BOOT SCOOTIN' - Red Dye From Bugs - Medina Electric Cooperative
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1902_local covers black.qxp 1/10/19 11:46 AM Page 15
MEDINA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE FEBRUARY 2019
Red Dye From Bugs Cozy Casseroles Corpus Christi Gardens
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877-2-MUELLER (877-268-3553)
Since 1944
February 2019
FA V O R I T E S
5 Letters
6 Currents
18 Local Co-op News
Get the latest information plus energy
and safety tips from your cooperative.
29 Texas History
The Bugs That Make You See Red
By Martha Deeringer
31 Retro Recipes
Cozy Casseroles
35 Focus on Texas
Photo Contest: Two of a Kind
36 Around Texas
List of Local Events
38 Hit the Road
Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens
By Eileen Mattei
ONLINE
TexasCoopPower.com
Find these stories online if they don’t
appear in your edition of the magazine.
The dance floor at Twin
Sisters welcomes couples Texas USA
from all generations. Convictions and Concrete
By Gene Fowler
F E AT U R E Observations
King of Cakes
8 Hail the Halls Texas dance halls in Co-op Country stand
as monuments to history and community.
Story by Sheryl Smith-Rodgers | Photos by Dave Shafer
By Melissa Gaskill
NEXT MONTH
Texas: A Blues State Widespread influ-
ences created ‘a sort of international blues,
a United Nations gumbo of sounds.’
31 38
29
DA N C E H A L L : DAV E S H A F E R . G U I TA R : V E R E S H C H AG I N D M I T RY | S H U T T E R STO C K .CO M
35
ON THE COVER Michael McGowan and Elizabeth Yevich enjoy an evening at Twin Sisters Dance Hall outside Blanco. Photo by Dave Shafer
TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Blaine Warzecha, Chair, Victoria; Alan Lesley, Vice Chair, Comanche; Robert Loth III, Secretary-Treasurer, Fredericksburg; Mark
Boyd, Douglassville; Billy Jones, Corsicana; David McGinnis, Van Alstyne; Brent Wheeler, Dalhart • PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin • COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBER SERVICES
COMMITTEE: Clint Gardner, Coleman; Greg Henley, Tahoka; Bill Hetherington, Bandera; Mark McClain, Roby; Gary Raybon, El Campo; John Ed Shinpaugh, Bonham; Robert Walker, Gilmer; Brandon
Young, McGregor • 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; Elaine Sproull, Advertising Manager; Grace Arsiaga, Print Production Specialist; Chris Burrows, Senior Communications Specialist; Christine Carlson,
Administrative Assistant; Paula Disbrowe, Food Editor; Travis Hill, Communications Specialist; Qasim K. Johnson, Administrative Assistant; Jessica Ridge, Communications Specialist; Chris Salazar,
Digital Field Editor; Jane Sharpe, Senior Designer; Ellen Stader, Proofreader
TexasCoopPower.com February 2019 Texas Co-op Power 3
with Daytripper Chet Garner.
Chet Garner hits the road to celebrate
Texas Co-op Power and its 75th anniversary.
Starting in April, Chet sends you
unforgettable stories of his travels
around Texas and co-op country.
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4 Texas Co-op Power February 2019 TexasCoopPower.com
LETTERS
Remembering Veterans
It was good to read about Horses and People
the programs across Texas
Winston Churchill said, “There is
remembering veterans [Cir-
cle of Life, November 2018]. nothing so good for the inside of a
People’s attitudes have
man as the outside of a horse.” Texas
changed since the late 1960s
and early ’70s. Being a Viet- wouldn’t exist as we know it except
nam veteran, I remember
for horses and longhorn cattle [The
being called baby killer,
cursed at and spat upon. It’s Healing Power of Horses, December
good to see the changes.
2018], so I hope most Texans would
DAVE SWALLOW | SAN MARCOS
PEDERNALES EC still share Churchill’s sentiment.
Beauty of a Song TOM GUINN | WESLACO | NUECES EC
Pretty Paper [November
2018] brought tears to my
eyes.
My folks took me to down- Leonard Brothers, and some of Texas and World War I inches long and 5 inches wide.
town Texarkana each Saturday, my most cherished memories I was delighted to read Gene A big chunk of white bone. I was
and there was a man with no are of time spent there with Fowler’s article World War I at going to Baylor University at
legs selling pencils. He sat on a Mother and Daddy. the Doorstep of Texas [Novem- the time and brought it to the
“car dolly” with wheels. MELISSA PEGRAM | VIA FACEBOOK ber 2018]. Far too few native Strecker Museum. They studied
Later on, I learned he took his and new Texans are aware of it and told me it was a mam-
three children to school each I love this song. Never knew these and other important moth vertebral body, probably a
day as they walked, pushing his who wrote it. Thanks for this events in our history. young mammoth. I read Martha
dolly with two wooden blocks. lovely story. MARIAN LILES | KINGSLAND Deeringer’s Waco’s Mystery
MARIE FREEMAN | SIMMS KAREN LOMBARDO | VIA FACEBOOK PEDERNALES EC Mammoths [November 2018]
BOWIE-CASS EC with interest.
I love hearing “behind the Pleasant Memory RONALD T. STANLEY | LINDALE
song” stories. What a story I was pleasantly surprised to WOOD COUNTY EC
of perseverance! see the picture of Bob’s Oil Well
SUZANNE MORGAN LOUDAMY | VIA FACEBOOK [Abandoned Buildings, Focus
on Texas, November 2018]. As a
Such a beautiful story. I do youngster growing up in Plain- GET MORE TCP AT
so wish the man would have view in the 1940s, when we TexasCoopPower.com
known the song was written were traveling through Matador, Sign up for our e-newsletter for
about him. I shopped at we would always stop so we monthly updates, prize drawings
and more!
Leonard’s all my life, and I could see all the rattlesnakes
never saw him. Bob had in the station. I still go
PAT FLETCHER GARCIA | VIA FACEBOOK through Matador from time to We want to hear from you!
time and remember those days. ONLINE: TexasCoopPower.com/share
I remember the man Willie In the song, he was portrayed CARL BONDS | WHITNEY EMAIL: letters@TexasCoopPower.com
Nelson wrote this song about. as a poor outcast because of HILCO EC MAIL: Editor, Texas Co-op Power,
I saw him many, many times in his weak legs. I love the fact he 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor,
Austin, TX 78701
front of Leonard Brothers, was a strong, resourceful man Mammoth Discovery
Please include your town and electric co-op.
H O R S E T H E RA PY: J U L I A R O B I N SO N . P R E T TY PA P E R : DAV I D VO G I N
D FE
along with the blind couple able to provide for his family I found a vertebral bone in 1958 Letters may be edited for clarity and length.
who sang hymns close by him. with pride and dignity. when squirrel hunting on a creek
We shopped regularly at PAULA OWENS | VIA FACEBOOK east of Clifton. It was about 10 Texas Co-op Power
TEXAS CO-OP POWER VOLUME 75, NUMBER 8 (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 75 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 or email editor@TexasCoopPower.com. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE is $4.20 per year for
individual members of subscribing cooperatives and is paid from equity accruing to the member. 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
Elaine Sproull at (512) 486-6251. 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 sat-
isfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser.
© Copyright 2019 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohib-
ited without written permission. Willie Wiredhand © Copyright 2019 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
TexasCoopPower.com February 2019 Texas Co-op Power 5
CURRENTS
HAPPENINGS H I S TO R Y L E S S O N
WILEY UPRISING
A Chapter in
La Bahia’s History Police were sent to Wiley College
on February 24, 1969, in response
to student demonstrations on the
East Texas campus. The demon-
Texas history is securely anchored to the Texas Revolution, fought 1835–36, strations helped integrate public
facilities in Marshall.
but less noted is Mexico’s 1812–13 push to wrest Texas from Spanish control.
Historians will re-enact in GOLIAD an encampment depicting the 1812 siege ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
of Presidio La Bahia as part of UNDER THE GREEN FLAG, FEBRUARY 23–24 .
A Mexican force led by Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara and W O R T H R E P E AT I N G
Augustus William Magee, advancing under an emerald green WEB EXTRAS
a Find more
“Those who have
banner and with U.S. support, took the fort from the Spanish
happenings no record of what
in November 1812 online.
their forebears have
and held it until
accomplished lose
February 1813.
the inspiration which
The revolution
comes from the
was crushed
teaching of biography
August 18, 1813,
and history.”
in the Battle
of Medina. —CARTER G. WOODSON ,
who on February 7, 1926,
initiated National Negro Week,
INFO a (361) 645-3752
now Black History Month
g LOOKING BACK AT
SPORTS THIS MONTH
1940s 1950s 1960s
1945 Golfer Byron Nelson of 1954 Duke Washington of 1960 The Houston Oilers win
Waxahachie wins 11 consecutive Washington State University the first American Football
PGA tournaments, a record that is the first African-American League championship. They
TEXAS AND TEXANS still stands. to play in a football game repeated in 1961.
have left indelible marks at the University
on golf courses, fields, 1948 The Girl’s Rodeo Associa- of Texas. 1963 The Texas Longhorns and
arenas and racetracks tion is formed in coach Darrell Royal win the
since Texas Co-op Power San Angelo. 1955 Jockey school’s first football national
first landed in mailboxes Now called the Willie Shoe- championship.
in July 1944, including: Women’s Profes- maker of
sional Rodeo Fabens wins 1966 Texas Western plays an
Association, it’s the first of his all-black starting lineup against
the oldest 11 Triple Crown races as he all-white Kentucky in the NCAA
of its kind rides Swaps to victory at the men’s basketball championship
anywhere. Kentucky Derby. game, winning 72-65.
LA BA H I A : L I B RA RY O F CO N G R E SS . B O OTS : M I C H A E L K RAU S | S H U T T E R STO C K .CO M . S H O E M A K E R : M B R I M AG E S | D R E A M ST I M E .CO M
6 Texas Co-op Power February 2019 TexasCoopPower.com
CO-OP PEOPLE A L M A N AC
Eye-Opening
Experience
MARK STUBBS, general manager
at Farmers Electric Cooperative,
ventured far afield last October
when he temporarily became a
lineman, teaming up with two of
the best in the state to compete 150 YEARS AGO: Harper’s Weekly
at the International Lineman’s publishes a cartoon of Uncle Sam
Rodeo in Kansas. with chin whiskers—the first time he
“I learned some things that appeared this way—February 6, 1869.
I did not know,” Stubbs says.
David McDowell and Danny
Moss, who together have won the
senior division five times at the
BY THE NUMBERS
Texas Lineman’s Rodeo, needed
somebody 50 or older for the inter- 390,000,000
national competition. They took
a chance on Stubbs, their boss.
Mark Stubbs works Stubbs took a chance that his 30 years behind a desk wouldn’t February 22 is National Skip the
the ropes as David belie his fitness for the rigors of line work. Straw Day. Americans use an estimated
McDowell climbs Starting in late August, Stubbs rose at 5:30 a.m. many 390 million plastic straws daily. Put
the pole.
mornings to practice with McDowell and Moss, whose them end to end and they’d circle the
task was to turn Stubbs into a serviceable groundman for Earth nearly twice. At least one Texas
the timed competition. Stubbs’ job was to hoist tools and equipment up to the company is doing its part to reduce
other two on the pole. disposable plastic straw waste: Alamo
“It really is a brotherhood,” Stubbs says. “I was honored to get a glimpse into that.” Drafthouse Cinema recently switched
The trio finished in sixth place out of 11 teams in Kansas, and Stubbs already to corn-based biodegradable straws
is talking about improving on that this year. at all its locations.
LOOKING AHEAD TO
POLITICS NEXT MONTH a
1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
1972 The Dallas Cowboys win 1991 Refugio’s Nolan Ryan, pitch- 2013 Simone Biles of Spring
Super Bowl VI, the first for a ing for the Texas Rangers, records wins her first world title. She
Texas team. his seventh and final career no- goes on to become the most
hitter, a major-league record. decorated gymnast in American
1973 Tennis star Billie Jean history—with 25 combined
King, 29, defeats Bobby Riggs, 1995 Brownfield and Texas Tech Olympic and world champi-
55, in three sets at the Astro- star Sheryl Swoopes becomes onship medals.
dome in a match billed as the the first female basket-
Battle of the Sexes. 1984 Sprinter and long ball player to be 2014 Leta Andrews retires at
jumper Carl Lewis from the honored with an Granbury High School with 1,416
University of Houston wins eponymous shoe, career wins, more than any other
four gold medals at the the Nike Air Swoopes. U.S. high school basketball coach.
Olympics in Los Angeles. In
all, the four-time Olympian 1999 The Dallas Stars win the 2017 The Houston Astros win
won nine golds. Stanley Cup. the World Series.
L I N E M A N ’ S R O D EO : FA R M E R S EC . U N C L E SA M : H A R P E R ’ S W E E K LY. ST RAW: D U L E 9 6 4 | D R E A M ST I M E .CO M . K I N G A N D R I G G S : A N N L I M O N G E L LO | G E T TY I M AG E S . L E W I S : A B C P H OTO A R C H I V E S | G E T TY I M AG E S . BAS K E T BA L L : S KY P I X E L | D R E A M ST I M E .CO M
TexasCoopPower.com February 2019 Texas Co-op Power 7
T E X A S D A N C E H A L L S S TA N D A S M O N U M E N T S T O H I S T O R Y A N D C O M M U N I T Y
HAI L HALLS the
Imagine this scene in a Texas dance hall:
A band belts out a tune while couples of all ages spin one
another around a hardwood floor. Some steal kisses or
show off fancy twirls. A little girl, balanced atop her
granddaddy’s boots, sways in time. Kids knee-high to a
grasshopper race around the floor, and no one fusses. At
rustic tables, friends and families chat, sip drinks and
wave at dancers gliding past. A short reach away, babies
and toddlers snooze on blankets spread across the floor.
The folksy scene could describe a dance hosted last
month at Anhalt Hall in Spring Branch or one held in
the 1890s at Braun Hall in northwest San Antonio.
B Y S H E RY L S M I T H - R O D G E R S | P H O T O S B Y DAV E S H A F E R
Dancers can two-step and twirl all evening the first Saturday of every month at Twin Sisters Dance Hall near Blanco.
Each distinct, the buildings had one common feature:
AN EXPANSIVE WOODEN FLOOR THAT WELCOMED FAMILIES.
“Dance halls are magical because their culture hasn’t ston’s German community. Near Burton, one of many German
changed since the 1870s, when the first ones were built,” says gymnastic clubs (turn vereins) built the La Bahia Turn Verein
Patrick Sparks, a structural engineer and historic preservationist Hall. A German singing society (gesangverein) founded the
based in San Antonio. “Dancing’s as fundamental to Texas as the Millheim Harmonic Harmonie Verein Hall in Sealy.
Alamo, cowboys, longhorns and oil.” In Czech communities, polka
More than 1,000 dance halls built by German, Czech, Polish dancers kept floors hopping at halls
Texas music legend Johnny
and a few Swiss immigrants once dotted parts of Texas. In the Bush and his band bid built by two fraternal orders: the
mid-19th century, the weary newcomers stepped off ships in farewell to dancers at Quihi SPJST (Fayetteville’s SPJST Hall
Texas ports, most often Galveston or Indianola, on their way to Gun Club and Dance Hall. No. 1) and KJT (Ammannsville’s
settle as far west as the Hill Country.
Living conditions were harsh, and yet these isolated settlers
worked hard to establish their unique way of life. To provide
their friends and neighbors a place to meet, discuss business,
share barbecue dinners and dance, they constructed spacious
halls. Each building incorporated the skills of its artisan com-
munity, reflecting its customs and musical tastes. Architecture
varied from simple, metal-sided barns with window flaps, such
as those of Kendalia Halle, to round halls with a center support
column, such as Bellville Turnverein Pavilion.
As meeting places, the buildings served the primary interests
of their founders. Progress (fortschritt) and shooting club
(schützen verein) members built the whitewashed Nordheim
Shooting Club Dance Hall. German businessmen built an ornate
dancing pavilion called the Garten Verein (garden club) for Galve-
10 Texas Co-op Power February 2019 TexasCoopPower.comGerman immigrant and KJT Hall). Most of the other halls worthy of protection as architectural, historical and cultural
rancher Max Krueger built were built by religious or agricultural landmarks. The nonprofit advocacy group cited neglect, suburban
Twin Sisters Dance Hall
organizations, and individuals built development, highway projects, shrinking grassroots support
as a dance pavilion and
community center in the a few. One example is Sefcik Hall in and lack of public awareness as threats to dance hall survival.
mid-1870s. Seaton, a two-story clapboard build- The designation came a year after Sparks, along with historic
ing built in 1923 by Tom Sefcik. His preservationist Stephanie McDougal and the late Texas music
daughter Alice Sefcik Sulak, now in historian Steve Dean, founded the nonprofit Texas Dance Hall
her 80s, still oversees Sunday night dances on the second floor. Preservation. Since its start, the volunteer group has worked to
Each distinct, the buildings had one common feature: an inventory existing halls, spread the word about their historical
expansive wooden floor that welcomed families. “Then and now, importance and partner with owners to keep them afloat.
that’s what makes a true Texas dance hall,” says Deb Fleming, Dean’s advocacy for dance halls ran deep. In 2014, he asked
executive director of Texas Dance Hall Preservation in Austin. via social media whether someone could make a documentary
“Its largest architectural feature must be the dance floor, and it about them. Filmmaker Erik McCowan of Rosanky responded.
must also allow children, unlike a saloon or honky tonk.” “First we visited the Round Top Schützen Verein’s annual
Fleming, a San Antonio native who did not grow up around shooting competition that’s been held every year since 1873,”
Texas dance halls, discovered her ancestral roots because of one. recalls McCowan, a Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative member.
In 2007, she visited Panna Maria, considered the nation’s oldest “That’s when I realized the history of these places runs much
Polish settlement, established in 1854, to research the commu- deeper than I thought. After Steve and I saw what was left of
nity’s historic hall. At the visitors center, a local woman with a New Bern Helvetia Hall near Taylor, I knew I had to make a film.”
laptop offered to print out Fleming’s genealogy. Her family tree More than three years in the making, Dance Hall Days shares
traced back to Johann Rzeppa, Flemings’ great-great-grandfather the down-home stories of 56 classic halls. Some stand forgotten,
and one of Panna Maria’s original settlers. such as Cistern Hall in Cistern and Kreutzberg Shooting Club
“I had no idea about our family’s
connection to Panna Maria,” says
Fleming, a Guadalupe Valley Elec- Dance Halls
tric Cooperative member. “Neither and Electric Co-ops
did my father. The experience Only two Texas dance halls host live
made me wonder how many other music nearly every day. Built in
Texans have their own family con- 1878, Gruene Hall in New Braunfels
nection to a Texas dance hall and stands as one of the state’s oldest
don’t even know it.” dance halls. The iconic Luckenbach
Thanks to dance halls, Texas Dance Hall, immortalized by singer
music is known worldwide. With- Waylon Jennings, draws visitors
out them, those early brass, string from around the world.
and accordion bands wouldn’t have After Medina EC formed in 1938,
birthed such genres as western one of its first customers was the
swing, country or conjunto. Even- Quihi Gun Club and Dance Hall.
tually, several bands made a good “The co-op put electricity in the
living, traveling from one dance dance hall to show farmers how it
hall to the next. Bob Wills, Willie worked,” says Clyde Muennink, club
Nelson, Hank Wilson and Ray Ben- secretary-treasurer.
son are among those who got their San Bernard EC approved the
starts in dance halls. Cat Spring Agricultural Society as a
member in March 1941, says David
Fewer than 400 halls sur- Wade, society treasurer. “The society
vive in Texas. Of those, about 25 paid $115.39 to have the building
percent stand abandoned, such as wired for electricity,” he says. “In
Gillespie County’s Cherry Springs 2007, matching grants helped us pay
Dance Hall, where Elvis Presley, $85,000 to have everything rewired.”
Nat King Cole and Patsy Cline per- In 2015, Bluebonnet EC awarded
David Wade holds a 1956
formed. Or they’re used for storage. postcard from Cat Spring the Kovar Osveta SPJST Lodge #38
In 2008, Preservation Texas Agricultural Society’s a $17,500 capital grant to fund hall
collectively identified all Texas 100th anniversary. renovations.
dance halls as endangered places
TexasCoopPower.com February 2019 Texas Co-op Power 11WEB EXTRAS
a Read this story
on our website to
see a map of 130
A dancer who came all dance halls still in
Hall near Boerne. Fire destroyed Sisters, once the site
the way from California use. Plus, enjoy a
several, including the Fredericks- of a German commu-
on a dance hall tour looks slideshow of the
burg Social Turn Verein Hall in 2016 nity named for a pair
over photos at Quihi Gun halls featured here.
Club and Dance Hall. (members voted to rebuild). Siblings of nearby hills. In the
restored their family’s Park Hall (now 1970s, Haas met her
called Hruska’s at Park) near Fayet- husband, Joe, on the
teville, and Renck Hall in Warrenton hosts antique sales. But oak floor. Like many other couples, they taught
dancing still ranks No. 1 at many others, including the Albert their children how to dance there, and their
Dance Hall in Albert and Schroeder Hall in Goliad. families celebrated weddings beneath its arched
Throughout the 82-minute film, Dean steps in and out of blue ceiling.
halls, sharing his hopes and wisdom. Sadly, he died April 28, 2018, Recent attendance at dances, however, had waned to the point
the day after Dance Hall Days won Best Texas Film at the Hill where Haas, club president, considered closing the doors. She
Country Film Festival in Fredericksburg. knew the night’s ticket sales would barely pay the band. Frus-
Rich stories captured by McCowan’s film abound within the trated, Haas slipped outside that night in 2015 and tapped a famil-
walls of Texas dance halls. “These places live and breathe the stories iar number into her cellphone.
of Texas,” Fleming says. “They’re melting pots of our state’s culture. On the other end, Steve Dean picked up. He listened as Haas
Every time we lose one, we lose a piece of Texas history.” unloaded her worries. Then his passion for historic halls took
hold. “Keep your head up,” he yelled. “Don’t give up! I’ll rob a
bank if I have to, to keep Twin Sisters open. But don’t you shut
Twin Sisters Dance Hall those doors!”
BLANCO | SERVED BY PEDERNALES EC Three summers later, Haas reflects back on that night. “I
thought we’d have to shut down,” she says, seated at one of Twin
ewer than a dozen couples two-stepped across the hard- Sisters’ wooden tables. “But then the TDHP showed us how to
F wood floor one summer night in 2015. Jo Nell Haas, watch-
ing from her perch by an open door, thought back to
monthly dances when crowds jammed the checkerboard tin-
up our marketing and book bands that are more popular.”
Nowadays, big crowds turn out for Twin Sisters’ monthly first
Saturday dances. Hall rentals for weddings, proms, parties and
sided Twin Sisters Dance Hall. reunions have boosted revenues. In March 2018, the club replaced
German immigrant and rancher Max Krueger built the hall, Twin Sisters’ leaky metal roof with money from fundraisers and
7 miles south of Blanco, as a dance pavilion and community grants, including a community grant awarded by Pedernales EC.
center in the mid-1870s. Severe drought later forced Krueger to “Twin Sisters Dance Hall has always been about family and
sell the building. Subsequent owner Henry Bruemmer Jr. sold community,” Haas says. “All of us volunteers work hard to con-
the hall and surrounding land in 1918 for $5 to Twin Sisters Hall tinue that tradition.”
Club, a nonprofit group that still runs the facility. Twin Sisters Dance Hall, 6720 Highway 281 S., Blanco, 78606; (830) 833-
Through the years, countless families have gathered at Twin 5773; twinsistershall@gmail.com; twinsistersdancehall.com.
12 Texas Co-op Power February 2019 TexasCoopPower.comBob Wills, Willie Nelson, Hank Wilson and Ray Benson
ARE AMONG THOSE WHO GOT THEIR STARTS IN DANCE HALLS.
Cat Spring Agricultural Society Hall Farm Bureau and other ag groups. Folks have gathered at
CAT SPRING | SERVED BY SAN BERNARD EC Approximately 200 society mem- the site of Quihi Gun Club
and Dance Hall in Medina
bers pay $10 annual dues. Up until the
County since 1890.
any of the German and Czech immigrants who settled 1950s, minutes were recorded in Ger-
M Cat Spring in the 1850s had education but no farming
know-how. They joined together in 1856 as the Agri-
cultural Society of Austin County, later renamed for Cat Spring.
man. Even though women always
were involved in the organization’s affairs, they were allowed to
join the society just over a decade ago.
The men met regularly to trade information and acquire garden “I serve as secretary, and my brother Malcolm Dittert is pres-
seeds. They and their families tended fruit orchards, canned ident,” says Marilyn Nelson, a San Bernard EC member. “Before
vegetables, compared fences and experimented with growing him, our father, grandfather and great-grandfather were presi-
tea and coffee. dents, too. I’ve gone to the hall all my life. While my parents
“We were the first extension service before Texas A&M danced, we kids would sleep on pallets under benches, on tables
University,” says David Wade, Cat Spring Agricultural Society and in the kitchen.”
treasurer and a San Bernard EC member. “The U.S. Patent Office Since 1856, families have come together for the society’s
would send seeds to the society for testing, and members reported annual June Fest. The activity-packed evening includes a bar-
back on how they performed.” becue supper, live auction, petting zoo and a free dance. “Tradi-
In 1902, German carpenter Joachim Hintz built the group’s tionally, June Fest was held the first Sunday of June,” Nelson
12-sided, white-clapboard social center, the largest of the three says. “But we had to change it to Saturday to make it more con-
round halls he built in Austin County, including the Bellville Turn- venient for people who travel.
verein Pavilion and Peters-Hacienda Community Hall in Sealy. “It’s hard to keep the community involved with the hall and
During dances, couples proceed counterclockwise on the pine floor agricultural society,” she adds. “We’re trying to keep it all going.
around the center pole, which supports the beamed ceiling. We’ve got to.”
In addition to public dances, the hall hosts weddings, anniver- Cat Spring Agricultural Society Hall, 13035 Hall Road, Cat Spring, 78933;
saries and events for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, the Texas (979) 865-2540; catspringagsociety.org.
TexasCoopPower.com February 2019 Texas Co-op Power 13The spacious
interior of
the 12-sided
dance hall in
Cat Spring.
Quihi Gun Club
and Dance Hall
QUIHI | SERVED BY MEDINA EC
n a horse-themed calen-
O dar, third-grader Savannah
Grohman marks birthdays
and upcoming dances at the Quihi
Gun Club and Dance Hall. “She’s
been going there all her life,” says
mom Jackie Grohman, a Medina EC
member. “Sometimes, Savannah helps
her grandparents stock sodas and
water. Or she and I dance together in
a corner.”
Family traditions keep alive coun-
try western dances at the tin-sided
hall, set on cedar posts among live
oaks near Quihi Creek in Medina
County. Folks have gathered at the
same place since 1890, when German
Fayette’s Frolicking
Fayette EC is believed to be the electric
co-op with the most historic dance halls
in its service area, including:
member passes, we each give a dollar toward
Ammannsville KJT Hall, Ammannsville
burial costs.”
Cistern Hall, Cistern
Floods washed away the hall a few times. In
Dubina KJT Hall #6, Dubina
the 1960s, the group enlarged the building and
Freyburg Hall, Freyburg
set it on 5-foot posts. In a May 2010 flood, 2 feet
Harmonie Hall, Shelby
of water got inside. By the next weekend, mem-
Hruska’s at Park, Fayetteville
bers had it cleaned up for a party for a family
Round Top Schützen Verein, Round Top
that had no place else to go.
Swiss Alp Hall, Swiss Alp
“I’ve been going to the hall since I was a week
old,” says Muennink, a Medina EC member
settlers founded the Quihi Schützen Verein for community pro- who’s managed the place where he met his wife, Kathy, for 27
tection against frontier-era threats. These days, Quihi Gun Club years. “My parents met and married there. So did my wife’s. My
members, who number about 600, still meet regularly to hone mother still dances at the hall, and she’s in her 90s. We all grew
their rifle skills and compete in annual shoots. up there. It’s like home to us. Maybe because it is.”
“Until 1950, you had to speak and read German in order to Quihi Gun Club and Dance Hall, County Road 4517, Hondo, 78861; (830)
become a member,” says Clyde Muennink, club secretary- 426-2859; quihidancehall.com.
treasurer and Savannah’s grandfather. “We require that members
be men at least 21 years old and have lived in Medina County for As a teen, writer Sheryl Smith-Rodgers of Blanco two-stepped at Robstown
one year. Since 1890, our club has had a burial fund. When a Community Hall, which is served by Nueces EC.
14 Texas Co-op Power February 2019 TexasCoopPower.comInt
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MEDINA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
Cooperatives Need Your Involvement
MESSAGE FROM CEO MARK ROLLANS
IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN: The time when we see Coopera- DISTRICT
tive Principle 2: Democratic Member Control in action at District NOMINATING
Nominating Meetings around our area. MEETINGS
If you don’t make it to the co-op’s nominating meetings, you are
missing out on a chance to choose the candidates for board positions VOTING DISTRICT 1
for your cooperative. You’re also missing out on a chance to win $50, Tuesday, February 19
but that’s really just an added bonus. 6 p.m.
Nominating meetings are conducted annually per our bylaws. Hondo Community
Cooperatives are not-for-profit businesses that exist to serve a need—in our case, the need for and Senior Center
reliable, affordable electricity in South Texas. We are owned—and governed—by every member 1014 18th St., Hondo
that gets a bill from us each month.
Nominating meetings are designed to take care of important business: nominating members VOTING DISTRICT 2
who want to run for one of the open board seats in the fall board election. Since the board of Wednesday, February 20
directors ultimately determine the direction of the cooperative through their votes and input, 6 p.m.
it’s important that all cooperative members are involved in the process to nominate fellow Murray McKinley Room,
members to serve on the board. Directors do, after all, represent you and your interests. Medina EC Dilley Office
Each year, one seat on the board is open in each of the cooperative’s three voting districts. If 1718 W. FM 117, Dilley
you’re interested in serving on the board of directors, these nominating meetings are a great
opportunity to visit with current board members and staff to understand the time require- VOTING DISTRICT 3
ments of board membership. The meetings are also your opportunity to be nominated for one Thursday, February 21
of the candidate positions. You can nominate yourself or ask another member to nominate you 6 p.m.
for the position. If you can't make the meeting, you can get on the ballot through the petition Conference Room,
process. Learn more about that at MedinaEC.org/Nominee. Medina EC
Whether you are interested in running for a board position, want to have a say in the future Rio Grande City Office
of your cooperative or if you just want to meet some of the cooperative staff, make plans to 601 N. FM 3167,
spend about 30 minutes and come visit with us. Rio Grande City
Sincerely,
Mark Rollans
Cooperative Principles:
The Building Blocks
Medina EC is guided by 7 Cooperative Principles.
They are the foundation of every decision.
18 Texas Co-op Power MEDINA EC February 2019 MedinaEC.org
MedinaEC_2019_FEB_LP.indd 18 1/9/2019 3:39:54 PM1-866-MEC-ELEC (632-3532) | MEDINAEC.ORG
Battle Winter Energy Bill Woes Medina Electric Cooperative
WE'RE MIDWAY THROUGH WINTER, and often the colder weather brings higher energy B O A R D O F D I R E C TO R S
bills for our members. Why is that? VOTING DISTRICT 1
Colder weather makes most folks use more energy to keep their houses warm, Larry Huesser, (830) 363-7651
Wayne W. Scholtz, (830) 426-1328
even if nothing in their home has changed. Members who track their electricity use Glenn Schweers, (830) 741-3250
with SmartHub see this firsthand. They see day-to-day electricity use rise on cold VOTING DISTRICT 2
days and fall again when it warms up, even just into the mid-60s. Jimmie Raines, (830) 591-8437
You don’t have to wait until you get your bill to know what to expect—use SmartHub Chris Surles, (830) 965-5538
Kenneth White, (830) 232-6541
to manage your use ahead of time.
VOTING DISTRICT 3
Each bill you get also has a comparison tool, which shows the amount of electric- Annette Sorrells, (361) 231-0173
ity you used during the same month last year. If you use that, keep in mind that win- J. L. Gonzalez, (956) 286-1863
ter temperatures vary from year to year, and it can make comparisons difficult. If Rodolfo H. Rodriguez, (210) 846-1092
bills are higher than they were last winter, it could be the result of cooler tempera- CEO
tures outside and your heating system using more energy to keep your house warm. Mark Rollans, 1-866-MEC-ELEC, ext. 1045
Combine these tools with some of the energy efficiency tips below and watch the
savings add up. COOPERATIVE OFFICES
Headquarters
Reduce wasted heat 2308 18th St., Hondo 78861
by installing a pro- Area Offices
Hondo Office
grammable thermo- 237 Hwy. 173 N., Hondo 78861
stat, and program Dilley Office
it so that you won't 1718 W. FM 117, Dilley 78017
waste energy and Rio Grande City Office
money heating your 601 N. FM 3167, Rio Grande City 78582
home when you're Uvalde Office
away. 2604 Hwy. 90 E., Uvalde 78801
Bruni Office
Turn off lights when 1300 FM 2050 N., Bruni 78344
not in use. Replace
incandescent light- CONTACT US
bulbs with LEDs,
which use at least 75 CALL US
percent less energy.
1-866-MEC-ELEC (632-3532)
Lower the tem-
Option 2: Report an outage
This data from the SmartHub account of an employee Option 3: Pay bill, get account balance
perature on your shows what a difference the temperature can make in elec- Option 5: Speak to a representative
tric use. When the temperature drops, like it did February
water heater. The 23 and 24 of last year, electricity use rises significantly. EMAIL
U.S. Department of Both those days were workdays, and the homeowner was Info@MedinaEC.org
Energy recommends away at work. However, her use more than quadrupled
using the warm set- from the prior days due to the low average temperatures. FIND US ONLINE AT
ting (120 degrees) MedinaEC.org
during fall and winter months.
Facebook.com/MedinaEC
Open blinds and curtains during the day to allow sunlight in to warm Twitter.com/MedinaECtalks
your home. Close them at night to keep cold, drafty air out. Instagram: @OurMEC
Wash clothes in cold water, and use cold-water detergent whenever This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
possible. Informacion sobre todos los programas y servicios que ofrece
Medina Electric Cooperative estan disponibles en Español al
llamarnos al 1-866-MEC-ELEC o visitando una de nuestaras
oficinas.
GET MORE TIPS TO SAVE MONEY THIS WINTER AT MEDINAEC.ORG/COLD.
MedinaEC.org February 2019 MEDINA EC Texas Co-op Power 19
MedinaEC_2019_FEB_LP.indd 19 1/9/2019 3:39:55 PM$1.5 Million in Capital
Credits Returned to Members
Members saw credit on their December or January bill
As a not-for-profit cooperative, Medina Electric Cooperative
allocates margins to members and retires them as the financial
position of the cooperative allows. It literally pays to be a member
of Medina EC.
If you look on the back of the electric bill you got in Decem-
ber or January, you will notice a Capital Credit Refund. That is
your share of the $1.5 million in capital credits retirement that the
board of directors approved at their December 2018 meeting.
Each year, normally in November or December, the board of
directors reviews the finances of the cooperative and determines
what money needs to be reinvested in the system to ensure that
we can continue serving members with reliable electricity and
what capital credits money can be retired and returned to mem-
bers.
Since Medina EC was formed, $27 million in capital credits has
been returned to members.
There really is a difference in the cooperative business model.
You get reliable, affordable electricity—and money back in the
form of capital credits.
To learn more, visit
MedinaEC.org/CapitalCredits
February is Food Pantry Month:
Help Us Fill The Drop off canned goods or other nonperishable food items
Bucket Truck! at any of our offices during February. We will take them,
along with a co-op donation, to a local food pantry.
Every member who donates items will be entered in a
drawing for a $20 bill credit.
We're collecting items until Friday, March 1.
20 Texas Co-op Power MEDINA EC February 2019 MedinaEC.org
MedinaEC_2019_FEB_LP.indd 20 1/9/2019 3:40:01 PM1-866-MEC-ELEC (632-3532) | MEDINAEC.ORG
Nominate a
Nurse!
JAM E S G AT HANY | CDC
In honor of National
Warning: Beware of Nurse Day on May 6,
we want to feature area
nurses in Texas Co-op
Downed Power Lines Power.
Send us the name of
a nurse you know that
WEATHER AND CAR ACCIDENTS ARE THE MAIN CAUSES OF DOWNED POWER LINES.
Medina Electric Cooperative warns members to use extreme caution should
goes above and beyond:
they encounter a downed power line, which can carry an electric current strong Include where they work
enough to cause serious injury or death. and what they do, why
Assume that any downed line you see is energized and report it immediately you believe they're a
to the police, fire department and your electric cooperative.
Here are some tips to help you stay safe around downed power lines:
great nurse, and a
a If you see a downed power line, move away from it and anything touching it. picture or drawing of
a The proper way to move away from the line is to shuffle away with small your nurse nominee.
steps, keeping your feet together and on the ground at all times. This will mini-
mize the chance for a human path of electric current and minimize the hazards of
electric shock. Electricity moves from zones of high voltage to zones of low volt-
age—and it could do that through your body.
Nominate a Nurse:
a Do not drive over downed power lines. Online MedinaEC.org/Nurse
a If you see someone who is in direct or indirect contact with a downed power
line, do not touch the person. You could become the next victim. Call 911 instead. Email MyCoop@MedinaEC.org
a Do not attempt to move a downed power line or anything in contact with
the line by using another object, such as a broom or stick. Even typically noncon- Mail to Medina EC
ductive materials such as wood can conduct electricity and electrocute you. Attn: Communications
a Be careful not to put your feet near water where a downed power line is P.O. Box 370
located.
a If you are in your car and it is in contact with a downed line, stay in your car.
Hondo, TX 78861
Honk your horn and call 911 for help. Tell others to stay away from your vehicle.
a If you must leave your car because it’s on fire, jump out of the vehicle with
both feet together to avoid simultaneous contact with the live car and the ground, Deadline for submissions
then use small shuffling steps to get away from the car. This way, you reduce the is March 15.
risk of becoming part of the path of electricity.
MedinaEC.org February 2019 MEDINA EC Texas Co-op Power 21
MedinaEC_2019_FEB_LP.indd 21 1/9/2019 3:40:03 PMMEDINA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
Penny-full to Plentiful
PENNIES MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE they're more than a nuisance pile of change
in your cup holder, but when more than 2,000 members put pennies
together, there is more than enough spare change to go around. By giving
pennies to Operation Round Up each month, Medina EC's members made Not part of the difference?
a difference in the lives of lots of people this past year. Sign your account up using our
ORU gave $3,900 in general donations and awarded $1,200 in H-E-B gift
easy online form!
cards to 12 families just during the Christmas season. Read about these
donations below.
Members who opt-in to the voluntary ORU program allow their monthly
MedinaEC.org/ORU
electric bill to be rounded up to the next whole dollar. For example, if
your bill is $127.63, it would be rounded up to $128 and 37 cents would be
donated to ORU.
Four times a year, ORU awards financial assistance to individuals within the Medina EC service area. Without
participation from our members, Medina EC would not be able to make a difference in the lives of those around
us. Thank you so much to those members who have chosen to contribute to this worthwhile cause.
General Donations
a Amanda Clark (Hondo) - $2,000
To help cover expenses associated with an IPV machine, which
Clark's insurance denied coverage for after her 21st birthday. Clark
has cerebral palsy, atelectisis and restrictive airway disease. The
IPV machine is necessary for her comfort and ultimately her sur-
vival.
a Gerald and Erin Robin (Uvalde) - $1,000
To help with equine therapy for their son, Blake, who
was born with Spina Bifida and is wheelchair bound. Amanda Clark and family with their grant.
a Julius and Connie Maciel (Hondo) - $500
To use for medical expenses they have from Connie's battle with diabe-
tes and her dialysis treatments while she awaits a kidney transplant.
a Cynthia Polanco (Hondo) - $400
U
Polanco, mother to two young children, is finishing her degree in
education. In order to meet the final requirement of the degree
plan, student teaching without pay, she had to resign from her full-
time job. This money helped her with bills prior to her graduation
in December.
Board President Glenn Schweers presents Julius and Con-
nie Maciel with their grant.
22 Texas Co-op Power MEDINA EC February 2019 MedinaEC.org
MedinaEC_2019_FEB_LP.indd 22 1/9/2019 3:40:06 PM1-866-MEC-ELEC (632-3532) | MEDINAEC.ORG
WIN
SCHLITTERBAHN
SEASON
PASSES FOR
A FAMILY
OF 5
Tricia Lopp presents Sulema Rodriguez Ricky Falcon and Israel Bazan present
with her H-E-B gift card. Rafaela Cantu with her H-E-B gift card.
Operation Grocery Give - $150 H-E-B Gift Cards
a Jeraldo and Rita J. Ramirez (Uvalde)
a Mariah M. Valle (Castroville)
a Roberto and Melida Escobar (Roma)
a Sulema C. Rodriguez (Batesville)
a Tony and Jo Francis Massey (Uvalde)
a Elizabeth Castro (Laredo)
a Leonel and Olga G. Mata (Natalia)
a Rafaela Cantu (Rio Grande City)
Hurry! Application Deadline for
SCH LI T T E R BA H N WAT E R PA R KS AN D R E SO RTS
ORU Funds is February 1.
If you know an individual who could use some
financial assistance, encourage them to apply for
funds from Medina EC’s Operation Round Up program, or submit an appli-
cation on their behalf. Applications are available in Spanish, and can be filled
One lucky Medina EC
out and submitted entirely online. member will win!
Get details and enter online at
TexasCoopPower.com/contests.
MedinaEC.org/ORU Find Schlitterbahn info at schlitterbahn.com.
MedinaEC.org February 2019 MEDINA EC Texas Co-op Power 23
MedinaEC_2019_FEB_LP.indd 23 1/9/2019 5:19:25 PMMEDINA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
HOW CAN WE CONTRIBUTE
TO YOUR COMMUNITY?
Community Empowerment Grants Now Available
What You Need To Know
This year, up to $10,000 will be awarded.
The application deadline is 5 p.m. April 1. Options Abound
Make sure you're using the tools
Emphasis will be placed on projects that:
• Encourage economic diversity.
that are right for you.
• Contribute to community health and development.
• Improve the quality or quantity of services essential for the development of
viable communities. SmartHub
Have your account information at your
Counties Where Grants Can Be Awarded fingertips with this free tool. Available at
ATASCOSA FRIO MEDINA ZAPATA MedinaEC.org or as an app for Android
BROOKS JIM HOGG REAL ZAVALA
and Apple devices. Pay your bill, review
past use, report outages and more.
DIMMIT KINNEY STARR
DUVAL LA SALLE UVALDE
EDWARDS MCMULLEN WEBB PrePaid Electricity
If you prefer to make payments in
advance for your electricity or if you
View eligibility information and apply online at don't want to tie up money in your
deposit, PrePaid Electricity is a great
MedinaEC.org/Grant. option. Learn more about the program
at MedinaEC.org/PrePaid.
Paying Your Bill
We offer lots of payment options,
including automatic methods, where we
charge your credit card or bank account
without you ever having to lift a finger
and levelized billing, where you pay the
same amount every month. See details
at MedinaEC.org/PaymentOptions. There
are also five offices for members who
prefer to do business in person.
Co-op Connections Card
This discount card can save you money
on purchases with local and national
retailers and on prescriptions. Details at
MedinaEC.org/Connections.
Filter Change Program
In 2018, the Boys and Girls Club of Zapata County received $2,500 to purchase Order discounted filters and have them
additional play equipment for children who attend their after-school and sum- shipped to your home or business. Then,
get an email reminder when it is time to
mer programs. Since it began in 2015, nearly $47,000 has been put back in change them. Find details at MedinaEC.
area communities through the Community Empowerment Program. org. Just click on Filters under the
Products tab.
24 Texas Co-op Power MEDINA EC February 2019 MedinaEC.org
MedinaEC_2019_FEB_LP.indd 24 1/9/2019 3:40:09 PMYou can also read
