Texas Co-Op Power • December 2014
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LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION DECEMBER 2014 Briscoe Center The Flatlanders Santa’s Bank Heist for NUTSTEXAS PECANSAnnual HOLIDAY RECIPE CONTEST WINNERS LANDLAND OFOF OPPORTUNITYOPPORTUNITY - Buildings that fit your lifestyle - AbSSZPcWZRW\UaVOdSQ][SOZ]\UeOgB]ROgeWbVbVS1V]WQS AS`WSaT`][;cSZZS`g]cVOdSbVS]^^]`bc\Wbgb]Q`SObSPSOcbWT cZ PcWZRW\UaeWbV[cZbW^ZSTc\QbW]\a1cab][WhSg]c`ab`cQbc`SeWb V bVSa^SQW¿QZ]]YaWhSO\RTSObc`SabVOb[ObQVg]c`ZWTSabgZS EWbV $UOcUSQ][[S`QWOZU`ORSabSSZSdS`g;cSZZS`PcWZRW\U Wa[ORSb]ZOab eee[cSZZS`W\QQ][ &%% ;C3::3@&%% $&!##! December Since 1944 2014 FAVORITES Winedale, part of the Briscoe Center for 20 Local Co-op News American History, Get the latest information plus exhibits furnishings such as folk toys. energy and safety tips from your cooperative. 31 Texas History Santa is Naughty in Cisco By Martha Deeringer 32 Recipes Holiday Recipe Contest 39 Focus on Texas Bad Santa 40 Around Texas List of Local Events 42 Hit the Road Kemah Boardwalk By Suzanne Halko ONLINE TexasCoopPower.com FEATURES Find these stories online if they don’t Cooperative Legislative Legends Briscoe Center appear in your edition of the magazine. 8 museums house the legacies of two REA founders Texas USA By Charles Lohrmann Dawn of the Southwest Conference By Randy Riggs The Flatlanders An excerpt from the book that chroni- Observations 14 cles three musicians’ rise from the flatlands of Lubbock Gone But Not Forgotten By John T. Davis By Sheryl Smith-Rodgers Around Texas The musicians in the Hill Country Youth Orchestra perform their free Fall Concert on December 14 in downtown Kerrville, Page 40. 31 39 32 42 TOY WAGON IMAGE COURTESY THE DOLPH BRISCOE CENTER FOR AMERICAN HISTORY, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. VIOLIN: © VLADISLAV GAJIC | DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB ON THE COVER Ultimate Chocolate Pecan Pie by grand prizewinner Griffin Clarke of Heart of Texas EC Photo: Mary Pat Waldron TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Jerry B. Boze, Chair, Kaufman; David Marricle, Vice Chair, Muleshoe; Mark Tamplin, Secretary-Treasurer, Kirbyville; Debra A. Cole, Itasca; Mike R. Hagy, Tipton, Oklahoma; Robert A. Loth III, Fredericksburg; Mark Rollans, Hondo • PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin • COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE: Greg Henley, Tahoka; Bryan Lightfoot, Bartlett; Billy Marricle, Bellville; Mark McClain, Roby; Blaine Warzecha, Victoria; Jerry Williams, Paris; Kathy Wood, Marshall MAGAZINE STAFF: Martin Bevins, Vice President, Communications & Member Services; Charles J. Lohrmann, Editor; Tom Widlowski, Associate Editor; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager; Andy Doughty, Creative Manager; Grace Arsiaga, Print Production Specialist; Chris Carlson, Communications & Member Services Assistant; Anna Ginsberg, Food Editor; Suzanne Halko, Staff Writer; Elizabeth John, Communications & Member Services Assistant; Jane Sharpe, Graphic Designer; Ellen Stader, Copy Editor; Ashley Clary-Carpenter, Proofreader TexasCoopPower.com December 2014 Texas Co-op Power 3 Texas Precious Metals #1 Aggie Owned Company 2014 Texas Precious Metals Ranked #1 at 10th Annual Aggie 100 Texas A&M University recognized Texas Precious Metals of Shiner, TX as a member of the 2014 Aggie 100 honoring the fastest-growing companies in the world, owned or operated by Texas A&M University former students. Texas Precious Metals was ranked #1 with a compound annual growth rate of 371.9% from 2011 through 2013. Th e Aggie 100, a program created by the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship in Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, honors graduates from across disciplines for their entrepreneurial endeavors and success as business leaders. COMPLIMENTARY SisterCities silver coin with your next order ! Size 1/2 ozt Coupon Code Silver Content (Troy oz) 0.5 Denomination (AUD) 50¢ aggie100 Fineness (% purity) 99.9 Minimum Gross Weight (g) 15.9 BUSINESS THE WAY SINCE TEXAS 1898! 361.594.3624 Shiner, TX 77984 Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 4pm CST CURRENTS Letters, emails and posts from our readers Another Tree of Note Speaking of Books Famous trees: In Waco, at Twin We really enjoyed the October 2014 issue. My husband loved “Tall Tales,” Rivers Golf Club, beside the 16th but I’m writing because of Juddi Morris’ Observations, “Making the Case for tee, is the largest, most beautiful Happy Endings.” Good for her and her list of favorite books. live oak tree I have ever seen [“Tall Tales,” October 2014]. I don't know I would love to sit down with her and discuss my favorite books: “Mrs. how to estimate age, 500 years or Mike” by Benedict and Nancy Freedman (Coward-McCann & Geoghegan, 1947) 1,000 years, maybe. and anything by Mary Stewart (mostly written in the ’60s). I loved her roman- NELDA OSWALT GRIMM EMMERT tic mysteries set in foreign lands, but my daughter favored her later historical VIA FACEBOOK books about Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table. “Mrs. Mike” was not written for young peo- Oop and Our Family ple, but my sixth-graders loved it when I read it The V.T. Hamlin story [“Comics aloud to them back in the ’80s, especially after I Caveman,” October 2014] reminded told them they might not like it because it was me that my late father, a young written for adults. A favorite for middle school- Army Air Force second lieutenant, aged kids was “To Yellowstone” (Holt, Rinehart was hospitalized at a California Bay- and Winston, 1975) an obscure, out-of-print area military hospital in September 1942. His ward was visited by the book by Robert Scott McKinnon. Alley Oop creator, who gave him an VANDA POWERS | MIDLAND | FORT BELKNAP EC original daily comic strip drawing of the cave man, his girlfriend, Oola, and Dinny, the dinosaur. It’s extraordinarily coincidental Harming Butterflies You’ll be doing the butterflies GET MORE TCP AT that my father later did petroleum I was so happy to see in the Sep- AND yourself a big favor. TexasCoopPower.com property tax work in West Texas, tember 2014 issue the well-written ANNE MARIE SAMPIETRO | CENTERVILLE including Iraan, where Alley and and timely article “Trouble in the HOUSTON COUNTY EC Find more letters online in the Dinny endure. That drawing hangs Kingdom” about the declining pop- Table of Contents. Sign up for in our Highland Lakes home. ulation of the monarch butterfly. Making Headlines our E-Newsletter for JOHN DE LA GARZA | INKS LAKE However, I was shocked and I enjoyed the article on small- monthly updates, CENTRAL TEXAS EC saddened that the author made no town newspapers [“Success Stories,” prize drawings mention of the role that pesticides September 2014]. My great- Texas’ Founding Fathers and herbicides, especially Mon- grandfather, J.W. Graves, started a and more! I read and enjoy your magazine. I santo’s Roundup, have played in newspaper in Cleburne after the felt a need to send in this clarifica- this unfolding tragedy. A simple Civil War, about 1867. tion after reading the September Internet search (“monarch butter- He sold that newspaper to his 2014 Currents item “The Star- flies” and “Roundup”) will bring up brother and moved to Graham and Spangled Lawyer:” David Burnet pages of articles about studies started The Graham Leader in 1876. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! was “appointed” as the first presi- conducted all over the country link- He owned that newspaper until ONLINE: TexasCoopPower.com/share dent of the Republic of Texas. Sam ing the main ingredient, glyphosate, 1903. I understand it is one of few EMAIL: [email protected] Houston was the first “elected” with the demise of the butterflies. papers with same name since MAIL: Editor, Texas Co-op Power, president of the Republic of Texas. Planting milkweed in your gar- organization in Texas. 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, RICHARD CURTIS | BERTRAM den will do nothing to alleviate the My grandmother used to set Austin, TX 78701 PEDERNALES EC problem if you are still dousing type for him, and the original type- Please include your town and electric co-op. Letters may be edited for clarity and length. your plants with deadly chemicals. setting equipment is still on display Editor’s note: Burnet was elected I urge your readers to do a bit of in The Graham Leader front office. interim president by delegates to research on the topic and walk They have won many awards over the Convention of 1836. Later in straight by those giant containers the years. 1836, Texans elected Houston presi- of Roundup or generically branded JANICE RUYLE | DRIPPING SPRINGS dent in a landslide. glyphosate. PEDERNALES EC Texas Co-op Power Magazine TEXAS CO-OP POWER VOLUME 71, NUMBER 6 (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 76 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 or email [email protected]. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE is $4.08 per year for individual members of subscribing cooperatives. If you are not a member of a subscribing cooperative, you can purchase an annual subscription at the nonmember rate of $7.50. Individual copies and back issues are available for $3 each. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560), 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please enclose label from this copy of Texas Co-op Power showing old address and key numbers. ADVERTISING: Advertisers interested in buying display ad space in Texas Co-op Power and/or in our 30 sister publications in other states, contact Martin Bevins at (512) 486-6249. Advertisements in Texas Co-op Power are paid solicitations. The publisher neither endorses nor guarantees in any manner any product or company included in this publication. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser. © Copyright 2014 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc.