Refugio County Press (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 7, 2013 Page: 1 of 16
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Volume 53, No. 31
www.mysoutex.com
March 7, 2013-75C
On tap: solar panels
Court looks at supplemental energy
By Tim Delaney
County Press Editor
REFUGIO - The
Refugio County
Commissioners Court
unanimously approved
a solar energy com-
pany pursuing a grant
from the State Energy
Conservation Service to
cut the courthouse energy
costs.
The commissioners
during a special meeting
Tuesday, March 5, told
Shelby Ruff, vice presi-
dent of Meridian Solar
of Austin to apply for
the $250,000 grant that
would outfit the court-
house with 200 to 220
solar panels.
The panels would be
mounted on carports over
about 20 to 25 existing
parking spaces on the east
side of the courthouse.
The height of the car-
ports is flexible.
SECO pays 80 percent
of the grant, and Refugio
County would pay the
remaining 20 percent or
about $50,000.
The panels would be
about a 57 KW system,
and would produce 80,000
kw hours a year.
Savings would range
from $5,600 the first year
up to $14,000 in the 25th
year.
The Refugio County
Courthouse will earn
more than $141,000 in
profit over the 25-year
(See Solar, 16A)
Contributed photo
This is an example of a carport array of solar panels that
Meridian Solar proposed to build if it is successful in getting a
$250,000 grant from SECO.
Rose Lambert house saved, being restored
By Tim Delaney
County Press Editor
REFUGIO - In
1905, the Humble
Oil Field was discov-
ered, Tex Ritter and
Howard Hughes Jr.
were born and the
Rose Lambert-Hynes
house was construct-
ed in Refugio.
1905 was a time of
prosperity in Texas,
and that lasted for
many years to come.
The Rose Lambert-
Hynes house was built
by George Strauch, a
Refugio pioneer.
The house was con-
sidered one of the
most beautiful post
Victorian era homes
in South Texas.
Strauch also built
the windmill that
is now behind the
Refugio County
Museum.
Strauch had built
the home for Rose
O’Brien, the daugh-
ter of John Thomas
O’Brien and Johanna
Whelan O’Brien.
The Rose-Lambert-
Hynes house served
as an icon of pride for
residents of Refugio
for years.
Now, after many
years of sitting idle
with no one living
in the house, D.L.
and Ann Johnson of
Corpus Christi have
purchased the dete-
riorating house and
plan to return it to its
grandeur from around
1935.
The house, at 904
S. Alamo, had been
condemned by the
Refugio City Council
on June 28, 2011, and
marked for demoli-
tion.
The impending
demise of the historic
structure was report-
ed in the Refugio
County Press and the
Victoria Advocate.
Then, D.L. Johnson
said he approached
the city council and
mayor and asked if
he could have time
to restore it and pur-
chase it.
“I bought it on Sept.
10, 2012,” Johnson
said. “The mayor and
city council were kind
enough to listen to
what I had to say.”
Johnson, who
owns and operates
Highway Barricades
and Services, said the
house had a fire in
1935 that destroyed
the turret and tower
it originally had.
That’s when the
current third floor
was constructed.
Originally, the
house contained
“modern American”
furnishings, but after
the fire and into the
1940s, the house was
filled with European
antiques.
One of the pieces
was a piano that had
belonged to Emperor
Franz Josef of Austria
and was hand paint-
ed by Anton Lasor
in 1888. According
to Bart Wales, of
the Refugio County
Museum, the piano
was auctioned at some
point and ended up
in the Corpus Christi
Museum of Science
and History.
“The house has
8,800 square feet. We
plan to refurbish it
to the original state
(from 1935),” Johnson
said.
(See Historical, 3A)
Tim Delaney photos
The Rose Lambert-Hynes house at 904 S. Alamo St. is being restored by D.L. and Ann Johnson of Corpus Christi.
D.L. Johnson of Corpus Christi stands in front of the Rose
Lambert-Hynes house at 904 S. Alamo St. Johnson and his wife,
Ann, plan on restoring the house and living in it.
Ionic columns round the frontside of the Rose Lambert-Hynes house,
which is being restored by D.L. and Ann Johnson of Corpus Christi.
Deaths Board gears up
to replace director
Morris Eugene
Schubert
Index
Obits Page 2 A
Church Page 6 A
Oil & Gas Page 12A
Sports Page 14A
School Page 15A
By Tim Delaney
County Press Editor
REFUGIO - The
Refugio County
Community Development
Foundation board all
agreed the abrupt res-
ignation of director Joe
Arredondo was a surprise.
But in its specially called
meeting on Wednesday,
Feb. 27, to discuss how to
proceed, the board agreed
to advertise anew for a
replacement.
“My charge for the
group today is we have to
have a global approach,”
said Refugio County
Judge Rene Mascorro.
“It’s about us moving
forward - don’t care to
look back,” he added.
The board agreed that
it learned from the expe-
rience.
In addition to agreeing
to advertise again, the
board agreed to pursue
someone with more eco-
nomic development expe-
rience, insist that the can-
didate move to Refugio
County (with time allot-
ted to move) and require
a resume with three ref-
erences.
Also noted was that the
board prefers a candidate
(See Director, 3A)
It’s good to be back
By Tim Delaney
County Press Editor
About three weeks have passed
in which I have made a transition
from Live Oak County’s newspaper
the Progress to Refugio County’s
County Press.
I am finally settled in at the
Refugio County Press as its new-old
editor.
Twenty-six years ago, I was editor
here for a year before taking a job at
the daily newspaper in Victoria.
I was hired by Martha Lamson in
1986 as a reporter/writer.
I have lots of experience in jour-
nalism as well as credentials: bach-
elor degrees in communication and
English, from what used to be Texas
A&I University, and master degrees
in Communication and English
from the University of Houston-
Victoria.
I’ve also won
state awards
for my writing.
I remem-
ber a lot of
good times
in Refugio
County, the
country life,
good people
and genuine
care for the
community. I don’t expect that has
changed.
The newspaper should be the
(See Editor, 3A)
Tim Delaney
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Delaney, Tim. Refugio County Press (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 7, 2013, newspaper, March 7, 2013; Refugio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth740974/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dennis M. O’Connor Public Library.