Category: Events

This past Friday, September 11 the Lytle Masonic Cemetery Association hosted a flag raising ceremony in remembrance of the victims, first responders and military members who lost their lives on September 11, 2011.

The dedication was held at the Lytle Masonic Cemetery which was recognized as a Texas historic cemetery in 2023.
Speakers at the event were David Maddox, past master of Atascosa Masonic Lodge and chairman of the Lytle Masonic Cemetery Association, Susie Smith, Secretary of Lytle Masonic Cemetery Association and Mayor Ruben Gonzalez. Others in attendance were the Lytle High School JROTC corps, Lytle VFW, Lytle PD along with local community members.
David Maddox opened the event by welcoming everyone, leading the group in a pledge of allegiance and acknowledging important history on 9/11.
The JROTC then proceeded with the careful raising of the flag. Following that, Susie Smith spoke on the significance of the flagpole dedication.
“The Lytle Masonic Cemetery Association, which has maintained the cemetery since 1940, decided that a well-placed flagpole was needed to shape the way the cemetery feels. A flagpole can quietly set the tone. It tells people that care was taken in how the space was planned. It is where we remember our family members, neighbors, and veterans who shaped our community and protected our way of life. We have connected the lives remembered in this cemetery with the living spirit of our nation,” Smith said.
Mayor Gonzalez closed out the event by sharing his respects to the lives lost and also recognizing community members for their dedication to the cemetery and flagpole.

David Maddox, past Master of Atascosa Masonic Lodge and Chairman of the Lytle Masonic Cemetery Association.

Devine, Texas —Devine has celebrated America 250 this year, offering several events commemorating our nation’s Semiquincentennial anniversary! As 2026 draws to a close, the Current Events Club again brings the Mission of Wreaths Across America (WAA) to Devine Evergreen and St Joseph Catholic cemeteries, honoring our veterans and America’s 250th. The 5th annual event takes place Saturday, December 19th, with an 11 o’clock ceremony, followed by placing over 680 live, balsam fir wreaths to honor every American veteran buried there. Everyone is invited to participate. This year’s theme is “Remember Me: Honoring 250 Years of American Heroes”.
The Current Events Club, serving as WAA’s official location coordinators, have worked with the city and community volunteers such as Devine’s VFW Post 3966, Trail Life and American Heritage Girls troops, both cemeteries, school groups, and other organizations, businesses, and individuals since 2022 to bring this event to our community and surrounding area. Clubs, families, and individuals sponsored wreaths and volunteered to prepare the cemeteries and mark veteran graves. National Ceremony Day came to Devine, Texas, and people gathered as community to honor our American Veterans.
The work begins again, and you, too, can help make this year Devine’s best year. If you’d like to volunteer, sponsor wreaths, or add a veteran’s name, please contact Barbara Moore @ 210-863-7607, Linda Kreinhop @ 713-562-7504, Martha Wall @ 210-213-5620 (or at mwalldev@gmail.com) , or any club member. You may also go to the WAA website (and the Current Events Club page) at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/TX1147P to find out more about this 501 (c) (3) organization, volunteer, or sponsor wreaths for our local veterans and veterans buried at other WAA cemetery locations. We want every veteran at St. Joseph Catholic and Devine Evergreen cemeteries remembered and honored. With your help our community can come together to REMEMBER the fallen, HONOR those who serve, and TEACH all generations through the Mission of Wreaths Across America.
If you know of a veteran who has been buried in either cemetery within the last year, his or her name needs to be added to the veterans’ lists for this year’s ceremony. New veteran names need to be submitted by November 1st, if at all possible, for verification and mapping purposes.
The Current Events Club is honored to bring the WAA Mission to Remember, Honor, and Teach to Devine, Medina County Texas, for a 5th year. Mark your calendars: Saturday, December 19th, at 11 o’clock, at St. Joseph and Devine Evergreen cemeteries. Come Join In!

Chef Ramos, the pastry chef behind Baked and 2M Smokehouse, is fresh off a national television win on Food Network’s Pitmasters.

PRESS RELEASE— For generations, dessert at Texas barbecue restaurants has been an afterthought, often ending with banana pudding or cobbler. Chef Grecia Ramos believes dessert deserves the same creativity and craftsmanship as the barbecue itself. As co-owner of nationally acclaimed 2M Smokehouse and founder of Baked in Castroville, she’s helping redefine what dessert can be in Texas barbecue through pastries inspired by her Mexican heritage and classical culinary training.
When 2M Smokehouse opened in 2016, Ramos introduced pastries and desserts rarely seen in Texas barbecue, including tres leches, Mexican-inspired bread pudding, tarts and cheesecakes. As her skills evolved through formal culinary training, so did the bakery program, helping expand expectations for what dessert could look like at a barbecue restaurant.
“Stop trying to fit a mold that wasn’t made for you. It’s about finding who you are, where you’re comfortable and where you’re happy,” Ramos said. “You shine better when you’re polished than trying to get others to polish you.”
Looking ahead, Ramos plans to continue refining her craft while expanding her work in live-fire pastry and baking.

The Devine Band Boosters are trying to raise $410 to get their grill stand back in business on Friday nights!
The storms that came through in May damaged the hamburger grill stands at Warhorse Stadium. While the district works through everything they need to do on their end to get it repaired and back up and running, they have been told that it may be a while.
At this point, the Band Boosters are preparing to use a temporary pop-up tent and grill setup for most, if not all, of the football season so that they can continue serving those Friday night burgers everyone loves!
To get our temporary grill stand up and running, we are looking to purchase:

• 36” Grill — $300
• Pop-Up Tent — $60
• Table — $50
  The total goal is $410.
  If anyone would like to help us get the grill stand back in business, any amount would be greatly appreciated! Donations can be sent through Venmo or Cash App. Please put “Grill Stand” in the notes/memo so we know exactly what your donation is for.
  Thank you for always supporting our band students and Band Boosters. We truly couldn’t do what we do without our community!
  -Devine Warhorses Band Boosters

The Daughters of the Republic Alsatian Pioneers held their meeting Saturday, August 29th. Two new members were introduced and installed to the chapter. Our members enjoyed the presentation of a video of our 4th of July 250th celebration float and 1st place awarded for that float. We also enjoyed the wonderful bakery items served by several members. Other items were reviewed to keep everyone up to date on our chapters committee’s and officer’s duties.

Old coaches and old refs discussing the “good old days”. Every Wednesday at 11 at the I-10 Diner these men get together for lunch, Richard Adams, Jim Zimmerman, Jim Blackburn, Ron Glazener, David Dunbar, Lewis Stroud, Herb Moore, and Barry Morris. If you have any coaching or referring strategies you need solved, let Lewis know and they will “chew on it”.

By Kayleen Holder
Editor
Labeling your address on your mailbox is critically important. In life-threatening emergencies, police, fire trucks, and ambulances waste precious minutes searching for unmarked homes. Clear numbers let crews find you fast.
“The street number and your name is not needed on the mail box,” said Russell Johnson of Natalia Volunteer Fire Department. “People really need to make sure their address is posted along the road in big, reflective letters…Sometimes it is so cluttered with the address and street name on the same mail box and they are such small letters.”
According to 911Ready, letters should be at least 3 inches tall to be clearly visible.
Devine Fire Departments Batallion Chief Beau Powers echoes that concern.
“Lack of either numerics on mailboxes or painted curbside can cause delays in response…Having your street number labeled can ensure a fast response from Fire or EMS.”
Bigfoot Lieutenant Denise Woody also commented on the matter.
“We always tell people if we can’t find you, we can’t help you,” Woody said. “Please put big numbers that can be seen day and night on a fence or post or something that’s near the road on the same side of the road as the address, not across the street on a mailbox.”
“Houses that are…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!