Georgetown View Magazine • March 2020

ge o r get own v i ew WE BUILD COMMUNITY

MARCH 2020

CATHEDRAL ON A HILL Transformation & Healing Through Horses

FOR EVERY EMERGENCY

THE BEST IS HERE.

Every emergency is different. But the answer is always the same: St. David’s HealthCare. We’re right here for you, for whatever life brings.

The Best Is Here. stdavidsERnetwork.com

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contents FEATURES

30 HEALTHY HABITS Allergy Season 2020

9 ROCK How Healing Happens Through Horses

34 EXPERIENCE GEORGETOWN All Things Kids is all things local (and fun for all ages)

14 PRESERVATION COLLABORATION How new ownership on the Square contributes to keeping its charm

43 SIX PACK GISD Excellence

26 CAMP AGAPÉ Bringing hope & healing to grieving kids 38 THE THINGS THAT MAKE TEXAS “TEXAS” Oil and energy keep Texas on top 56 CELEBRATING A LIFE FOR A DAY Get to know Jared King and a new paradigm in funerals

48 SAVE THE PLANET Helping pollinators

Aerial view of Kevin Bowers’ “Cathedral on a Hill”

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58 WORTH THE DRIVE The Alamo 62 FIVE QUESTIONS Broadway’s Ray McLeod 64 FOOD St. Patrick’s Day musts

FAVORITES 20 PEOPLE Karen Crosby is doing it all for the kids...

28 EDUCATION Champion Color Guard at Georgetown High School

Visit our Facebook page for follow-ups to these stories & hints to those upcoming...

GeorgetownView Magazine

51 WHY IS THIS A THING? Daylight Savings Time

THE MOST TEXAS-Y THINGS ABOUT TEXAS

HEALING FOR LITTLE HEARTS

About two hundred years ago, humans found a way to create energy without killing whales.

Today, while Texas continues to be a world leader in oil production, our resources and planning are helping create new ways again, with less CO2.

Kim Turk found her calling 20 years ago when she created the first and only free bereavement summer camp for children who have lost a loved one.

67 POPPY TALKS For the love of upgrades 69 FACTS TO BLOW YOUR MIND The animal kingdom 71 PARTING SHOT Centenarians on top of the world

Cover and above photo Courtesy of ROCK.

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georgetown view Published by Optimus Media Group, LLC

ANN MARIE KENNON EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome Spring!

PUBLISHER

Cathy Payne

cathy@georgetownview.com Like many of the best in her craft, Cathy has a specialized degree—in her case, hard science—and a gift for writing. She found her voice and fulfilment reporting and writing news and magazine features for a regional Central Texas audience. Along with serving as the publisher of the Georgetown View, Cathy oversees multiple news magazines, marketing campaigns, and books.

EDITOR Ann Marie Ludlow Kennon AnnMarie@georgetownview.com

While not a native of Texas, Ann Marie is at home here. With a quarter-century of writing, reporting and marketing behind her, she not only writes about Georgetown, she dove into community service almost as soon as she moved here. Currently, she is on the board of the Williamson County Child Advocacy Center and Carver Elementary PTA, and a member of several support organizations.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Greta Bauer • Savanna Polasek • Megan Freedman GRAPHICS & DESIGN Ann Marie Kennon • Zion Pistole • Elysia Davis CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS David Valdez • Rudy Ximenez • Reagan Zaragoza PRODUCTION MANAGER Donna Sypion PRE-PRESS Renee Blue

CONSULTANT Ben Daniel

DISTRIBUTION Tom Higgs

IT/WEBMASTER Jesse Payne

ADVERTISING Mark Elliott 512-240-2267 • 512-598-3500 ads@georgetownview.com

Georgetown View is an Optimus Media Group, LLC publication.

Copyright © 2020 All rights reserved. Georgetown View is published monthly and individually mailed USPS, free of charge, to homes and businesses in the Georgetown zip codes. Mail may be sent to View Magazine, P.O. Box 203, Jarrell, TX 76537.

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It wasn’t my decision to move to Texas, but I very quickly decided to stay when life threw that first curve ball. Among the many reasons I plan to get old here—the very best thing about Spring in Texas is that it is hardly ever really “Winter” to begin with. Sweet!

This month we usher in the season with stories and people from Broadway to the Alamo, with a little science, schools, and St. Patrick’s Day thrown in for good measure.

Our cover story was a pleasure to write. If you have not already heard of the tremendous and multi-layered impact that ROCK has had on the people of Georgetown... you must be new here! In any case, we are so happy to bring you details of this year’s Barn Dance and all the great things happening with horses and veterans and special children these days.

We are always on the lookout for a good education forum, so this month we are featuring specialty programs at GISD. With help from the Georgetown Education Foundation, students have more choices than ever to think—and learn—outside the box in preparation for careers and adulthood.

Our Texas feature takes a look at the oil business, which made Texas a world-wide energy rock star long before anyone ever heard of J.R. Ewing.

Many thanks to our biggest local celebrity, Chet Garner, with Josh Schroeder, who both love Georgetown as much as any of us. Although Chet was first in his class at Baylor Law School, we are all too fortunate he decided being a lawyer didn’t involve enough on-the-job barbecue!

Chet and Josh were gracious enough to share their efforts to renew and maintain the history and charm of our downtown area.

P.S. I also want to thank all the parents and mentors who submitted entries in our “Faces of 2040” contest. There is no question Georgetown is in good hands for the foreseeable future and we are already working on and excited to share their stories with our readers in the April issue.

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Ann Marie Kennon • annmarie@georgetownview.com

ride on center for kids

The Cathedral on the Hill

T

“ T H E K E Y TO G E T T I N G TO T H E N E X T L E V E L I N O U R L I V E S , I S C ATA LY S T S .”

hose words, spoken by ROCK founder and CEO Nancy Krenek, are manifest every day at one of Georgetown’s most compelling non-profit organizations. There is not enough room in this magazine to list the good things this special place does for those seeking or waiting for equine-assisted therapy.

You may get a sense of how uplifting, and even spiritual it is—just to be there—if you know there’s actually a waitlist to be a volunteer.

Thanks to Nancy’s vision and George and Barbara Brightwell’s 20-acre donation, which got it all started, Ride on Center for Kids is a superb collection of 30 staff members, 30 horses, and more than 400 volunteers.

“Rocketeers” do everything from training to sweeping, and they agree that every life is transformed when a person spends time there.

themselves, a whole new part of them emerged, and I was overwhelmed with the potential. The wheelchairs really rocked their worlds and they began to do different things; personalities came out, they began talking. I decided to become a specialist in movement.”

Nancy had loved horses from a young age and finished a 100-mile trail ride when she was in the Girl Scouts. “It made me think I was cowgirl enough to become one. So, knowing that power wheelchairs and horses would produce the same results, it was an easy decision between the two.”

She began her new mission in a pilot program at Emerald Meadows Equestrian Center in Hutto. She worked there two afternoons a week, after school, so her therapy kids could be around horses. She quickly realized she was going to need her own land. 

HOW IT HAPPENED Nancy had already been a successful physical therapist for 36 years when she had her epiphany about catalysts. While helping students in GISD, she saw the tremendous impact being made when they were given power wheelchairs. “They started waking up, and I realized sometimes people are put into the ‘box’ of their diagnoses. When students had movement and the opportunity to make choices for MA R C H 2 0 2 0  G E O R G E TO W N VI EW

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It’s about transformation . . . RockRide.org THE WINDMILL Nancy drove by the land off the Inner Loop every day and asked the realtor if she could buy five of the 20 acres. “I was so drawn to the windmill and just knew we were supposed to be on that land. The Brightwells heard about my interest and had read a story on our program in the newspaper. They invited me to tea and—unbelievably—gave it to me. All 20 acres.”

Nancy started raising money, borrowed panels from local farmers to build sheds, and found support in many members of the Georgetown business community. Merlin Hoppe, for whom the covered arena is now named, helped build fences, put up sheet rock, and did every job imaginable to get things going. “We moved in during April 2006 and promptly outgrew it. In 2014 we were able to purchase 20 more acres.

Fortunately, I have been blessed to have really smart people around me, on the board, staff and as Rocketeers; from day one to today. ”

TRANSFORMATION ROCK primarily provides equine-assisted activities and therapies to children, adults, and veterans with physical, cognitive and emotional challenges. What makes it special is the bond created when humans and horses are together.

I NEVER LOOK AROUND AND SAY, “I’M SO PROUD.”

Among her hundreds of success stories are autistic children who hugged and kissed their I AM PROUD OF OUR PEOPLE. parents for the first time; or were finally able ~NANCY KRENEK to stop wearing diapers so they could attend school. “There are things people don’t even in military and mental health centers around the country realize exist as a challenge. My very first rider into the fold. Today, we also have programs that support had Down Syndrome. She also had gravitational insecurity; at-risk youth and veterans with PTSD. Our successes there when she approached any kind of step or rise, she would are individuals who have had severe trauma but are truly lie down and crawl across. We started with that goal, but seeking peace and better relationships; i.e., a new way to she did so well on the horse, she was finally able to raise manage the challenges of young life, or civilian life after herself up to the potty too. Sometimes the results are more combat, without anger or fear. Working with a 1,200-pound than we thought, and the horse is always a catalyst.” animal that senses your mood is transformative because When Fort Hood needed experts to support their cavalry you understand, in turn, how fragile your child, spouse, or troops, Nancy and her team traveled to San Antonio to parent is. When stuck, you learn what the horse already work with amputees. “We built ramps, served food, and knows—move your feet forward. My next goal is to be able taught veterans to help each other. We made videos to to give that peace to first responders and foster families. ” document and share the good news, which brought others

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“O N E O F T H E W O N D E R F U L F E AT U R E S A B O U T R O C K I S T H AT E A C H A N D E V E R Y D AY W E A R E C E L E B R AT I N G H E R O E S .

I F YO U ’ V E N E V E R B E E N H E R E AT A T I M E W H E N T H E R E A R E RIDERS AND HORSES IN THE A R E N A , TA K E A TO U R . I T I S A P L A C E T H AT TO U C H E S S O MANY LIVES AND IT WILL TO U C H YO U R H E A R T TO O.” ~BOARD PRESIDENT LINDSEY ROBERTS

JOURNEY TO EXCELLENCE ROCK is committed to improve on quality. Nancy says, “I built ROCK for the people in front of me. I didn’t dare dream of children not yet born, or adults who had not had a stroke, or vets not hurt yet. But I’m not a visionary, all I’ve done is look at the faces of families. When I saw their look of disappointment because they couldn’t work in the rain, I knew we had to build a covered arena. When I realized, even with clients from nine counties, we cannot meet the needs of all those who need us, we began doing research.”

Nancy and her staff have been doing research since 2007, and she is an adjunct professor at Texas A&M. “This is not just a pony ride. There is so much science, and our work has been published in peer review journals. We are part of getting the facts out there to help make this therapy more widely understood. We believe in the service we provide, but I believe part of our job as leaders is to educate people about us, and help others do the same.”

ROCKS tenets are, and have always been safety, integrity, compassion, honor, and excellence. “That includes the understanding if you don’t prioritize safety 24/7, you shouldn’t do what we do. It includes how we spend every dollar given, having the compassion that comes from walking in others’ shoes, and fellowship. But even with all the awards in the world, the real heroes to me are the families, our staff, and the Rocketeers who have chosen to be here, some for more than 20 years.”

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2020 2050 ROCKRIDE LANE GEORGETOWN 512-930-7625 Tickets $250 Sponsorships and Tables Available

The Barn Dance is ROCK’s annual fundraiser for programs and scholarships for special needs children, and Veterans.

The Yellow Brick Road event will transform the arena into something magical; lights, a dance floor, one of the year’s best auctions, dinner, and a performance by Wynn Williams, a captivating showman and cowboy with a modern take on country music.

Nancy says the highlight for the 2020 event is the education program that will share, in heartwarming detail, the impact of the horse-human connection.

Not content to be a leader in programs, research, and education, Nancy and ROCK already have plans to expand their lands again, and program availability with it.

Read more in our extended story at GeorgetownView.com. To contribute to ROCK, visit RockRide.org.

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what’s old is new again.. . and here to stay

Preservation Collaboration

“NO ONE WANTS TO PRESERVE THE EXPERIENCE ON THE SQUARE MORE THAN THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AND OWN HERE.” ~CHET GARNER AND JOSH SCHROEDER

I

f you’ve lived in Georgetown for a time, you’ve likely heard the comparison to Mayberry; and most often during an event on the Square, like Poppyfest or the Christmas Stroll. Even better—not only does our Square have the charm and welcome of a small town, it also has a medley of thriving businesses that bring residents and tourists alike to shop and stroll seven days a week.

The balance of businesses on the Square has been a hot topic recently. We are fortunate to have building owners and professionals who work on the square advocate for and support businesses with the potential to sustain their livelihood, but also preserve their historic buildings for generations to come.

Ann Marie Kennon • annmarie@georgetownview.com

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TIPPING POINT Josh Schroeder is an attorney at Sneed Vine on 8th St. He recalls, “When 600 Degrees Pizza opened down the street, all of the businesses on the Square were mom-n-pops, and many of the buildings were not occupied. To me, there was a pivotal moment when the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team began killing it in the World Cup and this business decided to ask, ‘Would you like a beer with lunch?’. It wasn’t long before you couldn’t even get in the door to have lunch there. The Square began to change.”

Chet Garner leased a building on the Square in 2012 for Hogeboom Productions and legal work. He purchased his first building in 2014 because he found the Square to have a lot of potential; “I traveled a lot and I loved what I saw here. I could see what it could become.” He now owns three buildings and says, “We work here ourselves, and while we know we could buy some land in a cow pasture and lay down a slab for a lot less, we absolutely want to be here because of the atmosphere and the culture. It is in our own best interest to make the Square a fun and vibrant place to work.”

what’s old is new again... and here to stay THE RIGHT FORMULA Josh explains, “For a long time, the whole Square was owned by a small number of people. Without occupants to pay the rent, owners were not able to keep up with maintenance, and some fell into disrepair. The same is true for small businesses that came later. They contributed greatly to the diversity and character of the Square, but did not generate revenue that enabled building owners to preserve the buildings they rented. One such specialty store had to close because the ceiling collapsed from lack of maintenance and the damage destroyed critical assets.“

shop here. If we have an event, we cater from a business on the Square. Simple. And I love walking out nearly any time of day and seeing people shopping and dining; or being here on a Sunday afternoon and there are people waiting to get into a store or restaurant. Not knowing what you’ll experience each time is part of the fun.”

Even as the Square rejuvenates itself around the courthouse, the ‘arms’ are also growing and being rebuilt and renovated. Chet says, “As 8th and Austin go, next is Blue Corn on 7th Street, and I am certain Rock Street buildings are just waiting to be the next big thing.

Josh adds, “Today, it’s important to realize that preservation is necessary, but expensive. It requires dynamic businesses that can afford sufficient rent for the owner to maintain, not just to code, but for the sake of history. Sneed Vine spent more than $2 million to renovate our building, built in 1870. I am glad to work for people who understand what it means to be here.”

“We want Georgetown to be a place that supports entrepreneurs and the creative class. As someone who has seen all of Texas, I am excited about new ideas and being able to build something here that’s better than its ever been.”

Josh and Chet agree, preservation of the square depends upon building and business owners who care. Chet says, “We had whole decades when owners were not present in the city, which is why roofs caved in and businesses were able to operate with little revenue. Now that the Square has been revived, rents have gone up because fixing or maintaining HVAC or roofs is a major expense for a historical building. The part-time and hobby businesses were great, but we are finally hitting a point that thriving businesses have something to offer a broad swath of patrons and they are all contributing to the preservation for years to come. It is just good economic sense.”

They agree the rising tide will lift all boats. Owners on the Square have an understanding that there is no need for competition among themselves, nor is there any desire to be like anyplace else. Josh says, “We are an amazing place called Georgetown; not the next Fredericksburg. We are happy to be able to walk out the front door and see our friends. I don’t know anywhere else where the folks driving the thriving economy are the same local people who live here, own the building, own the business, work there every day, and are also involved in the community.

That’s why it’s going to be successful.”

THE FUTURE

Josh adds, “The Square is a culture and economy in and of itself. None of us wants 100 percent bars, and the ones here are even family-friendly. It will always be small—and local—businesses because chain and box stores can’t understand and model it. So we make sure, as often as it is possible, to spend our money here to support that healthy mix. When we go to breakfast, we walk. When it’s time for holiday shopping, we Austin Avenue, circa 1984. Georgetown.org

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advertorial

Key2Free CELEBRATING RESTORATION Sadly, human trafficking is not only a global reality, it is present in cities and towns all across Texas, including Georgetown.

Among hundreds of thousands, and potentially over a million victims in the United States, 25 percent of reported cases are from Texas. Nearly half of those are children, and 10-15 percent are boys.

Aside from the shocking statistics, and thankfully, Georgetown is also home to The Key2Free, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring survivors of human trafficking to healthy lives and a place where they can hope again.

The Key2Free was co-founded by Executive Director Amy Davis, along with five other women. Their mission is to prevent and end sex trafficking through education in our schools, awareness in our local communities, and aftercare solutions for survivors.

“We work independently and also within a network of more than 100 regional organizations to create a safe, quality environment, provide access and referrals to community-based services, and educate the public and at-risk youth about trafficking. It is our wish to bring hope and freedom to those who desperately need it,” explains Amy.

IN SERVICE TO… While The Key2Free provides safe housing for adult females, they are able to provide non-residential services to a diverse demographic, regardless of age or gender.

Join courageous volunteers and advocates who are serious about their fun! Celebrate restoration at the

The Key2Free 7th Annual Gala

Saturday, April 18 at 6:30 at the Sheraton in Georgetown.

The theme is “Roaring 20s” and tickets include dinner, dancing, live and silent auctions, and raffles.

Our emcee will be Steve Sunshine from the morning show with Spirit 105.9 TheKey2Free.org/events (or scan QR code at right) Guests are encouraged to dress for the occasion... vintage clothing naturally!

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People who have been trafficked at a young age typically have missed many milestones we take for granted in our own journeys to adulthood. Imagine the challenges of trying to heal while also supporting yourself.

Even better than the help they provide in the immediate, they also help survivors who perhaps come to them years after their initial trauma.

Amy says, “While our first priority is transitioning people from at-risk to safe environments, we are here to provide aftercare in whatever capacity we are able.”

The Key2Free provides all services at no charge to clients, including case management, housing if needed, medical referrals and counseling services, life skills classes, and educational support such as earning their GED or acquiring their driver’s license.

Due to the generosity of a loyal volunteer base, funding pays for programs and direct services so donors can be assured that The Key2Free is a good steward of the money they receive. “The money we receive directly affects survivors,” she adds. “Each situation is different and we are delighted to have nurtured the partnerships and resources to enable us to tailor-make a plan for each.”

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people

Karen Crosby is FOR THE KIDS T

he first things you notice about Karen Crosby are her love of family, consistency of mission, and the fact that no matter what she is doing, it is all for the kids.

Karen is founder and executive director of The Locker Foundation in Georgetown.

The Locker is a student service organization run by kids to help kids.

In 2008, a group of student athletes approached Karen with an idea to be more than just athletes. They wanted to help fellow students who were in need. What started out as a modest effort to help support a sense of normalcy has grown into a non-profit foundation that no longer grows by schools, but by entire districts.

Karen’s “project” has long been a part of the fabric of Georgetown, and is an integral part of our schools. Over the past 12 years, The Locker has expanded outwardly—there are now clubs in 12 ISDs across Texas—but also has grown within, adding layer upon layer of assistance, scholarships, and anticipation of the needs of kids as they navigate the milestones of young life.

HER STORY ”As a child, like so many kids we help in The Locker,” Karen says, “there was very little at home. I lived, first-hand, the struggles of being raised by a single mom. I saw how hard she worked, and yet there was still so little to live on. I was like so many of the kids we help, everything looks fine from the outside, but what is actually going on at home is a much different story. Like so many, I hid it well. It taught me that you never know what is going on behind closed doors. In The Locker, we are helping students learn to be brave by asking for help, and teaching others to help their fellow students without judgment.”

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Karen talks about the origins of The Locker; two shelves in a school closet where necessities were collected for distribution to students in need.

people

Like their mom, the whole Crosby family works for and contributes to helping kids; “We all have big ideas and enthusiasm and we are passionate about helping others.”

MAKING IT REAL Karen is pleased to have moved into The Locker’s own offices. “Being under our own roof has brought greater recognition and ease of working with groups outside of Georgetown.

We have a replicable model, and as a foundation rather than a school organization, we are able to work with other ISDs under their own umbrellas.

This growth step enabled us to be better about establishing groups in other school districts that have different protocols and needs. I can look at a school like Jarrell, where students have different lifestyles and needs, and customize a plan and a program that will be best for them.”

KIDS HELPING KIDS The mission of The Locker is to help kids with any kind of need. They do not have to qualify, they just need to ask.

“We still collect and purchase soap, socks, and other basic needs. But many students have other financial challenges for

which there are no programs.

The Locker responds with money for Life Enhancement.

“AP testing costs close to $100.

Sometimes families cannot pay this fee after the student has completed the course. We also purchase dozens of caps and gowns each year for graduating Seniors. No kid should have to miss out on those things.”

Not only does The Locker support kids in need, it empowers and educates its members through service learning to meet the needs of their peers so every child has a sense of normalcy; whatever that ‘normal’ is.

Karen says, “It’s hard to come to school if you don’t feel clean, or dressed appropriately, and a little compassion goes a long way. One student was in trouble because his pants were too low. He didn’t need counseling or punishment, just a little help to buy a belt! We can’t teach them or reach them if they’re not in the building.”

For the future, she says, “We will always try to grow the program; every school we add just shows us there is more need.

It’s such a simple model; we don’t have to build the whole playscape, just put a tire swing in the tree and push it.”

2020 Celebrity Golf Tournament Monday, April 6 • 9am Registration Cimarron Hills Country Club This second annual event is open to the public and every team includes a celebrity member.

Hosted by Green Bay Packers’ Mason Crosby, duffers will spend the day with familiar Locker heroes like Daytripper Chet Garner, SWU Coach Joe Austin, WWE Wrestler Dustin Rhodes, and many more current and former professional athletes.

There are also a few famous faces and voices from the entertainment world to round out play.

Players can expect a full day of fun; cart, food, swag bag, after-party, and a lot of shenanigans that Karen says will qualify your day as “golf-ish!”

Among the 18 holes, golfers will have opportunities to kick field goals, bowl strikes, and as a topper, a chipping contest for which the winner will receive a <1-carat rough diamond.

Even if you don’t play golf, you can still join in.

Everyone is invited to the Clubhouse Par-tee at noon for facials, wine and cheese, shopping, and massages. No reservations needed, and all are welcome to watch golf after the pampering is done.

Proceeds from the tournament will fund Life Enhancement donations from The Locker, as well as helping the foundation expand operations to new schools. Sign up at thelocker.info.

To vo lu ntee r ( re g a rd l e s s o f yo u r a ge) o r d o nate, v i s i t th el o c ker. i n fo MA R C H 2 0 2 0  G E O R G E TO W N VI EW

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advertorial

WELLNESS T EVERY GE

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T

heo Thurston just wants you to be healthy.

If you want to get so ripped you can lift a car, he probably wouldn’t talk you out of it, but he believes fitness is more than being able to run a marathon with six-pack abs. Those seeking better health will do well to look at holistic wellness, which goes beyond the gym. It is building up your physical self and making that lifestyle sustainable.

Simply put, his goal is to help you get healthy and lose unhealthy body fat.

Theo is a Cooper-certified personal trainer and owner of Get Age Fit in Georgetown. His mission, ministry (and rallying cry) is there no age at which we are done with the need to be fit.

Fortunately, his new studio will be open March 15, and will expand his ability to help more people get fit through one-on-one and couples personal training, and also full-service DIY programs.

GET AGE FIT...

The original Get Age Fit is different, thanks to all the things that make it not like a big box gym. First, membership is limited, so he can maintain a one-to-one ratio; no overcrowding. The atmosphere is relaxed—no wall-to-wall mirrors or loud music—to facilitate communication with trainers, and programs include custom nutrition, diet, and cardio elements.

“This is a private setting,” Theo says. “Our programs are about providing more value, personalized attention, integrity, and accountability. We tailor our programs to the individual, and we take care of you; we don’t just take your monthly fee and not have a thought about whether you come back to exercise. Every person counts, and wellness is hard to maintain if you do not have accountability, so that is a big part of the program and the personal attention.”

WORKING WITH TRAINERS ENSURES MEMBERS HAVE PROPER TECHNIQUE, CONSISTENCY, AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THEIR TRANSFORMATION GOALS

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With the success of the studio on Williams Drive, Theo is opening a new facility at 204 S. IH-35 Frontage Road, with more square footage, heaps of parking, brand new equipment, and a few new trainers. Just around the corner from the original location, it will be ready for new clients mid-month.

WHAT “TRIUMPH” LOOKS LIKE WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR CLIENT WHO, WHEN SHE STARTED, WALKED WITH ASSISTANCE. SHE COULD ONLY GO 6 SECONDS ON THE TREADMILL. AT THE END OF HER FIRST 12 WEEKS, SHE FINISHED, ON HER OWN, AT 6 MINUTES!

...NOW DIY FITNESS HANDS-ON HELP With a second location, Theo’s commitment is stronger than ever. “I converted my original studio on Williamson Drive to a do-it-yourself, but full-service fitness facility. Previous clients, who have completed a 12-week transformation, can continue training 1-on-1, or return to the Williams Drive studio to continue with our method for a smaller monthly investment. We are all very excited to have previous clients back here to train.

“We offer 1, 2, or 3 sessions a month and there will always be a trainer here to help with refreshers, reinforcement, and—as always—encouragement.” The DIY plan will still include custom exercise with nutrition and cardio included.

The new studio will be managed by Theo, and Certified Personal Trainers Cindie Jones and Mary Moran Parker.

Many of the staff will rotate between the gyms to provide hands-on help.

Get Age Fit trainers work in shifts —5am to 8pm—so clients can create a schedule that works for and accommodates both. “It is essential to create a routine for the sake of accountability.

We do accommodate changes, but our clients tell us they appreciate the sense of obligation because, after all, it’s about their health. I tell clients we expect to see them here and we will check on them. It is part of my being accountable, to the Highest Authority, to do right by the people who put their trust in me.”

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MA R C H 2 0 2 0  G E O R G E TO W N VI EW

23

KIDS ART CLASSES

Teacher Kati

AFTER SCHOOL THURSDAYS supplies provided

AGES 5&UP 4:00-5:00pm AGES 9&UP 5:15-6:15pm Cost$15.50/lesson ($62/month) $35 Registration

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Cost $15.50/lesson ($62/month)

t s Ar

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LEANDER RD. Roc

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km

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ArtseaStudioGtown@gmail.com Age 9-12 5:45 - 6:45 pm

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Cost $15.50/lesson ($62/month)

round rock

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AFTER SCHOOL Thursdays Supplies Provided Age 5-8 4:30 - 5:30 pm

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MAR CH 202 0  GEO R GE TO W N V I EW

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MA R C H 2 0 2 0  G E O R G E TO WN VI EW

25

camp agapé

Savanna Polasek • savanna@georgetownview.com & Ann Marie Kennon • annmarie@georgetownview.com

Camp Agapé Gives Hope to Grieving Kids LOSING A PARENT OR SIBLING AT A YOUNG AGE IS A SIGNIFICANT HEARTACHE THAT REQUIRES EXTRA SUPPORT

I

magine the measure of distress in a little girl’s broken heart, when all she imagines about the afterlife is that heaven is up, but she saw her daddy bring lowered down into the ground.

That is a true story of a 4-year-old who was unable to talk to her mom about Hell because she didn’t want to make Mom more sad. Fortunately, there is a place of love, safety, and faith where grieving children are able to heal, ask all the questions in their tender minds, and be with people who truly understand them.

Camp Agapé was the vision of Kimberly Turk 20 years ago; to create a place where little hurting hearts could experience healing together. It is the only Christian-based bereavement camp in the nation that provides grief support at no cost to attendees, and it is uniquely provided to children age 7-12 who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Four days each summer, roughly 50 children gather at a beautiful retreat facility in central Texas to process their trauma and be in an environment where they do not stand apart as the kid who lost his dad.

“Agapè means unconditional love, and in times of despair, this is exactly what children need most,” Kim says. “I am certain this camp was a divine calling on my heart, and my life’s purpose is to create a healing place. It is truly an honor to be able to do this.”

The non-denominational, Christian-based service is open to children of all faiths, or none, and offers all the swimming, horseback riding, games, and more, of a typical summer camp, along with therapy activities to assist with the bereavement process. “We

...and faith.

do incorporate prayer as part of the healing process, and provide daily devotionals and journals for the children to take home with them. While it is not a ‘Bible camp’; we use many Biblical principles and Scriptural ideas to plant seeds of hope, guide new thoughts, and ultimately, give them effective tools for coping once they return home.”

Kim says she is especially touched when she meets a child without a foundation of spirituality. “Kids are always curious, and if parents are agnostic or atheist, they may be afraid to ask. Also, and most unfortunate, parental suicide is the number one reason kids come here, and many of our campers are the ones who found the parent. This can create issues of corporal guilt as well as concerns in faith, and why what we do is so needed. It’s a safe place to ask intense questions, freely share ideas, and receive comfort in the notion that their loved one is okay.”

PROCESSING TRAUMA “The objectives of camp are to let children know they are not alone in their grief, help them identify their feelings, and give them coping skills to grieve appropriately and productively even after they leave,” said Kim. An important part of the process is the one-to-one ratio of an adult volunteer—a “Buddy”—for each camper.

Buddies are often people who take personal vacation time from their jobs to help campers through the days’ activities, and witness the bonding between campers that inevitably occurs when, as Kim says, “They realize ‘someone gets me’ and they remain friends for life.”

Applications are available now for the 2020 program, held at Camp Capers (near Comfort, TX) at the end of June.

Camp Agape is a 501c3 non-profit organization supported 100 percent by individual donors, business owners, churches, and civic organizations who understand the value of providing grief support and recovery for children in despair. Donate to PO Box 1484, Marble Falls, TX 78654 or online at CampAgapeTexas.org.

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MAR CH 2020  GEO R GE TO W N V I EW

m

Children create memory boxes and decorate with stickers, letters, or photos; anything that reminds them of their loved one.

Some add a drop of cologne or perfume so opening the lid stimulates a powerful sensory memory of a happy time.

The box itself is also a productive reminder of the tools they receive at camp, which they can fall back on in an emotional time.

Healing

FOR THE MOST COMPLICATED GRIEF In 2006, when Cody Oliver was 11 years old, he found his father in the backyard.

His dad had taken his own life with a firearm, and understandably, Cody was traumatized by what he saw. “It’s hard to see your dad like that; to find him like that. The visualizations, the nightmares—they never go away.

I relive that day in my dreams at least once or twice a month.”

All photos courtesy of Camp Agapé

Kim is also happy to announce the camp’s first full-time Executive Director, Monica Beatty. “Monica is a former director of the Williamson County Child Advocacy Center. We couldn’t be more pleased to have her expertise and compassion for children to help us get to the next level.”

FULL-CIRCLE HEALING “We know the camp changes lives by the large number of campers who return as adults to volunteer with our program,” she adds. “That’s a measurable impact of our success.

It is a profound joy to offer hope to children where none existed before,”

Kim says. “It gives them the promise of a better tomorrow and the concept of life-everlasting.”

A BRIGHT FUTURE Recognizing families would benefit from more than one visit, Camp Agapè also offers weekend retreats to assist the families. The entire family is invited to receive support and find solace in moving forward together. Kim says, “I want to help nurture an environment at home that will enable children to continue with healthy thoughts in a changed family unit. It is my hope that we will help strengthen them against loss that comes to all of us throughout life.”

Cody’s mom called Camp Agapé because he was having night terrors and wasn’t able to leave her side, for fear that something would happen to her too. He was also anxious that the nightmares would be unmanageable away from home.

Kim recalls, “Cody slept through the night here, I know, in the comfort, presence and covering of God. Everything we do is motivated by faith in the kind of divine healing that little boy received—it is the essence and substance of this ministry.”

Cody later told Kim he had been thinking of ways he was going to be able to kill himself, to get away from the pain, until he went to Camp Agapé. “This camp let me know that everything was going to be all right. This is the best thing for any kid; it literally saved my life, and that is why I come back every year to volunteer. I would tell any kid going through what I did, ‘You won’t regret coming here.’”

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27

education

Savanna Polasek • savanna@georgetownview.com Photos courtesy GHS Color Guard

Georgetown High School Color Guard Excels

M

any are accustomed to seeing the color guard under bright stadium lights at a halftime high school football games.

This coordinated performance of twirling rifles, colorful flags fluttering through the air, sabers, and evocative dances brings a visual side to the music of the band.

The GHS Color Guard has been a well-established part of the Eagle Band for decades. But in the past few years, it has also been in the spotlight in the marching world all over central Texas. It has grown into a respected and award-winning part of the winter guard program; the sport of indoor color guard. Each year, students audition for a spot on the team and have the opportunity to perform at pep rallies, community functions, contests, and out-of-state trips.

Following their 2019 season of excellence, the GHS team will compete at the Winter Guard International World Championships in Dayton, Ohio April 1.

“We are one of the hardest working groups on campus,” said Rick Scruggs, Director of the Color Guard. “I want my students to know that most of the best things in life are a result of hard work, dedication, and commitment. These kids learn so much about themselves and are held to high expectations. They are good at what they do, and they are pushed to see what more they are capable of doing each day.”

Carrie Bradshaw’s daughter Clara has been a member for four years. “She’s a senior this year, and the captain. It’s been wonderful for her to have this creative outlet through dance. Watching her evolve in her skill set, from knowing nothing about the activity to performing on the floor, and lighting up a show has been amazing.” Her daughter’s favorite part? The friendships and the performance.

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COMFORTABLE IN MY SKIN This is Rick Scruggs’ 19th year as director, and the 2019-20 shows are two of his favorites, especially given the diversity of his 21 members—including two male students.

The junior varsity competition show is called “For Forever,” a song from Dear Evan Hansen, winner of the 2017 Best Musical Tony award. The show is a ‘lighthearted, feel-good’ show revolving around friendships and pairings.

The varsity show is titled “Comfortable In My Skin”. The song is “Comfortable”

by Tituss Burgess, and it revolves around the idea that people often have insecurities about themselves, and the inner drive to show the world who they are and be happy with it.

Rick’s creativity is evident, not only in his choreography, but in his arrangement and staging. The overall look of the varsity performance resembles a giant pink rose on the floor tarp, and the performers start out with costumes in shades of gray. But as the show progresses, the costume transforms to reveal the “butterfly” and hidden colors are underneath.

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29

healthy habits

Greta Bauer • greta@georgetownview.com

It’s Allergy Season

A

ctually, it is always allergy season in Texas. This month we are coming off the peak in Cedar Fever and growing into grass, ash, and oak. Thanks to our warm climate, things never really “die” in Central Texas so we can’t really lay claim to a single allergy season; it’s more about which allergen is high or low at a given time. As well, there is never a time we are not exposed to non-pollen things like animal dander, dust mites, mold, and even cockroaches.

We asked Dr. Candice Weiner, a primary care physician at St. David’s Georgetown for some basics about allergies and when it’s time to see the doctor.

Photo courtesy of St. David’s

THE BASICS Typically, when our bodies have first contact with something perceived as harmful, we feel fine. Meanwhile, inside, we are making Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies specific to fighting that substance if we are exposed again. “At the second exposure,” Dr. Weiner says, “the allergen finds those new antibodies and sets off a cascade of reactions. The antibodies seek out mast cells [mastocytes], which ‘explode’ with alot of histamines. Those histamines do a great job of fighting off the foreign agents, but they also do a good job of making you feel horrible. This is when you start sneezing, itching; your nasal passages fill with fluid and you get watery eyes, a rash, and more. So, histamines are great about fighting off those invaders, but your body is being overzealous because these allergens won’t really harm you.”

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SOME FACTS Allergies may also be present due to genetics; identical twins have the same allergies about 65 percent of the time. Children typically do not present allergies before they are about two years old, and they seem to peak between 8-9 years old and young adulthood.

They often happen after a change in geography; when the body is exposed to many new elements at once; e.g., moving to Texas from a northern climate where pollen is covered with snow half the year.

Dr. Weiner says it is not known what causes allergies to come and go throughout our lives, “but we may be able to look forward to fewer reactions as we get older and immune responses become weaker in general.”

She adds that allergies also appear to be on the rise. “Where there are no conclusive data, some think modern life means more airborne pollutants, many that are microscopic and can more easily find their way to our mucous membranes. Some even postulate our improved hygiene and reduced exposure to dirt has helped cut down on disease, but prevented our exposure to so-called ‘good’ bacteria and other elements that used to train our immune systems.”

IS IT A COLD OR THE FLU? Dr. Weiner says there is overlap, but, “allergies may give you a scratchy throat, but without the horrible pain and swollen feeling. Cold and flu usually don’t last as long, so if you are the type to ‘tough it out’ but feel unwell for more than 10 days, it is likely not a virus.”

healthy habits

Cough

Allergies

Cold/Flu



 

Fever / Chills Throat Nasal Mucous Tired

scratchy

sore/swollen

clear

yellow/green



 

itchy watery

watery

 

    

Aches & Pains Eyes Stuffy Nose Runny Nose Chest congestion Sneezing



Headache Duration

> 2 weeks

< 1-2 weeks

She also recommends being more cautious with children; i.e., not letting them be sick for several days without trying to determine the cause.

Certain facial features can indicate an allergy spell. “An ‘allergic shiner’ is a swelling close to the eye, under the nose, usually with skin discoloration. Dennie-Morgan folds appear under the eyes (photo); and possibly a horizontal crease at the top of the nose, caused by swiping an itchy nose up from fingertips to the base of the palm.”

Another distinction, she says, is that allergies come on quite quickly, whereas a cold or flu may have you feeling gradually worse over several days.

WHAT TO DO There are two tests to determine the thing(s) to avoid.

A Patch Test “looks like a very large Band-aid, with many small allergen pockets. There is also a Prick Test, which exposes the skin via small needles with allergen tips.

It looks scary, but I had it done myself and it’s not at all like getting a shot. Feels more like a back-scratch, so there is nothing to be afraid of and it’s very beneficial to know what your specific triggers are.”

A common solution is to have allergy shots, which introduce allergens to the body in very small doses.

Shots are given, with decreasing frequency, until the antibodies learn that the substance is not lethal. “They are not a quick fix, but actually stop the allergy by blocking the pathway that created the reaction in the first place.

It is also a preferred option if you want to avoid taking several pills or nasal doses every day.”

There are many over-the-counter medicines that can help alleviate symptoms, but she strongly recommends speaking with a doctor about side effects; “Just because it is OTC does not mean that it is not harmful.

For example, Claritin-D has the same ingredients as Sudafed, which not only constricts blood vessels in your nose, but everywhere else too. So, if you have high blood pressure, it will make your nose stop running, but it is very bad for your circulatory health.” She also recommends keeping track of your response seasons and start your symptom treatment a week or two earlier each year to build up your non-response ahead of time.

Some of her patients recommend local honey as a natural option. There is no scientific evidence that it is a cure, but a teaspoon or two a day introduces microscopic allergens in a natural way, with no side effects.

“Honey is also a natural antioxidant, thins out mucous, and can help with a cough.”

In any case, it is time to call the doctor if you have allergies, but also develop symptoms of flu or cold; one does not preclude having the other. “Doctors can not cure any of those three, but we can certainly help you feel a lot better.”

Considering the 2020 flu season is expected to last late into March, it’s good advice.

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ex p e r ie nc e ge o r ge t own

Everything is an Experience at All Things Kids W H E T H E R YO U ’ R E 8 O R 8 0 , T H E R E A R E F E W B E T T E R P L A C E S F O R F U N I N G E O R G E TO W N T H A N A L L T H I N G S K I D S .

Owner Karen Soeffker is not your typical CEO. For starters, she is the Chief Experience Officer, because that is what matters to her, and because when it comes to experience, she has it in buckets.

Born in the United Kingdom, she was fascinated with everything American.

“My husband Christian is from Germany, and since the day I met him 24 years ago, we have shared a great love of America. If that sounds unlikely, his father founded the Harley Davidson Club of Germany, in Hamburg. We even brought our Harley to the U.S. every year for a six-week road trip vacation.”

When Karen got her chance to work in the U.S., she happily took it, and soon she and Christian and their 1-year-old son Carl arrived in Austin. It was then that the mists of what would become an award-winning toy store began to coalesce.

Karen says, “He was a stay-at-home dad, and as Carl grew, Christian realized he did not want to surrender to the world of noisy plastic when it came to toys. So we didn’t. We wrote home and asked our family to send us some old-world toys.”

Soon enough, they were importing trucks, scooters and all kinds of wooden building kits. Then came a website for Exceptional Toys for Boys and a Facebook group, “All Things Kids,” which highlighted things around Georgetown for kids and families.

When Carl went to kindergarten Christian wanted to do more. “We came to the Square every Sunday and wondered why it was always so quiet. When I saw this space was empty, I started scheming. Finally, when the owners were ready to hear about my plan, I sat Carl down in the middle of the store with some toys, and he explained why the toys we wanted to sell were so great.

He was a natural, and he was the one who really sold

them on us.”

All Things Kids opened April 1, 2011 with big dreams and hardly any inventory, but they had the kind of impact that earned them the Best Small Business award in 2012.

Today, evPhoto by Karen Soeffker erything is still imported and battery-free. “We stay true to that,” Karen says, “but over the years we added smaller things that are easily affordable, and plenty of books. People come in just to hang around the books; just to be here. All of our books are hard-cover and they are a cross-section of the current top 100 titles, plus recommendations from parents, grandparents, and teachers. Books are the first building brick of experience; I love them.”

In 2018, she added a vintage ice cream parlor that provides not only locally-made—and very indulgent— flavors, but also candy, drinks, and a quiet place to read your books, or visit with the staff. When I asked Karen what makes All Things Kids special, Forrest looked up from his waffle cone and yelled, “Me!” Needless to say, her staff are part of the experience as well and certainly contributed to their winning the Best Small Business award again in 2019. They are the only business to do so to date.

“We never planned any of this, but you won’t meet any more proud Americans.­(Karen and Christian became American citizens in 2016.) And you have no idea what it means to have people appreciate us so much for just doing what we love every day.”

For the full Scoops (that’s not a typo) on All Things Kids, read our extended story at GeorgetownView.com. You’re in for some nice surprises there...

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WHAT MAKES TEXAS “TEXAS”?

part 3

ALSO KNOWN AS

BLACK GOLD TEXAS

OIL

AND

ENERGY

Ann Marie Kennon • AnnMarie@georgetownview.com

TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSIONER

CHRISTI CRADDICK HAS THE NUMBERS, AND THE IMPACT TEXAS ENERGY WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE ON THE NATION.

THE GUSHER AGE Yes, one more thing that happened in Texas that became part of the history of the whole United States—Texas had its own historical era. Texas oil production was also a key component of putting the U.S. ahead of Russia for the first time.

EARLY SEEPAGE Native Americans found oil in the soil of Texas long before the first Europeans arrived. They found it had medicinal qualities and used it as a salve. The first record of European use of oil was

in 1543; late survivors of the DeSoto expedition used what they found floating on the water to caulk their boats.

In 1866, Lyne T. Barret used an auger, fastened a pipe, rotated a cog with a steam engine, and drilled the first oil well in Melrose, Texas. Barret’s method was basic, but was the foundation for drillers to come, with improvements over time. His well, located at Oil Springs, produced about ten barrels a day, and his oil was proclaimed “superior in all its properties” by the Department of Emigration.

O I L A N D N AT U R A L G A S A R E T H E M O S T VA LUA B L E M I N E R A L S P R O D U C E D I N T E X A S ; FOUND IN MOST AREAS AND ROCKS OF ALL G E O LO G I C E R A S S I N C E L I F E E M E R G E D. A L L M A J O R T E X A S S E D I M E N TA R Y B A S I N S H AV E P R O D U C E D S O M E O I L O R G A S .

Finally, the City of Corsicana had a major discovery for Texas. On June 9, 1894, while drilling for water, they struck oil. Corsicana went on to build the first wellequipped refinery in 1898.

These early efforts were important, but were famously eclipsed by the great gusher at Spindletop on January 10, 1901. Captain A.F. Lucas, an engineer, was responsible for this first salt dome oil discovery. Although thousands of barrels’ worth spilled out before they could cap it, the well created competition for Pennsylvania’s oil business, and within two years, dropped the national price to $.34 per barrel.

TEXAS OIL IS ON THE MAP Spindletop was a bombshell that brought many people to the state. As well, many cattle ranchers, who owned a lot of Texas’ lands, suddenly found themselves in the oil business.

The boom was energized again in 1916 when the first offshore gusher began production in Galveston Bay, all the while, more salt dome fields were producing across the state.

The Lucas gusher at Spindletop, the first major gusher in Texas. Photo in the public domain, by John Trost January 9, 1901

The East Texas field, biggest of them all, was discovered by Columbus Joiner, a “wild-catter,” in October 1930. The success of his well sparked the biggest leasing campaign in history.

“ W I L D C AT ” I S A M E R I C A N S L A N G F O R A R I S K Y BUSINESS VENTURE. IN THE OIL BUSINESS, W I L D C AT T E R S D R I L L E D I N A R E A S N OT A L R E A DY K N O W N TO H AV E O I L .

IMPACTS ON TEXAS The effects of the oil not only mitigated the effects of the Great Depression in Texas in 1929, it also made Texas the only state to create jobs in the Great Recession of

DON’T LET THE NAME FOOL YOU...

The Railroad Commission of Texas was established in 1891 under a mandate to regulate the railroads. It is the oldest free-standing agency in the state and one of the oldest of its kind in the nation.

In 1917, the Texas legislature declared oil pipelines to be common carriers. Since the railroads were already transporting oil, and the RRC was positioned perfectly to protect the environment and prevent waste, it was given jurisdiction over oil and gas. Railroads were deregulated nationally in the 1980s, but the RRC continues to manage the state’s oil, gas, coal, and pipelines.

Commissioner Craddick says, “Our name is historical and we like it. Plus, we’d rather put the $450,000 it would cost to change it to good use for our people and modernizing our technology.”

2008. Today, the Commissioner says, the 2018 Permian Basin boom has become the biggest in Texas history, making oil a healthy 35 percent of the current economy. Plus, thanks to the oil and natural gas severance tax (severing the minerals from the land), the Texas Rainy Day Fund is the nation’s largest.

BOOM! Commissioner Craddick reports just under half the oil rigs in the nation are in Texas and, every day, they produce 4 million barrels of crude; one-third of our nation’s supply, and more total than Saudi Arabia. Texas also pumps out roughly 26 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily; fourth in the world. “Russia is number one, but no one wants to do business with Russia. There are 35 countries doing business with Texas, and the United States is a net exporter of oil and gas for the first time in 70 years.”

To do that, the RRC transports oil and gas safely inside 470,000 miles of pipeline, and another 30,000 for residential delivery because it is safer in a pipe than on the road.

Not being reliant on foreign energy means many things to the United States. “In the last few months, there were two significant military events in the Middle East that everyone talked about. What wasn’t part of the story was that oil prices, and at the pump, went up slightly for one day—we didn’t even notice. We don’t have to deal with Saudi Arabia, or Venezuela; that’s part of the ‘security’ in National Security.”

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

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texas oil and energy She adds, “Oil and energy put about $16.8 billion into the state economy through what they pay. When all that energy goes to market, oil companies pay sales, property, and school taxes; and mineral payments. That severance money, through recurring bonds, goes into water and infrastructure projects around the state, education, Harvey reconstruction, and property tax relief.”

Fun facts about booms... the Commissioner reported that right now in Midland, Texas (near the Permian Basin), the unemployment rate is 2 percent and McDonald’s employees make $15 an hour. “Tell your kids to get jobs in the Oil & Gas industry. Truckers and welders are in great demand; those with one year of experience are earning close to six-figures.”

MOVING FORWARD Texas has no plans to stop being a world leader in energy production. The industry is leading a revolution in hydraulic fracturing (fracking), which has increased the availability of cheap natural gas, with half the CO2 emissions of coal.

The Commissioner smiles, “What many don’t realize is that fracking technology has been around for about 65 years.

Today, we have revolutionized that with horizontal drilling.

Companies are putting pipes into the ground, and using joysticks to make them turn corners for as much as three miles underground to get more gas. We also take their process for water protection very seriously and we pull about 20 permits a year to guarantee the energy we get is clean.”

As well, Texas is number one in wind power; representing as much wind power as oil refining capacity nationwide.

“Our current administration has put common sense back on the landscape. Removing more than 100 regulations imposed by the previous administration has freed the energy industry to do what it does best. We are producing our own energy, creating jobs, and some of the cleanest air in the world is in the United States.”

ELECTRIC CARS ARE FINE...

Ms. Craddick explains how oil and gas touch every part of our lives—even when we’re not driving. “Anything that is not 100 percent cotton or wood came from the oil and gas industry. Every time you take a prescription, write your name in ink, put on deodorant, walk on a putting green...even eat a cheese-flavored Dorito, oil and gas was part of that. Think of all the things in your life that are plastic; good or bad. And don’t forget the billion or so people who keep warm with it.”

Texas also has its own electric grid, which is studied by operators all over the world who wouldn’t mind integrating renewable energy the way we do. All this without federal intervention; i.e., the Texas way.

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Christi Craddick was elected in 2012. Since then, she has pushed to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of an energy industry that is driving Texas’ economic success. She has repeatedly proven that sensible regulations, careful listening, and plain talk can foster innovation that has solidified Texas leadership in the energy sector. ~RRC.state.tx.us

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six pack of ISD excellence

THE 5TH ANNUAL

GISD STATE OF THE DISTRICT PROVED THAT EDUCATION IN GEORGETOWN IS INNOVATIVE, HOLISTIC, AND BETTER THAN EVER

Programs (and students) Worth Getting to Know

by Ann Marie Kennon • annmarie@georgetownview.com

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t the 5th Annual State of the District February 7, Superintendent Dr. Fred Brent said, with a laugh, “I have never come into a community where so many people welcomed me with a very warm ‘Hey, don’t mess it up buddy.’ But the passion people have when they talk about this community has never left me.”

He said his mission today is the same as when he started; to continue the 2013 mission plan created in collaboration with more than 300 community members. Following are some of the programs that demonstrate the excellence and innovation our ISD is working diligently to achieve.

THE DISTRICT The district will soon have a third high school on land recently purchased near D.B. Wood Rd. Our ISD is the largest employer in town, and the Board of Trustees and Education Foundation challenged the administration to give away more money. This year they provided $100 gift cards to new teachers, and just before Christmas break, provided teacher retention bonuses.

The Trustees also committed to fund the district’s PSAT/ SAT testing, which increased participation by 150 and 500 percent respectively, and reflects a growth in graduation rates. “No student will be denied the opportunity to pursue college,” Dr. Brent says, “because education is a long-term process. We are building qualities and attributes that will serve our children in the future; the ability to problem-solve and work on a team—that’s what employers want.”

Dr. Brent also touched on State Accountability grades.

“We received an overall B, and a few schools had a D or F. We don’t want anyone to have that grade, but we also have to find the right balance. We ask  ourselves how we can improve grades without compromising emotional learning. We don’t want higher scores at the expense of the whole child or programs that create them.”

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six pack of ISD excellence He explained there are many measures of good health. “True accountability is more about the hopes and dreams of your children, and the evidence you want to see from us; and doing the heavy transformational work.

We appreciate your patience with us as we determine what true accountability looks like. Here are the things Georgetown cares about...they go side-by-side.”

COSMETOLOGY When the Texas Education Agency announced they might cut cosmetology programs for the sake of students they believed wouldn’t achieve sustainable salaries, Georgetown resident and SportClips CEO Gordon Logan stepped right in.

In partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Logan donated $50,000 in supplies and equipment to the cosmetology lab at East View High School. Today there are 40 students who will be ready for licensing and fulltime work upon graduation, and there is a waiting list to get into the program. The lab at East View High School is also open to Georgetown HS students who are bused in.

In Texas, more than 300 stylists employed at SportClips were licensed through high school programs. Mr. Logan wrote in a 2019 op-ed; “They entered their career debtfree and became self-supporting, tax-paying citizens immediately after high school.”

Gordon Logan Those numbers don’t tell the whole story, Logan argues, because many stylists work part-time while they’re attending college or raising a family, and many receive tips outside of what’s reported.

UIL MATH Elizabeth is in 8th grade at Benold Middle School and a six-time Number Sense district champion. It is an academic event for “mental math” in which all of the calculations must be done in the student’s head, and he or she may only write the answer. Students can be on this team beginning in 3rd grade Elizabeth and coach, Daniel Chan and the assessment tests are grade-appropriate. Competitions consist of 80 questions and students get as many done as they can in the time given. Elizabeth says no one ever gets them all.

Competitors prepare by learning myriad tricks to find solutions quickly, and practice like any other team. “Math has always come easy to me, I find it intuitive. Right now I’m taking Algebra 2 in a separate class. A lot of things in my life I think of in terms of math. It has always been kind of easy and is just something I love to do. I’m not sure what I want to do but, with math, there are so many exciting options to pick from.”

If you think your student might be ready for Number Sense, you can download a practice test at UILTexas.org.

LANGUAGE IMMERSION Axel (8) and Ella (9) are learning to be equally comfortable speaking English or Spanish. The district now has five elementary campuses that do not just teach vocabulary and grammar, but a two-way immersion.

On the table are Ella’s journals; one entirely in English, the other in Spanish. Teachers Janna Jackson and Martha Mercadante say students receive instruction in English

The program does come with costs for students; the licensing exam is $25 and students supply their own $400 kit to take classes. Thanks to the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, funds are available for students who cannot afford the kit.

Georgetown ISD leaders say the classes will provide a pathway both to a career and to a stable income throughout college.  44

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six pack of ISD excell ence and Spanish, exclusively, every other day. This prepares students to become bilingual and even provides for better academic achievement in later years. “One of the benefits,” Martha says, “is having native speakers of both in the classroom. They are learning cognitive language skills—writing and speaking to each other, rather than just memorizing words.”

Zach says he has received very positive reviews from his students at Zoot, Koy, and Georgetown Vet Hospital; “It’s a good problem to have, but we have to look for more clinics outside of Georgetown because each can only accommodate one or two interns at a time. They love having the help and teaching the students; it’s a win for everyone.”

VETERINARY ASSISTANTS

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

The Veterinary Assistant Program is a three-part component of the Animal Science pathway. In just its second year, enrollment and interest has increased exponentially, and Ag Science teacher Zach Brown says he expects that growth to continue. “The only limitations are the resources available, but given the feedback we’ve received from students and local veterinarians they intern with, I believe we Seniors Brandon and Michelle got Bear will be able red-carpet-ready for the Dirty Dog Days demo. to leverage resources in the future to add more classes.”

Seniors explained the Dirty Dog Days arm of the program at the event. Students check in as many as six (teachers’) dogs for a day of grooming, clipping, trimming, sac expression, and dental cleaning. It is a true clinic environment, including health checks and scheduled visits for walks and exercise, and even an invoice for services at the end of the day.

The program provides credit toward graduation but also allows students to work toward their Veterinary Assistant Certification, which includes a test and 500 hours of practicum. Zach provides the first 200 in the classroom, then students intern in local vet clinics to document the remainder, and be ready to work upon graduation.

Students may also compete in the FFA Veterinary Science competition. They identify instruments, parasites, breeds, and are tested on practical skills. The 2020 skills included restraining small animals to find a jugular vein.

Georgetown seniors Camryn Whitman and Dakota Matlock are officers in the Criminal Justice Club. They hosted a Ted Talk highlighting requirements and successes of the club. It is a student-run organization, with supportive advisors who are also the Criminal Justice CTE teachers. Club members learn and practice simplified scenarios of what they might experience in the criminal justice system. Dakota said, “I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father, who was a police officer and he was my hero growing up. This group is also a second family for me.”

Camryn agrees, “Not everyone comes from a justice background, but more so than any family history, the club impacts all of us as pre-professionals and leaders.”

The club competes in events related to domestic disturbances, misdemeanor and felony traffic stops. Last year the team placed 2nd in the state in the Criminal Justice Quiz Bowl and 3rd for Leadership Quiz Bowl.

They have already qualified for four state events in 2020.

Camryn plans to major in criminology on a pre-Law path and eventually attend law school. “I was raised in the courthouse and I have family who have always been—on the good side—in the justice system. I also want to study writing and rhetoric because communication is a critical piece of law enforcement and justice.

I’m already writing a book for my Capstone project.”

All of these programs are part of GISD, but you can support teacher and student excellence, and more innovations in education. Donate at GISDedFound.org MA R C H 2 0 2 0  G E O R G E TO W N VI EW

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save the planet

Greta Bauer • Greta@georgetownview.com

Pollinators in Your Yard—how you can help W E A R E S H A R I N G T H I S S PA C E . I T ’ S N OT J U S T ‘O U R ’ YA R D — W E S H A R E W I T H T H E P O L L I N ATO R S .

R E D U C I N G C H E M I C A L S O R A D D I N G P L A N T S TO AT T R A C T B I R D S A N D I N S E C T S A D D S B E AU T Y TO YO U R YA R D W H I L E H E L P I N G A L L O F U S T H R I V E . ~ S A M A N T H A E L K I N TO N

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POLLINATOR PROTECTION

collaborative study done in 2011 determined the majority of the plants in the world are pollinated by animals.

What that means, according to bee and crop specialists, is that pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food you eat.

For that, we can thank many species of birds, bats, bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and even fireflies, that pollinate plants. They also sustain our ecosystems and yield our natural resources by helping plants reproduce.

In the bee universe, there are many types native to Texas, as well as bumble- and honeybees, whose declines warrant our concern. Samantha Elkinton, Garden Manager at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, says one of the simplest things we can do, is to not do something.

“We have created a campaign to encourage people not to pull dandelions. They are the first flowers to bloom in the spring and although it seems like a never-ending battle for your lawn, they are a great source of nourishment for pollinators. If you must get rid of them, try countering their absence with other native, early bloomers like the Elbow Bush or Golden Groundsel.” Samantha says these plants begin to bloom as early as February and attract bees like crazy. She also recommends Windflowers, which bloom throughout the Spring.

Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, combines appropriate methods to reduce pests; insects, diseases, and rodents to acceptable levels while causing the least impact on the environment and public health. Kate Whitney, Horticulture Extension Agent, says managing your yard might include native plants, which need less fertilizer, herbicides, water, or pesticides. “All the chemicals you might use have potential to damage bees and caterpillars—not just in your yard, but also next door or across your neighborhood.

Insects pick up the chemicals and take them to their next landing. The impact is greater than your own lawn.”

Most pollinator poisoning occurs when toxic pesticides are applied to crops during the blooming period. Poisoning can also result from: Drift of pesticides onto adjoining plants in bloom.

Contamination of flowering ground cover plants when sprayed with pesticides.

Pesticide residues being picked up by foraging pollinators and taken back to the nest/colony.

Pollinators drinking or touching contaminated water sources or dew on recently treated plants.

Kate and Samantha agree, the safest way to get rid of weeds is to pull them out by hand; the safest way to rid your plants of worms is to pick them off. “It’s broad advice; you don’t want to kill the friendly caterpillars for the sake of a few worms. As well, runoff is a big concern; any time you put chemicals in the ground, depending on toxicity and quantity, you’re potentially affecting ground water, aquifers, greenbelts and other yards.”

SOLUTIONS?

IN OUR APRIL ISSUE, WE WILL HAVE MORE ON SAFER LAWN CARE AND HOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR YARD A POLLINATOR “RESORT” 48

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Samantha recommends organic whenever possible; “Even indoors, you can use soapy water without causing damage or residual toxins. “ Kate suggests, “If you must use a pesticide, look under Environmental Hazards and Directions for Use. Some are limited to plants not currently in bloom, or only sprayed when bees are not actively visiting (late evening). It is always the user’s responsibility to abide by the guidelines. You may have to treat more often, but it’s safer for you and, down the line, our friendly pollinators.”

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why is this a thing?

Greta Bauer • Greta@georgetownview.com

Daylight Savings Time W

e know it’s going to happen twice every year, but we still can’t seem to grasp the time change when it happens. But we’re not alone in our befuddlement, and it’s not a modern thing at all.

To start, the Romans created “civil time” with the sundial in 263 BC—their day was always 12 units of time before the meridian and 12 after. Those units varied, seasonally, to accommodate actual daylight. By our clocks, Roman summer “hours” were about 75 minutes; in winter they shrunk to 44 minutes.

Fast forward two millennia to Benjamin Franklin, who proposed moving clocks forward in the spring and back in the fall. He published an article in 1784 that proposed saving money on candles by rising earlier to use morning sunlight. His idea was pretty much satirical since, without mass transit or communication, or even a standard work day, the 18th century did not thrive much on precise scheduling.

Jump ahead again to the end of the 19th century, when several scientists, businessmen, and even government assemblies began discussing the many benefits of changing civil timekeeping to accommodate summer’s extra daylight hours.

Early thinkers included New Zealand entomologist George Hudson, who wanted to take advantage of after-hours daylight to collect more insects. William Willett was an English builder who thought people shouldn’t sleep in during summer months. (He also didn’t like having to cut his evening golf game.) His idea was to move clocks 20 minutes every Sunday in April and September. Not exactly helpful to people trying to remember when to be at the train station.

Over in the New World, Port Arthur, Ontario became the first city to enact DST in 1908. In 1916, in an effort to save coal during wartime, Germany made the change

nationally, followed by Britain, its allies, Russia and, finally, the United States in 1918.

DST went out of style at the end of the war but came back again during World War II, and was made into law in 1966 under the Uniform Time Act. It took on greater appreciation in the West in the 1970s as a result of the energy crisis.

While, technically, Uniform Time was supposed to be, well...uniform, Hawaii and Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Reservation), said, “No, thank you.”

Hawaii, being so close to the equator, doesn’t have much variation in the number of daylight hours anyway.

In Arizona, the considerable heat during active hours causes residents to use more energy to cool off than the time change was designed to prevent.

Even the U.S. time change has changed a few times—after a few energy policy revisions—and there are current proposals to make “summer” hours permanent. Studies have been done on the pros and cons for energy use, safety, health, and transportation, and while the data did not definitively prove either side, it does mean benefits to retail, sports, and tourism... as in extra few hundred million in annual revenue. Those in the agriculture world don’t love it so much because cows and corn don’t care what time it is.

The main argument for Year-Round DST seems to be that our lifestyles are not really dependent upon the kinds of time tables that were standard for a few hundred years. The argument against is that, like cows and corn, our millennia-old biorhythms are happier syncing with the sun than mechanical clocks.

While a few states have passed their own bills for year-round time, the U.S. Congress has yet to get it out of committee for the whole country. Meanwhile, in Texas, we will be changing our clocks at 2:00am on March 8.

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celebrating life Ann Marie Kennon • annmarie@georgetownview.com

Not a Day in a Life — celebrating a life for a day

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t Cook-Walden, commemorating a person’s life is growing ever-more creative and customized; moving us away from the stereotype of the austere undertaker and a solemn burial, and toward a wonderfully tailored celebration of life.

General Manager Jared King has been working in the funeral business all his life. He is a third-generation funeral director, and while his humor, compassion and understanding of human nature is a gift, his knowledge of the framework, financials, and protocols to create a memorable and comforting celebration of life is born out of all that experience.

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something different than what their parents might have done, and we want to encourage the perspective that enjoying yourself is not disrespectful or undignified. Commemorating a special relationship is a healthy way to mourn.”

IN OUR COMMUNITY

Making a funeral or a memorial into a special, more personal event makes sense, and funeral directors know a great deal about planning special events.

“More than anything,” he says, “this is a people-focused profession. Accommodating a family’s wishes can mean anything, from a traditional and respectful service to football uniforms or even clowns.”

Jared feels very strongly about the Georgetown community, and makes every effort to support groups and non-profits all over town, especially those that help veterans, first responders, and kids. “It has always been my family’s intent to give back and be a part of the community in which we live. After that, it is important to get to know people in our community. This is not a business that thrives on advertising, but it is important, when someone has a need, that they have met me or one of my wonderful staff, and they already feel a sense of connection to us.”

To do this, Jared spends time with a family to get to know their loved one and be surrounded by their things. “My first job is simply to listen. I let the family talk about their loved one’s hobbies and interests. I’ve found that our Boomer generation definitely wants

True to his word, Cook-Walden is a familiar name and sponsor at Boys & Girls Club events, Field of Honor, The Caring Place, and many more. Jared is also a member of many chambers of commerce and a board member of the Williamson County Child Advocacy Center.

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celebrating life

TAKE THE STRESS OFF One of the things Cook-Walden does advertise is preneed planning. Jared says, “Planning ahead for funeral services offers many advantages. Having a plan in place is helpful to me, but also takes the stress off of your loved ones in a difficult time. Many people find it challenging to consider, but it is also something all of us have in common.”

He explains talking to potential clients about funeral planning is a matter of overcoming that reluctance, and often, specific objections to the idea. For instance, because Cook-Walden is part of the Dignity Memorial family, they are able to guarantee a price lock, in writing, for all costs.

“Cook-Walden is among the most affordable places regionally, but it is just not an inexpensive part of our lives. Still, if you were buying a new car today, wouldn’t you like to pay a 1990 price? We will give you a guaranteed plan, at today’s prices, and you can make monthly payments over time. It is not insurance; you are paying a cost up front. There is no better way to protect yourself, and the earlier you do it, the better your price will be.”

As well, because the Dignity family has services nationwide, a pre-need plan is not a commitment to be buried in Georgetown. Jared says his plans have national transferability to any one of their 2,000 offices around the country if you move away from Georgetown. Visit DignityMemorial. com and type in a zip code.

“You can also put all of your wishes in writing so your loved ones do not have to have that anxious conversation

When Jack, a 4-year-old boy, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, his final request was to have a Star Wars-themed funeral. When he passed away, his family made his final wishes come true with one of the most epic funeral services ever. Jack was carried by a horse-drawn carriage surrounded by fully suited Stormtroopers, where his floral arrangement spelled out “JEDI”. The church service also kept the Star Wars theme going – a brass band played the Luke Skywalker theme song and the order of service read “Master Jack Robinson, joined the force 1st April 2014.” ~funeraloneblog.com

or, worse, if they have to ask themselves what you might have wanted. Happily, it’s no longer just about which casket and what flowers. Clients can still have those things, but if you prefer, you can also request a motorcycle procession or a garden party.”

THE EASY PART Jared says at the very least, anyone that wants one can walk in and ask for the pre-planning book. “Even if you don’t buy anything from us, this is yours to have. It includes everything—service orders, people to call, flowers, music—the entire list. It is basically an organizer for endof-life decisions. So if you’re the kind of person who likes the notebooks with the tabs, or even if you’re not, come see me and take one home with you.”

Visit Jared at 2900 Williams Dr. MA R C H 2 0 2 0  G E O R G E TO W N VI EW

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worth the drive

Ann Marie Kennon • annmarie@georgetownview.com

Visit the Alamo

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hile it is famous for many things, you can ask strangers nearly anywhere in the world what they know of Texas, they are likely to answer, “Remember the Alamo.” With the greatest respect, and unlike much of American history, the story of the Alamo is retold from the perspective of the side that lost. The 1836 Battle of the Alamo is one of the most pivotal battles in world history; manifesting Texan identity, the fight for freedom, and courage against impossible odds. Some say it is a modern version of King Leonidas and his Spartans; the valiant stand that made people like Sam Bowie and Davy Crockett more famous than the army that won.

M A R C H 6, 2020 I S T H E 184 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y O F T H E L A S T B AT T L E O F T H E A L A M O The stories of the men who died there made the Alamo a cultural phenomenon of the United States, and specifically, Texas. If you believe the American Revolu-

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tion was the creation of the United States, the Battle of the Alamo is the creation story of Texas. Some 250 men demonstrated true patriotism, and their stories continue to capture the imaginations of people around the world.

Since you live in Texas, it is important to know those stories of bravery and honor, all of which helped established Texas as an independent republic, and played a big part in the character of the state and its people.

Fortunately for us, San Antonio is just under two hours away by car, and the March event calendar at the Alamo is full of special and educational events for the annual remembrance of its final battle.

ON THE GROUNDS The Alamo is much more than the iconic stone wall seen so often in literature and media. Many visitors are surprised, at first glance, at the small size of the church facade that, culturally, represents a military garrison. It

worth the drive gives one a truer sense of the resolve it must have taken to stay and fight when 2,000 Mexican soldiers were trying very hard to get in.

Still, the original footprint of the mission was much larger and only the original church and barracks still stand.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to see. The grounds today include a plaza and courtyards with re-enactment sites, amphitheater, exhibits, movie theater, artifact displays, and gift shop.

TOURS March is a great time to visit. Experts recommend planning any visit between October and April, when the weather is comfortable, and when fewer of the 2.5 million annual visitors are likely to be there. Alamo staff say, while it is never empty, visiting on weekends during off-peak months means shorter wait times. Weekdays are always a good idea, but plan to visit very early or very late to avoid the biggest crowds during Spring Break week.

Visiting the grounds and the church is free to the public. Daily programs include free and family-friendly activities, but they do recommend either a 45-minute audio ($7) or 60-minute guided tour ($15) for the best educational experience. For younger visitors, there is a “Young Texans Tour”, which lasts 45 minutes.

The San Antonio Visitors Bureau suggests planning a guided tour and one to two hours to visit all the nearby sites in the plaza (right) and surrounding area.

EXHIBITS In addition to daily tours, there are special exhibits. The original well and barracks are part of the free activities, as is a short film that highlights the history leading up to the 1836 battle.

One staff member recommendation as a “don’t miss” is the Living History exhibit in the rear of the grounds. “Many people come here, take a selfie out front and see the grounds. But you don’t want to miss live re-enactors talk about medicine, food, guns and other lifestyle elements of the period. It makes the history real.”

He also says, regardless of your plans, save the date for the newest museum on the grounds. Pop culture fans know singer-songwriter Phil Collins is a lifelong Alamo enthusiast. He donated his personal collection, which has thousands of never-before-seen artifacts, in 2014; doors are scheduled to open in 2024.

THINGS TO SEE OUTSIDE Alamo Walls: There are markings in some places on Alamo Plaza that denote where walls would have been in front of the church. There is also a burial site.

Commerce Street: Along Commerce Street there are plaques located near where it is believed the bodies of some of the defenders were burned on funeral pyres after the battle.

There is also a plaque at the location of the former footbridge that was in use during the Battle of the Alamo.

Ashes of the Alamo Dead: Inside the San Fernando Cathedral there is a marble coffin.

It allegedly includes the ashes of some of the defenders of the Battle of the Alamo, including Bowie, Crockett, and Travis. There is still much debate about where the remains were buried.

Original Sites for the San Antonio de Valero mission: The Spanish mission was moved at least twice before it ended up at its present site. Experts have a broad sense of where these would have been; the exact locations are unknown. However, both the Chapel of Miracles and San Francesco Di Paola Church are possible sites near which the original mission may have sat in 1718. The second location in 1719 may have been in La Villita or where St. Joseph’s Catholic Church now stands.

Alamo Cenotaph (pictured): The Spirit of Sacrifice, just outside of the Alamo, includes a list of names of most of the people who fought in the Battle of the Alamo on the Texian side.

300 Alamo Plaza • San Antonio, Texas • Open 9 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. • TheAlamo.org MA R C H 2 0 2 0  G E O R G E TO W N VI EW

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And Now You Know The “Ides of March” is much more than Julius Caesar’s worst day.

Ides means “divider,” so the Ides of March meant half-way through the month.

Romans looked at each month in terms of when the full moon appeared, rather than days of the weeks. The Roman “Ides” fell on what we would call the 15th of March, May, July, and October. For all their other months, the ides fell on the 13th. All the days before the Ides were the Nones, and the Kalends was the first of next month.

So, if you decide to file your taxes on the Ides of April, you’ll be two days early.

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RAY McLEOD BROADWAY IN GEORGETOWN Raymond McLeod has been visiting Georgetown for the past three years, direct from the stage in New York City.

He headlined the annual “Broadway in Georgetown” for his friend, Beth Baker, and the Angel Foundation. Beth lives in Georgetown, and her foundation provides priceless Master classes, concerts, scholarships, and personal mentoring from Ray and many others from Broadway. If you’re not familiar with that scene, you might still recognize Ray as the singing voice of Sebastian the crab in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” feature film. And yes, he is as sensational and delightful as you might imagine.

What is about teaching that draws you away from the stage?

Students have always been fabulous with us. I run all over the country to do performances, teach technique, and real-life skills like how to prepare for auditions and pay the bills. After Georgetown, I’m heading to Galena, Alaska to do The Little Mermaid Jr. I’m looking forward to the creative arrangements since the original was in the Caribbean. No grass skirts and coconuts; we’re going to adapt it for parkas and polar bears. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

What is something about being a Broadway star that surprises people?

How hard work the work is. It is not just getting up and dazzling people at the one performance you see with your ticket. Broadway performers do 400 shows per year. I’ve done 1,270 performances of Jekyll & Hyde and it can get old. Yes, it’s a different audience every night, but sometimes they aren’t into it, or someone out there is drunk. There’s also the repetitive stress injuries; doing the same dances 400 times with the same muscles.

And singers are not immune. The voice is all muscle, which is why we train it, and singing the same notes in the same way over and over requires a lot of training and diligent care.

Do you have a favorite teaching moment?

I love seeing, in a student’s eyes or face, when they really, clearly understand what you’re conveying. The new idea, something they’ve never thought of before, washes over them. That is really the reason why I help kids and want to give them a step up. I’m a good stepper-upper.

What do you do when you’re not performing?

I have a really weird hobby. I love photographing cemeteries. It started because I liked taking photos of angels and I found so many in graveyards. I got really interested in the history of the places and the people who were there. I like to say the names on the old stones out loud because a lot of people don’t get visitors, and I have great photos of some of the odd or funny things on headstones. I enjoy thinking about the stories that might have inspired some of those epitaphs.

Give us your best piece of advice for the stage or a career in the arts.

Absolutely... persistence. Because you’ll hear “no” a lot. You must be yourself, absolutely be on time and be prepared, and you’re done. But as I hear myself say that, I have to add Ray’s rule number one: never go half-way.

At left: Ray captivated the room at Georgetown Country Club Feb 13 for the Angel Foundation scholarship dinner. www.AngelFountain.org

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food Things you should be eating on St. Patrick’s Day CORNED-BEEF HASH TEXAS STYLE “AMPLE FOOD AND STURDY DRINK, A PILLOW FOR YOUR HEAD.

Making corned beef hash is not difficult. Get some corned beef, potatoes, onions, garlic, and peppers, and cook them all together. Those who enjoy it regularly suggest using a food processor to make the job even simpler. You can also feel free to option out the Irish bacon and chipotle chiles for your favorite kind of peppers and flavored bacon.

INGREDIENTS • 1 large Russet potato, peeled and diced into 1/4” cubes

AND MAY YOU BE 40 YEARS IN HEAVEN BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD!”

• 2 T vegetable oil or bacon grease, divided

• 4 slices Irish bacon, diced

• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped

• Salt & Pepper

• 2 c (about 3/4 pound) cooked corned beef, finely diced • Chopped cilantro, for garnishing

• 4 large eggs

• Warmed flour tortillas, for serving

~ IRISH BLESSING INSTRUCTIONS Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. On medium heat, bring the pot to a boil and then boil for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse the potatoes.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil on medium-low heat.

Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and chipotle chile and cook for 30 more seconds.

Stir in the potatoes and while stirring occasionally, cook until they are tender and just beginning to crisp, about 5-7 minutes.

Add to the skillet the diced corned beef and diced Irish bacon.

While occasionally stirring, cook until the corned beef and bacon are warm, fragrant, and well combined with the potatoes, about 3-5 minutes.

Taste and add salt and pepper.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, in another skillet, heat up the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and, working in batches, fry 4 eggs to your desired preference.

To serve the hash, top with fried eggs and serve with warm tortillas.

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IRISH SODA BREAD The Irish will tell you soda bread must have only four ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk. To them, anything more is a tea cake. The inspiration for Irish Soda Bread was one of necessity, in order to make the most of the basic and inexpensive ingredients available.

PERFECT PRESENTATION

INGREDIENTS

nice shamrocks for your

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice

If you slice them just right, bell peppers make place setting.

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants

• 4 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

breakfast... crack an egg

• 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken

• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

in the middle and fry for

• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

• 1 cup dried currants

They are also a great

3-5 minutes.

INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf.

Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FUN FACT..the male pepper has three bumps and looks like a shamrock. The female pepper is the lucky four-leaf variety.

AND FOR DESSERT...

CLASSIC IRISH COFFEE (ONE MUG) • 6 ounces hot, freshly brewed coffee

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar

• 1 1/2 ounces Irish whiskey

• Freshly whipped cream

INSTRUCTIONS Preheat your mug, then fill with coffee. Pour hot water into a mug or heatproof glass to take the chill off. Pour out the water. This will also prevent your glass from cracking. Fill the mug about 3/4 full with the coffee.

Add sweetener. Add the granulated and brown sugars and stir until fully dissolved.

Add Irish whiskey. Add the whiskey and stir to incorporate.

Top with whipped cream. If using lightly whipped cream, pour it slowly over a warm spoon onto the coffee, being careful not to break the coffee’s surface. This takes some practice. A more foolproof way to not break the surface is to whip the cream a bit more and dollop it gently on top. Drink while hot!

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For the Love of Upgrades In the B-list of life’s pleasures, there are few things I enjoy more than an Upgrade. The thrill of acquiring something new or better is directly proportional to the aggravation and desire I arrived at to blow up, smash, or throw the old [thing] out the window because what once was awesome now stinks, or I previously had no idea how good life could be with the new [thing].

Like when we got our first ice-making refrigerator and no longer had to perform that agonizing and exhausting chore of filling trays with water. What could be worse?

Of course technology conspires to force me to do this. When I got my driver’s license so many years ago— who could ask for more? Little did I think that someday I would be frustrated and covetous that my car only had multiple DVD players but no wi-fi. But it’s out there, and now I want it. Mostly because my kid is on his 4th hand-me-down iPad and is mad his current one doesn’t have cellular.

Pathetic, I know. Especially since my idea of technology at his age was this >>> Still, there was nothing better than trading in my moldy old Pathfinder for a shiny new Sequoia that actually propelled me forward when I touched the gas and even told me where to turn. Or how nice was it when you switched from a flip to a smart phone and no longer had to dial 8-44-22-66-55-7777 to text “thanks”? Did you ever want to fly coach again after that time you got bumped to first class?

And don’t even get me started on how much more I am enjoying my second marriage.

Anyway, it’s the worst in the computer industry.

Moore’s Law says computing power doubles every two years; Microsoft and Apple take that seriously.

Naturally I need the upgraded operating system to run new versions of my apps so I will be compatible with co-workers, which slows down my processor, so I need a new computer, so I can use updated apps, which slows my processor, and so on.

poppy talks

A few months ago I installed El Capitan OS on my 7-year old Mac. Everything broke immediately. My Favorites disappeared randomly, app windows defaulted to postage stamp size on every click. Then I updated Adobe Creative Suite (that little thing I use to make. a. living.) and those files were downloaded with a generous supply of molasses and apathy. Click…. wait….click…play game on phone… click…open… wait. Apple admitted the OS had a ton of bugs, but the answer was basically, “We’re sorry. Wait for the… (wait for it) UPDATE to the update—coming soon—suckers!

Aaahahahahahahaha!”

So I sucked it up, realized I would be happy to pay twice the cost of a new computer simply to save my sanity. After checking my bank balance (hahahaha), I resolved to add six more months to my VISA payoff.

And then, it arrived. First of all, you know how weirdly satisfying it is to pull that clear protective plastic thing off of faceplates and other gadgets? Imagine a gadget 30”x24” with plastic all over. Dreamy.

The new Mac is half the depth and weight, and twice the power—clickBOOM-click-KAPOW! and the screen resolution makes me feel like my eyesight is 20/20 again. I fully expect it to fly around the room when I turn it on, so magically fast and fleet of foot it is.

Maybe I overreact. But I do spend most of my life in front of my computer, so the last few weeks have been agonizing and I just wish everything in life could be fixed so simply, if not a little more cheaply.

Now if I could just get a big raise so I can order the new self-driving Lexus with a wi-fi antenna and refrigerated console, then I’ll really be happy. At least until the new Buick comes out with massaging seats, or maybe I’ll look at the new kids’ bed with the sleep app and monster detector (a totally real thing by the way). Who knew you could upgrade a bed? Ahhh, it goes on…

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facts to blow your mind

CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL Greenland sharks live 300-500 years. They grow about 1cm per year and do not reach puberty until they are about 150 years old. Carbon dating on a Greenland Shark caught in 2014 showed it to be approximately 392 years old.

Our geriatric shark would have been alive when Leonardo Da Vinci painted the “Mona Lisa.”

If you get close enough to Africanized bees and you start to smell bananas, this means they are about to attack you.

If you want to swat a fly on the first try, hit it from behind.

They always launch backwards to ensure a “getaway”.

Dolphins recognize humans in the water because of the way our skeletal structure sounds to their sonar. They help humans fight sharks and stay afloat because they are mammals and they understand drowning.

bloodhound sense of smell can be admitted as evidence in a court of law

The global spider community consumes 400-800 million tons of prey annually. They save the global pesticide community billions of dollars every year.

Dogs’ sense of smell is about 100,000 times stronger than humans’, but they have just one-sixth our number of taste buds. Bloodhounds can follow tracks that are over 300 hours old and can stay on a trail for more than 130 miles.

Frogs have been around for 300 million years, so they have developed many self-defense mechanisms, including skin peptides that function much like antibiotics. Before refrigeration, folks in Russia and Finland put live frogs in their milk to keep it from growing bacteria and rotting.

yes, i can smell really well but you don’t HAVE a finger

Those four “antennae” on the heads of Slugs are their noses.

If you’re in the jungle and you start to smell buttered popcorn, there may be a tiger nearby. Their urine, which is sprayed on trees to mark territory, smells remarkably like your favorite movie snack.

“Panthers” are not actually a species of large cat, but rather are typically either jaguars or leopards. The thing that distinguishes them is the color of their fur. Black panthers still have the same markings (spots) on their fur as other members of their species but their fur is so dark, the markings are invisible.

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parting shot

Centenarian at the top of the world

Top to Bottom: Ernie (front row, red shirt) stands with Al Blaschke to his right, many family members, and friends from Sun City.

Ernie with his granddaughter Emily Whittle, her husband Casey, and great-grandchildren Keaton (9) and Adelyn (8).

New jumping “twins” Al Blaschke (left) and Ernie ,with Betty Schleder and Skydive Temple skydiver Aaron Burwell, after their successful landings.

On February 8, Sun City’s Ernie Columbus celebrated his 100th birthday—with 99 friends and family members—at Skydive Temple. He was inspired by his friend, Al Blaschke, also from Sun City, who did a tandem jump for his 100th birthday in 2017. Texas weather being what it is, Ernie was not able to jump that day, but, the Columbus clan was not daunted. His brother, children, and many of his 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren enjoyed a fullsize family reunion, having traveled from as far as Hawaii, Florida, and Illinois.

Undeterred, Ernie went back on a beautiful Valentine afternoon and made a successful jump from 12,000 feet (pictured). Upon landing, he told his fans, “I had a great ride! I feel ready to go again, but maybe after a few days.”

Ernie was born in Pennsylvania and was a U.S. Army 1SGT and served 4-1/2 years in the European theater during WWII. After the war, he worked for the United States Employment Service and later joined the Air Force.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Al Blaschke plans to make his second jump, at a youthful 103, which will make him the world record holder. Friend Betty Schleder says, “While most people blessed enough to make it to 100 might reflect on accomplishments, Al was still making long range plans.” Al’s goal three years ago was to see his grandsons graduate from college. In a wonderful flourish, his grandsons, who are graduating this May, may do the jump with him.

Stay tuned for more cool photos when we head back to Salado in May.

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georgetown view P.O. Box 2281, Georgetown, TX 78627

ECRWSS POSTAL PATRON GEORGETOWN, TX