXAS CRAWFISH STORY AND PHOTOS BY ERIC W. POHL

TASTY CRUSTACEANS CREATE A FEASTING FRENZY EVERY SPRING

CRAWFISH. CRAWDADS. MUDBUGS. Whatever you call them, they swim at the heart of a Southern tradition that’s as much about eating the tasty freshwater crustaceans in a messy jubilee of divine spiciness as it is about bringing friends, family—and even strangers—together. From out-of-the-way eateries and exuberant festivals to backyard shindigs and community celebrations, mudbug- loving Texans happily pull up a seat at a communal table and peel tails. Steam and aromatic spices fill the air as piping hot, bright-red crawfish tumble from giant pots onto paper-covered tables. Then it’s on! Time to twist off the tails and pull out the sweet, tender lobsterlike tail meat. The more adventurous devourers, keeping with time-honored crawfish tradition, suck the rich, flavorful yellow “fat” (it’s actually a digestive organ called the hepatopancreas) from the head. Aficionados insist this is the best part. A crawfish boil encourages Crawfish season varies depending on whom you ask, but it is usually in full swing by friends and family to dig in the start of Lent in late February, with the peak for size and quality covering March, April and eat from a shared plate or right off the table. and May. Seasonal specialty restaurants like the Crawfish Shack in Crosby attract crawfish- crazed patrons by the dozens. “The first day we open up for the year, we’ll have 60 cars in line just to get to-go food,” says owner Dan Meaux. “Some people are waiting two hours.” The Crawfish Shack has erupted in popularity in the past few years, making it one of the top crawfish spots in the country. “As of the last two years, we cook more crawfish than anyone in the country,” Meaux says. He credits the explosive growth to the backyard party atmosphere and never compromising on quality. Mudbug-themed festivals fea- ture live music, parades, pageants, carnival rides and literal tons of crawfish. In 2017, Guinness World Records recognized the Bigass Crawfish Bash in La Marque for the most crawfish prepared in eight hours: more than 58,000 pounds. Across Texas, every crawfish chef and backyard boiler has a CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

TexasCoopPower.com February 2020 Texas Co-op Power 11 THE TAIL TRAIL: WHERE TO FIND savory mudbugs. During the season (typically January–June), the Crawfish Shack serves more than 6,000 THE BEST CRAWFISH pounds of crawfish daily. The open-air, red steel building exudes a garage- party-meets-sports-bar energy char- acterized by football memorabilia on BROOKSHIRE and a jukebox add to the dive bar the walls and sports on big-screen REPKA’S GROCERY vibe, and patron-inscribed dollar bills TVs. Get ready for boiled crawfish, What started as a 1940s icehouse adorn the ceiling. Plan on trying fried shrimp, snow crab and sausage with and convenience store, Repka’s, gator, crawfish étouffée and home- corn, potatoes and mushrooms. a member of San Bernard Electric made pork cracklings. Cooperative, serves Cajun-style cui- EL CAMPO sine year-round. If you blink, you’ll CROSBY PINCHERS BOIL’N POT miss the nondescript building even CRAWFISH SHACK RESTAURANT though it is packed during crawfish One could argue the Crawfish Shack With lakeside dining on a large deck season. Wood-paneled walls boast is Texas’ most popular BYOB boiling and fresh-daily crawfish from their bar swag and autographed head- pot restaurant. During peak season, farm, Pinchers is a cut above your shots of famous diners, including loyal patrons lug beer-filled coolers average crawfish shack. Just off U.S. country music star Tim McGraw. and happily endure 200-person lines Highway 59 South, the restaurant’s Pool tables, vintage arcade games to get their hands on Dan Meaux’s conspicuous yellow facade and Left: Carl Kokemor and Isabell Cavazos dig in at a crawfish boil at Repka’s in Brookshire.

BYOB. For those who like to get of boiled crab legs, crawfish, shrimp, saucy, JuJu’s offers three dipping corn, potatoes and sausage. It’s also options: red sauce (ketchup and known for gumbo, shrimp Creole and spices), pink sauce (ketchup, mayo fresh sourdough bread. and spices) and melted butter. ROCKPORT GALVESTON THE BOILING POT BENNO’S ON THE BEACH Strings of colored lights, neon beer On the island’s far east end, Benno’s logos and loads of kitsch create a serves fresh Cajun seafood on an partylike setting in this lively estab- outdoor patio with unencumbered lishment celebrating 35 years. Every postcard views of the Gulf of Mexico. surface, from the corrugated steel Sea gulls and pelicans soar on the exterior to the inside walls and ceil- briny breeze while diners enjoy ings, is adorned with graffiti, art and crawfish, shrimp po’boys, grilled caricatures. Hungry diners don white oysters and deep-fried Cajun crabs. plastic bibs, smash open crab legs with wooden mallets and polish off GROVES loads of Cajun seafood, family-style. LARRY’S FRENCH MARKET It has a sizable beer cooler offering & CAJUN RESTAURANT more selections than typical seafood There’s nothing like Cajun food joints. One block from the beach, and live Cajun music to spice up an the fishing pier and marina are also evening in the Golden Triangle—an within walking distance. area known for its Cajun influence and anchored by Beaumont, Port SANTA FE Arthur and Orange. Tables covered POOK’S CRAWFISH HOLE by checkered cloth define the front In addition to boiled crawfish, this half of Larry’s. Walls are clad with BYOB shack, about 20 miles west of vintage photos of local fishermen and Galveston, offers deep-fried boudin mounted trophy fish. The restaurant’s balls, crawfish pie and gumbo. Expect sparkling blue lake beckon passersby back half enshrines a dance floor Pook’s to be packed with patrons to a trifecta eatery, fuel station and RV featuring live music under a neon at wooden octagonal tables peeling park. Visitors are greeted by a life-size glow. Reserve a table on the dance crawfish or cracking open huge snow shark and a large sign inviting them to floor and order crawfish in season crab legs while listening to live music. “EAT TAIL.” The novelty lake, complete or step up to the year-round Cajun with ducks, geese and light-up palm seafood buffet groaning with fried trees, sprawls across the restaurant’s seafood, frog legs, boudin, étouffée front. Patrons can walk the adjacent and barbecued crab. pier, feed the catfish and koi, or watch as the staff bags the purged crawfish. PORT ARANSAS CRAZY CAJUN FANNETT This no-frills hot spot for Cajun JUJU’S CAJUN CRAWFISH SHAK cuisine has been a favorite among JuJu’s does one thing and does locals and tourists since 1987. Step- it right. Along a pastoral stretch ping inside the unassuming teal of FM 365, 15 miles southwest of and pink hut reveals a boisterous Beaumont, JuJu’s serves boiled craw- atmosphere as patrons enjoy heap- fish, corn, potatoes and sausage. ing mounds of steaming seafood on Ambiance of the modest red building white butcher-papered tables. The is defined by exposed plywood walls menu is mostly à la carte but features and a blackboard menu. And it’s the Hungry Cajun—a spicy sampler CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 Radley calls his operation Pinch- Craig Radley of Pinchers Craw- recipe. Most popular is the Cajun style, which calls for infusing ers Crawfish Farm, and on one fish Farm empties a crawfish boiled crawfish with peppery spices and serving them with boiled sunny afternoon, he readied his trap into a boat’s sorting area. corn and potatoes. Another popular offshoot is the Vietnamese- flat-bottomed aluminum boat for Cajun style, in which the boiled crustaceans are sautéed with but- harvesting mudbugs. He navigated the specially designed craft ter, garlic and aromatic ingredients such as lemongrass and citrus. through the muddy water with help from a hydraulic, cleat-studded wheel that pushed along the slushy bottom. GETTING THE MUDBUGS The first chapters of crawfish scripture Radley hoisted each pyramid-shaped, crawfish-filled trap were written in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin, where wild har- from the water and emptied the catch into a sorting area in front vests began in the 1880s. By the 1950s, cold storage and the intro- of his cockpit. As he went, he rebaited each trap with commercial duction of wire crawfish traps boosted harvest volume. Crawfish crawfish pellets and put it back into the water to capture more. farmers found they could raise an excellent crop in flooded rice As he sorted and cleaned his harvest, Radley removed debris fields and produce consistently and tossed the smaller mudbugs back so they could grow larger. WEB EXTRAS larger crops year over year. With a full load, he motored back to his nearby seafood restaurant, a Crawfish watch the That farming tradition contin- Pinchers Boil’n Pot. The crawfish are submerged in fresh water weather. Read this ues with folks like Craig Radley, who for 24 hours to purge them of internal impurities. After that, story on our website converted 50 acres of rice fields they get weighed and are ready for their starring role in the to learn more. near El Campo, in Wharton County restaurant. Electric Cooperative’s service area, Writer and photographer Eric W. Pohl, a member of Pedernales EC, lives into a swampy crawfish heaven. in Dripping Springs.

14 Texas Co-op Power February 2020 TexasCoopPower.com KEEP THE HEAT IN THE COLD OUT! BUY ONE REPLACEMENT WINDOW GET ONE

%* OFF 40plus $0 00% MONEY DOWN PAYMENTS INTEREST FOR 12 MONTHS* Please ask about our amazing finance options. Minimum purchase required.

HURRY! SALE ENDS 2/29 CALL NOW FOR YOUR FREE IN-HOME DESIGN CONSULTATION.

Get An CALL (469) 606-5229 Get ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT An ADDITIONAL When You Replace DISCOUNT 10+ Windows rbaofdfw.com When You Replace 10+ Windows

*Offer not available in all areas and ends 2/29/20 and appointment must occur within 10 days of the initial contact. Discount applies to minimum required purchase. $0 payments and deferred interest for 12 months available to well qualified buyers on approved credit only. Financing is provided by federally insured, federal and state chartered financial institutions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex or familial status. Any finance terms advertised are estimates only, and all financing is provided by third-party lenders unaffiliated with Renewal by Andersen retailers, under terms and conditions arranged directly between the customer and such lender, all subject to credit requirements. “Renewal by Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are marks of Andersen Corporation. ©2020 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. Tears From Limited to the first A Volcano 1600 orders Uniquely American stone ignites romance from this n May 18, 1980, the once-slumbering Mount St. Helens ad only Oerupted in the Paci c Northwest. It was the most impressive display of nature’s power in North America’s recorded history. But even more impressive is what emerged from the chaos... 4 carats of a spectacular new creation born of ancient minerals named Helenite. Its lush, vivid color and amazing story instantly captured shimmering the attention of jewelry connoisseurs worldwide. You can now have four carats of the world’s newest stone for an absolutely Helenite unbelievable price. Known as America’s emerald, Helenite makes it possible to give her a stone that’s brighter and has more re than any emerald without paying the exorbitant price. In fact, this many carats of an emerald that looks this perfect and glows this green would cost you upwards of $80,000. Your more beautiful and much more aordable option features a perfect teardrop of Helenite set in gold-covered sterling silver suspended from a chain accented with even more verdant Helenite. Limited Reserves. As one of the EXCLUSIVE largest gemstone dealers in the world, we buy more carats of Helenite than anyone, which lets us give you a great FREE price. However, this much gorgeous Helenite Earrings green for this price won’t last long. -a $129 value- Don’t miss out. Helenite is only  with purchase of found in one section of Washington State, so call today! “I love these pieces... Helenite Necklace it just glowed... Romance guaranteed or your money so beautiful!” back. Experience the scintillating — S.S., Salem, OR beauty of the Helenite Teardrop Necklace for 30 days and if she isn’t completely in love with it send it back for a full refund of the item price. You can even keep the stud earrings as our thank you for giving us a try. Helenite Teardrop Necklace (4 ¼ ctw) $299* ..... Only $129 +S&P Helenite Stud Earrings (1 ctw) ...... $129 +S&P Helenite Set (5 ¼ ctw) $428* ...... Call-in price only $129 +S&P (Set includes necklace and stud earrings) Call now and mention the offer code to receive FREE earrings. 1-800-333-2045 Offer Code HEN262-01 You must use the offer code to get our special price. ® 14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. HEN262-01, Stauer Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com * Special price only for customers using the offer code versus the price on Stauer.com Necklace without your offer code. enlarged Rating of A+ to show luxurious • 4 ¼ ctw of American Helenite and lab-created DiamondAura® color • Gold-finished .925 sterling silver settings • 16" chain with 2" extender and lobster clasp Stauer… Afford the Extraordinary.® CUSTOM BLINDS, SHADES, SHUTTERS & DRAPERY

LOVE the SAVINGS, LOVE the STYLES!

HURRY!

Ask About The Benefi ts Of Layering With Drapery Limited Time Off ! BUY 1 GET 1 %* Cellular Shades Woven Woods Shutters 50OFF Call To Schedule Your FREE on Custom Blinds, In-Home Design Consultation Shades & Drapery 1-877-649-8826 or visit www.3DayOffer786.com

WE DESIGN, WE MEASURE, WE INSTALL, YOU RELAX!®

*Offer valid on 3 Day Blinds brand products only, excluding shutters and special orders. Buy 1 qualifying window covering and receive the 2nd qualifying window covering of equal or lesser value at 50% off! Offer excludes installation, sales tax, shipping and handling. Not valid on previous purchases or with any other offer or discount. Offer Code BGXB. Expires 4/30/20. 3 Day Blinds LLC has the following licenses: AZ ROC 321056, CA #1005986, CT HIC.0644950, NJ #13VH09390200, OR #209181, PA #PA107656, WA #3DAYBDB842KS, Nassau County, NY Home Improvement License H01073101, Rockland County, NY #H-12401-34-00-00. © 2020 3 Day Blinds LLC. Preservation in fl ight

18 Texas Co-op Power PEDERNALES ELECTRIC February 2020

PEC TCP 2020 02.indd 2 1/8/20 9:48 AM pec.coop

ach year, millions of monarch butterflies migrate attract butterflies and other pollinators. These directly across PEC’s 8,100 square miles of easements can become microhabitats for service territory. But by 2021, monarchs may fall sustaining life, filling a similar role to greenbelts. under the Endangered Species Act, which could Where easements run through private property, impact electric cooperatives’ ability to maintain we work directly with landowners to ensure there transmission easements in a cost-effective are no issues with planting. These efforts help manner. That's why we've proactively launched reduce the need for vegetation maintenance and efforts to help protect monarchs. And we’ve are projected to generate significant savings for E voluntarily implemented solutions that will help the cooperative. benefit our environment, wildlife, and members long term. Monarch way stations Additionally, we created a new monarch way “As good stewards of our environment, we station at our headquarters in Johnson City that identified a prime opportunity to protect our area's is certified and registered by Monarch Watch — precious resources,” PEC Environmental Manager a nonprofit that aims to create, conserve, and Nina Alexander said. “We’re excited to be a leader protect monarch habitats across North America. in monarch and wildlife conservation to positively impact the Texas Hill Country and our members.” Soon, we hope to add more way stations across our service territory to promote generations of Easement planting practices monarchs and pollinators that positively influence Recently, we began using a new seed mix along our environment. our easements. Plants from the new mix have a shorter maturity height and are attractive food If you're interested in creating a monarch-friendly for animals, including deer. As faunae eat, they plot, reach out to PEC experts. Email us at mow for us. New edible easements also keep [email protected]. wildlife off the roads and include flowers that

Get involved! Free pollinator seed packets

PEC wants to make it easy for you to join our effort to help save Preservation in flight monarchs. Pick up a free packet of pollinator seed mix at any PEC office. The mix contains native wildflowers including milkweed, an essential plant for butterfly survival.

We're proud to partner with community organizations to help share these packets. Visit pec.coop/monarchs for more information.

February 2020 PEDERNALES ELECTRIC Texas Co-op Power 19

PEC TCP 2020 02.indd 3 1/8/20 9:48 AM PEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION

Members will vote for directors in districts 2, 3, and 4

As a PEC member, your vote is your voice. Participating in the election is your chance to have a say in the leadership and direction of the cooperative. This year, our 2020 election is open to members in districts 2, 3, and 4, and only members in these three districts are eligible to vote. The district 4 election is to fill a vacancy. Members may vote online, by mail, in-person at a PEC office, or via smartphone using a QR code.

Visit pec.coop/election for more information on the 2020 election, including nomination petition packets.

Election timeline 01.15 03.23 04.17 04.23 05.20 Nomination Nomination Board director Candidate Voting begins, period opens materials candidates forum in 12:01 a.m. due by 5 p.m. announced Johnson City

20 Texas Co-op Power PEDERNALES ELECTRIC February 2020

PEC TCP 2020 02.indd 4 1/8/20 9:48 AM pec.coop

Election FAQs Member voting districts

May all members of my household vote? District 2 No. Only the registered PEC member may vote. Holders of joint memberships (such as spouses) have a single vote for Williamson County all matters subject to voting. 2243 Ronald Reagan Blvd

What if I have homes in multiple districts? Your voting district is tied to the account associated with your 183 PEC membership fee. The service location of that account Travis County

determines your voting district, even if you have multiple homes. 1431 Your voting district is printed on your bill beneath your monthly Cedar Park use chart.

What if I have residential and business accounts? If your business is a sole proprietorship, you likely have one District 3 membership with one vote. If you own a corporation with a

separate membership, you may have more than one vote. Travis County Williamson County

Can I change my voting district? Cedar Park Members who have multiple meters located in different districts may change their voting district once every three years (the 1431 length of a full director term) by calling 888-554-4732. Please note, changing your voting district will also change the account associated with your membership fee.

Do candidates have my mailing address? Colorado River We don’t share our member mailing list with marketers, but we do share it with PEC board candidates upon request. To remove yourself from our membership mailing list, voter District 4 Travis County history list, and/or election email list, call 888-554-4732. Blanco County Oak Hill

290 Dripping Springs

Become a board director Hays County Interested in serving your community? Consider Kyle-Buda running for a PEC board director seat in the district I-35 where you live. This year, elections are for districts Comal County 2, 3, and 4. The district 4 election is to fill a vacancy. See guidelines and materials at pec.coop/election.

Caldwell County

Maps not to scale. For detailed maps, visit pec.coop/election.

06.12 06.16 06.19 The annual meeting will take place Voting ends, Election results PEC Annual immediately before the June Board 5 p.m. released and shared Meeting, 9 a.m. at of Directors meeting. There will be with membership our headquarters in no voting at the annual meeting, but Johnson City, with newly- members are invited to attend the elected board directors regular business meeting for an update on the cooperative and to get to know their directors.

February 2020 PEDERNALES ELECTRIC Texas Co-op Power 21

PEC TCP 2020 02.indd 5 1/8/20 9:48 AM New PEC Board of Director district maps Learn who represents you

PEC recently rebalanced its district maps to ensure equitable representation of members across all districts. These changes refl ect population growth in various areas as well as projections for future growth. Using this map, fi nd your district and visit pec.coop/board-of-directors to learn more about the Lampasas County board director who represents you. If you're unsure of your district, you can fi nd your district number on your bill beneath your monthly use chart. Bell County Burnet County

Mason County Llano County

Schleicher County Menard County Liberty Hill Marble Falls Sutton County Williamson District 5 County Cedar Park Lago Vista Junction Gillespie County I-10 Blanco County

Kimble County Travis County Oak Hill Johnson City I-35

Dripping Springs

Edwards County Kendall County Wimberley District 6 Hays CountyKyle-Buda Kerr County Comal County Caldwell County

Canyon Lake

Real County

Kinney County

22 Texas Co-op Power PEDERNALES ELECTRIC February 2020

PEC TCP 2020 02.indd 6 1/15/20 9:45 AM pec.coop New PEC Board of Director district maps

Lampasas County

Bell County Burnet County

Mason County Llano County District 5 District 1 Schleicher County Menard County Liberty Hill Marble Falls Sutton County Williamson County Cedar Park Lago Vista District 2 Junction Gillespie County I-10 Blanco County District 3 Kimble County Travis County Oak Hill Johnson City I-35 District 6 Dripping Springs Edwards County District 4 Kendall County Wimberley

Hays CountyKyle-Buda

Kerr County Comal County District 7 Caldwell County

Canyon Lake

Real County

Kinney County Map not to scale. For a detailed version of this map, visit pec.coop/election.

February 2020 PEDERNALES ELECTRIC Texas Co-op Power 23

PEC TCP 2020 02.indd 7 1/8/20 9:48 AM SPOT STOPSCAMS

Today’s scammers are sneaky and sophisticated — targeting potential victims by phone, online, and in-person. Scammers are also known to seek out vulnerable groups, including small businesses, senior citizens, non-English speakers, and people living in low-income communities. By knowing what you can expect from PEC, you’ll be better prepared to spot a scam before it’s too late.

When we receive notice of scammers targeting our members, we work to alert you on our website and social media channels, so be sure to check these regularly. PEC is a proud member of Utilities United Against Scams, a group of utilities committed to spreading awareness of suspicious behaviors and the evolving tactics scammers use to target consumers.

PEC will: PEC will never:

Make recorded courtesy calls and Threaten to disconnect services if you direct you to our secure payment line do not make an immediate payment. at 844-886-9798. Ask you to pay with a prepaid card or Use a credit bureau, MPB, for demand a cash payment. delinquent balances on closed accounts. You can reach MPB to verify calls at Call you from an out-of-state number. 800-550-7902. Instruct you to call a number that's Send field agents to collect payments not ours. (never cash) at residential and commercial locations. Sell you products or services by phone or door-to-door.

24 Texas Co-op Power PEDERNALES ELECTRIC February 2020

PEC TCP 2020 02.indd 8 1/8/20 9:48 AM pec.coop

Brighten your future with a PEC scholarship

Students in 12th grade are encouraged to apply for scholarships ranging from $2,500-$10,000.

Visit pec.coop/scholarships for SCAMS details, and apply by March 23.

Monitor your use with PEC's SmartHub

SmartHub makes your When in doubt, verify it's PEC. conservation efforts easy to track! Log in via the web or SmartHub app to start:

• Monitoring your energy use. • Analyzing changes in your energy use. • Learning times during the day when you use the most energy, and ways to save.

Learn more at pec.coop/app.

995 kWh December average residential use

If someone at your door or over the phone says they $108.25 work for PEC, call us to confirm their identity at December average 888-554-4732. If you suspect a scam, notify us as soon residential bill as possible with the details and file a police report. 329,702 Visit pec.coop/scams for more information. Active accounts

PEC BY THE NUMBERS THE BY PEC As of Dec. 31, 2019

February 2020 PEDERNALES ELECTRIC Texas Co-op Power 25

PEC TCP 2020 02.indd 9 1/15/20 9:45 AM ADVERTISEMENT Courtesy of MagniLife® U Pain and Aging?

pain. Although this product is not intended to treat fibromy- Just Ask algia, it can help with the pain Restless Christina. and fatigue caused by fibromy- Christina Walker algia. “These tablets have just been Legs? Chief Science Researcher WONDERFUL. I’d recommend them to anyone and everyone!” - Debra, WV. SSTSSSTABBINGTATABTABBTABBITABBINTABBING MagniLife® Pain & Fatigue Re- FFOFOOFOFOFOOTOT PAIN?PFOOT PAFOOT PAIFOOT PAINFOOT lief is sold at CVS/pharmacy, Non-Greasy Rite Aid Pharmacy and Ama- Formula Do you suffer from burning, zon. Order risk free for $19.99 tingling, or stabbing foot pain? +$5.95 S&H for 125 tablets You should know help is avail- Relieves: per bottle. Get a FREE bottle  able. 20 million Americans suf- when you order two for $39.98 Unpleasant fer from these symptoms and +$5.95 S&H. Send payment to: sensations put up with the pain, because MagniLife F-TC2, PO Box 6789,  Difficulty they are not aware of this proven McKinney, TX 75071 or call falling asleep treatment. 1-800-428-1890. Satisfaction  Restlessness ® MagniLife Pain Relieving guaranteed. Order now at www.  Discomfort Foot Cream contains Gnaphali- PainFatigue.com um to relieve pain, while natu- ral moisturizers restore cracked, damaged, and itchy skin. “It’s the LLELEGLEGLEG CCRLEG CLEG CRAMPSRARAMRAMPRAMPS ONLY product that helps relieve AATAATT NNINIGNIGHNIGHTNIGHT? the burning, and tingling feeling in my feet!” - Mable NY. If painful muscle cramps in MagniLife® Pain Relieving Foot your legs, back, feet or hips are Cream is available at Wal- interrupting your sleep, you greens, CVS/pharmacy, Rite should know relief is available. Aid, Target, Walmart and Over 100 million people suffer Amazon, located in the footcare from unnecessary muscle cramps and diabetes sections. Order risk because they are not aware of this free for $19.99 +$5.95 S&H proven treatment to relieve and prevent symptoms. for a 4 oz jar. Get a FREE jar ® when you order two for $39.98 MagniLife Muscle Cramp Pain Reliever contains eight ac- Available without +$5.95 S&H. Send payment a prescription to: MagniLife NC-TC2, PO Box tive ingredients, such as Magne- 6789, McKinney, TX 75071 or sia Phosphorica to help prevent call 1-800-428-1890. Money and relieve cramps and radiating pains that are worse at night. Targets: back guarantee. Order now at  Burning www.MDFootCream.com “Your product has severely helped me and I thank you so very much.”  Tingling - Marie L., MT.  Shooting FFIFIBFIBRFIBFIBFIBROMYALGIAROROMROMYROMYAROMYALROMYALGROMYALGIROMYALGIA MagniLife® Muscle Cramp  PPAPPAIN?AIAINAIN? Pain Reliever is available at Rite Stabbing Aid, CVS and Amazon. Order Pains Are you one of 16 million peo- risk free for $19.99 +$5.95 S&H ple suffering from deep muscle for 125 tablets per bottle. Re- pain and tenderness, joint stiff- ceive a FREE bottle when you ness, difficulty sleeping, or the order two for $39.98 +$5.95 Order Now: 1-800-428-1890 feeling of little or no energy? S&H. Send payment to: Mag- www.MagniLife.com You should know relief is avail- niLife L-TC2, PO Box 6789, ® able. MagniLife Pain & Fatigue McKinney, TX 75071 or call Available at: Relief combines 11 active ingre- 1-800-428-1890. Satisfaction dients to relieve deep muscle guaranteed. Order now at www. pain and soreness, arthritis pain, LegCrampsRelief.com aching joints, and back and neck

MARKET PLACE BUY • SELL • TRADE • ACROSS TOWN • ACROSS TEXAS

BBUBURBURNBURNBURNURN SAFELYSASAFSAFESAFELS

with the Stainless Steel ™ BurnCage

PERFECT FOR: • Sensitive fi nancial documents

• All burnable household waste* • Old leaves and branches

STAINLESS STEEL is light, durable and portable FLOATING FISHING PIER (folds for easy storage). On your pond or lake, with or without roof. PERFORATED CONSTRUCTION maximizes All sizes—installation available. BUILDINGS OF ALL SIZES airfl ow and traps embers.

ELLISON MARINE • FRANKLIN, TX. Shops • Garages • Barns • Equipment Sheds • Barndominiums 1600° TEMPERATURES 45 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE mean more Available in 3 Sizes!

1A9CEX © 2020 Call for Free Information •(979)820-3000 SHOPS STARTING AT $10,300 thorough www.ellisonmarine.com • [email protected] Price includes all labor and materials with 4" steel reinforced concrete slab with moisture barrier, one burning 10"x10" heavy duty roll up door, one 3 foot steel entry door, concrete aprons, electric stub *(Dirt may be extra) with less MAX XL Original ash. * Always check WE PAY TOP PRICES FOR COLLECTIBLES local ordinances before burning. Coins • Banknotes • Gold & Silver Jewelry & Scrap Go Online or Call for FREE Info Kit! Vintage Costume Jewelry • Watches • Stamps Tokens • Historical Documents • Other Collectibles

TEXAS BUYERS GROUP •FREDERICKSBURG, TX BurnCage.com All transactions private, confidential & secure. TOLL 830-997-6339 • [email protected] FREE 877-200-8321

Low Cost Pole Barns 26' x 48' x 10' 3 Sides Enclosed

$7,995 Hay/Horse Barns, Shops, Decks, Concrete Work and Pad Sites

Call Ron: 512-367-0428 25 Year Warranty • Easy Bolt-Together Design

Engineered Stamp Blueprints

WD METAL BUILDINGS

Farm • Industrial • Commercial POLE, HORSE, HAY BARNS • ALL SIZES Metal Shops | Barns | Shopdominiums RHINO.BUILDERS/TX 940-304-8068 CALL ANDY • 512-563-5237 800-221-1054 8 a.m.–5 p.m | wdmb.com [email protected]

TEXAS CO-OP POWER GET RESULTS! ADVERTISE IN THE

MARKETPLACE GIFT SHOP

ELAINE SPROULL (512) 486-6251 VISIT THE GIFT SHOP TODAY AT [email protected] TexasCoopPower.com

TexasCoopPower.com February 2020 Texas Co-op Power 27

Introducing the future of personal transportation.

Also available in Black It’s not a Wheelchair... 10” It’s not a Power Chair... e Zinger folds to a mere 10 inches. It’s a Zinger Chair! More and more Americans are reaching the age where steering lever so it’s simple to operate, and its exclusive mobility is an everyday concern. Whether from an injury footrest swings out of the way when you stand up or sit or from the aches and pains that come from getting down. With its rugged yet lightweight aluminum frame, older– getting around isn’t as easy as it used to be. You the Zinger is sturdy and durable yet convenient and may have tried a power chair or a scooter. The Zinger comfortable! What’s more, it easily folds up for storage is NOT a power chair or a scooter! The Zinger is quick in a car seat or trunk– you can even gate-check it at and nimble, yet it is not prone to tipping like many the airport like a stroller. Think about it, you can take scooters. Best of all, it weighs only 47.2 pounds and folds your Zinger almost anywhere, so you don’t have to let and unfolds with ease. You can take it almost anywhere, mobility issues rule your life. It folds in seconds without providing you with independence and freedom. tools and is safe and reliable. It holds up to 275 pounds, Years of work by innovative engineers have resulted and it goes up to 6 mph and operates for up to 8 miles on in a personal electric vehicle that’s truly unique. They a single charge. created a battery that provides powerful energy at a Why spend another day letting mobility issues hamper fraction of the weight of most batteries. The Zinger your independence and quality of life features two steering levers, one on either side of the Zinger Chair® seat. The user pushes both levers down to go forward, Call now and receive a utility basket pulls them both up to brake, and pushes one while absolutely FREE with your order. pulling the other to turn to either side. This enables great mobility, the ability to turn on a dime and to pull 1-888-368-0292 right up to tables or desks. The controls are right on the Please mention code 112594 when ordering. Just think of the places you can go: • Shopping • Air Travel • Bus Tours • Restaurants– ride right up to the table! • Around town or just around your house The Zinger Chair is a personal electric vehicle and is not a medical device nor a wheelchair. Zinger is not intended for medical purposes to provide mobility to persons restricted to a sitting position. It is not covered by Medicare nor Medicaid. © 2020 fi rst STREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc. 83983 Texas History Meat and Greet

Two of Texas’ legendary pitmasters meet for the first time

STORY AND PHOTO BY WYATT MCSPADDEN

On an overheated Saturday in early October, I drove Roy Perez, the venerable pitmaster at Kreuz Market in Lockhart, and Kreuz Market owner Keith Schmidt to Snow’s BBQ in Lexington. Snow’s, a tiny barbecue joint in a tiny town, is often mentioned as one of the best barbecue destinations in the state. Of course, Kreuz Market vies for the same title and has been a legendary barbecue purveyor for more than a century. Roy is the first pitmaster I photo- graphed nearly 25 years ago. Since then, as I created images for two photography books on Texas barbecue, I’ve had the honor to make more pictures of Roy along with photographs of dozens more folks who do the hot, hard work of making Texas barbecue the best in the world. Even though Roy remains one WEB EXTRAS of my favorite a Win a copy of subjects, I will Wyatt McSpadden’s admit that in the photography book neither one lets the acclaim go to their head. Once Roy, Keith and I arrived in Lexing- past six years, Texas BBQ. Go to Tootsie arrives at Snow’s well before ton, we were greeted by Snow’s owner, a rival for my TexasCoopPower. sunup each Saturday and works through Kerry Bexley. We enjoyed a brilliant sam- lens’s attention com/contests. lunchtime, exhibiting her natural work pling of Snow’s smoked goodies. has charmed me ethic as well as a genuine love of people After lunch, we took a few minutes through several and the pit skills she has honed over to capture this image of two barbecue leg- sessions. She is a grand woman named decades. ends who will live forever in the barbecue Tootsie Tomanetz, who handles much of I had set the goal to deliver Roy to museum that exists only in my mind. the cooking in the early hours of every Snow’s for lunch, so he could meet his fel- Wyatt McSpadden’s two photography books Saturday in Lexington. Now in her 80s, low barbecue icon, Miss Tootsie. Roy is on Texas barbecue are Texas BBQ and Texas BBQ: Tootsie’s fame rivals that of Roy. But not widely traveled but agreed to go along. Small Town to Downtown.

TexasCoopPower.com February 2020 Texas Co-op Power 29 ADVA D VAA NCED C E D D IGI I G ITA L HEARING AID TECHNOLOGY Now Rechargeable!

Reg: $599.98 BUY 1 FREE $ 99 GET 1 Only 299 Each When You Buy a Pair – LIMITED TIME ONLY! How can a rechargeable hearing aid that costs only $29 9 99 be every bit as good as one that sells for $2,400 or more? “I was amazed! Sounds I hadn’t heard in years came back to me!” The answer: Although tremendous — Don W., Sherman, TX strides have been made in Advanced Digital Hearing Aid Technology, those cost AT NIGHT ALL DAY reductions have not been passed on CHARGE AND GO to you. Until now... The MDHearingAid® VOLT uses the same kind of Advanced Digital RECHARGEABLE Hearing Aid Technology incorporated into hearing aids that cost thousands more at a small fraction of the price. Over 350,000 satisfi ed MDHearingAid customers agree: High-quality, digital, FDA-registered rechargeable CHARGING READY hearing aids don’t have to cost a fortune. The fact is, you don’t need to 45-DAY RISK-FREE TRIAL! spend thousands for a hearing aid. If you are not completely satisfi ed with MDHearingAid is a medical-grade digital your MDHearingAids, return them rechargeable hearing aid offering within 45 days for a FULL REFUND! sophistication and high performance, and For the Lowest Price Call works right out of the box with no time-consuming “adjustment” appointments. You can contact a licensed 1-800-385-6312 Nearly Invisible hearing specialist conveniently online or www.MDVolt.com by phone — even after your purchase at no cost. No other company provides such extensive support. Now that you know... Use Code JV76 why pay more? and get FREE Shipping

Proudly assembled in America! DOCTOR DESIGNED | AUDIOLOGIST TESTED | FDA REGISTERED Recipes Forget Chocolate, My Sweetie Likes...

I moved to Texas 14 years ago and was surprised at first by the amount of fresh, local produce available. Eager to expand my cooking horizons, I em- braced all of it in my cooking. On my recipe blog, Stetted, I look to everything that Texas has to offer each season, from summer peaches to winter citrus. When it comes to desserts, my family gravitates toward anything with fruit—my kids are especially fond of strawberry shortcake any time of year. But when strawberries aren’t in season, I look to other ingredients. Meyer lemons are perfect for cele- bratory desserts because they are sweeter and less acidic than standard lemons. This Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie is suitable for all tastes, including the littlest valentines in your house. Gingersnaps are used in the crust for a contrasting kick, but you can swap in graham crackers. MEGAN MYERS, FOOD EDITOR

Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie 1¾ cups crushed gingersnap cookies ¼ cup (½ stick) melted butter 1 ⅓ cups plus ¼ cup sugar, divided use 2 tablespoons flour 3 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup water ½ cup Meyer lemon juice 4 eggs, separated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Mix together gingersnaps, melted butter and ¼ cup sugar until well com- bined. Press mixture into a 9-inch pie dish, using the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to press down, making sure to keep the crust even. Bake crust 10 minutes, then set aside. 3. In a small saucepan over medium

MEGAN MYERS CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

February 2020 Texas Co-op Power 31 Recipes ⅛ 2 setaside. totoast. Remove from oven to cool and 8–10minutes or until coconut begins onabaking sheet. Place sheet in oven heatoven to 350 degrees. 2. 1. 2 extractvanilla teaspoons 1½ ⅛ ¼ 4 ¾ 5 half-and-half cups 1½ low-fat)(not coconutmilk cups 1½ 2 1 Oma’sDreamy Coconut Pie divided use divided facilityadministrator thinks it is over the moon!” seniorcitizen residents at Brookdale Corsicana. “They rave about this pie,” Petersen says, “and the creamtopping and the added kick of freshly toasted coconut on top. Petersen makes it for the ForgetSweetieLikes... Chocolate,My divided use divided homemade or Prebakepie crust and set aside. Pre- Spread½cup coconut flakes evenly ENTER ONLINE ENTER July’srecipe contest topic is Colorado St., 24thFloor,Colorado78701;TXSt., Austin, co-op and the name of the contestyouthe areentering. of name the and co-op number,yourphone plus addressyourand name, Include a speciala erswhoserecipes are featured willreceive fish.orThe deadline is dinnershrimp,of steak, ribs,chicken thighs Grill $100 Recipe Contest Recipe $100 cup powderedcup sugar creamheavywhipping cups teaspoons coconut extract, extract, coconut teaspoons butter stick) (¼ cup salt teaspoon cornstarchtablespoons sugar cup yolksegg sweetenedcoconutflakes,cups premade crust, pie 9-inch . Tell. yourus favorite way tofire a up TexasCo-op Power at TexasCoopPower.com/contests;at THIS MONTH’S RECIPE CONTEST WINNER CONTEST RECIPE MONTH’S THIS coconutpie: rich filling with plenty of coconut flavor, alightly sweet whipped favoritedessert (and she loves chocolate!). It’s got everything you want in a LAMONT PETERSEN PETERSEN LAMONT Ourtesters enjoyed the winning pie so much that one said it was her new February10 FAX HotOffthe apron. to (512) 763-3401.(512)to MAIL . Read-. to 1122 to | NAVARRO COUNTY EC COUNTY NAVARRO | Refrigerateuntil ready to serve. withreserved toasted coconut. creamon top of cooled pie. Sprinkle coconutextract. Mound whipped addpowdered sugar and remaining highspeed. Once it begins to thicken, refrigerateuntil cool. coconutextract. flakes,butter, vanilla and 1teaspoon stirin remaining untoasted coconut 1minute. Remove from heat and andboils, about 15 minutes. Boil stantly,until the custard thickens cookover medium heat, stirring con- Whiskegg mixture into pan and saltin amedium-size saucepan. yolksand whisk together. Set aside. halfinto amedium-size bowl. Add egg works well, too. well, works COOK’STIP a 6. 5. 4. 3. Serves8. Pourfilling into pie crust and Pourcoconut milk and half-and- Whipcream in astand mixer on Combinesugar, cornstarch and A graham cracker pie crust pie cracker graham A finished product will be flat on top. on flat be will product finished stetted.com.at kitchen adventuresthe in with Followalong humidity. to exposed being after (weep) moisture release may refrigerator.Meringue the in stored be can but cooled has it as soon prepared crust. prepared into Pourfilling spoon. a of back the coats and stantly,thick is mixture until con- minutes,whisking 5 about cook Bake20–25 minutes. muffincups.) Fill each cup about ¾full. pan.(Batter will stick to regular paper eggmixture into the saucepan. mixture.Once combined, slowly whisk slowlywhisk in ¼cup of the warm sugar 7. Beatuntil stiff peaks form. andpour in remaining ⅓cup of sugar. whitesuntil frothy. Turn mixer to high 6. 5. 4. andcook until dissolved. cornstarch,salt, water and lemon juice, heat,whisk together 1cup sugar, flour, completelybefore serving. meringueis lightly browned. Let cool ovenand bake 10–15 minutes, until preventshrinkage. Return the pie to the spreadingto the edges of the crust to COOK’STIP 3. tobowl and stir to mix well. 2. sugar,flour, baking powder andsalt. ium-size bowl, stir together pecans, brown 1. 1 2 ½ ¼ ½ ½ 1 1 MCWILLIAMS SHARI Muffins PecanPie COOK’STIP CONTINUED FROM PAGEFROM CONTINUED 31 Spoonmeringue onto pie filling, Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a med- Reduce heat to medium-low and medium-low to heat Reduce Spoonbatter into afoil-lined muffin Inthe bowl of astand mixer, beat egg Addmelted butter, eggs and vanilla Beategg yolks in asmall bowl, then teaspoon vanilla extractvanillateaspoon beaten eggs, butter,stick) (1 meltedcup salt teaspoon powderbaking teaspoon flour cup brownsugar cup pecans chopped cup These will not rise much and the and much rise not will These as served best is pie Meringue | UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES COOPERATIVE UNITED | Megan MyersMegan a Makes 12 muffins. 12 Makes TexasCoopPower.com a and her and Serves8.

PETERSEN: COURTESY LAMONT PETERSEN. BACKGROUND: ELENA11 | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. PIE: CHERNETSKAYA | DREAMSTIME.COM Valentine Stack 1. FILLING: Add the mascarpone, cream milk, ¼ cup vegetable oil and vanilla, MARION EVONIUK | PEDERNALES EC cheese and vanilla into a medium-size and whisk to combine. Pour over dry glass mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer ingredients and, using a large spoon, FILLING on medium speed until soft and creamy, stir briefly to just incorporate. There 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, about 1–2 minutes. will be lumps of dry ingredients. Set softened 2. Into a small, microwave-safe bowl, aside 10 minutes. 4 ounces cream cheese, softened add the 2 tablespoons whipping cream 6. If using a griddle to prepare pan- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and microwave on high 25 seconds. Add cakes, preheat it to 350 degrees. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy the white chocolate and stir until creamy. Gently stir pancake batter just until whipping cream, divided use If necessary, microwave an additional combined. Pour 1 tablespoon oil onto 2 ounces white chocolate, coarsely 15–20 seconds to melt chocolate. Imme- griddle or into nonstick pan over chopped diately add to the cream cheese mixture medium-high heat and spread it evenly, 1 cup powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until incor- then pour ½-cup portions of the batter 1½ cups raspberries, plus 5 for garnish porated, 15–20 seconds. onto the griddle or pan and cook until 3. Add the powdered sugar and remain- golden brown, about 2 minutes on PANCAKES ing cup of whipping cream and continue each side. Remove pancakes onto a 2 cups flour beating an additional 1–2 minutes until large platter and cover with foil to 3 tablespoons sugar mixture is thick and creamy. Do not beat keep warm. 4 teaspoons baking powder on high or overmix—the mascarpone 7. To serve, place one pancake onto a ½ teaspoon baking soda can separate. Gently fold in 1½ cups serving platter and spread it with ⅓–½ ½ teaspoon salt raspberries and set aside. cup of the filling. Place another pancake 2 eggs 4. PANCAKES: In a large bowl, whisk on top and continue layering the filling 1½ cups milk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and pancakes until you’ve used up the ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, baking soda and salt. Set aside. pancakes. Top with remaining filling divided use 5. In a medium-size glass mixing bowl, and garnish with remaining raspberries. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract whisk the eggs slightly, then add the Serve immediately. a Serves 4–6.

WALK IN TUBS FROM $7995 INSTALLED!

N E X T M O N T H SOUL MUSIC OF SOUTH TEXAS Conjunto, built upon a polka rhythm, coaxes a unique sound and subculture from accordions and 12-string guitars.

SHARPENING MY HISTORY Chet Garner pokes around the Devil’s Rope Museum in McLean.

Look for additional content online WE INSTALL ACROSS TEXAS! TexasCoopPower.com CALL US, DON’T WAIT ANOTHER DAY. Our products have been made in Texas since 2006. We customize, so why pay for something you don’t want? Get exactly what you want at an affordable price. So stop struggling and start enjoying your bath again. Call us for an in-home no-pressure presentation. What do you have to lose? Visit our showroom at 3411 E. Hwy. 377 in Granbury. 888-825-2362 www.bestbuywalkintubs.com

TexasCoopPower.com February 2020 Texas Co-op Power 33 The Miracle Of Helps Support Zip Socks SAVE $7 only Improve Circulation & Combat Pain & Fatigue off original price $999 Great For Shipping & Men & FREE Handling Women when buying 2 or more

Receive A Free Surprise Gift (Prices valid for 1yr.) with every order Join Our VIP List: Go To DreamProducts.com & Sign Up To Receive Exclusive Email Offers And Get 10% Off Your First Order! (First Time Email Signups = 10% Off) Dept. Dept. 78806 © Dream Products

Copper Infused Compression Stockings Help: Gentle • Improve Compression Circulation Helps Keep • Reduce Swelling & Fluid Retention Blood Flow • Fight Bacteria Circulating And Odor Easy On/Off • Soothe Aching Legs & Feet Zip-Up Compression Drug Free Pain Relief! Consistent, gentle compression helps to keep blood fl ow circulating, easing aches and pains, swelling and fl uid retention. Copper properties have long been believed to assist in fi ghting bacteria Measure Calf Circumference & odor, wicking away moisture and increasing blood fl ow. Import in polyester, nylon & elastane, with open toe design is perfect for S/M Fits Calves Up To 16” swollen, tired feet, and side zipper makes them easy to put on and take off. Satisfaction guaranteed or return for your money back. L/XL Fits Calves Up To 19”

Item #85487 (S/M) ____Copper Support Zip Socks @ $9.99 $ Item #85488 (L/XL) ____Copper Support Zip Socks @ $9.99 $ Open Toe CA residents must add 7.25% sales tax $ Regular Shipping & Handling Add $4.95 1st Pair For Swollen Or $ FREE Shipping & Handling when buying 2 or more Sensitive Feet FOR EXPEDITED SHIPPING (optional) ✔ Add An Additional $2.95 ❑ (receive your order 5-7 days from shipment) $ 2.95 Send check/money order payable to Dream Products 412 Dream Lane, Van Nuys, CA 91496 TOTAL $ ❑ ❑ ❑ SM VISA MasterCard Discover®/NOVUS Cards Exp. Date Card# / 1-800-530-2689 Name Order Now Toll-Free Address Graduated 14-17 Compression City ST Zip Connect With mmHg Rating Daytime Phone # DreamProducts.com Dept. 78806 Email website offers may vary Focus on Texas Power

We know the power of a good country song, and rocker Huey Lewis knows the power of love—but we wondered how power moves Texans. Here are some of the ways. GRACE FULTZ

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

g DANNY PICKENS, Cherokee County EC: “A Ferris wheel at the East Texas Fair is powered up for fun.”

d LAUREN MCCLAIN, PenTex Energy: “Abigail McClain, 6, shows Mom how a pushup is done.”

g JACQUELINE ACUFF, Nueces EC: “Lightning shows the power of nature right in my backyard.”

d MARK HUSFELD, Navasota Valley EC: Near a substation in Navasota after a thunderstorm.

d JIM BROWDER, HILCO EC: “A woodpecker inspects a HILCO power line.”

UPCOMING CONTESTS

JUNE STATE PARKS DUE FEBRUARY 10

JULY EXPLORATION DUE MARCH 10

AUGUST ON THE WATER DUE APRIL 10

Enter online at TexasCoopPower.com/Contests.

TexasCoopPower.com February 2020 Texas Co-op Power 35 Around Texas Event Calendar February 21–23 New Braunfels Troutfest Texas Pick of the Month February Michael Carbonaro Magic Show 7 Victoria February 15 Alpine [7–9, 14–16] Nat Turner in Jerusalem, (361) 788-9271, visdfoundation.org (432) 837-8218, sulross.edu/theatre Michael Carbonaro is known for his hidden- Fredericksburg [7–23] Wine Lovers camera magic. His illusions, along with his Celebration, (872) 216-9463, texaswinetrail.com absurd, matter-of-fact explanations, leave audiences bewildered. Proceeds from this 8 show support the Victoria Independent Avoca Swedish Smorgasbord, School District. (325) 668-2796 Lufkin The Choir of Man, (936) 633-5454, angelinaarts.org 9 Bandera St. Stanislaus Church Faith Heritage Dinner, (830) 460-4712, ststanislausbandera.com 14 15 Luckenbach [14–15] Hug-In and Valentine Fredericksburg Cave Creek School Open Ball, (830) 997-3224, luckenbachtexas.com House, (830) 990-1017, historicschools.org Port Lavaca [14–15] South Texas Square Richardson Mu Delta Alpha Changemaker & Round Dance Association February Frenzy, Award Dinner, (469) 712-7716, (361) 575-2665, stsrda.org mudeltaalpha.org/events

CARBONARO: MATT CHRISTINE PHOTOGRAPHY. GIRL WITH TROUT: SHESTAKOFF | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. CONCERT: ROMAN VOLOSHYN | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

ALTHEA CONRADO knits more than 3,000 hours annually to make blankets for hospice patients. POWER OF OUR PEOPLE | JANUARY 2020

AROUND POWER TEXAS OF OUR EVENT LISTINGS PEOPLE

$100 WINNER Nominate someone today!

Tell us about somebody who improves the quality of life in your community. Email your nom- PLAN YOUR TRIP TODAY AT ination to [email protected]. Include the person’s name, co-op aliation and a short description of his or her work in the community. Featured nominees will receive a $100 donation for their cause. TexasCoopPower.com

36 Texas Co-op Power February 2020 TexasCoopPower.com (830) 282-6133, nwsanantonio.jbfsale.com New Braunfels Lone Bellow: Half Moon 16 Light Tour, (830) 606-1281, gruenehall.com Harlingen Ms. South Texas Senior America Brownsville [27–29] Sombrero Festival, Pageant, (956) 357-1636 (956) 550-9682, sombrerofestival.com 29 28 Streetman Southern Oaks VFD Chili 20 Supper/Cake Auction, (903) 599-6022 Edinburg [20–23] Fiesta Edinburg, Luckenbach Barbara Leatherwood Fight (956) 383-4974, edinburg.com/events for the Cure Concert for Ovarian Cancer, Wichita Falls Red River Valley Square (254) 833-2444, luckenbachtexas.com & Round Dance Association Teen Scholarship Nocona [20–23] Mardi Gras Nocona Style, Dance, (940) 733-2782, rrvsda.org (940) 825-3526, nocona.org 21 Alpine [21–22] Lone Star Cowboy March Poetry Gathering, (432) 216-2167, lonestarcowboypoetry.com 6 Marble Falls [6–7] Austin Square and Brenham [21–22] Nature’s Blessings Quilt Round Dance Association Square Thru the Show, (979) 525-1128, Wildflowers, (830) 613-9054, asrda.org friendshipquiltguild.weebly.com New Braunfels [21–23] Troutfest Texas 2020, (830) 964-3455, grtu.org/troutfest 7 Crockett Jeanne Robertson, 22 (936) 544-4276, pwfaa.org Crockett One Night in Memphis, (936) 544-4276, pwfaa.org Boerne [22–23] Spring Antiques Show, (830) 329-2870, visitboerne.org Submit Your Event! February 27–29 We pick events for the magazine directly from Brownsville TexasCoopPower.com. Submit your event online 27 Sombrero Festival for April by February 10, and it just might be Boerne [27–29] Just Between Friends Sale, featured in this calendar.

Yours FREE! Elvis ’68 Comeback Special Tribute Coin et your uncirculated US Half-Dollar enhanced by Mystic to Gshowcase Elvis – performing in his ’68 Comeback Special – for FREE. You send just $2.95 for shipping and guaranteed delivery. It’s a great value! Send just $2.95 for shipping A portrait of Elvis in black leather is permanently bonded to a and guaranteed delivery. shining Half-Dollar for years of collecting fun and memories. It’s Elvis ’68 Comeback Special Coin a neat tribute to this American music legend. ❏✔ The 1968 television show Elvis – often called the ’68 Yes! Send me the FREE Elvis Presley coin. Enclosed is $2.95 for shipping and guaranteed delivery. Satisfaction Comeback Special – marked Elvis’ return to live performances guaranteed. Limit one coin. for his fans and a reminder to the world that he was still the Quick order at MysticAd.com/DQ186 King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Informal “jam” sessions mingled with spectacular sets to create a show that thrilled the audience – both Name ______live and on television. The result was a smash hit – the highest- Address ______rated show of the year. City/State/ Zip ______NY State residents Get your Elvis tribute coin for FREE – you send only $2.95 ❏ Check or money order ❏ Visa ❏ MasterCard add sales tax. for shipping and guaranteed delivery! Reply today and you’ll Exp. Date ___/___ also receive special collector’s information and other interesting Send Payment to: Mystic coins on approval. Dept. DQ186, 9700 Mill St., Camden, NY 13316-9111

TexasCoopPower.com February 2020 Texas Co-op Power 37 Hit the Road With Chet Garner The Height of Deceit Oil boom scam created world’s littlest skyscraper in Wichita Falls

Whether it’s hats, trucks or hair, we Texans expect things to be big. So when I saw a building in Wichita Falls advertised as the world’s littlest skyscraper, it piqued my interest in a Texas-sized way. I was amazed at the revitalization in downtown Wichita Falls, which includes a craft brewery, a farmers market and a fancy chocolatier. At the northern edge of downtown, I found my destination: the Newby-McMahon Building. Chet makes sure you opportunity of a signs, they tend to overlook punctuation. From the street, the building looked can’t miss the world’s lifetime. McMahon The angry investors wanted to tear the like a well-kept, historic single-story struc- littlest skyscraper. pitched the city’s building down immediately, but before the ture. A glance down the alley identified residents on a sky- demolition took place, a nationally syndi- the addition of a thin, four-story tower— scraper that would be 480 feet high— cated newspaper column called Ripley’s like an elevator shaft built for floors never the tallest in Texas and rivaling the tallest Believe It or Not dubbed the ill-conceived completed. The tower looks strange, but in the world. Investors were eager, and project the world’s littlest skyscraper. That the story of its origin is even stranger. McMahon raised $200,000 (well over publicity quickly transformed the eyesore To unravel the mystery, I walked into $3 million in today’s money). into an international tourist attraction. the building that now houses Hello Again, Construction started and questions I stood at the top of the diminutive a consignment shop whose owner encour- soon followed. The building was not as structure that now sits in the shadow of ages visitors to climb the world’s littlest “Texas-sized” as promised. Instead of the taller buildings and wondered how this skyscraper. I found the thin staircase with monumental structure the investors skyscraper, if it had been built to expec- a sign directing me upward. Even though expected, they received a skinny tower with tations, might have changed the trajectory I felt like I had stepped into a large closet, no elevator or stairs. The investors were of Wichita Falls. Would it now sit aban- I was actually inside the skyscraper. It enraged and sued McMahon for fraud. doned? Or would Wichita Falls have measures only 9 feet by 12 feet. I climbed When the judge reviewed the approved become a city more like Dallas? three flights of stairs and arrived at the blueprints, he found that everything was in The world will never know. But what top floor museum that recounts an epic order and that the building was being built is certain is how much fun it is to climb tale of swindling, greed and manipulation. exactly according to plan. The final plan the world’s littlest skyscraper and take in The story began in 1918, when the oil was laid out and approved—in inches one of the littlest views in Texas. boom hit nearby Burkburnett. The town instead of feet. So, instead of getting the Chet Garner shares his Texplorations as the was rocked by overnight success, but most 480-foot skyscraper investors had dreamed host of The Daytripper on PBS. of the deals took shape in Wichita Falls, of, builders erected a 480-inch embarrass- which was desperate for office space. J.D. ment. McMahon had executed the con of . WEB EXTRAS a Read this story on our McMahon proposed a solution that in- the century by simply adding an apostro- website to see Chet’s video of his visit

cluded what he described as the business phe. Turns out that when people see dollar to the world’s littlest skyscraper. TODD WHITE | COURTESY CHET GARNER

38 Texas Co-op Power February 2020 TexasCoopPower.com SUPER COUPON SUPER COUPON

1,000+ Stores Nationwide • HarborFreight.com OVER 5,000 SUPER * FREE 5 STAR REVIEWS WITH ANY PURCHASE COUPON BEATS HONDA Customer Rating 2000 WATT SUPER QUIET INVERTER GENERATOR SUPER BRIGHT LED/SMD

4.7 HOURS RUN-TIME 3.4 HOURS WORK LIGHT/FLASHLIGHT • Super-Strong, % 2000 MAX. STARTING WATTS 2000 20 Ultra-Lightweight 1600 RUNNING WATTS 1600 Composite Plastic 61 dB NOISE LEVEL 59 dB • Magnetic Base & 360° Swivel 48 LBS. WEIGHT 45.6 LBS. Hook for Hands-Free Operation • 3-AAA Batteries (included) 1.2 GAL TANK SIZE .95 GAL • 144 Lumens 3 OUTLETS 3 ALL IN A SINGLE ANY YES OVERLOAD PROTECTION YES SINGLE ITEM* 79.7 cc ENGINE SIZE 98.5 cc SUPER POWERFUL LIGHT YES LOW OIL ALERT YES COMPARE TO ITEM 63878/63991 OFF $ 52 YES PARALLEL CAPABLE YES PERFORMANCE 13 64005/60566 * 60270055 * TOOL MODEL: W2364 63601/ 67227 shown 60 2 7 0 0 5 5 PREDATOR YES POWER SAVER YES NOW Limit 1 coupon per customer per day. Save 20% on any 1 item purchased. *Cannot be used with 2000 99 $ 99 $ HONDA EU2000i * 60269897 * other discount, coupon or any of the following items or brands: Inside Track Club membership, 499 PRICE 1,009 Extended Service Plan, gift card, open box item, 3 day Parking Lot Sale item, compressors, fl oor jacks, safes, storage cabinets, chests or carts, trailers, welders, Admiral, Ames, Atlas, 60 2 6 9 8 9 7 SAVE $ 449 * HONDA EU2000i stated specs Bauer, Central Machinery, Cobra, CoverPro, Daytona, Diamondback, Earthquake, Fischer, * 60270519 * Cannot be used with other discounts or prior purchases. Original coupon must be presented. Hercules, Icon, Jupiter, Lynxx, Poulan, Predator, Tailgator, Viking, Vulcan, Zurich. Not valid on $ Valid through 4/1/20 while supplies last. Limit 1 FREE GIFT per customer per day. prior purchases. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 4/1/20. 559 ITEM 62523 60 2 7 0 5 1 9 LIMIT 1 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * SUPER COUPON SUPER R COUPON Standard Performance Professional Performance SUPE 30", 4 DRAWER TECH CARTS Customer Rating 5000 LUMEN, 4 FT. LED COUPON FLUX 125 120 VOLT EASY FLUX 125 • 12,600 cu. in. INPUT of storage HANGING SHOP LIGHT WELDER WELDER VOLTAGE VARIABLE CONTROL • 580 lb. capacity • 30,000 hour LED life HIGH OR LOW CONTROL EASY TO USE Customer Rating AC OUTPUT DC CLEAN WELDS $ CONVENTIONAL TECHNOLOGY ADVANCED INVERTER SAVE 740 TRANSFORMER POWERFUL & EFFICIENT 90 AMP @ 30% Customer Rating COMPARE TO $ 99 Customer Rating 90 AMP @ 20% DUTY CYCLE $ 99 Snap-on YOUR CHOICE LONGER RUN TIME $ 99 OF 6 COLORS 119 15 LBS. 199 BLUE-POINT 99 NOW ITEM 63583 / 63582 shown 32 LBS. WEIGHT ITEM 56359 / 56355 shown $ 179 SAVE 99 LIGHT & COMPACT $ 99 COMPARE TO$ 880 Side tray sold $ 139 33% $ 19 SAVE COMPARE TO 179 $ 99 SAVE 439 MODEL: KRBC10TBPC separately. $ 99 $ $ 99 $ LINCOLN MODEL: IRONTON MODEL: 179 ELECTRIC Item 56387, 64096 , 56386, 56392, 56393, 56394 ITEM 64410 29 80 45433 99 259 K2513-1 * 60270816 * * 60272638 * * 60273050 * * 60273453 * 60 2 7 0 8 1 6 60 2 7 2 6 3 8 60 2 7 3 0 5 0 60 2 7 3 4 5 3 LIMIT 1 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 3 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 1 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 1 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * SUPER SUPER SUPER COUPON COUPON COUPON Customer Rating 17 FT. TYPE IA 40 PIECE, 1/4" AND 3/8" DRIVE 3 GALLON, 100 PSI OIL-FREE 4 PIECE ANTI-FATIGUE MULTI-TASK LADDER SAE AND METRIC SOCKET SET AIR COMPRESSORS FOAM MAT SET • Each pad measures 25" x 25" • V ersatile - 24 configurations Customer Rating • Air delivery: • Safe + Secure + Stable 0.6 CFM @ 90 PSI NOW • Super Strong - Holds 300 lbs. $ 99 99 • Weighs 34 lbs. $ 6 NOW 59 $ 99 NOW 99 YOUR CHOICE 139 10999 $ 4 3999 $ 99 COMPARE TO $ HOT DOG PANCAKE $ 8 LITTLE GIANT ITEM 69269 ITEM 61615/60637 COMPARE TO $ 98 97080 shown 95275 shown CustomerCustomer RatiRatingng SAVE 65% $ 99 Customer Rating COMPARE TO SAVES A V E NORSK 298 $ CRAFTSMAN 49 $ 62 $ 99 MODEL: XE M17 SAVE 189 MODEL: CMMT12018 90% $ 99 COMPARE TO 98 ITEM 40187/61607/62389 19 ITEM 63419/67646/62514/63418 / 63417 shown ITEM 47902/975/61328/63015 / 62843 shown 5 PORTER-CABLE MODEL: PCFP02003 SAVE 59% 94635 shown MODEL: 001119346 * 60276327 * * 60276942 * * 60277251 * * 60279295 * 60 2 7 6 3 2 7 60 2 7 6 9 4 2 60 2 7 7 2 5 1 60 2 7 9 2 9 5 LIMIT 1 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 5 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 2 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 5 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * SUPER SUPER Customer Rating SUPER Customer Rating SUPER COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON Customer Rating 18" x 12" Customer Rating RAPID PUMP® 1.5 TON 2500 LB. ELECTRIC WINCH WITH 6.5 HP (212 CC) OHV MOVER'S DOLLY LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL HORIZONTAL SHAFT GAS ENGINE • 1000 lb. capacity FLOOR JACK • W eighs 33 lbs. • W eighs 14.3 lbs. • 11-1/8" L x NOW99 NOW99 4-1/2" H SAVE $ 99 $ $ 59 $ NOW 91 SAVE 140 $ 99 COMPARE TO 99 COMPARE TO COMPARE TO 119 BUFFALO TOOLS $ 99 $ 7 K TOOL SUPERWINCH NOW COMPARE TO $ 99 10 $ 42 $ 99 $ 99 99 HONDA 22 151 79 189 $ 99 ITEM 60363 / 69730 shown MODEL: 1125220 49 $ 99 SAVE MODEL: HDFDOLLY SAVSAVEE 65% MODEL: KTI63094 $ 69 329 $ ITEM 68121/69727 ITEM 60497/61899/63095/63096/63097 / 63098 shown ITEM 64552/64832/64980 / 64545 shown ITEM 61258/61297/63476 / 61840 shown MODEL: GX200UT2QX2 230 CALIFORNIA ONLY * 60280198 * * 60282349 * * 60283280 * * 60283718 * 60 2 8 0 1 9 8 60 2 8 2 3 4 9 60 2 8 3 2 8 0 60 2 8 3 7 1 8 LIMIT 5 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 1 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 3 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 1 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * Customer Rating SUPER SUPER SUPER COUPON COUPON COUPON 10" PNEUMATIC TIRE Customer Rating 3/8" x 14 FT., GRADE 43 3-IN-1 PORTABLE 29 PIECE NOW Customer Rating TOWING CHAIN POWER PACK WITH TITANIUM 99 • 5400 lb. JUMP STARTER DRILL BIT SET $ 3 capacity NOW Customer Rating $ 4999 $ 99 NOW 5 SAVE NOW SAVES A V E 99 50% 99 44% $ 99 $ 10 $ 19 59 COMPARE TO COMPARE TO $ 09 COMPARE TO $ 99 SAVE COMPARE TO $ 99 DEWALT SAVE 8 64 89 $ 14 $ 99 FARM & RANCH MODEL: FR1055 MIBRO MODEL: 426920 69% $ 99 SUPER START MODEL: 55001 68 83% 18 ITEM 69385/62388/62409/62698 / 30900 shown ITEM 40462/60658 / 97711 shown 39 ITEM 38391/62376/64083/56349 / 62306 shown MODEL: DW1369 ITEM 5889/62281 / 61637 shown * 60285777 * * 60286082 * * 60286823 * * 60287254 * 60 2 8 5 7 7 7 60 2 8 6 0 8 2 60 2 8 6 8 2 3 60 2 8 7 2 5 4 LIMIT 5 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 3 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 2 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 * LIMIT 3 - Coupon valid through 4/1/20 *

At Harbor Freight Tools, the “Compare to” price means that the specifi ed comparison, which is an item with the same or similar function, was *Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 4/1/20. advertised for sale at or above the “Compare to” price by another national retailer in the U.S. within the past 90 days. Prices advertised by others may vary by location. No other meaning of “Compare to” should be implied. For more information, go to HarborFreight.com or see store associate.