Category: Events

Our First Annual Wreaths Across America in Lytle was a special time to honor our veterans and come together as a community. Our ceremony was in Lytle Community Cemetery where wreaths were placed, then we traveled to The Masonic Cemetery to place wreaths next was Coal Mine Concepcion Cemetery. We placed a total of 235 wreaths.
Efrain Vasquez and Pam Wanjura as Co-Coordinators of WAA wish to thank all who sponsored and volunteered to help make our ceremony special. Thank you also to our Lytle High School Athletics that worked hard to get our cemeteries ready, placed our yellow flags and also placed wreaths in our cemeteries.
Our Guest speakers were Mike Gonzalez US Army Retired and Commander of the Lytle VFW Memorial Post 12041. Also Ruben Gonzalez, US Air Force Retired and Mayor of Lytle, TX. Our VFW members did a wonderful job placing Ceremonial Wreath for each branch of the service and our POW, MIA.

Bella’s Pantry opened in December 2014.  For 11 years our volunteers have weathered heat, cold, rain, a pandemic, and yet they always came through.  We gave what we could to help the animals in Lytle and the surrounding communities.
Through the years our numbers have increased.  We have always done our best to meet the demand.  We served usually 70 plus cars each month.  Pet owners from Lytle, LaCoste, Castroville, Devine, Natalia, Bigfoot, Hondo, Atascosa, Von Ormy and Somerset were regulars at the Pantry.  We loved seeing the people and sometimes their sweet pets.
Recently we have struggled to obtain food to give out.  Many non-profits, such as we are, have seen the donations dramatically decrease.  Without the donations we cannot continue. 
Lytle Animal Allies board made the decision to close Bella’s Pantry and Lytle Animal Care and Control agreed to the decision.
Bella’s Pantry would not have been possible without dedicated volunteers who came together 11 years ago to make life easier for pets and their people.
Phyllis Parra, Miriam Garcia, and Ernie Kroeger were there from the start.  Throughout the years we have had help from Santiago Morantez, Rachel Faish, Lorena Gorum, Daniel Garcia, Irene Robbins, Kathryn Jones, Liz White, Melinda Flores, Austin Stornelli, Ruben Gonzalez, and Ruben Gonzalez III.  There are not enough words to express how grateful we are for these amazing people showing up to give back. 
Bella’s Pantry received donations from Pam and Frank Wanjura, Pam Harris, Valerie Worthington, Carol Lumley Spock, HEB, San Antonio Humane Society, San Antonio Food Bank and so many others who would drop off a bag of food.
This was a hard decision to make.  We hope you can understand how much this pantry meant to us also.  We were privileged to give as we know our pet owners were thankful to receive. 
Our last Bella’s Pantry will be held on December 27th.  We will be open 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM.
 Lytle Animal Allies
Ward Sanders, President
Lorena Gorum, Vice-President
and Betty Kroeger, Secretary/Treasurer

St. Joseph’s Guadalupana Society hosted celebrating the Feast Day of “Our Lady of the Americas, La Virgen de Guadalupe” on Friday, December 12, 2025.  This is a Catholic celebration of the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego, an indigenous peasant, on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City on December 12, 1531.
A beautiful colorful and brightly lit float was constructed.  This float carried a live image of our Virgin Mother Mary dressed by Kassandra Fajardo and a live image of Juan Diego dressed by JoseYandel Saavedra. They along with Father/Rev. Antonio Hernandez and with the faithful parishioners and our community pilgrimaged praying the rosary and singing from Devine City Park to the church at 6:00 AM.   The float and the faithful arrived to the church by 7:00 AM.  
Ten beautiful, excited, joyous girls danced to the altar with flower baskets to the Virgin.  The dancers were:  Sadie Washburn, Zoey Washburn, Prestyn Alexander, Azalea Tambunga, Lily Tambunga, Cloee Jo Esparza, Isabella Rodriguez, Azucena Sofia Hernandez, Austin Gonzalez and Lina Bueno (Lina is the great niece of Lydia Benavidez, Guadalupana Society Pres.). 
Mariachi AZUL de San Antonio played “Las Mananitas” in the church.  At 8:00 a.m. a Mass in honor of our Virgin de Guadalupe officiated by Rev. Antonio Hernandez assisted by Dcn Jerry Whitley, music by the mariachis.  Two new members Jessica Carrillo and Mari Carmen Mendoza were blessed by Father Antonio into the Guadalupana Society. 
A delicious breakfast and fellowship followed the mass at the hall.  
St Joseph’s Church and the Guadalupana Society thank our local businesses for their community support: Chaparral Ford for the use of an electric truck, this allowed for “fume free” to the pilgrimage walkers; Devine Tortilla Factory for donation of their delicious corn tortillas and tamales; Chile Bandera, from Jourdanton for donation of their famous flour tortillas; Dulce Bakery, Lytle for donation of their scrumptious sweet bakery (pan dulce).

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Devine ISD Theater Directors Mrs. Patricia Taitano and Mr. Jose Guardiola and their ensemble of fine performers presented A Christmas Carol: A Play for Live Radio to a crowded audience in the DSAC on December 10.
The story, told vintage radio-style, is an adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens set in Victorian England in the early 1840s. The 10 Players dressed in black pants and while long sleeve shirt sat V-style behind decorated desks telling the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his story of salvation and redemption.
Included in the beautiful evening were other DHS departments that added to the celebration of Christmas and the promotion of several students from other organizations.
Head Band Director Bert Sanchez and assistant Pete Alexander Olguin had several band members entertain in the foyer prior to the doors closing for the reading of Christmas Carol.
In addition, Mrs. Linsey Outlaw and her FACS students baked cookies and other delicious treats available for the attending audience while Mrs. Dawn Hamby and her art students had many of their own handmade favorite pieces of art on display for all to enjoy.
The Players
Nolan Beaty, Griffin Blouin, Cat Brown, Kayla Dzierzanowski, Viola Dzierzanowski, Natalie Gutierrez, Madelynn Mitchell, Dakota Nighswander, and Angeliana Rendon-Zapata.
The Crew
Ella Bowyer, Kassandra Fajardo, Lindsay Garcia, Emma Martinez, and Emerie Ruiz.

Dakota Niighswander and Viola Dzierzanowski perform in A Christmas Carol.

Kayla Dzierzanowski read five parts in A Christmas Carol.

Nolan Beaty as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

The Kindergarten through Confirmation classes at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Devine donated over 400 items for the Devine Food Pantry. They brought canned goods, hygiene products, diapers, baby wipes, and much more.

We are proud to donate all these items to our local community through the wonderful work of the Devine Food Pantry.  2nd grade won a pizza party for donating the most items, and 1st grade came in second place! We thank all of our parents and students for supporting our program and this wonderful effort. 

Joshua Walker, second from right in foreground, recieves a plaque in the honorable mention category during the Lytle Citizenship Awards presentation at City Council (Photos by Anton Riecher).

Pam Wanjura, center foreground, was awarded the 2025 Annual Citizenship Award in the adult category with Lytle Mayor Ruben Gonzalez presenting the trophy during the city council meeting Monday.
In the other categories, Jessie Camarillo, center foreground, won in the lifetime achievement category and Joshua Walker, second from right in foreground, won in the honorable mention category. (Photos by Anton Riecher)