Author: admin

Vacations over

Last week, I promised you more about our vacation. The trip up and down the mountain on the ski lift was fabulous, and not the least bit frightening. The scenery was as spectacular as all the rest of it had been. Later this same day, we got to go out to the stables and see the beautiful Percheron horses that would be pulling the carriage that we would be going sight-seeing in. They are among the largest horses used for many things. The carriage had three bench seats and we were scattered among them. Everyone had a wonderful time, as our driver, a sweet lady named Nancy drove us around several back roads. We not only got to see some scenery, we also saw several deer and I’m not sure, but I think we saw an elk. When we finished the ride, she allowed the children on board to pat the horses and her assistant helped hold some of them up so they could see better. I know that the little young man who turned four that day is the only one who will remember it. It was a truly wonderful day all around! We went back to the house for the evening and started getting clothes ready to be loaded the next morning, only problem was, it began raining during the night the guys had to load all three vehicles as well as the trailer in the rain. It was not pleasant to say the least, they were all soaked. We all pitched in where we could from inside the house and tried to keep the more mobile of the little boys out of the way, sometimes it worked and sometimes not. Anyway, everything was finally loaded, including all the people and we went down the mountain. We stopped in the town of Angelfire and went into a really nice shop where we could buy souvenirs and such, everyone had a great time in the shop and the lady who was running it was friendly and helpful, and loved our stories about the bears. I got the impression she had heard various stories before and she added a couple of things herself. Soon we were back on the road and in about eight or so hours, we were back in Texas at my granddaughter’s home. We spent the night there and on Sunday, it was back to Devine, and on Monday, it was home for me to face a busy week. It culminated in having part of this same group at my home for a true birthday party for my four year old great grandson. He loved his presents and his birthday cake and ice cream. Thanks again, family, for a wonderful vacation!
This coming Monday is Labor Day. This is the only holiday that has always been on Monday, so therefore it has not fallen to the changes that some of our other holidays have. It is still celebrated on the first Monday of September, just as it has been for many years.
The Knights of Labor in New York City first celebrated Labor Day in 1882 and 1884. Labor Day is now a legal holiday throughout the United States and Canada. It is just about midway between July 4th and Thanksgiving, which is why the first Monday of September, was chosen as this holiday.
Labor Day has always signaled the official end of summer fun. In the past, school always began the Tuesday following Labor Day. This no longer holds true in most school districts, with some having begun classes on the 14th of August. Many families plan their last get-together of the summer, their last trip to the lake or coast, or their last camp out for Labor Day weekend.
In south Texas, we will have lots more weekends with good warm weather (hot, actually), however, we will still be having days of 85ºF to 90ºF well into November, and we won’t be surprised if we can wear shorts at Christmas.
Now, I know I’ve said this unlimited times, but, if you go on any type of outing and take food along, be sure to keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold. Did you know that you could use your ice chest to keep foods hot? Pour a gallon or so of hot water into the ice chest, close the lid for a few minutes, then drain the water out. I always put several sections of newspaper in the bottom before setting hot casseroles or pots in to keep from damaging the ice chest. I have not tried this with anything other than the cooler type, not the foam; however, they would probably work just as well. Also, if you have casseroles and they are fairly flat on top, you can cover them with foil and then use your cake/cookie cooling racks to add another layer. This works well and I’ve done it in the past, I just forgot about it until I saw how my daughter brought us food this weekend.
Here are a couple of our favorites for picnics/get togethers that are good hot or cold. They’ve both been around for a long time. Enjoy!
Uncle Ben’s Baked Beans
5 to 6 strips thin-sliced bacon
1 can (32-oz) pork and beans
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
Cut bacon cross-wise into 1/4-inch pieces and fry until crisp, remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Pour beans, onion, bell pepper, sugar and barbecue sauce into a 2-quart casserole, stir to mix. Sprinkle bacon on top. Bake at 350ºF until thick enough to suit your taste.
Jo’s Baked Beans
3 cans (15½-oz) size
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
3 or 4 strips thin-sliced bacon
Mix beans, soup mix, brown sugar and mustard together in a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with bacon slices. Bake at 350ºF 30 to 45 minutes or until bacon is cooked and crisp.
Layered Spinach Salad
1 package fresh spinach
1 medium-size head of lettuce
8 green onions, sliced, including tops
1 box (10-oz) frozen peas
1 can chopped water chestnuts (optional)
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup salad dressing
1 cup sour cream
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
8 slices, cooked crumbled bacon
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (not the kind in the green box)
Wash spinach and lettuce; drain well. Place spinach in large bowl. Shred lettuce and place on top of spinach, top this with frozen peas and water chestnuts (if used). Mix dressing ingredients together and spread over top of salad, all the way to edges of bowl to seal it. Just before serving, top with Parmesan cheese and bacon.

Medina County approves Anti-illegal immigration “resolution” with altered wording,
continues to draw opposition from proponents of original document declaring “invasion”

Medina County Judge Chris Schuchart addresses supporters of a proposed anti-illegal immigration declaration during the commissioner’s regular session on Aug 25.

By Anton Riecher
The Medina County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Aug. 25 to approve a resolution in support of Texas governor Greg Abbott continuing opposition to illegal immigration across the state’s border with Mexico.
“Now therefore be it resolved that the Medina County Commissioners Court recognizes the failure of the federal government to perform its duties and supports Governor Abbott’s actions to attempt to Secure the Texas Border,” the resolution states.
Timothy Neuman, precinct 1 commissioner, made the motion to approve the resolution, seconded by Larry Sittre, precinct 2 commissioner.
However, County Judge Chris Schuchart stood firm in his opposition to the legal wording of a “declaration of invasion” supported by other Texas counties and elected officials that cites the U.S. Constitution as granting states the power to expel migrants crossing the border in the event of invasion.
Schuchart, who made his opposition clear at the commissioners’ Aug. 11 meeting, restated his position to supporters of the original “declaration” version of the anti-illegal immigration document.
“The document that you want us to pass is flawed,” Schuchart said. “It basically doesn’t follow the law. It cites five different footnotes that I can only confirm one of them to be fact.”
At the root of the impasse is the definition of the word “invasion” as accepted by U.S. Courts.

Mona Walters addresses the Medina County Commissioners Court Aug 25 voicing her opposition

“The Supreme Court has never overruled three federal appellate courts who say an invasion is not illegal immigrants coming across,” Schuchart said. “We all agree we have a huge problem but it doesn’t fit the definition of an invasion.”
Abbott, himself a former attorney general of the state, has taken no formal action on the declarations.
Schuchart, a retired attorney, also took issue with the proclaiming the document a declaration rather than a resolution. Of the 18 counties that have taken a position on the “invasion” issue, six have chosen to pass resolutions rather than declarations.
“There is a difference between a declaration of invasion and a resolution,” he said. “We will pass a resolution.”
Speaking in support of the original “declaration,” Hank Seay of La Coste said the present immigration situation “definitely fits my definition of an invasion.” To call it anything else amounted to “playing semantics.”
“I understand that politics always seems to get in the way and muddy the waters,” Seay said. “I believe that’s exactly what has happened here.”
Robert Oberlender of Natalia and David Logan also spoke in support of the “invasion” declaration.
“I think it’s an invasion regardless of the terminology and the definition of the word,” Logan said.
Mona Walters, another declaration supporter, inferred that refusal to back the original language amounted to an attack on Medina County Republican Party chairperson Julie Clark who spoke in favor of the declaration at the Aug. 11 meeting.
“Members of our Republican party who support Julie Clark have become alarmed,” Walters said. “Several have called and told me that threats have been made against Julie and her husband.”
Schuchart said he and the commissioners were on the same side as the declaration supporters on the anti-illegal immigration issue.
“We are all Republicans,” Schuchart said. “Everybody sitting (on the commissioners’ court) is a Republican. But for some reason the tactics that are being used against us are astonishing to me…”
Passage of an anti-illegal immigration resolution will not save citizens threatened by crime in the county, he said.
“That man over there (pointing to Sheriff Randy Brown) and his staff will save citizens,” Schuchart said.
To aid in that effort, the commissioners have added six new deputies to the sheriff’s office, plus three more school reserve officers (in Medina Valley ISD schools) who, during the summer, become part of the sheriff’s staff, Schuchart said. The county is also buying the sheriff 14 more emergency vehicles.
“We are spending money to protect the citizens,” Schuchart said.
You can watch our video coverage of the meeting at:
https://youtu.be/vHNS1kR4nKo

Solar farm project in Moore draws heat from local opponents

Frio County Precinct 2 Commissioner Richard Graf and Frio County Attorney Joseph Sindon address questions from the audience during a community meeting in Moore.

By Anton Riecher and Kayleen Holder
Opposition to a rumored solar panel farm being planned in Moore brought a capacity crowd together Thursday evening (Aug. 25) at the local community center.
Ray Freitas, manager of the Moore Water Supply Corporation, told the audience that a neighbor on Black Creek Road/CR 1660 had confirmed leasing acreage for a solar farm, sometimes referred to as a photovoltaic power station, using a large array of solar panels to convert sunlight into electrical energy.
In an interview afterward, Freitas expressed the concern that “one of the properties leased is part of the Black Creek system and could possibly contaminate the watershed.”
A landowner in the area, Darla Bacon, explained that in all, the solar farm project could span close to 600 acres.
“Solar farms form what’s called a thermal heat island effect, which increases temperature. I am surrounded on three sides so I will be right in the middle of that. It can increase temperature by 5 to 7 degrees,” Bacon said. “I am going to lose my dove hunting operation, and I am probably going to lose my cattle operation too. I have talked to a man in Deport,Tx who lives near a solar farm like this, and he said the humming sound that it makes is another thing that has driven people nuts. Replacing land with photovoltaic panels will likely increase runoff volume and reduce recharge for our water tables.”
Local bee keeper David Park also lives near the proposed solar projects.
“The biggest thing I am worried about is how it will de-value my property. We live in a house on a hill and can see for miles. We have lived here for 17 years. Who wants to look down on 500 acres of solar panels?”
Like most residents, Graves Wallace, had more questions rather than answers.
“Well, it’s certainly not something that you would expect to happen right next door to you. I did not see it coming. How will it affect the value of my property? What are the effects to our environment? And what are my rights? I truly don’t know. Those are questions I haven’t been able to find a positive answer to. One thing is for sure, time will tell us.”
When it comes to progress, Wallace said, “Electricity is great. Technology is great. But that old hand-crank ice cream maker–it always works.”
Moore VFD Fire Chief JD Earls has his own concerns on the firefighting side.
“Equipment, extinguishing agents, training, costs…..What is needed and how do we obtain it? Where do we get specialized training we’ll need?” Chief JD Earls said. “You cannot put water on electricity.”
At the meeting….
A pamphlet presented at the meeting titled “Drawbacks of Living Near a Solar Farm” set down a litany of possible issues with solar farms ranging from health concerns about electromagnetic waves, increased risk of fire from the radiated heat and the potential that harmful chemicals such as cadmium, arsenic, silicon, copper and lead could contaminate the environment. The concern is that damaged units may release contaminants into the environment. 
Frio County Precinct 2 Commissioner Richard Graf presided over the meeting. Also on hand to field questions were Frio County Attorney Joseph Sindon and incoming precinct 2 commissioner Mario Martinez who takes office in November.
Graf told those attending that his office received nearly a dozen calls last week concerned about the rumored solar farm project.
“I’d really like to say that as of this date (the county) still has not been formally asked or told that a solar company is coming in,” Graf said. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t doubt at all that they are coming in.”
However, unless the company applies for tax abatement, it is under no obligation to inform the county of its plans. Graf said he brought the rumored project before the Frio County Commissioners Court during its regular meeting on Aug. 24.
“Based on all the information I’ve got it will be my pleasure to recommend to the court that we do not give them one,” Graf said.
He said the commissioners were “very attentive to what I had to say and were anxious for this meeting to happen so that I could get back with them.”
Graf and Sindon both stressed that the county has no regulatory authority to restrict industrial development.
“We all like living in Texas because we don’t want a lot of regulation,” Sindon said. “The government lets us do what we want.”
People are largely allowed to do what they want “unless it upsets the neighbors,” Sindon said. He noted that the commissioners approved tax abatement for a solar panel farm located on a large ranch with no immediate neighbors to the project (in the Pearsall area).
“Nobody complained,” Sindon said.
Martinez said he was in agreement with Graf in opposing the project.
“For the most part I’m with everyone here,” Martinez said. “I’m not saying we’re going to please everyone 100 percent but we want to look out for your wellbeing.”
Here is the link to the Moore Community Center meeting about the solar farm: https://youtu.be/qQs6pLCOX9g
Please note, there was some confusion at the meeting about how much acreage the Moore solar farm would include, but has since been settled and is reflected in this article as of information we received Tuesday.
The company which has leased land in Moore is based out of Chicago, a landowner said, and is not the same company that received tax incentives in the Pearsall area solar farms that are expected to become operational in 2023.

Exploring a Treasure beneath the surface of Medina County

The Davis family has lived on the land for 23 years and had no idea what was hiding underneath. Now explorers will work to find any caves that could be connected to the massive cavern discovered last week. Pictured above is Matthew Taylor. Photography by Bennett Lee

By Kayleen Holder
Editor
MEDINA COUNTY–When landowners stumbled upon a hidden sink hole with a small hole on the Seco Valley Ranch north of Hondo, they dropped a rock inside, “and it took a long time to hit bottom.” They knew then they had found something special, but had no idea just how truly extraordinary it would be. A neighbor who had grown up exploring the ranch knew of at least one sink hole on the property, the Davis family said, so they called out the local grotto. Little did he know as a young boy, there truly was a treasure beneath the surface of the family ranch.
“Located only a few hundred yards from our foreman’s residence, this sinkhole was concealed in a brushy area no-one had ever explored due to the rocky terrain,” said landowners Mr. and Mrs. Don and Debbie Davis. “We knew of one (other) large sinkhole on the property that our neighbor Randy Rugh told us about many years ago. Randy is the great-nephew of the previous landowner and grew up exploring the entire property.”
Last Monday, August 22, two lucky cave explorers went inside and discovered the massive underground room, measuring about 130 tall x 70 feet around. Cave explorer, Bennett Lee was the first one in the hole, along with fellow explorer Matthew Taylor.
This was certainly a day to remember for Lee, who is a computer tech man by day and a “caver” just for fun.
“There are only a few caves in Texas with a room this big. It’s really rare to find a room and formations this big,” Lee said. “As a caver, you go to hundreds of sites and stick your head in, and most of the time, almost always, it’s nothing. This is one we are all looking for!”
Lee has been exploring caves since the 80s and has seen a lot over the years, and he notes that any possible connecting caves could be even more remarkable.
“The underground world is something that most people will never see. It’s like the last frontier,” Bennett said. “Every mountain top, every stream, someone has walked it, but these underground caves have been sealed up for hundreds of thousands of years. It’s like walking on the moon. We know we are the first people to ever set foot down there,” Lee said.
“It is hundreds of thousands of years old,” he said, and there are impressive formations all over the walls of the cave.
“The two main formations in there dwarf the others,” Bennett said. “One was about 30 feet high, and then there are two stalagmites that grew together about halfway up, and those are about 20 feet. The photo was taken on the uphill side, so it does not show the full height. Formations this large take a very long time to form.”
Another unique feature is what he calls a “broomstick column” which is formed by a stalagmite and a stalactite which grew together from above and below.
He spoke a little about how sink holes form.
“Usually what happens is the ceiling of a cave collapses, slowly over time. Over hundreds of thousands of years, little pieces of rock fall from the ceiling, one after another, into this now huge cavern underground. The rock above the cave becomes weak and as it erodes and falls, eventually, you start to see this sink hole form on the surface,” Lee said. “Exploring caves is a very fun, exciting, and dangerous business!”
In this stunning underground room, named Woot Cavern, explorers will search for a connecting cave, which could be even more marvelous than the initial discovery. Lee has worked on a project near Leakey, for example, where cavers found a cave spanning over six miles long, underground, with no end in sight.
“With a room this size, there was obviously something there at one time,” Lee said. “We just have no idea what to expect. We have to go back down there and poke around, see if we can find a connecting cave and get past the breakdown. There are several large boulders. We may never get past the break down,” Lee said.
The 1,883-acre ranch in northeast Medina County has several sink holes, but nothing like this one.
When you are looking for a sink hole, you might look for “a circular depression about 10-30 feet in diameter, that’s about 6 feet lower than the ground around it,” Lee said. “Sometimes smaller, sometimes only 2 feet deep.”
“Winter time is a great time to walk the ranch. If you see any steam coming up from the ground, that’s a huge sign. Or after a huge rain, water might run down into a sink hole. Sink holes are important recharge zones for the aquifer.”
If you suspect you see a sinkhole on your land, you can contact the Bexar Grotto team, and they will come check it out for free.
Limestone is typical of caves and Texas is covered with limestone. From San Antonio to Austin, sink holes are actually very common, he says. The Grotto group does what’s called “karst walks”, where we have a line of people and walk across the land looking for signs
“There’s a lot of caves around here, especially around the Hill Country area,” Lee said. “It’s just a matter of finding them.”
Q&A with the Davis family at Seco Valley Ranch:
How did ya’ll first see it?
Last February, we invited members of Bexar Grotto, a non-profit caving group, to explore the cave associated with the sinkhole about which we knew. They opened up passages enough for people to crawl in and discovered a large room with ancient stalagmites and stalactites (remember your school mnemonic; Stalactites hold tightly to the ceiling and Stalagmites might make it to the ceiling someday). The Hydrologist with this group explained to us this sinkhole and others in the area were springs in the Paleolithic Era where aquifer waters were forced upwards and fed the shallow sea that covered this area. These openings now serve to direct rainfall down into the aquifer. YouTube video with images of this karst feature. https://youtu.be/t1556eJzKow
Prior to initiating exploration of that karst, we named DWD Grotto, our ranch foreman Jaime Sanchez discovered a second sinkhole while clearing juniper brush. We still plan to excavate this cave that is located near a wet weather creek. https://youtu.be/B0XAGk0pgN0
The EAA uses precise satellite hill shade maps to identify depressions on the land surface. They located two more areas of interest. The third turned out to contain the small opening to this spectacular cavern. We invited Bexar Grotto out again. Bennett Lee and Matthew Taylor rappelled 80’ down from the tiny entrance and discovered a huge open room with a spectacular column of glistening flowstone and a second tower. https://youtu.be/kYWKgqm_rfU
Our ranch is located along the Balcones Escarpment, an area known for its high aquifer recharge ability due to fracturing from the ancient Balcones Fault line. The aquifer supplies water to the city of San Antonio, among others. Due to climate change and increased urban water needs, the Edwards Aquifer Authority is actively seeking private lands to enroll in conservation easements, a program that pays landowners a percentage of the current land value to restrict development in perpetuity.
We decided along with several of our neighbors, to conserve this significant area. As part of the research conducted by EAA, a team of Geologists and Hydrologists work in cooperation with Biologists with Green Spaces Alliance, a 501(C)3, to survey the properties, mapping noteworthy features.
How many sink holes have ya’ll found in all? 4
What did ya’ll do when ya’ll first found the hole?
While shining a light down the small opening, we could see there was a floor. Tossing in a rock was our first attempt to determine the depth of the cavern. It took 3 ½ seconds to hit the bottom. Next, I tied a cord to a rock and lowered it, so I could measure the length of cord. I measured roughly 70 feet.
Did ya’ll imagine it was going to be anything like it turned out to be?
Heavens no! We could tell the room opened up after the tiny entrance, but could only see darkness. We never dreamed this would be larger than the first karst we explored.
How long have ya’ll lived there? 23 years
Please share any ranch history or interesting stories?
We are about 2 miles northeast of the large Valdina Sinkhole on the Seco Creek. There are numerous caves in this area. This ranch was pieced together in the 1930’s by Charlie Rugh. He left the property to his two nephews that divided the ranch. We purchased half from one brother and our neighbor Randy and his brother inherited their side from their parents Ronnie and Carolyn. Charlie was a sheep and goat farmer. His nephews leased the grazing for cattle and goats. When we took over management, we converted to a cattle operation where we produce grass-fed beef on a small scale for sale to end users.
What is it like–knowing there could be a massive cave running underground across your ranch from this site?
Very, very exciting. We are conservation ranchers. We manage our grazing holistically to sustain soil health while raising a Critically Endangered breed. In a drought year such as this one and the previous two, it is hard to regenerate the soils, but we do our part not to cause damage to soil health and maintain groundwater retention.
We already were making plans to create some kind of land trust, so when we are gone, a living herd of conservation genetics Texas Longhorns will be perpetuated for public appreciation, education and scientific research. The Texas Longhorn is the only breed that evolved in this region by natural selection. They are uniquely adapted to thrive in this environment and promise to be of economic importance to the future of our nation’s food supply as our climate changes. Although there are tens of thousands of horned cattle in this country, only perhaps 3000-3500 animals possess Iberian-descent genetics not mixed with other breeds. These are the cattle we raise. Protecting and developing these karst features for the same public use falls right into our conservation goals. Our ranching operation is also Audubon Certified Bird Friendly Land. This area is sanctuary for endangered Golden-cheeked Warblers and many colorful songbirds.
We do not have any children to inherit our property, so our focus is conservation for the public good.

Deputy tells touching story of a night he won’t soon forget

Frio County deputies Matthew Cuellar and the late Corp. Justin Longria.

By Kayleen Holder
When Patrol Deputy, Matthew Cuellar stepped into his vehicle this past Tuesday, August 23, he had only one thing on his mind– protecting the citizens of Frio County. That night, he and other deputies encountered a human smuggling operation, and he was involved in a dangerous pursuit that left his vehicle totaled and Deputy Cuellar unconscious. It was a night that he won’t soon forget, for more reasons than one.
“Yesterday was a very scary one,” he said. “It’s still eating me up inside to see how careless this subject was that we were in pursuit of. These people don’t care about vehicles, lives, property or anything for that matter, only about the money they’re making to commit this crime.”
Cuellar noted that deputies are facing multiple pursuits every day and week, but this one ended a little differently.
“I lost control of my patrol unit while in pursuit of a suspect and went into a tree,” Cuellar said. “I was unconscious.”
When he awoke, he found himself “alone on the county road with everything destroyed”–but in that moment he also realized something special had just happened.
Suddenly he recalled “seeing a unit approach from the east, the opposite direction my team went. As it approached, I realized it was my best friend Justin (Deputy Justin Longoria who died in a vehicle accident last year). Justin put his arm out and said ‘You’re going to be alright come on.’ “Once I touched him, I woke up and heard the radio going off.”
At that point, he awoke from unconsciousness, and was able to crawl out and call for help, he said.
“This moment still has me torn because I miss my brother so much, but to know when people say he’s always there, and having experienced that, I believe it,” Cuellar said, still emotional thinking about what happened.
Deputy Cuellar thanked his fellow heroes and community for the unwavering support they have shown.
“Thank you to Sheriff Mike Morse and Chief Peter Erica Salinas for being there throughout the night at the hospital,” Cuellar said. “And of course thank you to my community, the love and prayers that have been sent my way have kept me strong. I woke up this morning feeling like a train hit my body. I’m grateful I was able to leave with a few cuts and a minor concussion. It’s going to be a long week but I will get better. Love everyone.”

Make a house a home…HANK Inc featured on TV, searching for foster parents

Ever wanted to foster, but don’t have a large enough home or money for required repairs? HANK INC, which operates three community foster homes in Medina County, is searching for loving adults who would like to foster sibling groups in one of their three community homes in Devine and Hondo.
Currently one of the homes is full, but the other two homes are in need of foster parents to make the house a home for a loving sibling group in need of a place to stay.
Their third home is opening soon.

Hopes and dreams of being together…

Samuel who is 14-years old, is described by his caseworker as being friendly, assertive, and athletic. He enjoys playing basketball, football, and running track. Samuel is a child that loves to interact with people and makes friends easily. He is charismatic and does all he can to accomplish goals he has set for himself.
Ethan is a 13-year old boy, who is a caring, adventurous, and has a great sense of humor. As he loves to joke around and interact with people, he is very engaging.  Ethan also loves to play sports, with his favorites being; basketball & football. And like many children his age, he loves playing all types of video games.
Aubrey is a joyous, energetic, talkative 9-year-old girl, who loves to create art projects, play with her dolls, and help people. Aubrey loves to interact with everyone she meets. Aubrey’s smile lights up the room and her personality is one of a kind.
Samuel, Ethan, and Aubrey are an amazing sibling group seeking to be adopted all together, and are excited about finding a loving forever home.
These children are very bonded to each other and will do well with a family who will share that loving bond with them, as they guide them into adulthood. The adoptive family who has an extended family & friend network, would be great as to allow the children to create new bonds and build strong family connections.
If you think you could this sibling group forever family or for another Texas child please contact the department at 1-800-233-3405, for more information about adoption or visit www.adoptchildren.org where the schedule of adoption information meeting for the Rio Grande Valley are posted.

Education Foundation awards new teachers gift card

Devine Education Foundation awarded all DISD new teachers a $50 gift card to Walmart to help them with expenses of setting up a classroom.
“Certainly, we want to all DISD staff to know how much we appreciate them, and what they do for the students of this community. Our mission is to support teachers and students,” Mrs. Brenda Gardner, DEF executive director, said.
She added that the expense of setting up a new classroom is huge. All teachers spend lots of their own money, and the foundation just wanted help in a small way.
Foundation members Heather Miller and Kristi Summerlin went to each campus Thursday, August 18 to provide snacks for staff members. They also had a drawing on each campus for a DEF t-shirt and hat.
“This is just something we could do to celebrate each campus staff, and to do something a little special for them,” Miller said.
Applications for teaching grants have been sent to all staff members. After review and selection, those will be awarded in late October or early November.
The foundation also has an Amazon Smile account. Amazon will pay DEF a percentage of each purchase made through DEF’s Amazon Smile page. That URL is https://smile.amazon.com/ch/87-2366535.
“If you are an Amazon shopper, and lots of people are, and will use this site as your entry to Amazon, the foundation will receive that percentage from the company. We will certainly put it to good use helping kids and teachers,” Gardner said.

Lytle approves $16.6 million budget, staff says utility rates must go up soon amidst growing city/ infrastructure projects

Today’s technology is amazing…Lytle City Administrator Matthew Dear, standing, addresses the city council Monday night, including District 5 Alderman Charles Cate who attended via internet connection (see laptop at right where he is on screen). Cate, an Air Force reservist, is currently deployed to an undisclosed location overseas, Mayor Ruben Gonzalez said.

By Anton Riecher
The Lytle City Council voted Monday to approve a proposed 2022-2023 budget of $16.6 million, not including expected federal stimulus funds.
On a motion by District 3 Alderman David Emery seconded by District 2 Alderman Sam Cortez the proposed budget was approved by a vote of 4-0. District 1 Alderman Joseph Morrow was absent from the meeting.
City Administrator Matthew Dear announced that the city’s total taxable value for the new budget year is $234.3 million. To collect the same revenue as the current year a no-new revenue tax rate of $.3443 per $100 valuation would be necessary.
“The new budget will raise $88,205 more than the current year, an 11 percent increase,” Dear said. “A lot of that is based on increased values as well as new properties added to the property roll this year.”
Under state law, the maximum tax rate the city can approve without voter consent is $.3654 per $100 valuation.
If an expected $379,885 in relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act comes through the city will show an income of $17.8 million under the proposed budget.
“We do not have that number built into the coming year’s budget because we haven’t got that money yet,” Dear said.
The biggest obligations would be $6.1 million in water system improvements, $1.4 million in sewer system improvements and $985,000 in roads and sidewalks.
To make the new city budget work, Dear warned that the council will have to increase Lytle utility rates to bring them in line with surrounding communities in the coming year. For water, Lytle residents pay $12.00 a month compared to $38.14 in Devine, $32.47 in Hondo and $30 in Castroville,
For sewer, Lytle residents pay $18 a month compared to $30 in Castroville, $27.06 in Hondo and $23.57 in Devine.
“If we’re not going to change those we might as well put the brakes on everything we’re doing,” Dear said. “Tell the developers ‘Thank you, but not today.’”
A presentation by the Finance Director LaNet Hester noted Lytle experienced a 22% growth in 2021-22 and a 28% growth is expected each year until 2025.
District 5 Alderman Charles Cate, an Air Force reservist on deployment overseas, voted for the increase via an internet connection.
The council set 2:30 p.m. Aug. 30 as the date for a council workshop on utility and inspection rates.
In other action related to taxation, the council voted to approve a tax assessment and collection contract with Atascosa County. The county will charge the city $1.50 per parcel to collect, plus 10 cents for the central appraisal district.
If the city choses a different firm to collect delinquent taxes the cost goes up an additional 10 cents per parcel. The city’s current contract for delinquent tax collection lapses at the end of this year.
The council voted to authorize the city staff to issue requests for proposals to select a consulting firm to help Lytle apply for a $500,000 Texas Community Development Block Grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture.
“We’ve been told that the two top priorities this year will be wastewater and storm water,” Dear said.
First to apply for the job was GrantWorks. Michael Place, a client services representative for the company, works with the Alamo Area Council of Governments, which includes Atascosa County, and other regional COGs in obtaining grant funds.
Part of the grant process is “pre-scoring” the cities making application, he said.
“When we come to you and say we pre-scored you (it means) you rate pretty high and there is a good chance you are going to get funding,” Place said.
GrantWorks charges on a percentage basis but only if the grant application is successful, he said. The grant application would be required to benefit a low to moderate income area. Also, the city would have to provide a current audit.
The grant would also require a two-percent match of $10,000 from the city. The motion to search for consulting help was made by Emery and seconded by District 4 Alderman Michael Rodriguez.
Regarding the recent controversy concerning the proposed 170-plus lot Lytle MHC Mobile Park, the council voted to suggest 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8 at the city community center as the date for a town hall meeting on the project.
“The main objective out of this meeting is to have the developer present the plans and let the community actually get an idea of what is happening,” Gonzalez said.
“Although the meeting will be posted to the city hall website the city has no plans to make any formal presentation,” Dear said.
“It’s not a city meeting,” Dear said. “We are just facilitating a location.”
Citizen voices concerns on flooding around Lake Shores
A thunderstorm raging outside city hall set the stage for one resident concerned about high water. Trace Joyce spoke during the public comment period of the council meeting to warn that recent work in the Lakeshore Drive neighborhood to add an earthen crown above a pipeline increases the risk of flooding.
“It will increase the water that is going to be held,” Joyce said. “It increases the danger of a greater overflow when it has crested and it is finally pushed out of the way.”
Mayor Ruben Gonzalez said that a new drainage study is being discussed.
Ethics Comission created
On a motion by Emery seconded by Rodriguez the council voted to create an ethics commission to establish standards of conduct for city officials who volunteer to serve as city officials.
“Council members volunteer as full-time employees,” Dear said. “This is going to set forth our ethical standards on what is expected of you.”
The ordinance creating the commission establishes requirements for such volunteers to make financial disclosures and other reporting to avoid conflict of interest.
“For example, the planning and zoning commission is all volunteer,” Dear said. “If they had a financial interest in property being zoned it is information that we as a city need to know. They need to recuse themselves from that decision.”
Step toward Ozone ordinance
The council also voted to take the first steps toward an ordinance limiting the idling of heavy vehicles for lengthy periods of time inside the city limits.
“As we continue to grow and get more gas stations along the I-35 corridor we are going to continue to get trucks that are stopping and idling all night,” Dear said. “Bexar County is probably going to become an ozone nonattainment area.”
An ozone nonattainment area is one where air quality does not meet the federal ozone standards.
“Many truckers keep their vehicles idling overnight to provide air conditioning or heat while sleeping inside. An alternative is to park at a truck stop that provides electrical hookup to keep the vehicle comfortable,” Dear said.
Emery, who made the motion supporting development of an ordinance, urged the city to reach out to local truck stops to find out what alternatives are available. The motion was seconded by Rodriguez.
Other Matters
In other matters, the council:
•Approved $700 to finance the Veterans of Foreign Wars post to cook for a Sept. 11 memorial event to honor emergency responders.
•Appointed Martha Ellis of Lytle and Wanda Eggerton, an Atascosa County resident living near Lytle, to serve on the Atascosa County Library Board.
•Nominated Evangelina DeLeon, Margaret Wilson, Robin Cantu and Barry Sanders to serve on the Annual Citizenship Award Committee.