The Harper News (Harper, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, September 23, 2011 Page: 2 of 8
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From the Editor
I got over an inch of rain
this week and already the
grass and small forbs are
beginning to green up.
However, the need for
rain is more desperate
than ever. The forecast for
the coming year is not
good; La Nina is back and
expected to last another
year! So we must begin to
conserve our water.
Last week I attended the
Lions Club meeting; the
speaker was Paul Tybor,
general manager of the Hill
Country Underground
Water Conservation
District. He monitors
underground water in
Gillespie County by meas-
uring the water’s depth in
selected wells. He brought
maps and graphs of the
aquifers in Gillespie County
and showed us where the
water levels were drop-
ping. /
He explained the local
aquifers; the Ellenburger
Aquifer is mostly in eastern
Gillespie County, it is the
water source for
Fredericksburg and east
and south of Fredericks-
burg. in the western part
around Harper, we have a
very shallow water table,
commonly referred to as
the Edwards, but it is not
connected to the Edwards
Aquifer that supplies San
Marcos and San Antonio.
Deeper aquifers around
Harper are the Hensel and
Middle Trinity Aquifers. The
city water of Harper comes
from the Trinity at a depth
of 600 to 800 feet.
The good news is that
these aquifers are holding
steady in the Harper area.
There’s not as much
demand, but also not as
much water. Controlling
brush along with the oak
tree decline have lessened
the demand.
Still the usage is more
each year due to increased
population. We must learn
to conserve. When I was
little we depended on
windmills to pump the
water to our homes; it was
not dependable so we
learned to conserve.
It is a valuable lesson that
must be practiced by all
who plan to survive the
drought.
Notice: R burn
ban is in
effect, starting
Feb. 14, 2011,
and continuing
until cancelled
in Gillespie
Countg bg
order of the
County judge.
Contact Addresses
for Community
Memorials
The Harper Library. P. 0.
Box 74, Harper, TX 78631
The Harper Volunteer Fire
Department and EMS. P. 0.
Box 306, Harper, TX 78631
The Harper Community
Cemetery Fund. % Gene
Bode, P. 0. Box 176,.
Harper, TX 78631
The Harper School Library.
P. 0. Box 68, Harper, TX
78631
The Noxville Cemetery
Fund % of Tony Ackel,
15380 RR 479, Harper, TX
78631
The Hamer Historical
Society. P. 0. Box 355,
Harper, TX 78631
Harper Community Park
Board % Joan Lennon, 490,
S. Ranch Rd. 783, Harper, TX
78631
Harper Help Center. % of
Geraldine Skipper,
Treasurer, P.0. Box 97,
Harper, TX 78631
The deadline
for the next issue
is Monday,
Oct. 3, 2011.
The Harper News
September 23, 2011
Bode’s Hunting Stories
Gene Bode
Mexico 1982
I am always looking for a
new place to go hunting. I
have one drawer in my desk
devoted to hunting
brochures, telephone num-
bers and general hunting
info. Never like working too
long at a time not to think
about hunting. So here we
go with this one.
Contacted Bro. Jerry (a
missionary to Mexico) at
Zapata about hunting across
the border. He said come
on down, one of the
Mexican pastors in Mexico
had a brother-in-law that
would take me hunting.
Made it down there
about 10:00 o’clock one
night in late January. Hot as
it was, I thought we might
have jumped right out into
July.
The next morning one of
Jerry’s friends decided to
go along. Well, we loaded
up and drove across, no
permits for hunting or guns.
This Mexican feller put the
rifles under the pickup seat
and drove right through.
Couldn’t make everything
work that day so we drove
back fifty miles to Zapata.
The next day we went
back about lunch time. The
“dude” came to pick us up
in a ‘49 Ford pickup. Our
first stop was to get gas,
water and a gallon of oil.
The next stop was for gro-
ceries. After checking the
grocery list I wasn’t too
awful hungry anyway. This
pickup would run 35 mph
down hill with a tail wind.
Me and this other Mexican
rode in the back. He
wrapped the guns in a blan-
ket and laid on top of them
when we went through the
check station about thirty
miles from the border.
He told me if we were
stopped or checked for us
to only talk Spanish.
Boy, that would be a trick as
I probably know three
words anyway! Pretty sure
they wouldn’t have thought
anything about a dumb
gringo riding in the back of
a ‘49 Ford pickup being
driven by a Mexican chauf-
feur sight-seeing Mexico.
Probably would have faked
‘em all.
Guess what, I looked and
fit right in so good they
Date Set for New Kimble
Hospital Open House
The Kimble County
Hospital District Board
(KCHD) and Kimble Hospital
Open House Committee have
set the date for the Open
House Celebration of the
New Kimble Hospital and
Junction Medical Clinic. The
event will be held on ^
Monday, October 3 at 5:30
p.m. at the new hospital.
“We’re really excited for
Kimble County to be able to
celebrate the opening of
the new hospital and be
able to tour the new facili-
ties. Many of us on the
District Board and the Open
House Committee have been
inside both buildings and
judging from our reactions,
I believe everyone in Kimble
County will be really proud
of these new medical facili-
ties,” says Charles Loeffler,
President of the KCHD Board.
We thank all of those that
have supported this project
to improve and modernize
our local medical facilities.
The new hospital is an
invaluable asset for Kimble
County.”
Plans for the event are
still in the preliminary
stages but the committee
has provided room on the
agenda for public tours of
the hospital and clinic to be
led by staff members and a
formal ribbon cutting.
“The tours will be the best
part of this celebration.
Several of our staff mem-
bers volunteered immedi-
ately to help lead the tours.
They have all been in the
new buildings throughout
the construction process
and they are really excited
to show off the new hospital
and clinic,” says Steve
Bowen, Hospital
Administrator, adding, “Our
medical providers and staff
can’t wait to start serving
the community from the
new facilities. The state-of-
the-art patient rooms, pro-
cedure rooms and equip-
ment will greatly enhance
their ability to deliver an
even higher quality of
healthcare services to
Kimble County residents.”
USDA Outlines SURE Eligibility
Requirements for 2011 and 2012 Crops
(Fredericksburg, Texas),
Sept. 9, 2011 -Gillespie—
Kendall-Bianco County USDA
Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Executive Director Ricky
Neffendorf, announced that
legislative authority for the
Supplemental Revenue
Assistance Payments (SURE)
program ends on Sept. 30,
2011. Producers must meet
specific eligibility require-
ments to receive SURE assis-
tance for disasters that
occur on or before Sept.,
2011, and affect fall 2011 and
2012 crops.
'The SURE program com-
pensates producers for pro-
duction and/or quality loss-
es during times of disaster,"
said Neffendorf.
Producers can apply for
a 2011 or 2012 SURE pay-
ment if a crop of economic
significance located in a pri-
mary or contiguous disaster
county under a Secretarial
Disaster Designation suf-
fered at least a 10 percent
loss because of disaster
occurring on or before Sept.
30, 2011.
Crops are not required to
be harvested on or before
Sept., 2011, to maintain SURE
eligibility. A loss claim will
only trigger after FSA
determines that the loss was
because of disaster occur-
ring on or before Sept. 30,
2011. Losses that result from
disasters that occur after
Sept. 30, 2011, will not be
eligible for SURE benefits.
Producers with 2011 and
2012 crops that suffer losses
caused by disasters that
occur on or before Sept. 30,
2011, must also meet the
following criteria:
• For insured crops, the
insurance policy defines the
coverage period as begin-
ning on or before
September 30, 2011
Texas Water and What You Should Know
The League of Women
Voters (LWV) and the San
Antonio Water System
(SAWS) invite the public to
attend a day-long forum to
learn about the challenges
Texans face regarding water
resources and how to assure
there will be enough water
for future needs throughout
the state.
The forum will be held on
Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9:30
a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at SAWS
headquarters, 2800 Highway
281 North, San Antonio, in
Customer Service Building 2.
The registration fee for the
forum is $15, payable at the
door, and includes a box
lunch.
Speakers with expertise
from the entire region,
including water profession-
als, environmentalists, and
public officials will give their
viewpoints regarding the
challenges and possibilities
of managing water
resources. The agenda will
include time for participants
to ask questions and express
their own concerns and
possible solutions.
Questions to be
addressed by various panels
reflect concerns common to
areas of Central Texas. How
can Texas best manage our
water resources, especially
in times of recurrent
drought? How can the state
prepare for increasing
demands on water
resources because of popu-
lation growth? What prob-
lems are associated with
transferring water from one
area to another? How can
the rights to groundwater
be balanced between
landowners and the whole
community? What are some
of the processes being used
in our region to protect
water resources.
These questions are part
of a study by LWV of Texas,
“State Water: What You
Should Know.”
Representatives of local
Leagues in Wimberley
Valley, Victoria, San Marcos,
San Antonio, Kerrville, and
Comal areas have planned
this day-long event as part
of the LWV mission to
encourage the informed
and active participation of
citizens in government.
Speakers will be repre-
senting various communities
in the region, including
Uvalde, Wimberley, Blanco,
San Marcos, Victoria, and
rural areas, as well as San
Antonio. The forum is part of
a state-wide LWV study of
water resources, and is a
follow-up to a regional
forum held last fall. The
Sept. 24 forum will address
issues not covered in the
previous forum, but rele-
vant to the statewide water
study being conducted by
the League of Women
Voters.
The registration fee for
the forum is $15, payable at
the door, and includes a box
lunch. Please pre-register
by Saturday, Sept. 17 to
reserve a lunch, by contact-
ing Jcathyhunt@
suddenlink.net or 361 -573-
1317.
Local Farmers Size Up Farm Bill
It’s no secret that
Washington politics could
have an impact on some
residents of Gillespie County.
But area farmers are espe-
cially concerned after pre-
liminary farm bill talks
lower prospects for future
safety net support.
“Agricultural spending
makes up less than one half
of one percent of the feder-
al budget and while it’s still
early, it looks like a real
challenge,” said Elgin Pape,
Gillespie County Farm
Bureau President.
With a record drought
raging, luck has been run-
ning short for most Texas
farmers and ranchers,
including those in Gillespie
County.
Early estimates show
potential farm program cuts
take direct aim at commod-
ity programs and crop
insurance—the only thing
keeping some area farmers
going, according to Pape.
“We keep hearing about
high market prices this year,
but when it doesn’t rain and
you don’t make a crop at all,
insurance is the only thing
out there keeping your
operation going in years
like this,” he said.
Pape added that the
volatility of market prices
for commodities like cotton,
cattle and wheat make the
need for a strong safety net
important for food security
and affordable prices at the
grocery store.
“The farm bill is as much
for consumers as farmers. It
helps to balance out the
industry when we suffer bad
years,” Pape said. “Without
a safety net, there is a real
chance many farmers may
be forced out altogether.”
waved us on through the
check point, rifles and all.
We drove about sixty
miles back in the brush and
got to this locked gate,
which our guide didn’t know
the combination for. Come
to find out, he was trying to
slip us in anyway.
So we turned around and
drove back to Laredo and
got back to Zapata about
11:00 o’clock that night.
How about that hunt! Didn’t
see any game but thank the
good Lord we made it back
out of there anyway.
See you next time.
(Editor’s note: This is a “vin-
tage Bode story, originally
published on Oct. 8 2004.)
Quote of the Week
“‘To disbelieve is easy; to scoff is
simple; to have faith is hard.”
- Louis L’iAmour
Submitted by Levi Las b fey
fhfote: You are invited to submit your favorites.)
0. For Noninsured Crop
Disaster Assistance Program
(NAP) crops, the coverage
period begins on or before
September 30, 2011
• The final planting date
according to RMA and FSA
(NAP crops only) occur on or
before September 30, 2011.
Neffendorf points out that,
"If the crop is planted prior
to Sept. 30, 2011, but the
final planting date is after
Sept. 30, 2011, the crop will
not be eligible for SURE ben-
efits."
The sign-up period for
2011 and 2012 SURE will be
announced at a later date,
after the national average
market prices are deter-
mined for each respective
crop year. For questions
regarding the SURE pro-
gram, please contact the
Gillespie-Kendall-Blanco
County FSA office at 830-
997-3453 Ext 2.
Auxiliary
(Continued from page 1.)
them. They can be used at
fire scenes and the canopies
could also be used during
the fundraiser events.
Canopies are on sale
right now at Lowe’s (8’ x 10’
$79 each) and Home Depot
(10’ x 10’ $50). The lanterns
are also on sale for around
$25 at Lowes and Home
Depot. Purchase by the
department must be
approved by the executive
committee. If anyone would
like to purchase or donate
an item, that would be
great. Any donations to the
department are tax
deductible. [ NOTE: the 10 x
10s at Home depot are 56 sq.
ft of shade - the $79 8x10
at Lowes is 80 feet of shade
(difference is in the legs - if
they are straight up and
down it’s more shade) 3
Chief Potter told us about
a “Fire Safe” presentation
that is put on by the Texas
Forest Service. It teaches
people how to make the
immediate area around
your home safer, and how
to safely evacuate if needed.
He asked if the library would
be available for this and
Tomi said “yes.” He said the
auxiliary could provide
refreshments for the event.
He will look into getting this
scheduled through the
Forest Service.
Richard informed the
group the department had
recently sent out 2,000 let-
ters requesting donations
for a tanker truck. He gave
a big thank you to the auxil-
iary for assisting with this
effort. The fire department
is proud to have the auxil-
iary helping them out and
appreciate all we will be
doing for them.
The department plans to
buy purple t-shirts with
“Harper Vol Fire Dept
Auxiliary” on them for aux-
iliary members to wear
when attending meetings or
functions. They will be
available before November
5. Aurora Betancourt sug-
gested that any auxiliary
member who wished to,
could reimburse the
department for the cost of
the shirt. Members will be
asked in the near future
what size they need.
The next meeting is
planned for Oct. 5, 7:00 p.m.
at the Harper Library.
Please bring your ideas
regarding any of the above
and suggestions for other
ways we can support our
fire fighters.
Fredericksburg Civil Air Patrol
Begins Cadet Class
Civil Air Patrol, the volun-
teer civilian auxiliary of the
United States Air Force, is
recruiting members for the
Cadet program in
Fredericksburg. The
Fredericksburg Cadet
Squadron started in October
2005, and another Basic
Cadet Training class is now
forming. Young men and
women from the ages of 12
to 18 receive training in
leadership, aerospace,
emergency services, basic
military drill and discipline.
There will be an orienta-
tion session for interested
youth and parents at Zion
Lutheran Church Fellowship
Hall, 406 West Austin,
Fredericksburg, on Thursday
evening, September 29,
2011 at 7:30 pm. This meet-
ing will provide details
about the Civil Air Patrol
Cadet program. For infor-
mation about the local
squadron contact Major
George Otto at 997-2901.
Visit www.texascadet.ora
for cadet activities around
the state of Texas.
The Harper News
Policies:
•Letters to the editor must be accompanied by full name, address
and phone number and may be edited for length and clarity.
Letter writers may be limited to one letter every thirty days.
Form letters will not be published.
•Errors and omissions: The advertiser agrees that the Publisher
shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors and adver-
tisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied
by that portion of the advertisement containing the error,
whether the error is due to the negligence of the publisher,
employees or otherwise, and there shall be no liability for non-
insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such
advertisement.
•The Publisher reserves the right to change subscription rates
without notice.
The Hamer News
is Owned and Published by Martha Stevens
23586 West U. S. Highway 290
P. 0. Box 418, Harper, TX 78631 -0418
Martha Stevens - Editor/Publisher
email - hnews@ktc.com • Phone/Fax - 830 864-5655
Subscription rates: $25.00 locally (Gillespie Cty. and/or a
Harper address), $27.00 out of county or state.
Published twice a month
A minimum of 1000 copies of this paper are
printed by the Kerrville Daily Times. We have 450 paid
subscriptions and distribute another
100 to local merchants.
USPS Bulk rate Permit #104
(Postmaster: Send address changes to:
The Harper News, P. 0. Box 418,
Harper, Texas 78631 -0577)
Send subscriptions to: The Harper News.
P. 0. Box 418, Harper, TX 78631 -0418
1 year -$25.00 in Gillespie County or with Harper
address, $27.00 out of county or state.
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Stevens, Martha. The Harper News (Harper, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, September 23, 2011, newspaper, September 23, 2011; Harper, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth844739/m1/2/: accessed June 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Harper Library.