Celebrating 126 Years of Serving the communities of Devine, Natalia, Lytle, Bigfoot, and Moore in Medina, Frio, and Atascosa Counties
Local Events in Devine, Natalia, Lytle, Bigfoot, Moore in Medina, Frio, and Atascosa Counties!
News Release
Media Contacts: TPWD Press Office, 512-389-8030, news@tpwd.texas.gov;
August 17, 2023
AUSTIN — A cool and rainy spring means that despite above-average summer temperatures, Texas hunters could encounter significantly increased dove populations as the 2023 season opens Sept. 1.
Continue reading “Dove Season Expected to Have Soaring Numbers”
Get your Drawing tickets (2 for $5) from VFW members, or at Bingo on Thursday night, or on Friday before the 8pm drawing!
Devine VFW Post 3966 will hold their Raffle Drawing this Friday, August 18, 2023 in the Canteen Courtyard. Doors will open at 6:00pm to sell last-minute tickets for the drawing, and hot dogs will be served until they run out. The drawing will be held at 8:00pm, but you do not need to be present to win.
This fundraiser is for the purpose of repairing the floor beams and floor joists of two classrooms in the 1905 portions of the VFW at 211 W. College Ave, in Devine.
We appreciate your support in helping to repair and preserve this historic Devine landmark!
Prizes include: 58”-4K Smart TV, Acer Chromebook, 4 Qt. Digital Air Fryer, Irish Whiskey Gift Basket, $50 Walmart Gift Card, two $50 HEB Gift Cards, $40 Texas Roadhouse Gift Card, Beautiful Handmade Fiesta Wreath, $20 of Lottery Scratch-Off Cards.
For tickets, or more information, call Gary Saathoff at 210-289-6204.
Jerel Beaty Staff Writer
Mark your calendars. Devine’s Athletic Booster, Band Booster, and community members will host a Meet the Athletes, the Marching Band, and the Cheerleaders Pep Rally Friday, August 18 at Warhorse Stadium.The event kicks off at 7:00pm.Free hot dogs and water add to the excitement and serve as a bonus because all who show up will also not have to worry about cooking dinner that night.
For students in Elementary and Intermediate, post cards with your teacher’s name should come in the mail next week sometime. All campuses in Devine Independent School District will host parents and students to a “Meet the Teacher” night at the following dates and times:
JJ Ciavarra Elementary Thursday, August 17 – 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Devine Intermediate Thursday, August 17 – 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Devine Middle School Tuesday, August 15 – 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Devine High School Tuesday, August 15 – 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Parents and students may go to teachers’ classrooms any time during the time periods listed above.
At the elementary and intermediate campus, parents may bring labeled school supplies to their child’s room. Parents will be able to put money in the child’s lunch account, join PTO, and confirm bus numbers and routes.
Elementary and Intermediate students should receive a postcard in the mail soon stating their teacher(s) for the school year. At both campuses, parents may check in the office during “Meet the Teacher” if they are unsure of their child’s room assignment and/or if registration information is not complete.
Middle and high school teachers will be in their classrooms to talk to parents about their classes and about the expectations of the class. Middle school students may pick up their class schedule in the cafeteria. If you have any holds such as immunizations or proof of residency, report to the office to turn in your documents and pick up your schedule. High school student schedules will be given out in the multi-purpose room.
Reminder: All immunizations (when applicable) and proof of residency requirements (3rd, 6th, and 9th graders) must be complete before students can pick up their schedule and attend school on the August 23rd. If your student recently received immunizations, please bring an updated record to the school office at your earliest convenience. Proof of Residency documents should be emailed to enrollment@devineisd.org or dropped off at the campus office.
A fundraiser is being held for Karina Garcia of Devine on Saturday, August 5th at 308 Adams in Devine. Karina is a kidney transplant patient and the money raised from the event will be used to pay for medical travel expenses. Karina’s story ran in the Devine News in May about her journey from a healthy young teen to the point that, at 21-years-old, she is currently on dialysis and needs a new kidney very soon. Along the way, she fell victim to Covid-19, experienced vision and heart problems and after a year in bed, weighed only 80 pounds with her kidney function down to 4%. She is fighting so she can be here to raise her son, 3-year-old Brayden Guardiola.
The fundraiser will begin at 11a.m. and cost $10 per plate for a barbecue sandwich, chips and a drink. Monetary donations are also being accepted.
Everyone is invited…Please join the Lytle Memorial VFW Post 12041 on July 19th at 4:00 PM at 1425 FM 2790, Lytle TX 78052 (the new location of the VFW Post). Help us celebrate and honor Mr. Gilbert Meyer, of Lytle, on his 100th birthday and watch the famous Wonder World Parachute team powered by the All Veterans Group jump in his honor.
Mr. Meyer is a Pearl Harbor Survivor who served on the USS Utah when it was hit and sunk. He stayed at sea the remainder of the war on the USS Detroit until the signing of the peace treaty. Mr. Meyer is a Lifetime Member of the Lytle VFW 12041.
The All Veteran Parachute Team will be jumping from a helicopter as a way to honor Mr. Meyer as one of the last few survivors of Pearl Harbor. They will jump around 5:00 p.m.
Sunnydale Hyde, Director of Operations for the All Veteran Group shares a little about the jump.
“We travel all over the world doing over 100 shows a year. We have helped raise $7 million dollars annually to help veteran their families,” Hyde said.
There will be 2-3 jumpers who will jump from about 1 mile up. The jump itself will last about 5-7 minutes and the crowd will see “cold smoke grenades” deploy as the parachuters come down.
The Wonderworld Parachute team is powered by the All Veterans Group.
To put things into perspective, this is the same team that jumped for President Bush, the Green Bay Packers and many others.
In addition, the City of Lytle will be presenting a Proclamation to Mr. Gilbert Meyer proclaiming July 19th as “Mr. Gilbert Meyer Day” in Lytle. With the generosity of HEB, there will be hamburgers, hot dogs and chips served.
You are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.
Many a war story is destined to be told inside Texas’ newest Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12041 once it is completed east of Lytle. But none will be as harrowing as that told by the man for whom the post is named – Pearl Harbor survivor Gilbert Meyer.
On March 22 members of Post 12041 and many others from Lytle gathered at Meyer’s farm on FM2790 for the groundbreaking ceremony. Of the five-acre farm, Meyer donated four acres as the new home for the local VFW.
“We would not be standing here today if it were not for the generosity of one local hero – Mr. Gilbert Meyer, who is in the house directly behind you, is a 99-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor,” said post commander Chris Clouser.
“Unfortunately, due to health reasons, Mr. Meyers is not able to attend the ceremony.”
Arrangements had been made for Meyer to view the groundbreaking by video from his sickbed.
Next month Texas Senior Vice Commander Larry Sanders takes charge of the Texas VFW as state commander. But before those high ranking jobs Sanders was commander of Post 12041. As commander he had the pleasure of counting Meyers among the local members.
“One day I was at the park getting ready for our fourth or fifth festival,” Sanders said. “I met this gentleman walking across the sidewalk over there. He had USS Utah on his cap. He was very proud of it. He said ‘Come over and sit down young man.’ We sat down and talked for about an hour about what he did. He was at Pearl Harbor.”
Fortunately, Meyer committed his story to video as an oral history during a USS Utah reunion in Las Vegas in 2015. Born in 1923, he dropped out of high school in Goose Creek, TX, now Baytown, when he was 17. With his parents’ consent he joined the Navy.
The USS Utah is often referred to as the forgotten ship sunk at Pearl Harbor. Commissioned as a battleship during World War I, the Utah had long since been converted into radio-controlled vessel used for aerial target practice.
Meyer arrived in Pearl Harbor aboard the Utah in September 1941. Recently refitted, the Utah only made two voyages from Pearl before that fateful day on Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese pilots slammed two torpedoes into her side.
“I was sleeping on the starboard side,” Meyer said. “I woke up when the first torpedo hit but I was so sleepy I went back to sleep for just a few seconds. Then, shortly after that, the second one hit. When it hit all the lights went out.”
With the ship already listing, Meyer had to find his way topside in the dark wearing only his skivvies, i.e., his undershirt and underpants. He also grabbed a pair of shoes he had just bought.
“I had shined them for about three days,” he said. “And I had my shoes and lost them somewhere along the way. I probably needed two hands to try and climb and get myself topside.”
Debris made it impossible to lower himself into the water off the port side of the ship. The only thing to do was to follow the ship around as within 12 minutes it capsized.
Then the Japanese pilots started strafing the survivors with machine gun fire, Meyer said.
“The projectiles hit the bottom of the ship and made such a racket I knew I had to get the hell out of there,” he said. “So I started sliding down. I looked up behind me and there was this big old chief electrician who looked like he weighed 300 pounds crashing down. I had to swim like hell to get out of the way.”
Meyer swam to nearby Ford Island and took cover in an open trench. Between bombings he and others would sneak between the buildings to see what was happening on Battleship Row.
“We just watched the world war from there,” Meyer said.
Fifty-eight of Meyer’s comrades did not survive to tell their tale. An incident later brought the magnitude of the disaster into focus. Meyer had caught some shrapnel in a finger and went looking for medical help.
“The nurse ran me off,” Meyer said. “She said guys with their arms missing and all blackened from being burned and you were worried about one finger. Later I thought about it and she was right. I shouldn’t have been there for just a little bleeding finger.”
Meyer’s next ship proved to be far luckier. For three years and nine months he served aboard the USS Detroit. At Pearl the Japanese torpedoes missed the Detroit and she never took a hit during the war after that. And, the Detroit was sitting in Tokyo Bay when, aboard the USS Missouri, General Douglas MacArthur signed the peace treaty ending World War II.
“That was the best 18 seconds of my life,” Meyer said.
During the groundbreaking, Clouser said the mission of the VFW is to “foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts and to serve our veterans in our communities and to advocate for all veterans.”
Now that Lytle has its first ever VFW home the post will be able to “advance the ability to serve our veterans and our military in our community,” he said.
“The members of the Lytle VFW are excited for the future and look forward to the ability to serve veterans by giving them a safe place to come for assistance,” Clouser said.
The youngest servicemen in the 1941 attacks, who were 17 years old, would be turning 99 this year. It is unknown how many survivors are still here to share their stories with younger generations.
The Moore Community Improvement Club proudly presents “Summer Fest,” a celebration of community, food, music, and fun! Mark your calendars for a day filled with excitement at the Moore Community Center this Saturday, July 15th at 11 AM.
Pitmasters and barbecue enthusiasts are gathering for another exciting competition in Moore! Showcase your skills and compete in our sizzling Barbecue Cookout Contest. Pit your flavors, techniques, and secret recipes against other talented teams for a chance to claim the title of Pit Master. The overall winning team will not only earn the prestigious honor but also take home a grand prize worth 30% of the overall entry fees! Think your team has what it takes to be crowned the ultimate barbecue champions? Sign up extended to July 14th (space limited) to secure your spot and put that to the test! The entry fee for cookout teams is $150.
Discover unique treasures and support local businesses at our vibrant pop-up marketplace. Whether you’re looking for handmade crafts, jewelry, or artwork, our talented vendors have something for everyone. If you are interested in showcasing your products and services, there are still a few spaces available. You can secure a spot for just $25. Don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity to engage with the community and expand your customer base!
Like a little friendly competition then our Cornhole tournament is sure to please. We are taking sign-ups the day of the event. Cost per player is $20 and first place teams not only get prizes but prize money! Bring your friends and head out for some friendly fun under the sun.
Car enthusiasts, this Summer Fest also has a special place for you! Marvel at the display of classic and custom vehicles at our Summer Fest Show and Shine. Admire the craftsmanship and dedication put into these stunning automobiles and strike up conversations with fellow enthusiasts. There will be chance to vote for people’s choice and give-away opportunity for those showcasing your ride.
Everyone should get ready to dance and groove to the beats provided by the Solis Brothers, along with other local bands featuring Chris and Cassandra Salinas, Hollywood and the All-Star Band and Last Call featuring Randy Brown, Kevin Langley and James Little and DJs, who will be contributing to the vibrant and energetic atmosphere throughout the event. You will be sure to enjoy a variety of music genres that will keep you on your feet, embracing the rhythm of the day. We haven’t forgotten about our littlest community members! Kids can participate in exciting games and activities specially designed to keep them entertained and smiling all day long! Those who are old enough or have parent supervision, can participate in legally vandalizing and destroying an old junkyard car, a rare opportunity for sure!
We invite you to bring your family and friends to the Moore Community Center for a day of entertainment, mouthwatering food, and community spirit. Summer Fest promises to be a joyous occasion that will create lasting memories for everyone in attendance. Don’t miss out on this incredible event that celebrates our vibrant community! Join the Moore Community Improvement Club and be a part of our 3rd annual Summer Fest experience!
This year the city will be partnering with the Lytle Chamber of Commerce for Lytle’s Annual Independence Day Celebration to make the event even better. The event will take place on July 4th at the John Lott Municipal Park. There will be food trucks set up along with live entertainment from both Chuck Wimer and Matthew Ryan.
The music and food trucks will start at 5:00 pm and last till around 8:20 pm with fireworks being the Grand Finale. We invite everyone to come out and enjoy the evening with family and friends. Don’t forget the bring your lawn chairs and dancing boots.
If you don’t want to stay for the fireworks show feel free to visit the food trucks for a great dinner option and enjoy some live music.
