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Hill Country Health & People
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BANDERA, GILLESPIE, KENDALL & KERR COUNTIES
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Security At Home Lamar Smith
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Why The Marine Hymn Contains the Words...
“To the Shores of Tripoli”
SPECIAL EDITION
2 HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016
FROM THE EDITOR
Camp Maddox on Upper Turtle Creek Photo by Mike Simpson
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e are now the most interactive magazine in the Texas Hill Country with the number of QR codes you will see in our ads. We hope you patronize the advertisers in this publication which is circulated to 90 locations in Kerr, Gillespie, Kendall and Bandera counties. We print 10,000 issues, have 4,932 subscribers, and are now sending via e-mail the entire publication to 36,491 small businesses and 89,445 residences in the above four counties. This publication is actually intended to reach readers who live in the Hill Country AND WKRVH ZKR DUH YLVLWRUV ZKLFK LV WKH UHDVRQ IRU WKH GRXEOH VLGHG FRYHUV êćLSë LVVXH DQG is unique to our magazine. The center section is devoted to Hill Country Health and People. Thank you to our readers and advertisers for making HOMETOWN & HILL COUNTRY VISITORS Magazine publication possible!
From Our Readers
Last Issue Comments
As a member of the “zipper club” (quadruple by-pass), I can really relate to “I’m Having a Heart Attack” article. Only difference; I did not have a heart attack and delayed the surgery for 2 weeks to go on a cruise! Tommy S
Amazing stories and information. The printing is great and the color is great but half way through I thought Uh Oh a binding error. However, when I saw how the cover was adjusted, I knew there was no error. Clever idea! Jim H
Thank you for the magazine. It’s bright, beautiful, attractive and informative. David L
Kerrville Resident Doyle Grundy & Megi Photo by Mike Simpson
My wife and I love this magazine. Just love it! Especially the great content. Thank you and keep up the good work. Doyle G Looking forward to the next issue. Being a former Marine, I particularly enjoyed the General Hagee article. He was Commandant when I was in the Marines. Bob J HILL COUNTRY VISITORS 3
th Annual 14
BANDERA LIBRARY CELEBRATES
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andera has always been a quirky town when it comes to events. Always different and exceptionally exciting! If you have not been to this event - get ready! It’s squeals and spills at the 14th annual Wild Hog Explosion and All Bike Rally! Scheduled for the last Saturday RI 6SULQJ %UHDN RQ 0DUFK WK 7KLV IXQ ĆOOHG weekend includes the hilarious Wild Hog Catch, the always crowd pleasing BBQ Cook-Off and an awe-
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ring the kids! They can enter a Hog Catch for ĂŞUXQWVĂŤ DJHV SLJOHWV DJHV DQG VKRDWV DJHV WR 0RP DQG 'DG FDQ VKRS WKH YHQGRUV DQG the Lone Star Bar B Que Society sanctioned CookOff competition! You can nibble at the competitions PHDWV $W DP ĂŞ3LJ 2XW ĂŤ DQG WKH :LOG +RJ )HHG YUM! All proceeds go to the Kronkosky Library of Bandera County.
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some All Bike Rally! And let’s not forget about the vendors! he Wild Hog Explosion is pretty darn exciting! We start with about 150 wild hogs that vary in size and age. Take a group of willing humans that also vary in size and age! Put one hog in the ring with two nervous people and challenge the humans to catch the smart, fast, and loud wild hogs! The object is to catch the hog, put him in a feed sack and JHW KLP WR WKH ĆQLVK OLQH 7HDPV DUH MXGJHG RQ WLPH Oh, and you only have 1 minute before the whistle blows! Most of the time the hog wins‌but not without a lot of action, adventure and tons of laughs!
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6 HILL COUNTRY VISITORS
Wild hog explosion
T E X A S E
veryone can compete for prizes! Enter the Hog Catch and have a chance to win a great belt buckle! Enter the BBQ Cook-Off to win trophies and bragging rights, as well as cash prizes! Don’t feel like bringing out your grill? No worries! Enter the Bloody Mary or Best Margarita Competitions! Wow! If that’s just too much action still, enter BACON BINGO! Top prize is $1,000 and all proceeds go directly to the Bandera Library. Wait! What is Bacon Bingo? Well, draw a grid on the ground with 100 squares, each selling for $10. Release Wild Wilbur and Wild Willie (both young willLQJ ZLOG KRJV %RWK KDYH GRQDWHG WKHLU WLPH DQG ZLOO ê*RÍ IRU WKH /LEUDU\ VR ZH MXVW ZDWFK WKHP DQG ZKHQ WKH ĆUVW JRHV ZHOO ZKDWHYHU VTXDUH KH êJRHVÍ RQ LV WKH winner!
Merchants in America Since 1733
Jewelers in Texas for over 65 years
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211 Earl Garrett • Kerrville, TX Located in Historic Downtown
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hings get better‌enjoy the music and the All Bike 5DOO\ (QWHU WKH +LOO &RXQWU\ )XQ 5XQ DQG ZLQ great prizes for the Best and Worst Hand! The All Bike Rally features not only a Run through our beautiful 7H[DV KLOOV EXW DOVR D ĂŞ*RQH +RJ :LOG 3DUW\ĂŤ 6DWXUGD\ night at the Longhorn Saloon. Pre-registration for WKH 5DOO\ EHJLQV RQ )ULGD\ DW SP DW & ' 3RZHU Sports, 714 Main Street Bandera. Bikers can then go to the Longhorn Saloon at 307 Main for some great music! Saturday morning onsite registration begins at 0DQVĆHOG 3DUN (O -DFDOLWRèV GHOLFLRXV EUHDNIDVW WDFRV and coffee will be served before bikers get instructions IRU WKH 3RNHU 5XQ )LUVW %LNH 2XW LV DW DP ODVW Bike In at 4:00 pm at which time the Ride and Shine Competition begins. Sunday church services will be held by the Christian Motorcycle Association at the 0DQVĆHOG 3DUN 59 3DUN DQG WKHQ ULGHUV FDQ PDNH WKH ĂŞ3LH 5XQĂŤ WR /RYH &UHHN 2UFKDUGV $SSOH 6WRUH LQ Medina! • ou lou; bm=oul-াomġ ou ;m|;u -m‹ o= |_; 1olr;াাomv ‰‰‰ĺ‰bŃ´7_o];ŠrŃ´ovbomÄş1olÄş -|;v or;m -| Ć?Ć?-l
HILL COUNTRY VISITORS 7
WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT
GARDENING Last Year by Lonnie Longmire
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ow can a guy who has been gardening for 60 years learn anything new about JDUGHQLQJ"b ,WèV VLPSOH ð VXQOLJKW ZDWHU DQG GLUW DQG WKDWèV DERXW LW ULJKW"b :KDW , learned this year is truly amazing: Having UHDOO\ JRRGbVRLO WKDW \RX SXUFKDVH RU GHvelop makes a huge difference in how your garden grows and what it produces. There are clay soils, silt soils, sand soils, acid and alkaline soils. What you really want is a soil WKDW FRQWDLQV YDULRXVbSRUWLRQV RI FOD\ VLOW sand and organic matter -- lots of organic PDWWHU ZKLFK LV FDOOHG êORDPÍ 6DQG\ ORDP VRLOVbZLWK D KLJK FRQWHQW RI RUJDQLF PDWter are the easiest to cultivate, water and ZHHG <RX ZLOO NQRZ WKLV VRLO LVbVSHFLDO because it is dark, loose, light and easily moves in your hand. It is just begging to grow something!
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DUOLHU WKLVb\HDU , PDGH D è [ è JUHHQhouse off one side of a solid wall strucWXUH ,W LV FRYHUHG ZLWKbULJLG FOHDU SODVWLF panels on two sides and large plastic paneled doors on either end. I found it is necesVDU\ WR NHHS WKH GRRUV RSHQ LQ -XQH 6HStember because of the heat. During those PRQWKV LW EHFDPH DbKRW KRXVH ZKLFK FRPELQHG ZLWK ZDWHUbPDGH DOO WKH SODQWV JURZ faster and larger compared to the same SODQWVbRXWVLGH , GURSSHG ZLUH IURP WKH FHQter support and let the tomato plants grow WR WKH FHLOLQJ ZKLFK LV IHHWbKLJK $ ODGGHU was necessary to pick the ones at the top. , KDG QR LGHD WKDW WKH KXPLGLW\ DQG KHDWbLQ a hot house would make tomatoes grow so tall, which is somewhat impractical. That happened because I used indeterminate varieties. Indeterminate means just the SODQW FDQ JURZbWR DQ\ KHLJKW IRU DQ\ OHQJWK RI WLPH , DP QRZ UHSODFLQJ WKRVHbZLWK GHterminate varieties in the hot house, which grow to a height of 3-5 feet and produce for D GHWHUPLQHG OHQJWK RI WLPH WKHQ GLH b7KHVH 10 HILL COUNTRY VISITORS
are sometimes called bush, patio or container tomatoes. One of my favorites is WKH SDWLR WRPDWR 7KH ĂŞFHOHEULW\ĂŤ WRPDWR is also a determinate that grows to about IHHW b2QH RI WKH PRVW SRSXODU LQGHWHUPLQDWH YDULHWLHV LV WKHbĂŞEHHIVWHDNĂŤ ZKLFK will produce fruit weighing more than RQH SRXQG HDFK DQG UHTXLUH VWDNLQJ b$ bush variety of the beefsteak is now also offered.
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nother amazing thing I learned this year, besides the effects of a KRW KRXVH RQ JURZWK VSHHG LV WKDWb\RX FDQbFXW D EUDQFKLQJ VWHP RII D WRPDWR plant and grow a new plant. Put the stem LQ JRRG ORDP VRLO DQG LWbZLOO GHYHORS DQG grow to be a full size producing plant in QR WLPH DW DOO b7R VHH KRZ IDU , FRXOG SXVK this idea, I cut a foot-long branch off one RI P\ WRPDWR SODQWV DQG SXW LWbLQWR JRRG soil, kept it watered and one month later I had a two-foot tomato plant that was SURGXFLQJ IUXLW b , QHYHU KHDUG RI WKDW RUbHYHQ WKRXJKWbLW ZDV SRVVLEOH b7U\ LW You no longer have to plant seeds from \RXU IDYRULWH WRPDWR SODQW DQG ZDLWbWKUHH PRQWKVbIRU LW WR SURGXFH
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recent hard frost of 28 degrees killed my outside garden since it was not covered the night before with blankets. I did dig up a number of the younger tomato and pepper plants and transferred them to the hot house. They did come back in a couple of weeks and produced again. Another option before a hard freeze is to pick all the tomatoes and peppers, then store them in an enclosed JDUDJH XQWLO WKH\ ULSHQ b/DVW ZLQWHU , did not have the hot house, so I stripped the tomatoes the night before a hard IUHH]H b7KH\ VORZO\ ULSHQHG WXUQHG UHG and we ate great tasting tomatoes for several months. •
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Bandera Bandera Chamber of Commerce Sponsor Member Hill Country Portal Longhorn Saloon Medina River Company Sid’s Main Street BBQ Snow On The River Boerne A-1 Red, White & Blue Mini Storage LTD An Empty Vase Florist Anytime Fitness Bumdoodlers Lunch and Company Cascade Caverns, Inc. Chili’s Grill & Bar Clean & Shine Express Lube Plus #25 Galli Family Chiropractic Goss Pest Control Guadalupe Electric, Inc Hill Country Portal Mr. Electric Newport Construction Service, Inc. Paradise Tan Ranch Hand Truck Accessories The Graphix House
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My Confession
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The Hero Card Businesses
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Lamar Smith
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Let’s Talk About It
HillCountry
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From The Editor
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The Contest
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Wild Hog Explosion
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Fire On The Mountain
10 Gardening by Lonnie 12 What Goes Around Comes Around 16 Hill Country Health & People HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016 3
The Author on Abdul - DK RANCH, Arizona. Circa 1960’s
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XDQH P\ ERVV DQG , ZRUNHG together most of the year. Our varied ranch projects routinely caused us to suffer a lot of minor hurts: Events so laughable and unbelievable, we decided to have a contest...
The Silly Injury Contest. :H EHW D ĆIWK RI ZKLVNH\ RU D JDOORQ RI LFe cream. I have long forgotten which. The winner? The one who gets hurt in the most ridiculous way! After many arguments about the cause and extent of our following injuries, 'XDQH ĆQDOO\ ZDV QDPHG WKH ZLQQHU 7KLV is how he most righteously won that dang contest! ur mare band produced many foals each year. The males had to be castrated, while making them into good cow horses for the necessary horse related chores on the DK Windmill Ranch. We kept one or two well bred stallions, and eighteen to twenty mares to supply the ranch with annual foals. The stallions were bought at popular auctions where the best in the nation were displayed. Over the course of thirty or more years, we produced better and better bloodlines. Our imported stallions lasted eighteen years or
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more, and later were interned in familiar home surroundings on this Arizona range. Therefore, all our colts were destined to be geldings. fter their second year, and as soon as both testicles were easily visible, we did the job ourselves. Coming three years old, these colts weighed in at over one thousand pounds. It was tough, but necessary work for just Duane and me to do alone. We were knowledgeable and properly equipped for the operation, while keeping everything sanitary as possible in a dusty corral. e didn’t have any tranquilizers on the UDQFK LQ WKH ĆIWLHV RU VL[WLHV 7R VXEGXH the patient, we had to tie him down on the ground. Hobbles were applied to the front feet, and then Duane tied up his left hind foot as I held the head by a stout halter. As the left leg was pulled up higher and higher to a loop around this stallions chest and withers, the horse slowly lost his balance and sunk to the ground. Large diameter, soft cotton ropes were used so as not to burn the youngsters hide. I guided the horses head to a comfortable landing and turned his nose up and back to keep struggling at a minimum. The left hoof was then tied to the large noose around
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CONTEST
by George Fischer
THE LAST DK COWBOY
For More on The Last DK Cowboy www.lastdkcowboy.com
KLV FKHVW DQG ZLWKHUV 7KH ćDLOLQJ ULJKW IRRW ZDV also quickly secured to the same shoulder noose. The shoulder loop is the same one used to hoist up the left foot line. Then the two hobbled forefeet were tied to the hind feet. Now there could not be much violent tossing about on the ground. lert care was necessary, as some horses will try to bite anything when restrained in this way. Many a determined kicker has also been shod in this same position.
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Our scalpel was a very large, sharp pocket knife. A professional emasculator was the only other equipment used. They both were submerged in a can of alcohol. Some VXOSKXU SRZGHU WKHQ ê%ORRG 6WRSÍ SRZGHU was sprinkled on the incision at the end of this process. We were soon to be placing a small bale of hay under the colts four hooves at the tie point. This would slightly elevate him to a better operating level. We both would position ourVHOYHV DW WKH EDFN ZRUNLQJ VLGH RI WKH KRUVH , at the head and withers, with Duane leaning over DW WKH EDFN DQG ćDQN
All was now ready. $OO UHDG\ H[FHSW ĂŞ'U 'XDQHĂŤ
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uddenly Duane proclaimed, “I must go to the RXWKRXVHĂŤ /HDYLQJ KXUULHGO\ KH KROOHUHG ĂŞ+DQJ RQWR KLV KHDG *HRUJH ,èOO EH ULJKW EDFN ĂŤ Time was not to be wasted. Horses don’t ever choose to lie down for very long. Luckily, the old outhouse was just outside the corrals. Duane knew it was not good to have the horse down and trussed up for long, so Duane did hurry. Maybe he hurried a mite too much. As he came running back he was shouting,
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o my surprise, I saw the top of his hand dripping profusely with blood! He proudly waved this bloody hand around like the contest trophy that it was. My unlucky boss had indisputably won the Silly Injury Contest by stabbing his hand on a rusty nail while wiping his bottom!
7KH KRUVH RSHUDWLRQ ĆQLVKHG VXFFHVVIXOO\ except for the fact that Duane shed more blood during the castration than the horse. e only had the one stallion to do that day, so Duane left to doctor up his wound. We always kept up our Tetanus shots on ourselves, KRUVHV DQG GRJV 7HWDQXV LV SUROLĆF DURXQG UDQFK life. Lockjaw is nothing to idly talk about!
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n a 1930’ mountain on IH-10 in Kerrville, Texas, and it is burning 365 days a year! 7KLV XQXVXDO ĆUH LV GUDZLQJ FXULRXV SHRSOH IURP DOO VWDWHV DQG DW OHDVW FRXQWULHV 7KH ĆUH is now Kerrville’s top tourist attraction drawing RYHU YLVLWRUV VLQFH -DQXDU\ RI
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KLV ĆUH HQGDQJHUV QR RQH EHFDXVH LW LV D VSLULWXDO ĆUH VWDUWHG E\ *RG $OPLJKW\ +LPVHOI 7KLV KRO\ ĆUH LV EXUQLQJ KRXUV D GD\ seven days a week, at THE COMING KING SCULPTURE PRAYER GARDEN, located at the same latitude as Israel, approximately half way EHWZHHQ WKH $WODQWLF DQG 3DFLĆF 2FHDQV
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here are many reasons why people visit. The garden features world-class sculptures, landscaping and design, including thousands of 1.25 ton, massive limestone blocks. 42 Maple trees have also been donated and planted along a 300’ cross-shaped garden at the top of the hill. This Maple tree lined path leads to a giant 77’ two million dollar hollow cross sculpture. It was donated by Max and Sherry Greiner of Kerrville and EAGLE BRONZE foundry of Lander, WY. The reddish brown, Cor-ten steel sculpture, FDOOHG ê7KH (PSW\ &URVVÍ LV WKH PRVW V\PEROLF cross sculpture in the world. It represents the %ORRG WKH 'RRU WKH :D\ WKH 0LJKW\ )RUWUHVV the Narrow Gate, the Strong Tower, the Light of the World and the Resurrection.
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8 HILL COUNTRY VISITORS
n addition to the unique cross, beautiful, monumental Christian sculptures have been donated to the garden by three different ChrisWLDQ DUWLVWV 0D[ *UHLQHU -U %HYHUO\ 3DGGOHIRUG and David Broussard. More sculptures are planned when funds are raised to complete the lighting and roads.
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he 300’ cross-shaped pathway features 77 Bible verses in Spanish, English and German.
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Max Greiner, Jr & Fisher of Men
7KH ê6FULSWXUH 7LOHVÍ lead to the massive cross. Inside the 7’ wide center space of the 70 ton cross, visitors can read four Prayer Plaques that introduce WKHP WR -HVXV &KULVW WKH +RO\ 6SLULW KHDOLQJ DQG miracles. Thousands of people have been touched by God at this holy spot.
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KH IUHH QRQ SURĆW QRQ GHQRPLQDWLRQDO &KULVWLDQ art garden is unique in all the world. Thousands of lives have been changed for the better. Physical and emotional healings have taken place. Documented miracles, signs and wonders have also been reported by thousands of people. To date, at least 19 people have abandoned their plans for suicide after visiting the Christian meditation garden. As a result, WKH XQĆQLVKHG JDUGHQ KDV DOUHDG\ GUDZQ WKH DWWHQtion of the national and world media. Associated 3UHVV $%& 1%& $%& )2; DQG 7LPH :DUQHU KDYH already done news stories about the spiritual art garden. The evangelistic park has been featured numerous times on Christian radio, TV and in magazines.
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he garden has been built on faith in God, without debt, tax money or professional fundraisers, through the gifts of supporters from around the world. Additional construction is done as donations are received. The free garden is operated by a nonSURĆW F DUW PXVHXP WKHUHIRUH DOO GRQDWLRQV DUH tax deductible in the USA.
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nother popular attraction at the garden is the è ORQJ ê3UD\HU 3DWKÍ ZKLFK VXUURXQGV WKH 300’ cross-shaped garden. This path is lined with thousands of small limestone rocks left by thousands
Watch the Videos of Ć?Ć?ĆŽĆ’ ;7b1-࢟om mѲbm; RI YLVLWRUV 7KHVH ćDW ZKLWH URFNV FDUU\ WKH SHUVRQDO prayers and praises of the people who visit the cross.
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he Christian art garden, which was birthed on 12/9/01 through a prophetic word by Dr. Mahesh Chavda, almost didn’t happen. As soon as the Christian project was announced by the press, opponents of the cross immediately organized to stop it. The SODQQHG &KULVW KRQRULQJ SURMHFW ZDV ĆHUFHO\ RSposed by atheists, witches, satanists and even nearby neighbors. The project was ridiculed, slandered, robbed, vandalized, audited, sued and sabotaged. Most of the attacks occurred before the cross was raised on 7/27/10.
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espite this constant opposition, THE COMING KING SCULPTURE PRAYER GARDEN was ĆQDOO\ GHGLFDWHG RQ 6HSWHPEHU $SSUR[Lmately 1,500 supporters from eight states and four countries attended the eight hour dedication service on Rosh Hashanah. Pastors from many different Christian denominations lead the proceedings, honRULQJ WKH 0HVVLDK -HVXV &KULVW
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oday, the privately owned Christian art garden is Kerrville’s top tourist attraction. It is supported by hundreds of local businesses and Christian churches in the area. Hundreds of volunteers have donated their time and money to provide this free family resource to the public, so others might know the love of God. Information: 830.928.7774 www.thecomingkingfoundation.org
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Cornbread & Sons Chimney Sweep & Air Duct Clean CRUMBS Restaurant Culver’s Fine Dining Dairy Queen of Kerrville Davis Law Firm Dickey’s BBQ Double L Ranch & Wildlife Feed Double M Equipment Service (DUQHVW 5RRĆQJ Elan Cakes and Confections Elliott Electric Supply Emergency Mobile Repair Exquisite Faces Fastenal Co. Gibson’s Discount Center Good Ol Days Garage & Bike Shop Goss Pest Control Grace Academy of Kerrville Graham Backhoe & Septic Services Great Clips Guadalupe Electric, Inc Guadalupe Signs Habitat ReStore Hardin Cleaning Services HealthCard4Free Henley’s U-Haul Rentals and Boxes Hill Country Affordable Motors Hill Country Cafe Hill Country Septic Service Hill Country Vision Center Hill Country Visitors Magazine Holloway Plumbing Home Town Crafts Hot Rod Auto Detailers Impact Martial Arts Inn of the Hills Resort & Conference Center INTERCEPT professional investigations JOLEE Enterprises LLC Kerr Business Services Kerr Business Services Kerr County Roller Derby Kerrville Plumbing Kerrville Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating Kerrville Health foods Kerrville Mattress Gallery Kerrville Real Estate Co. Kerrville Recycling Center Landservice Lazerwash Car Wash LeMeilleur’s RV Truck & Equipment Repair Co. INC.
Lucky’s Barber Shop Martins Automotive Mattress World of Kerrville MG Building Materials National Car Sales Neumart Convenience Stores New Life Health Foods NuAccents NVS Customs Body & Paint nt nt P.M.I. Papa John’s Pizza HeroCardOnline.com Papa Murphy’s Pizza a $25 Peak Fitness Phone Dawgs 830.895.0071 Playhouse 2000 Powell Vacuum & Allergy Priority Brake Specialist 5DQH 5RRĆQJ ReRuns Resale Rev FM 94.3 Rhino Linings of Kerrville Rick’s Auto Detail River Oaks Framing Company River’s Edge Gallery Roxyann’s Shabby Chic Boutique S & J Seal Coating & Striping S.R. Wickersham Custom Leather Shade To Go Snippers Family Hair Salon Snow On The River So Fast Printing Spirit Mind & Body Massage St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store Starkey Pest Control State Aire Steve Can Fix It - Handyman Taco To Go Texas Express Lube & Auto The Alara Group The Center For Fitness The Inn Exxon The Lube Center TNJ Engraving Trade-Mark Brown Air Conditioning & Sheet Metal True Master Mobile Storage TRUEFIT Training TSO Texas State Optical Up-N Jacks Wahoo Seafood Company Water Street Cafe
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CONFESSION Steven Levy
$_; )_b|; o†v; u;=;uu;7 |o _ubv|l-v $u;;v -v Äź oѲb7-‹ $u;;vÄ˝ =ou |_; Cuv| ࢟l; |_bv ‹;-u ‰_b1_ ruolr|;7 " ru;v;m|;uÄś "|;ˆ;m ;ÂˆÂ‹Äś |o ru;v;m| |_bv rb;1; ‰_b1_ ‰; ‰o†Ѳ7 Ѳbh; |o v_-u; ‰b|_ ‹o†ĸ | -rrѲb;v f†v| -v l†1_ |o l-m‹ 1o†m|ub;v -v b| 7o;v |o l;ub1-ĸ Ѳb‚Ѳ; v-mb|‹ rѲ;-v;ĸĸĸ $_; =oѲѲo‰bm] ‰-v ‰ub‚;m 0‹ "|;ˆ;m ;ˆ‹ -m7 u;1b|;7 0‹ _bl om " "†m7-‹ oumbm] oll;m|-u‹. Photo by Marion Ettlinger
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don’t like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don’t think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can’t ĆQG LW LQ WKH &RQVWLWXWLRQ DQG , don’t like it being shoved down my throat... Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren’t allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that’s a sign that I’m getting old but there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to. In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke. It’s not funny. It’s intended to get you thinking. In light of recent events...terrorist attacks, school shootings, etc..I think it started when Madeleine Murray
O’Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn’t want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school...The Bible says “thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself�. And we said OK. Then Dr. Steven Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock’s son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he’s talking about.
And we said okay!
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ow we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience; why they don’t know right from wrong; and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long DQG KDUG HQRXJK ZH FDQ ĆJXUH LW out. I think it has a great deal to do with “WE REAP WHAT WE
SOW�.
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unny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send ‘jokes’ through e-mail DQG WKH\ VSUHDG OLNH ZLOGĆUH EXW when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
F
unny how when you share this message, you will not share it to many on your address list because you’re not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sharing it.
F
unny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
• HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016 5
Join the 21st Century FROM THE PUBLISHER
T
he 21st century is here and some of us are still stuck in the past. You may have noticed that about 64% of everyone has a smartphone. Looking only at adults who use the Internet — 81% of all Americans — Facebook’s numbers are much higher. Almost three-quarters of online adults used Facebook (survey by the Pew Research Center). You all know this because everywhere you go someone is holding a phone or tablet. If you enter a restaurant almost everyone has their phone right on the table or in their hand. Smart phones do much more today than just talk. We text, chat, google search, watch TV, play games, listen to radio; and now we can pay and go using our phone. QR codes are popping up everywhere, so you can scan directly to the advertiser and save time. Our phones have become a way of life. No more wondering for the DQVZHU <RX FDQ MXVW DVN *RRJOH DQG ĆQG RXW DOPRVW DQ\WKLQJ ULJKW now. Businesses are much more on the go because your computer is in your hand. You can check your email or send one from almost anywhere.
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any things take time to get use to. Some of us might never get use to technology, but if we accept and adapt our new technology we will grow in so many ways. Interactive marketing is a new technology and you will see it popping up on letters and in magazines. Using QR codes to send shoppers to Facebook where the business has a pinned post of an offer. You can only get it if you share it on your Facebook page and to all of your friends. This is viral marketing. You may have noticed posts that get millions of views and likes on Facebook. Coupons and offers can go viral because everyone likes to save money. It won’t be long before you get all of your information from your phone and many millennials already do. You can download a scanning app from the app store on your phone. Personally, I recommend Quick Mark. Just google it and install it on your phone. It acts like it’s taking a picture of the QR code then it sends you to the link. Fast and simple!
&vbm] o u vl-u| r_om; 1-m v- ; o ࢼl; -m7 lom; ij
www.quickmark.com
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ee the many QR codes in this issue. Download the QR code reader and see what you’re missing.
4 HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016
HILL COUNTRY VISITORS 11
Just Show The Card!
Hill Country Ambassadors This is one of the best money saving values in the Texas Hill Country! Rick Phipps, Encore Radio
I don’t leave home without it!
The Hero Card is for everyone!
The Hero Card keeps me movin!
Michael C Huff, Wells Fargo Bank
Jose Flores, True Fit
Lonnie Longmire, Shepherd Publishing Co.
The Hero Card helps our newspaper subscriptions. Mike Graxiola, Daily Times
My Card has paid for itself over and over and over and over...! Oscar Vasquez, Cecil Atkission
HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016 11
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND 8VHG E\ SHUPLVVLRQ )5217 325&+ 0$*$=,1( &DOGZHOO 7H[DV
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e almost didn’t see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help her for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe. He looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, P\ QDPH LV %U\DQ $QGHUVRQĂŤ
:HOO DOO VKH KDG ZDV D ćDW WLUH but for an old lady, that was bad enough.
Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or WZR 6RRQ KH ZDV DEOH WR FKDQJH WKH WLUH EXW he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and that she was only passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought about being paid. This was not a MRE WR KLP 7KLV ZDV KHOSLQJ VRPHRQH LQ QHHG and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life helping others, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. 12 HILL COUNTRY VISITORS
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e told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the asVLVWDQFH WKH\ QHHGHG DQG %U\DQ DGGHG
“And think of me.� He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day could not erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and ache change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.
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IWHU WKH ODG\ ĆQLVKHG KHU PHDO VKH SDLG ZLWK a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything. I have been there too. Someone once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this FKDLQ RI ORYH HQG ZLWK \RX ĂŤ
Under the napkin were 4 more $100 bills.
3
THINGS TO PONDER
Contributed by permission FRONT PORCH MAGAZINE Caldwell, Texas
1
BUTTERFLY COURAGE GOOD THINGS ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR
W
alking down a path through some woods in Georgia in 1977, I saw a water puddle ahead of the path. I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn’t covered by water and mud. As I reached the puddle I was suddenly attacked! Yet I did nothing for the attack was so unpredictable and IURP D VRXUFH VR WRWDOO\ XQH[SHFWHG , ZDV VWDUWOHG DV ZHOO DV XQKXUW GHVSLWH KDYLQJ EHHQ VWUXFN IRXU RU ĆYH times already. I backed up a foot and my attacker stopped attacking me. Instead of attacking more, he hovHUHG LQ WKH DLU RQ JUDFHIXO EXWWHUć\ ZLQJV LQ IURQW RI PH +DG , EHHQ KXUW , ZRXOGQèW KDYH IRXQG LW VR DPXVLQJ EXW , ZDV XQKXUW ,W ZDV IXQQ\ DQG , ZDV ODXJKLQJ $IWHU DOO , ZDV EHLQJ DWWDFNHG E\ D EXWWHUć\ Having stopped laughing, I took a step forward. My attacker rushed me again. He rammed me in the chest with his head and body, striking me over and over again with all his might; still to no avail. For a second time I retreated a step while my attacker relented in his attack. Yet, again, I tried moving forward. My attacker charged me again. I was rammed in the chest over and over again. I wasn’t sure what to do, other than retreat a third time; after all, LWèV MXVW QRW HYHU\GD\ WKDW RQH LV DWWDFNHG E\ D EXWWHUć\ 7KLV WLPH WKRXJK , VWHSSHG EDFN VHYHUDO SDFHV WR ORRN WKH situation over. My attacker moved back as well to land on the ground. That’s when I discovered why my attacker was charging me only moments earlier.
He had a mate and she was dying.
She was beside the puddle where he landed. I could only DGPLUH WKH ORYH DQG FRXUDJH RI WKDW EXWWHUć\ LQ KLV FRQFHUQ IRU KLV PDWH +H KDG WDNHQ LW XSRQ KLPself to attack me for his mate’s sake, even though she was clearly dying and I was so large. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life, should I have been careless enough to step on her. 1RZ , NQHZ ZK\ DQG ZKDW KH ZDV ĆJKWLQJ IRU 7KHUH ZDV UHDOO\ RQO\ RQH RSWLRQ OHIW IRU PH , FDUHIXOO\ PDGH P\ way around the puddle to the other side of the path, though it was only inches wide and extremely muddy. His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate’s safety justiĆHG LW , FRXOGQèW GR DQ\WKLQJ RWKHU WKDQ UHZDUG KLP E\ ZDONLQJ RQ WKH PRUH GLIĆFXOW VLGH RI WKH SXGGOH +H KDG truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed. I left them in peace for those last few moments, cleaning the mud from my boots when I later reached my car. 6LQFH WKHQ ,èYH DOZD\V WULHG WR UHPHPEHU WKH FRXUDJH RI WKDW EXWWHUć\ ZKHQHYHU , VHH KXJH REVWDFOHV IDFLQJ PH , XVH WKDW EXWWHUć\èV FRXUDJH DV DQ LQVSLUDWLRQ DQG WR UHPLQG P\VHOI 12 HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016
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ell, there were tables to clear, sugar ERZOV WR ĆOO DQG SHRSOH WR VHUYH EXW the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. he knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything’s gonna be all right. I love \RX %U\DQ $QGHUVRQ ĂŤ
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There is an old saying: What goes around, comes around.
•
HILL COUNTRY VISITORS 13
“OK. YOU’VE HAD A HEART ATTACK OR STINTS. SO...
WHAT’S NEXT?”
by Lonnie Longmire
L
et me begin with a disclaimer....I am not a doctor and I’m not giving you medical advice. My EDFNJURXQG LV WKDW DERXW ĆYH \HDUV DJR , KDG four heart stints put in and I thought I was set for life. Less than a year ago I had a massive heart attack that put me right at death’s door and I don’t want another one. If you have not had a heart attack.... just keep these two often used expressions in your mind...You can take that to the bank ....I’m as serious as a heart attack. About 425,000 people die each year from heart disease, both men and women. In the 1960’s, it was not uncommon for Americans to die of heart attacks in their 50’s or 60’s. My Dad and all my uncles died of heart attacks before they were 60 years old. With the advances in medicine that now exist probably most of them would have lived into their 80’s or longer today. The effects of smoking, cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity on the development of heart disease were unknown. )ROORZLQJ D KHDUW DWWDFN WKHUH ZHUH OLPLWHG WUHDWments for the damage suffered by the heart. 16 HILL COUNTRY VISITORS
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hose who did not die from their heart attack, remained severely debilitated. The U.S. death rate for coronary heart disease rose steadily until reaching a peak in 1968.
T
oday, advanced technologies are dramatically improving diagnosis and treatment. Years ago when I felt a shortness of breath and lack of stamina I went in and in a matter of hours I had four stints put in and I was back shopping at Walmart that same DIWHUQRRQ 7KH VWLQWV RSHQHG XS WKH EORRG ćRZ DQG kept the heart muscle from being severely damaged. The symptoms of early-stage heart disease may be barely noticeable, so be on the lookout for pain in the chest, shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back. Pay attention if you have shortness of breath or you get easily fatigued. If you feel light-headed, dizzy or confused or you are experiencing headaches or cold sweats, nausea or vomiting, these can be early warning signs of possible heart disease. Swelling in the ankles, feel, legs, stomach and neck are other symptoms to watch out for.
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ee a doctor if you feel a ćXWWHULQJ LQ \RXU FKHVW or have the feeling that your heart is skipping a beat or beating too hard. Remember, it is better to be safe than sorry and go see your doctor. I don’t mean to alarm you but only RI WKH SHRSOH WKDW KDYH D KHDUW DWWDFN êRXWVLGHÍ RI a hospital survive. I personally came within a couple minutes of NOT surviving. If you ignore the warning signs you may pay with your life. Call 911...Get help. Don’t try to be a tough guy or gal and drive yourself to the hospital like I tried to do. My father-in-law who I really loved and was himself a doctor died of a massive heart attack on our deer lease while pulling a deer along the trail. You are NOT tougher than a heart attack...It will take you out, and you can take that to the bank!
Medical Arts Imaging, Inc. (830) 257-4777 No Waiting or Pre-Registration: s $IAGNOSTIC 8 2AYS s %CHOCARDIOGRAMS s -AMMOGRAPHY s 5LTRASOUND s "ONE $ENSITY %XAMS WE ARE A DIGITAL FACILITY 0%23/.!, 3%26)#% s 15!,)49 #!2% -EDICARE -EDICAID INSURANCE IS ACCEPTED
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R ,èP QRZ D SDUW RI WKH ê]LSSHU FOXEÍ 7KDWèV WKH FOXE you join when they saw your chest open and hold it open with a vise while performing open heart surgery. The zipper is the scar you’ll have forever on your chest of where you were opened up. I have come to the conclusion that if you survive the open heart surgery your life is prolonged and you may well be back as good as before the surgery even though you will need to recover and take it easy for at least a few months. I’m back to working on the ranch and lifting the 80 lb. sacks of cement but I’m always aware and do remember what happened. I try to be responsible in how hard I physically work.
T
he research I’ve done since tells me that another heart attack is possible. What could cause such an event to happen again? PLAQUE. Plaque sticks to the walls of your arteries which can cause a heart attack or stroke.
D
id you know that there are many miles of arteries, veins, capillaries and microscopic arterioles inside your body. Nutrient-rich blood must reach your heart, brain, lungs, kidneys, hands, legs, feet and sex organs for you to enjoy a full healthy life. Think of plaque as a scab that forms inside your arteries. As time goes by, this scab gets bigger and thicker and stronger until it EORFNV EORRG ćRZ ZKLFK VHQGV \RX LQWR FDUGLDF DUUHVW or a stroke. • HILL COUNTRY VISITORS 17
20 HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016
WHY THE MARINE HYMN CONTAINS THE WORDS
“TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI”
This was taken from a highly circulated anonymous email. It is shown to be historically factual. We invite our readers to email the publisher with their comments.
A
t the height of the eighteenth century, Muslim pirates (the “Barbary Pirates”) were the terror of the Mediterranean and a large area of the North Atlantic. They attacked every ship in sight, and held the crews for exorbitant ransoms. Those taken hostage were subjected to barbaric treatment and wrote heart-breaking letters home, begging their government and family members to pay whatever their Mohammedan captors demanded.
T
hese extortionists of the high seas represented the North African Islamic nations of Tripoli, Tunis, Morocco, and Algiers - collectively referred to as the Barbary Coast and presented a dangerous and unprovoked threat to the new American Republic.
This should concern
Every
American continued...
Let’s Talk
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it
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AIRMEN,SEAMEN SOLDIERS & MARINES
SRHPV E\ %HQ +DJLQV IURP ê$ 6OLFH RI +HDYHQÍ ‰‰‰ĸ0;m_-]bmvĸ1ol
NEVER FORGET
IQ GLIĆFXOW WLPHV WKH ZRUOG LV XQVXUH Our troops are deployed, how do they endure The stress, the strain, the mental pain, Separation from family---what is their gain? s it the glory, reward, a job well done, Or duty to country that is second to none I think you’ll agree that it’s good to be free, We’re very proud that they’re all they can be. hey have raised their hands in loyal salute To give lives, if required, in humble resolute. You see, these patriots have answered the call To protect our freedom for one and all.
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3
GIVE & LIVE HOW MUCH MORE?
Hey there busy world, come visit me. Sit at my meditation spot, Slow down for a while, be still and quiet. 5HćHFW ULJKW QRZ RQ MXVW ZKDW \RXèYH JRW
Let’s not forget what all this means.
Thank you! Airmen Seamen Soldiers Marines!
How much more do you want? What you need is the key! When examining your life Would you not agree? That service to others Is a pretty good goal And providing for your family As you both grow old And when you reach four score and ten Look back then with a proud Amen! How many years will the good Lord give? Spend time with Him now, in eternity you’ll live!
HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016 13
A&A MOVING 830.895.8649 2202 Memorial, Kerrville
830.257.2300
14 HILL COUNTRY VISITORS
1480 Medina Hwy
RRVILL E K
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SHOP WHERE THE PRO’S BUY
FOUR SISTERS
A Treasure In
Utopia
210.414.4341 Lodging & Camping
MY MOM NEVER HAD BREAST CANCER, SO I WON’T GET IT. DRINKING ALCOHOL INCREASES YOUR 5,6. )25 %5($67 CANCER. IDFW
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ompared to women who drink no alcohol, women who have three alcoholic drinks per week have a 15-percent higher risk of breast cancer. There is as much as a 10-percent increase on breast cancer risk associated with each additional drink per day. The American Cancer Society recommends women limit their drinking to no more than one drink per day.
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FIC 218 Sidney Baker North Kerrville
830.315.5005
BREAST CANCER
Breast Cancer - Fact or Fiction? by Christushealth.org
FACT OR CTION? MEN DON’T GET %5($67 &$1&(5
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umps are common signs of breast cancer, but skin irritation or dimpling, nipple pain or retraction, or a discharge other than breast milk can also be signs of cancer. Don’t ignore any changes to your breasts and share your concerns with your physician.
830.792.3702 • Ernest G Layton, Jr., MD %RDUG &HUWL¿HG E\ $636
251 Cully Dr. Suite A Kerrville HILL COUNTRY VISITORS 19
UHVSRQGHG E\ FXWWLQJ GRZQ WKH ćDJSROH DW WKH $PHULcan consulate and declared war on the United States. Tunis, Morocco, and Algiers immediately followed suit. Jefferson, until now, had been against America raising a naval force for anything beyond coastal defense, but, having watched his nation be cowed by Islamic thugJHU\ IRU ORQJ HQRXJK GHFLGHG WKDW LV ZDV ĆQDOO\ WLPH WR meet force with force.
religious tolerance. In fact, Jefferson himself had coauthored the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, but fundamentalist Islam was like no other religion the world had ever seen. A religion based on supremacism, whose holy book not only condoned but mandated violence against unbelievers, was unacceptable to him. His greatest fear was that someday this brand of Islam would return and pose an even greater threat to the United States .
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his should concern every American. That Muslims have brought about women-only classes and swim-
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e dispatched a squadron of frigates to the Mediterranean and taught the Muslim nations of the Barbary Coast a lesson he hoped they would never forget. Congress authorized Jefferson to empower U.S. ships to seize all vessels and goods of the Pasha of Tripoli and to “cause to be done all other acts of precaution or hostility as the state of war would justify�.
W
hen Algiers and Tunis, who were both accustomed to American cowardice and acquiescence, saw the newly independent United States had both the will and the right to strike back, they quickly abandoned their allegiance to Tripoli. The war with Tripoli lasted four more years, and raged up again in 1815. The bravery of the U.S. Marine Corps in these wars led to the line “to the shores of Tripoli� in the Marine Hymn, and they would forever be known as “leathernecks� for the leather collars of their uniforms, designed to prevent their heads from being cut off by the Muslim scimitars when boarding enemy ships.
ming times at taxpayer-funded universities and public pools; that Christians, Jews, and Hindus have been banned from serving on juries where Muslim defendants are being judged; Piggy banks and Porky Pig tissue dispensers have been banned from workplaces because they offend Islamist sensibilities; ice cream has been discontinued at certain Burger King locations because the picture on the wrapper looks similar to the Arabic script for Allah; public schools are pulling pork from their menus; on and on and on and on‌.
I
t’s death by a thousand cuts, or inch-by-inch as some refer to it, and most Americans have no idea that this battle is being waged every day across America. By not ĆJKWLQJ EDFN E\ DOORZLQJ JURXSV WR REIXVFDWH ZKDW LV really happening, and not insisting that the Islamists adapt to our own culture, the United States is cutting its own throat with a politically correct knife, and helping to further the Islamists agenda. Sadly, it appears that today America’s leaders would rather be politically correct than victorious!
TRUST
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VODP DQG ZKDW LWV %DUEDU\ IROORZHUV MXVWLĆHG GRLQJ in the name of their prophet and their god, disturbed Jefferson quite deeply. America had a tradition of
Remember reading any of this in your history books?
Google “Thomas Jefferson vs. the Muslim World.â€? •
HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016 19
TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI
IN GOD
B
efore the Revolutionary War, U.S. merchant ships had been under the protection of Great Britain. When the U.S. declared its independence and entered into war, the ships of the United States were protected by France. However, once the war was won, America had to protect its own ćHHWV 7KXV WKH ELUWK RI WKH 8 6 1DY\ %HJLQQLQJ LQ 1784, seventeen years before he would become president, Thomas Jefferson became America’s Minister to France. That same year, the U.S. Congress sought to appease its Muslim adversaries by following in the footsteps of European nations who paid bribes to the Barbary States rather than engaging them in war.
T
he two future presidents reported that Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja had answered that Islam “was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Quran that all nations who would not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Musselman (Muslim) who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise.�
D
espite this stunning admission of premeditated violence on non-Muslim nations, as well as the objections of many notable American leaders, includn July of 1785, Algerian pirates captured American ing George Washington, who warned that caving in ships, and the Dye of Algiers demanded an unheard- was both wrong and would only further embolden the of ransom of $60,000. It was a plain and simple case HQHP\ IRU WKH IROORZLQJ ĆIWHHQ \HDUV WKH $PHULFDQ of extortion, and Thomas Jefferson was vehemently government paid the Muslims millions of dollars for the opposed to any further payments. Instead, he prosafe passage of American ships or the return of Ameriposed to Congress the formation of a coalition of allied can hostages. The payments in ransom and tribute nations who together could force the Islamic states amounted to over twenty percent of the United States into peace. A disinterested Congress decided to pay government annual revenues in 1800. the ransom. efferson was disgusted. Shortly after his being n 1786, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams met with sworn in as the third President of the United States Tripoli’s ambassador to Great Britain to ask by what in 1801, the Pasha of Tripoli sent him a note demanding right his nation attacked American ships and enslaved the immediate payment of $225,000 plus $25,000 a American citizens, and why Muslims held so much hos- year for every year forthcoming. That changed everytility towards America, a nation with which they had no thing. Jefferson let the Pasha know, in no uncertain previous contacts. terms, what he could do with his demand. The Pasha
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18 HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016
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ity in the Middle East, and the safety of our ally, Israel.
Finally, we must adGUHVV VHFXULW\ ćDZV LQ our immigration and refugee programs and increase border security by enforcing current laws.
“OUR COUNTRY CAN NO LONGER AFFORD...�
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he president’s unwillingness to secure our borders has compounded the security threats. His refusal to deport illegal immigrants and instead give them work permits has already caused a surge of illegal immigrants across the southern border. Another surge is developing today. These illegal immigrants must be sent home.
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he dangerous policies of this administration have also encouraged fraud in our refugee and asylum programs. Illegal immigrants now seek to abuse these programs that Congress once reserved for limited cases of persecution. And the president plans to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees despite the fact WKDW DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ RIĆFLDOV KDYH admitted that they do not have the necessary information to properly screen them.
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or this reason, I have authored multiple bills to keep us safe, including legislation to end the president’s amnesty, reverse his catch-and-release of criminal immigrants into our communities, and empower states to enforce immigration laws. Also, I have sponsored a House bill similar to Senator Cruz’s to support the rights of states like Texas to determine whether they will accept refugees.
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he country can no longer afford the president’s foreign policies. This is not the time for hesitation and indecisiveness. It is time to take actions that will keep America safe. • om]u;vvl-m -l-u "lb|_ u;ru;v;m|v |_; Ć?ĆŽv| bv|ub1| o= $;Š-vĸ ; v;uˆ;v -v 1_-bul-m o= |_; o†v; "1b;m1;Äś "r-1;Äś Ĺ? $;1_moѲo]‹ ollb‚;;Äś -m7 bv - l;l0;u o= |_; ollb‚;; om ol;Ѳ-m7 ";1†ub|‹ -m7 |_; o†v; †7b1b-u‹ ollb‚;;Äś om ‰_b1_ _; -Ѳvo v;uˆ;7 -v 1_-bul-mĸ "lb|_ bv =o†m7;u -m7 1_-bul-m o= |_; o†v; ou7;u ";1†ub|‹ -†1†v -m7 _-v ru;ˆbo†vѲ‹ 0;;m m-l;7 |_; lov| ;@;1ŕ˘źÂˆ; Ѳ-‰l-h;u bm om]u;vvĸ
HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016 15
STRENGTH ABROAD
S ecurity at Home
by US Congressman Lamar Smith
P
resident Obama recently addressed the nation and discussed terrorism and ISIS. Congress and the American people have waited for years for the President to produce a comprehensive strategy to dismantle and defeat ISIS. That is why the president’s failure to acknowledge his failed policies is so dangerous. To protect our homeland, we must be tough on terrorism, support a strong national defense and strengthen border security. At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, SecreWDU\ RI 'HIHQVH $VK &DUWHU WHVWLĆHG WKDW ĂŞWKH UHDOLW\ LV we are at warâ€? with ISIS. This makes President Obama’s lack of a comprehensive plan even more inexplicable. As FRPPDQGHU LQ FKLHI KLV ĆUVW GXW\ LV WR HQVXUH $PHULFDQ families are protected from attacks, domestic and foreign. The president’s foreign policy has failed because this administration lacks a fundamental understanding of our enemies and has greatly underestimated its capabilities. National security is the primary concern of Americans, especially in the wake of recent attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. Yet President Obama says dealing with climate change is his greatest priority, not ISIS. He has called these killers the “JV teamâ€? and recently declared that we have “containedâ€? ISIS. The president also recently stated that “[ISIS] is not going to pose an existential threat to us‌ our homeland has never been more protected.â€? These statements reveal how removed he is from the American people and their concerns. All too often this administration has treated terrorists like citizens and citizens like terrorists. The president’s own actions have left a vacuum in the Middle East for ISIS to occupy. Against the advice of his own generals, President Obama ordered the premature removal of U.S. forces from Iraq and Afghanistan. He has also consistently pushed for drastic cuts to our military. He even vetoed the National Defense Authori14 HOMETOWN JANUARY 2016
zation Act, which provides our troops with funding and requires the president to develop a strategy to defeat ISIS. The extremists of the Islamic State have shown time and again they have no regard for human life or the rule of law. The brutal murders of numerous Americans and civilians across the world show what these terrorists will do. We must defeat the terrorists who call themselves the Islamic State. As his approval ratings have fallen, President Obama has attempted to address the growing terrorist threat. We have heard words before, but words alone are not enough. To win the war against extreme Islamic terrorism and protect our homeland, we must engage our alOLHV LQ WKH ĆJKW RYHUVHDV DQG VWUHQJWKHQ RXU VHFXULW\ here at home.
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or example, the Obama Administration has often WRXWHG D ê QDWLRQ FRDOLWLRQÍ WKDW LV ĆJKWLQJ ,6,6 However, the number of nations that are actually contributing to that campaign has dwindled to less than 12. Additionally, key allies such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have stopped providing air support for coalition forces. We must once more engage these allies and prove ourselves a strong and reliable partner. Under this administration, our enemies do not fear us and our friends do not trust us.
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n addition, we must also reverse President Obama’s damaging deal with Iran and restore sanctions on this state sponsor of terrorism. This deal only emboldens our enemies at the expense of our friends and our own national security. So it is no surprise that a majority of Americans opposed this deal. It allows Iran to develop nuclear weapons and lifts the long-standing arms embargo. Iran has already announced plans to purchase long-range surface-to-air missiles from Russia by the end of the year. And it has already violated provisions of its deal with the U.S. This threatens U.S. security, stabil-