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COUNTY
• FORM & FUNCTION IN POTTERY • WHERE THE WILDFLOWERS ARE • A DISTILLERY HIGH ON THE HILL
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The Old Kasper House Bed and Breakfast is proud to offer an affordable and luxurious lodging experience nestled in the heart of Shiner. We have 14 exquisitely decorated rooms and cottages with top of the line bedding in a comfortable atmosphere.
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Give us a call (361)594-4336 • 219 N. Avenue C, Shiner, TX www.oldkasperhousetx.com • email: oldkasperhouse@yahoo.com
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Weds, Thurs, Fri & Sat 9:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. 44 State Highway 95 North - Yoakum (Corner Of HWY 95N & 77A) We accept major credit cards *Applies to suggested retail price. EVERY THING IS BET TER IN THE COUNTRY
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So glad you could join us! W
hether you’re here visiting family, down for one of our big events, simply passing through or looking for that ideal place to settle down, please allow us to be the first to extend a heartfelt “Howdy Y’all!” Welcome to Lavaca County! We think of it as our own little slice of heaven, and it’s a place we’re certain you’re sure to love, too. It doesn’t take anyone long to realize this is a unique sort of place. It’s a place rich in history with a character all its own. Maybe you’ll realize it when you’re flipping through the radio stations and stumble across the only local radio station and its daily polka show or the noontime Trading Post. Maybe you’ll realize it when you stop by the gas station and hear a couple locals chattering away in their native Czech. Or maybe it’s something you can pick up in the smiles on people’s faces and hospitality they’re sure to show you. Because, if you’re in Lavaca County long at all, you’ll realize there’s quite a lot that makes this place so special.
A Center for Arts And entertAinment A Center for Arts AndBe entertAinment pArt of it!
Open everyday except Sunday Be pArt of it! Free Admission
Join memBership online todAy! Joindoors memBership Our are open! online todAy! Come in & browse!
Oak Gallery Historic Kahn & Stanzel Bld. experience it! Hallet Historic Kahn & Stanzel BuildinguildHistoric Kahn & Stanzel experience it! Hallettsville, TXBld. 77964 explore it! 115 N. Main Steet Hallettsville, TX 77964 explore Hallettsville, Texas 77964 361-217-7030 enjoy it!it! Mon. thru Fri. 12 - 2 PM 361-217-7030 enjoy it!
Saturdays 11 - 3 PM 361-217-7030
www.halletoakgallery.com Traditional and Contemporary artwork by: www.halletoakgallery.com Moses Adams Dianne Appelt Karen Brosch Blanche Cavarretta Roy Cavarretta Linda Cejka
Larry Charles Toni Conner Mark Curtin Gene Grant Mary Gullette Debbie Halling
Darlene Immekus JoAnn Kahanek Ken Kopacki Mieko Mahi Kathleen McBride Monica Garza-Mischer
Lucia Mueller Sarah Naomi Elizabeth Payne Dennis Pesek James Phillips Steven Pituch
Georgia Pohl Phyllis Rivera Timothy Sadler Lois Weiss Michael Windberg
Check our website for monthly events - www.halletoakgallery.com Page 4
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(361) 798-1720 408 FAIRWINDS HALLETTSVILLE, TX 77964
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Air Conditioned waiting room with TV! Timely completion of services as well as friendly, cheerful staff! Page 5
doubledranch.com 800.899.3379 come away with me: traveling show summer 2022
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DISCOVER LAVACA
COUNTY
This magazine is a joint publication of Lavaca County’s four newspapers: The Hallettsville Tribune-Herald, The Yoakum Herald-Times, The Shiner Gazette and The Moulton Eagle. General Manager: Kristie Bludau Photos & Stories: Bobby Horeka Hans Lammemann Advertising Sales: Sam Preuss Kayla Michalec Nadine Rex Advertising Design: Monica Garza-Mischer Production Design: Richard Stone General Office: Ani Zak To request additional copies or place advertising in future editions of Discover Lavaca County, please call our Hallettsville office at (361) 798-2481 or stop by 502 W. Fairwinds St. during normal business hours. Content © 2022 Preuss Newspapers. All rights reserved. ON THE COVER: Of all the treasures adorning he walls of the Moravia Store—a Lavaca County landmark since 1876, which predates even the community for which it is named—is filled with a Who’s Who of top talents who played the best of country, western swing, blues, rockabilly and good old fashioned Polka music that patrons have come to expect. And It blends perfectly with the other wall treasures as one of the largest private beer sign collections anywhere.
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Searching for a sign? Look no further than the Moravia Store ..................................................................................................... Page 40
Where the wildflowers are They’re right here, of course! ......................................................................................................................... Page 9
Form vs Function Local potter steps onto the world stage ....................................................................................................... Page 16
It rums in the family A new distillery appears on a high hill .......................................................................................................... Page 27
Back where it all began Filmmaker returns to the scene of his award-winning documentary ... in Shiner ..................................... Page 3
It’s Polka Time! City Polka Boys legacy still going strong 50 years later …...................................................................…… Page 39
Hallettsville Barnstormers Inspiring aviation, one wonder-filled child at a time .................................................................................. Page 43
Genealogically speaking … Libraries and museums help people learn more about their lineage or trace their roots or unearth their past .................................................................................................. Page 59 Page 7
Hallettsville Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture & Visitor Center 1614 N. Texana St. Hallettsville, Texas 77964 361-798-2662 visit@hallettsville.com www.hallettsville.com
The Friendliest Little City with a HEART as BIG as TEXAS
Last Saturday in September! September 24, 2022 September 30, 2023
Moulton Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture P.O. Box 482, Moulton, Texas 77975 Phone: (361) 401-9886 chamber@moultontexas.com
www.moultontexas.com
Welcome to Yoakum, Texas! d
First weeken in June
H
www.yoakumareachamber.com 361-293-2309 Page 8
Chamber of Commerce
817 North Avenue E Shiner, TX 77984 361-594-4180 www.shinertx.com DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
Where the wildflowers are By HANS LAMMEMAN
L
ike splotches of paint carefully splattered in pastures and along roads throughout the region, wildflowers bloom every year in abundance to dazzle Lavaca County visitors and locals. Each spring, drivers cruise past fields that have transformed into vibrant shades of blue, pink, yellow, or a combination. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Statewide Mapping System shares that Lavaca County and its neighbors primarily consist of the Blackland Prairies and Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes regions.
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This results in gently rolling hills with deep, fertile black soil that form ideal conditions for many of Texas’ most well-known wildflowers. Many Texans admire and protect the flowers that fill their home state with color; the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has engaged in one such initiative - the Wildflower Program - since the early 20th century. According to the Texas Wildflowers brochure published by TxDOT, Texas was one of the first states to implement a program to plant wildflower seeds along its rights of way. By 1934, TxDOT officially created the policy to limit mowing - except when required for safety reasons - until the
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spring flowering season had completed and plants had reseeded. “Today, the department buys and sows about 30,000 pounds of wildflower seeds each year along more than 800,000 miles of right of way,” explains the TxDOT Wildflower publication. “The Wildflower Program works to create roadsides that blend into their surroundings with grasses and wildflowers that help conserve water, control erosion and provide a wildlife habitat. The result is miles of beautiful color” The following wildflowers are a few beloved species that bring color to Lavaca County and surrounding areas with details provided by the TxDOT Grass, Weed and Wildflower Guide. BLUEBONNET (Lupinus texensis Hook.): Since 1901, the Texas state legislature has recognized the bluebonnet as the official state flower. Six varieties of bluebonnets are recognized as the state flower, though Lupinus subcarnosus was the original Page 10
species chosen. According to the Texas State Historical Society, bluebonnets are native from north-central Texas to Mexico and Indian lore referred to them as a gift from the Great Spirit. The bluebonnet carries up to 50 deep blue or white-tipped flowers on a single stem and is known to engulf whole fields when they bloom between March and May. The bluebonnet is part of the legume family and typically produces tiny green and brown seeds. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center recognizes several species of the bluebonnet as toxic for consumption; the seeds can relate to causing crooked calf disease when consumed by pregnant cows. TEXAS INDIAN PAINTBRUSH (Castilleja indivisa Engelm): The Texas Indian paintbrush is a semi-parasitic species with a name inspired by the spikes that transition from green to red towards the tip of the flower. The flower is known to grow in clumps, often amongst other famous Texas wildflowers like the bluebonnet. DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
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The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center shares that the Indian paintbrush is relatively unpredictable, flowering at varying rates compared to surrounding species. The flower blooms between March and May; the species tolerates most soil types but thrives most in full sun and dry soil. PINK EVENING PRIMROSE, BUTTERCUPS (Oenothera speciosa Nutt.): The pink evening primrose or buttercup flower is a favorite for many Texans, appearing in abundance in nearly all Texas regions. According to willowgardentrail.org, the flower may have gotten its nickname from the yellow pollen that often appeared as a butter-like substance on children’s noses after they picked and sniffed them. Pink evening primrose flowers range in color from dark pink to white; individual flowers last only one day. They can grow very close together to form thick mats. The flower blooms be-
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YOAKUM COMMUNITY HOSPITAL At Yoakum Community Hospital, it’s more than FULL PAGE just healthcare. Why Consider Cardiac Rehabilitation? Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is important for recovery from an acute or chronic heart condition. Some of the benefits include: • Understand personal risk factors for heart disease • Education to support healthy lifestyle changes • Help beginning and maintaining a personalized exercise plan • Monitor and control blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar
It’s cardiac rehabilitation to improve your strength and stamina.
• Manage stress • Build connections with others Cardiac rehab includes a combination of exercise and education to help patients return to a healthy and active life.
To learn more, visit: www.yoakumhospital.org/services/cardiology or call our Cardiac Rehab Department at: 361-293-2321, ext 783
1200 Carl Ramert Drive Yoakum, Texas 77995 DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY YoakumCardiacRehabPrintAd7.375 x 9.875.indd 1
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K A S PA R C O M PA N I E S EXISTS TO IMPROVE LIVES BY BEING
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tween February and June. TxDOT recognizes the species as one of Texas’ most common flowers. LANCELEAF COREOPSIS (Coreopsis lanceolata L.): Lanceleaf Coreopsis are adored by lovers of the color yellow, with bright flower heads about 1.5 inches in diameter. These yellow flowers tend to clump together on roadsides and in fields throughout the eastern half of Texas. The lanceleaf coreopsis prefers dry soils and tolerates a variety of light conditions. The species produces seeds that appear dark yellow to red.
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FORM vs.
FUNCTION Page 16
Fryer looks to balance both as she steps up game to compete with world’s top potters By BOBBY HORECKA
I
t’s not just anybody who can take a thing intended functional in design—something made to serve a practical purpose or perform some useful chore—and rethink it in such a way it transcends utility to become the stuff people admire for primarily aesthetic reasons. Of course, it’s not just anybody who can pop into a promotional booth on her way to a photography class one day, swap her camera gear for a basic potter’s setup, and never look back. But if you ask Cherri Fryer of Hallettsville how she got her start with clay and a potter’s wheel, she’ll tell you it began with just such an artisanal transformation, back when she lived in California and was taking courses at the Irvine Fine Arts Center. She worked in public relations then and took a few photography classes to enhance her skills. On the way to class one day, however, she was drawn to a booth on pottery. She said she knew right then the interest it inspired was instant. “I pretty much joined up right there,” she said. “I just related to everyone so well, and I learned so much from them, just being around DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
avaca L MEDICAL CENTER
1400 N. TEXANA | HALLETTSVILLE, TEXAS 361.798.3671 | www.lavacamedicalcenter.com
Providing the following to our communities: DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY AND RADIOLOGY SERVICES EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT 24-Hours - 7 Days a Week
LAVACA FAMILY HEALTH CLINIC
OUTPATIENT SPECIALTY CLINIC SLEEP STUDY CLINIC
1406 N. Texana Hallettsville, Texas
OUTPATIENT CARDIAC PACEMAKER CLINIC
361.798.1200
PULMONARY REHABILITATION - OUTPATIENT
Monday-Friday 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
THERAPY & REHABILITATION SERVICES
SPECIALIZING IN:
Physician Referral Required
Pacemaker Follow-Up | MDT & St. Jude Devices Every Second Monday Exercise Reconditioning | Breathing Retraining Nutrition Education
Physical | Occupational | Aquatic | Wound Care Pre/Post Surgery | Sports Injuries | Speech
HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER Cardio Machines | Weight Equipment Free Weight | Group Fitness | Pool
LMC HEALTH ROCK CAFE
Open to the Public Monday-Friday for Breakfast and Lunch
LMC AUXILIARY GIFT SHOP 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Monday-Friday
Helping Small Business Navigate Big Things
FAMILY MEDICINE CARDIOLOGY GASTROENTEROLOGY PODIATRY
YNBTX.com 301W. Grand Ave. Yoakum, TX 77995
Salon Services Hair Cuts & Styles Foils, Colors, Perms Waxing
Spa Services
Manicures & Pedicures Facials Massage Therapy
Gift Shop
Clothing & Accessories Decor & Gifts • Specialty Food Dry Cleaning
Bank (361) 293-5225 Toll Free (888) 962-5225 info@ynbtx.com
Beauty Boutique Salonspa 200 Crockett St., Hallettsville 361-798-2831
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all those creative people. You could stop by most any day and find close to 100 potters working together in one big group, each learning from and sharing with one another.” Its allur still brings her back to her potter’s wheel regularly, more than two decades after those first seeds were planted. The art of pottery itself touches on true philosophical questions that have existed since the dawn of man. Despite years of practice and experience backing the skill, those questions remain at the heart of every potter’s creation. It’s something Fryer said she realizes now more than ever, especially as her work begins to capture attention at some of the nation’s largest pottery shows. Cherri said the move to Hallettsville was quite the culture shock, having left behind her active artists community to come here. “You have to work really hard to find anything even remotely close to that here,” she said. “It can be a chore just finding out what sorts of things are trending in pottery right now.” For those interested in the potter’s craft locally, about the closest thing to an artist’s community locally comes by way of Victoria College. The studios and equipment there are used primarily by college faculty who teach pottery and other fine arts at the college, and a few select students. Many of those fine arts students are retirees who take to the arts late in life, more as a hobby than any serious pursuit. The numbers are nothing compared to what Cherri said she once knew, and few have much interest in talking shop. Not the kind of talk that helps folks get better at what they do, anyhow. “Mostly, I went there to make use of the studio equipment they had, until I could get my own,” she said. “I already knew how to do it and what styles I was interested in. Beyond that, few had much interest in the rest. So long as I could go there and get a few pieces made for Market Days while I was still working, that’s about all I had time for anyway.” That all changed when Cherri left her job as an oil company landman, to join husband John Stuart Fryar, the former Lavaca County prosecutor, in the quiet and easy life of retirement. They’re both from Missouri, originally, and they both have children and grandchildren there, so they’ve gotten to spend a lot of time up there as well. Retirement took some getting used to, but Cherri says she’s starting to figure it out. John, her husband, is quite happy to pitch in on projects now and again. A Page 18
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Welcome to
Lavaca County!
Proudly serving the area for over 72 years
407 FAIRWINDS, HALLETTSVILLE 361.798.3281 • 800.798.3225 HOURS: 8 A.M. - 5:30 P.M. MON.-FRI. AND 8 A.M. - NOON SAT.
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talented carpenter, he made a form for one of the platters she enjoys making. She dubbed the form her “John boat,” as its general shape resembles something that would be at home on the water. He’s a frequent helper loading and unloading projects in the kiln. But he cannot abide simply watching her work. While she’s working in her studio, he’ll disappear to a library someplace, where he enjoys finding and reading local histories, as well as doing genealogy research. “Which works out great, because I can’t stand that,” she said. “Not like he does it, especially. He’ll go for five or six hours a day sometimes. Still, it’s all an adjustment, and we’re learning how ours works best.” Cherri says she used her time adjusting to set up her home studio the way she likes it, as well as try her hand at a few new projects. She decided to try her hand at a few shows, something she never had time for until now. too, “They would always tell us in Irvine, when I was working with the community there, that a potter always needed to be growing in his craft. Because you’re either growing as a potter or you’re stagnating. And honestly, I’ve been stagnating for a while now,” she said. Watching her work, you’d never guess as much. Her wheel spins to life with barely a whisper but instantly her focus is impenetrable. Her gaze fixes, jaw sets. Suddenly, it seems, she becomes the only living being in her world. Her eyes, razor sharp on the twisting lump before her, study it, scrutinize it and break it down. Sure, hands shape or tools cut, but it’s those sharp eyes that do all the work, it sure seems. Aside from the barely audible whisk of the wheel, the silence is thunderous while she works. She might explain a thing or two, like what some tool she used actually did or what might come next for pieces like the ones she showed. Even then, however, her words often slowed or stopped altogether—unconsciously, it sure seemed—whenever that wheel was turning and her hands, crafting. Hard to imagine a focus intense as hers anything that might come close to a word like stagnant. Page 20
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BLUEBONNET Insurance Agency
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(361) 798-3200 O WWW.BLUEBONNETINS.COM O 5 0 7 E A S T F O U R T H S T R E E T, H A L L E T T S V I L L E, T E X A S
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Still, Cherri says she’s working to remedy all that coming months. And part of that comes by appearing in those shows she mentioned. Her work was not only part of those shows—one in Fayetteville, Ark., and the other in Las Cruces, N.M.—but her pieces brought home awards there. In fact, Cherri won the top prize at the 2022 Las Cruces, N.M., Arts Fair, in mid-April, along with a $500 cash prize. Her eyes get big as saucers, however, when you ask her about going back. “They had some of the very best, most beautiful pieces I’ve ever seen there,” she said. “It’s what’s they call a juried art show. They are by invitation only, and feature some of the top artists around. It was extremely humbling. And it brought one clear fact to light. That is, I really need to step up my game if I hope to take part in many more of those.” Which, strangely enough, returns this story to the beginning. Form versus function is a longstanding philosophical debate in not only pottery arts but architecture, automobile design, and others. When it comes to a potter’s creations—things like plates, bowls, drinking vessels, serving platters, storage containers of every shape and size, even musical instruments and jewelry— the search for that ultimate balance between usefulness and decor dates to prehistoric times, especially for those most skilled in the craft. Even something as simple as a cup likely left someDISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
body, somewhere, poring over its design endlessly at some point. Perhaps earlier models were just too clunky, or lacked strength, like right there at the handle. Maybe that handle didn’t feel quite right, or how it was situated proved somehow awkward. Maybe it seemed too plain in previous versions, too over-the-top in others. Whatever the case, that simple cup is never as simple as it seems. So, potters must find ways to do things anew. A good way to do that, Cherri says, is to attend those shows and ask questions. The best place to start is on winners’ row. So, when you win, you’re supposed to hand over all your secrets? “Actually, that happens already,” Cherri said. “That desire to share and teach and constantly improve is simply the mindset of most every potter I’ve gotten to know. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t mind getting out of photography at all when I did. You know as well as I do, you walk up to a photographer and ask him how he got a shot, that’s not likely to end well. That’s never been the case with pottery. Not in my experience anyway.” When it comes to her personal taste in pottery, Cherri said she has always preferred function to form. “A big part of that has to do with the fact I’m a huge foodie,” she says. “If you buy one of my pieces, I want people to know that it is a fully functional piece. They aren’t meant to be set on a shelf and looked at but put Page 23
to work to serve a salad or noodles. Once they’re emptied, however, I don’t mind if it sits a while just to be admired. I work hard to make them like that. To take part in some of these other shows, it looks like I’ll step over into the sculpture side a bit more.” Some of form-heavy pieces Cherri says she’s seen have no place on a table setting. The centerpiece, maybe, but that’s it. Because most are far too fragile or complicated to work anymore in their traditional sense. So, one must constantly ask, at what point does a plate cease to be a plate? Or a cup a cup? A pitcher a pitcher. When does adding a frill or two simply go too far? “Just talking about it gets me worked up,” she says, shaking her hands as if to sling the wet from her fingertips. “But if I hope to get into these juried shows, or be invited back, it looks to be a requirement. Either way, I’ve got the time to experiment and see what works for me.” One fact is certain: “I’ll keep at it so long as it stays fun,” she says. “If it’s not fun, why do it? I certainly don’t want it to become a job because I certainly don’t want one of those. I do it because I like it, and when the fun goes away, it’s probably time for me to do the same.” No worries about that anytime soon, thankfully, as Cherri Fryer and her custom hand-thrown pieces are booked for the Hallettsville Market Days for the rest of the year. For information about acquiring vendor booths, RV Hookups and pricing for rentals, at Market Days, please contact the Hallettsville Chamber of Commerce Office at (361) 772-0084.
(361) 594-2172 www.maekerssausage.com info@maekerssausage.com
813 E. 16th St. - PO Box 932 Shiner, TX 77984 Maeker’s Sausage & Processing @maekerssausage
Real TEXAS SAUSAGE Page 24
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FABRICATION & INSTALLATION GRANITE, QUARTZ, DOLOMITE, & MARBLE COUNTERTOPS
312 Front St. Yoakum, TX 77995
(361) 298-5499 | sakgranite.com| katy@sakgranite.com
Providing quality products at a competitive price!
Experience in commercial and residential jobs!
Our team has 30 years of combined experience!
(From left) Perry, Randal and Brian Popp have spent much of the past five years operating High Hill Distillery, the only rum distillery in Lavaca County.
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ItRums
in the
family By HANS LAMMEMAN
F
amilies have long made strong bonds while enjoying alcohol together; the Popps make strong alcohol while enjoying family together. Three brothers have dedicated much of the past five years to producing high-quality rum and a one-of-a-kind facility where guests can drink it. Though High Hill Distillery is now known to many as the only rum distillery in Lavaca County, its story cannot be told in completion without tracing the Popp family roots back to the late 19th century. “In 1884, our great-great-grandmother Juditha Popp and five of her children traveled from the Moravia region of Austria to America via the SS Elbe Express Steamer to settle near High Hill, Texas,” reads the back label of each High Hill Rum bottle. “A new family journey began in 2017 with the goal of producing high quality distilled spirits.” Four generations later, Perry, Randal and Brian Popp use their diverse skill sets to operate the distillery on a rural plot of land just east of Hallettsville at 3337 County Road 122. The first-born brother, Perry, gained a fascination with producing premium liquor after tasting award-winning rum at a rum bar in Colorado. Shortly after, his brother Randal joined him on a trip back to Colorado for a course on the distilling process.
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Locations Yoakum 406 W Grand Ave., Yoakum, Texas
361-293-3572
MOULTON 201 N Lavaca Dr., Moulton, Texas
361-596-4616
VICTORIA 4611 E. Airline Rd. #100, Victoria, Texas
361-703-5103
www.crbanktx.com
Eclectic Properties Team
OUT ON A LIMB TREE SERVICE Tree Trimming, Removal & Stump Grinding
EclecticProperties PropertiesSusan Raabe361-798-0747 361-798Team Team
CindyRenken-Realtor Renken-Realtor Eclectic Cindy 361-798-6120 361-798-6120
Renken Eclectic Properties Team Insurance Cindy Renken-Realtor Eclectic Cindy Renken-Realtor 361-798-6120
RAY RENKEN
606 E. Second Hallettsville, Texas
361-798-0617
Susan Raabe-Realtor
361-798-0747 Prewett Properties LLC, Broker
Prewett Properties LLC, Broker Susan Raabe Cindy Renken
Properties
Realtor CINDY RENKEN Prewett Properties LLC, Broker 361-798-6120 361-798-6120 crenken@renkeninsurance.com Owner
Team
Realtor 361-798-0747
raabesusan@gmail.com
Representing both Buyers and Sellers! Cindy Renken-Realtor Representing both Buyers and Sellers! Agent 361-798-6120 Representing both Buyers and Sellers!
ALLISON RENKEN STEFFEK
205 Crockett , P.O. Box 745 Hallettsville, Texas
361-217-7304
Eclectic Properties TeamLLC, Broker Prewett Properties Prewett Properties LLC, Broker
Representing both Buyers and Sellers!
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High Hill distillery is open the last two Saturdays of each month. Its rum can only be purchased on-site at the High Hill Distillery, which has been open for guests since 2021. DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
“On our way home, we called our brother Brian, and we talked. It was a 14-hour journey; we probably talked 12 hours on the phone…,” recalled Perry. “We started thinking about taking this detour in life, and finally we said let’s do it.” Because the brothers valued the peaceful atmosphere and location of the land owned by Perry and Brian, they transformed the rural grounds with an old hunting cabin into a functioning distillery with a stunning tasting room and outdoor entertainment area. While the siblings began perfecting their product in 2017, the facility officially opened its doors for customers in 2021. Since then, it has become a local favorite for weekend daycations, offering frequent live music and food trucks for guests. “When we bought land out here 20 years ago, we never dreamed (of doing) anything like this. Here we are now 20 years later, and we’ve got rum in barrels ready to be moved to the bottles,” said Brian. “It’s really an awesome feeling.” The distillery serves three varieties of aged rum: High Hill 1884, High Hill Elbe, and High Hill Reserve. All three products are only available for sale on-site at the tasting room. Though all three brothers expressed immense pride in the product they produce, they hope to continue to refine their skills and further master the intricate art of rum distillation. “We’re always looking at ways to improve the quality of the product, and we’ve made several changes (from 2018 and 2019)—when we started— until today,” Randal said. “A lot of the changes we made over last year won’t even be ready for another year. So, we won’t be able to know that the changes we made actually worked for a couple of years. We think it will, based on our knowledge.” The family atmosphere at High Hill Distillery extends beyond the blood bond; the Popps are happy to discuss their passion with curious customers and provide in-depth tours during operating hours. The distillery is open the last two Saturdays of each month from noon until 7 p.m., with occasional special openings posted to their website (highhilldistillery.com) and Facebook page. “We are so thankful for all the amazing support and positive feedback that we have received from all our customers. In the end, that’s what keeps us going,” said Brian. Page 29
Starting at top and moving clockwise, crowds gather for one of the many live music performances held year-round each weekend at the brewery’s outdoor biergarten pavilion, part of today’s sprawling Spoetzl Brewery grounds that did not exist 45 years ago; Frank Binney and Carlos Alvarez could pass for any one of hundreds each week who pose for selfies in the golden glow of the brewery’s Kettle Room rather than the Oscar Award winner and beer industry icon/brewery owner that they are; and family members of the late Johnny Hybner, brewmaster back when Binney shot his 1976 film,pose for a photo with Binney, center, and Alvarez, far right, during his visit last fall. All of them — from left, including Greg Hybner, Deb Morrow, Florence Hybner, Sandra Kloesel and Janet Hybner — appear in the film’s opening sequence, none of them a day older than 12, as they ride to “The last of the Little Breweries” brewery aboard on old flatbed pickup.
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Back where it all began Story & Photos by BOBBY HORECKA
F
unny how time can slip away sometimes, especially when you put a place in your rearview and head off into the great wide wonder of it all. It doesn’t help any, either, when the only destination you have in mind is something along the lines of “Wherever this road I’m on might take me.” Still, to say Frank Binney’s return to Shiner was long overdue is precisely what folks mean when they refer to the Scan the QR code to check curiously fine art of underout Frank Binney’s 1976 statement. Oscar-winning film. Binney hadn’t set foot in Shiner in more than 45 years when he rolled into town early last fall. Not surprising, he said he’d often wondered what might’ve come of the little place he came to know all those many years ago. Just to be clear, Binney isn’t a local boy. He never attended school of any sort here as a child, nor did he have any close relatives living hereabouts. Aside from a few weeks back in 1974 and once again in 1976—both stints tied to a project he undertook as a young man while in film school at the University of Texas in Austin—Binney never called this place his home. Binney sought this place out. He came here as a stranger in a strange land. He set out to do a very specific and distinct job—a job he does extraordinarily well, it might be noted—yet in doing that job, Binney also did something that many often attempt but few ever attain. Not only did he do it well, he also somehow did it in such a fashion that he left his own unique mark on it, a mark that’s forever linked to one of Lavaca County’s
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most recognizable institutions. So, what did he do, exactly? Well, Binney originally came to Shiner with a film project in mind. And film he did, for four long months of 1974 and then again in 1976, which is when he captured much of footage that later became the opening sequences to his documentary film, entitled “The Last of the Little Breweries,” released in 1976. The film, which Binney produced and directed, was his very first film project ever. The roughly 20-minute feature film focuses on Shiner’s historic Spoetzl Brewery and the town of Shiner, generally, for there cannot be one without the other. But as folks would also later note, Binney’s film spoke to most anyplace that’s ever seen corporations move in to cripple the “little guys,” as his film described them. While aimed at the brewery specifically, critics said Binney could just as easily be talking about some old familiar grocer of yesteryear or any one of the millions of mom and pop shops around the nation whose doors were forced closed by the likes of a WalMart or other such big box stores. While it tells the unique story of the Spoetzl and Shiner, it also speaks universally to most anyplace across Smalltown, America. Which is likely why it went on to win an Achievement Award in Documentary at the Fourth Annual Student Film Awards held in 1977, Page 32
which eventually became the Student Academy Awards. That’s right. He got an Oscar for that piece. Binney was presented his award by none other James Earl Jones (who wouldn’t receive his own Oscar until 2011, when he got an Honorary Academy Award, for his life’s work of strong, memorable characters). As part of his award night in Hollywood, Binney said Jones invited him to come to another film premier also showing that night for the cast and crew of another little piece which Jones had done some voicework for. The film was a project put together by another filmmaker who went by the name of George Lucas. He called his film “Star Wars,” and Jones voiced the show’s main villain, Darth Vader. The very same award that Binney won would later go to other student filmmakers like Robert Zemeckis, Patricia Riggen, Patricia Cardoso and Spike Lee. All were people that Binney—who as a past Academy Award winner still gets invited to all Hollywood’s award shows and related red-carpet events each year still— got to meet and spend time with. Binney said he particularly enjoyed meeting and befriending a young Spike Lee. Turns out, Lee was quite the film aficionado when it came to Binney’s “The Last of the Little Breweries.” Binney said Lee told him he loved the people it por-
trayed, the characters it described throughout its history and the shared story those people all told. “He said he loved everything about it, which really meant a lot coming from him, because he’s done some incredible work that I admire as well.” Stands to reason, likewise, Lee’s also a big fan Shiner beer, according to Binney. ••• Binney says he remembers well meeting somebody back in his college days who told him one evening that he was in his 50s. “I remember thinking to myself that he had to be just about ancient,” Binney said he recalled of his 24-year-old self. Having just turned 71 days before his arrival in Shiner on Oct. 18, 2021, Binney has a much different view on those numbers now, especially considering he’s been gone from Shiner for nearly that long. What’s more, he couldn’t honestly account for his time and how it is that all those decades somehow slipped by him like they did. When Spoetzl Brewery’s modern-day owner, Carlos Alvarez, first reached out to him a few months back, inviting him out to see what’s become of the little brewery in his film, Binney said just one sure fact sprang to mind. “It was a trip long overdue.” he said, adding that he promised Alvarez he would swing by on his next trip to Texas. DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
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Frank Binney poses for a photo beside the classic 1960s-model Chevy pickup as part of his tour of the new facilities last fall, a tour given by brewery owner Carlos Alvarez and brewmaster Jimmy Mauric. The classic pickup, painted in the brewery’s trademark Shiner Bock yellow, sports logos and other original artwork done by Victoria’s Gas Monkey Graphics.
He looked like a kid in a candy store when the newspaper caught up with him that Monday morning, about halfway through the tour of all the new facilities. In fact, none of it, not the building with all the displays nor the plate glass windows that look down on the miles of bottling works lines, spinning and churning bottles along its wide arcs down below, which seems so reminiscent of an “ I Love Lucy” episode, about to go bad. Yet, not one stitch of any of it was there back when Binney last saw it in 1976. So, long overdue, indeed Admittedly, he wasn’t too happy with himself for not keeping in better touch with his Shiner friends, as well missing out on all the events he so enjoyed those brief few weeks he was here. “It’s hard to believe you can lose track of entire decades like that,” he said. Especially when this film won the Oscar. While the project originally grew from a film class assignment, Binney said picking the beer and brewery Page 34
itself arose for a whole other set of reasons. “A couple of my hippy friends happened to also be the Austin distributors for Shiner beer,” he said. “One day, they called me up and asked if I might want to make a little extra money. Well, I was always broke back then, so yeah, I jumped on it.” He had to deliver a few kegs to a few houses around town. Best part was, most of the folks he delivered to invited him to stick around after. “Talk about the gift that just keeps on giving,” he said. “Well, I was looking for a film project anyway. Then it hit one day, why not beer? So, I initially planned to document how it was made and such.” Then, in 1974, the 24-year-old Binney made the first of what would be several trips to Shiner, where he started meeting all the people he later immortalized in his film. “I realized then this could be so much more,” he said. “More” suddenly became exactly what Binney said he aimed for in the piece. For most of interview record-
ings, Binney said he set up shop just down from the brewery inside what was an old cotton warehouse, then. “It was dark and cool,” he said. “And I basically had one table, two chairs, a pitcher of beer and two glasses, all day, every day. People would come in, and we’d talk.” And thus began the hours upon hours of voice recordings he used. Slowly, the stories they all shared began to overlap and repeat themselves. That’s when he said he made another significant breakthrough on the project. For he sat down and, using those hours and hours of interviews as his basis, he began to write a script that told the story—the whole story—all at once, versus all the bits and pieces he had recorded up to then. The words simply flowed, developing a voice all their own: “A few years ago Johnny Hybner went off to that big brewmaster school they got in Chicago. It was tough up there in Chicago for a farm boy from Shiner. All the people up there, they say, Shiner: What is it? Where is it? Well, I tell you, I hope them people in DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
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Almost everyone has that precise look that Frank Binney wears here—the shoulders slightly hunched, knees pushed forward, and a smile that flat screams admiration—wash over them whenever their gaze first falls on the one-of-a-kind Shiner beer-inspired paintjob on the bright yellow Harley Davidson Sportster on display as part of the brewery tours given daily at the Spoetzl. The motorcycle is one of the more recent additions to the collections offered, installed during 2020’s mandatory pandemic closures along with entire new rooms full of goodies, vastly expanding what they offer on their tours. They continue to update those displays and add new items regularly, ensuring those tours stay fresh for everyone, whether first-timers or frequent flyers. Chicago see this movie.” Having just seen the film a few days prior, myself, I was floored when Binney told me that the fellow who narrates the film was NOT a Shiner native. Given the cadence, the pronunciations and general country twang to it all—so much like the voices I came to know so well growing up around a place like this — I just knew he had to be one of Shiner’s lost but not forgotten favorite sons. Not so, Binney said. Rather, he said it was one of his UT professors, someone who previously served in what Binney described as “a high-ranking governmental post” in the old Czechoslovakia and fled to the United States just before the Soviet takeover after World War II. Given that this man spoke both Czech and German fluently, he had the perfect accent. And after Binney said he had several long conversations with the man, explaining precisely what he wanted, he handed him the script. Page 36
“I couldn’t have asked for better, I don’t think,” he said.
••• You can’t tell the story of Shiner’s little brewery without taking a long hard look at its founder Kosmos Spoetzl, a Bavarian brewmaster who arrived in this part of the world from his native Europe by way of Egypt, which as the film says, “Kosmos found far too hot;” Canada, “Where the cold like to killed him;” and San Francisco, which he found “too earthquaky” to sustain any longterm sort of bottling venture, especially. Shiner proved a perfect fit, however, and with an old family recipe in hand, Kosmos brewed the first batch of what would become, 113 years later, one of the most recognized and sought after beers in Texas and the nation. “Sure, they all liked to drink beer, but nobody knew how to make beer,” the film’s narrator says. “Kosmos
came down and he found there were quite a few German people, Czech people, Black people. They were people just like him. They drank. They danced. They celebrate. And Spoetzl, he took over the brewery, and the people of Shiner will never forget that man.” As Binney would put it, “Hard not to love a beer with such a fine origin story.” Binney said. Beyond that, it speaks of community, unity and the value of family in this little town—all as reflected through the beer-filled glass of the brewery—a place where folks work together, and all become another sort of family in the process. Along the way, Binney introduces some incredible personalities, folks like Spoetzl himself, local butcher and orchestra leader Joe Patek, Miss Sealy Spoetzl, who ran the brewery for several years after her father passed away and was noted as “the first and only woman to run a brewery” in the nation, and Calvin Kosmos Wallace who had his own DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
special bond Mr. Spoetzl. Then, the narrator touches on an aspect that speaks to so many places we’ve all known, Shiner not excluded. It’s the part so endeared as universal: “Things are changing in this country,” the narrator says. “And I worry about the little brewery. The little towns, the little farms and the little businesses are dying. There used to be hundreds of little breweries, but they are all gone now. I wonder how long the little Shiner brewery can survive against the big boys.” Another voice then speaks out, “The worstest thing for the little breweries is the big ones push them out. Put a little man to fight a big man and the big man is usually gonna win. Don’t know how long they can keep a-goin.’ ” To hear today’s brewmaster Jimmy Mauric explain it, those very sentiments expressed toward the end of that comment are what motivated brewery owner Carlos Alvarez to reach out to Binney in the first place. “He wanted to show him that we had, in fact, hung on through all the challenges and did ‘keep a-goin,’ as they put it. In fact, we’re stronger now than we’ve ever been, I think,” Mauric said. No doubt about that. The Shiner Brewery announced in 2019 that for the first time ever, Shiner’s many brands of beer were now available in all 50 states, as well as every U.S. military base in the world. When the pandemic first took root, Alvarez and the Shiner Brewery donated hundreds of thousands statewide to assist restaurants who were forced to shutter their doors, along with several artists groups, who tried to help Texas singer-songwriters make it through a few humps until they could all get back out again. The local brewery also pitched in making and distributing hand sanitizers, back when those were in short supply. They redid and vastly expanded several displays of Shiner memorabilia, history and Shiner beer-labeled items during their own COVID closures. All can be viewed as part of the local brewery tours, now offered daily in Shiner. Plus, Brewmaster Mauric helped us confirm another rumor we’d DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
heard, right about the same time that filmmaker Frank Binney came to visit that October day. That is, the Spoetzl Brewery wound up brewing and selling more Shiner beer, that very same October, than it had ever made in an single year before. That single month outproduced their entire year’s worth of production for any previous year on record. The brewmaster further added that the biggest part of that capability comes from Alvarez’s many investmentsmade at the Shiner facility which keep all parts ticking along properly. Much like Joe Patek’s orchestra performs “The Shiner Song” at a
dance near the end of the film, our narrator likewise signs off in song, singing in àcapela, the song’s familiar refrain in the Czech: Když jsme opustili Shiner, slunce svi tilo Piva bylo dosti, a jidlaa do sytosti Když jsme opustili Shiner, slunce svi tilo Which roughly translated to English, means: When we left good ol’ Shiner, the sun was shing bright There was plenty of beer to drink and plenty of food to eat When we left good ol’ Shiner, the sun was shining bright.
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GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY City Polka Boys celebrate 50 years By BOBBY HORECKA
I
f there’s one thing to be said about the City Polka Boys after 50 years of playing together, it’s this: They still know how to put on one heck of a party. They packed the St. Mary’s Catholic Church of the Assumption parish hall in Praha for an afternoon of good times, good food and good music recently, with performances by the original surviving members of the City Polka Boys—Bennie Okruhlik, Wesley Matus and Dennis Fajkus— and the group the City Polka Boys later evolved into, The Texas Sound Check Band (or, “Sound Czech,” as many are used to seeing). Plus, before that day ended in Praha last November, they amassed on stage for a polka jam like no other. They must’ve that one song for almost a whole half-hour as each musician on stage—right at about 50 of them in all—got a chance to shine on the refrain before someone would shout “Just. One. DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
HEARD ANY GOOD POLKAS LATELY? No, it’s not a trick question. Just know that polkas are as much a part of the fabric of life in Lavaca County as that brewery is to Shiner’s. You really can’t talk about one without the other popping somehow. As such, we turn to our musical heritage now with a band who helped keep that polka tradition strong. At top, from left, Larry Netardus, one of The Orsak girls, Ben Orsak, and if the handsome fellow with the accordion way back behind all those mic stand looks like the same gent pictured to just to left there, he should. That’s Bennie Okruhlik, one of just three surviving founding members of the City Polka Boys—an eight or nine piece ensemble, usually, which later began recording as the Texas Sound Czech Band (because “City Polka Boys didn’t sound Czech enough, apparently)—and on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, Bennie and the band rang a half century of keeping the polka alive.
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More. Time! (one more time!) Ben Orsak, who with Bennie Okruhlik are the only regular performers these days whom still recall the band’s City Polka Boys days still. Fitting, then, that Orsak led the program and presentations that day in Praha, which included a proclamation and citations signed by Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott and presented that Sunday by Stephen Ray with the governor’s Texas Music Office in Austin. Bennie, the band leader, grew up just a stone’s throw away from Praha, back at the family farm that straddled the Lavaca-Fayette Countyline. He started the band in the 1970s, with James Ohnheiser (who passed away in 2011) and Harry Macik (2016). They were both horn players, and Bennie played the squeezebox. “It didn’t take them long to figure out they needed a drummer,” Orsak told the crowd recounting the band’s history. So, Harry called up his brother E.J. Macik (2014). They figured they could use an extra horn or two, too, so Harry and E.J. said they had a cousin, Wesley Matus. They brought on Dennis Fajkus on sax as well. And Bennie happened to know Hubert Janak (2016) from the Knights of Columbus. Now together, they made up the original City Polka Boys. They stayed mostly a practice and small engagement group until James Urbanosky hired them for their first real gig, playing for St. Theresa’s Catholic Church Picnic in Houston. Mr. Urbanosky was actually there in Praha to say a few words and congratulate them on their milestone achievement.
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That picnic went over great, Orsak said, and it led to the band’s first New Year’s Eve booking at the SPJST Lodge No. 88. That led the City Polka Boys to the Bill Mraz Ballroom and many, many more booking to follow afterward. Just some of those included the National Polka Fest in Ennis, Czhilispiel in Flatonia, Aquafest in Austin, Westfest (in West, Texas), the Caldwell Kolache Fest, Kolache-Klobase Fest in East Bernard, the Louisiana Czech
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Heritage Festival (in Libuse, La.), the Fort Bend County Czech Fest, Crosby Czech Fest, Needville Czech Fest and Wurstfest in New Braunfels, to name just a few. Those performances led to all sorts of other fine experiences for the group, including their own Carnival Cruises and appearances on the Big Joe Polka Show, Mollie B, (19 consecutive year bookings at Wurstfest and numerous appearances at the National Polka Festival in Ennis, as well as many polka masses for priest ordinations, Cardinal DeNardo’s visit and performances for Bishop Fellhouer and other bishops. In 1971, radio DJ and fellow musician Lee Roy Matocha asked for a demo, which he played on his local radio show (which as many in Lavaca County likely recall, used to air on KRJH). It was soon picked up by other DJs and Polka Time listeners, included KULP in El Campo, KULM in Columbus, Texas Thunder Radio in Shiner and many others. They made five official recordings and one greatest hits album, a collection of which was given away on CD to all who attended the event. It built a fine legacy and won them polka music awards through the years, including the Texas Polka Music Association’s (TPMA) Song of the Year in 2000 (for “Wild Goose Waltz,” cowritten by Bennie and his brother Ernie Okruhlik (2005), who left the Bobby Jones Czech Band to come join City Polka Boys in 1996) and the 2001 P.O.L.K.of A. Award for support and drive to push polka music. The City Polka Boys changed their name to the Texas Sound Check (Czech) Band after much thought and debate in 2000, Orsak said, primarily because Bill Mraz, back in the day, said that he would no longer hire a band without Bohemian or Czech in their name.
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It was marketing thing, you see. People just wouldn’t come otherwise, Mraz reasoned. Seems hardly possible when you look at the little group that Okruhlik got going back then. Many talented musicians would come and go through the years, Orsak told the crowd. He named just a few, many of whom later came and joined the band on stage for massive jam session that had, at one point, five accordions, a couple dozen horns and most every stringed instrument one could imagine. Some of those past (and current) band members of the City Polka Boys included Vaughan Berger on drums, David Stegent on guitar, Charles Taameous on bass, Johnny Barton on trumpet, Bob Divin on bass and guitar, Victor Divin on guitar, Ernie Okruhlik on horns, Ed Hrncir on sax, Richard Stade on bass and guitar, and Joe Zetka on everything. Texas Sound Check members included Larry Netardus (everything), Dennis Shimek (bass and steel guitar), John Paul Dornak (drums), Garrett Neubauer (accordion) and Henry Mahicek (accordion).
Ben Orsak, who also plays it all and sings, spent four years playing with the City Polka Boys, before they officially transitioned to Texas Sound Check label. Perhaps even more impressive than the list of musicians who performed WITH them is the groups they played alongside: Lee Roy Matocha Orchestra, Vrazel’s Polka Band, the Joe Patek Orchestra, the Jodie Mikula Orchestra, the Jimmy Brosch Band, the Bill Mraz Band, the Leo Majek Orchestra, Jerry Haisler
& Melody 5 Band, the Harry Czarnek Band, the Texas Plainsman, the Red Ravens, Central Texas Sounds, Donnie Wavra Orchestra, Fritz Hodde & Fabolous 6 Band, the Bobby Jones Orchestra and the Telstars, to name a few. And as a definitely mark to their legacy, their songs have become a staple in polka music across Texas and beyond. All with a uniquely City Polka Boys sound, or Sound Czech, if you will. They are played regularly and have even been recorded by other bands as well, such as The Czechaholics (“Hills of Shiner”), The Moravians (“Gifted Ring”), The Vrazels (“Joe Patek is King”), and who could forget “Looking for My Sweetheart,” (or, “that song with the little girls singing,” as Orsak called it Sunday, featuring Kelsey, Micayla and Delaney Orsak, all now grown and also in attendance). So, please join us in congratulating City Polka Boys and Texas Sound Check (Czech) Band on their golden anniversary! You’ve definitely set the bar high for many other musicians and bands today.
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HERE’S YOUR (BEE
Page 40
DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
BEER) SIGN…
DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
By BOBBY HORECKA
M
iss Henrietta Filip strikes me as one you could toss your bank card, passport and whatever else, then sleep like a baby. As safe as a vault. They’d never get it from her, and she’d never give it up. Don’t get me wrong: She’s not bashful at all, speaking her mind. Ask about something she’d rather not tell, then jackhammers don’t help. May as well shut ’em down. The Moravia Store’s beer sign collection, amassed these last 26 years, proved just such a subject. I tried anyway: What’s the most you’ve ever paid for one? The hardest to find? Ever get an offer you just couldn’t refuse? She smiled a sly grin but didn’t budge an inch. “If somebody wants to come and see what I’ve got, they can come look for themselves,” said she, nice and cool. Texas Highways, the magazine, liked those signs, too. They ran their story in October, 2020, when the governor played open-close-open-close-open-close with Texas venues. Miss Henrietta said she got burned once too many. So, she didn’t reopen right away. Cost her the caboose out in her yard, but she said it was that or shut it all down for good. So, her doors were locked when Texas Highways’ piece ran. It says Miss Henrietta bought the place in 1996 and has filled the walls since. “I’ve been buying and collecting,” she’s quoted. “It’s a sickness.” Suddenly I felt not quite so bad. A few lines more: BH: Which is your favorite? Miss Henrietta walks us to the far corner and points out a cold Shiner beer ad. Looks like a pinup girl on a WWII bomber. Or, it might be a tossup with that and another, much smaller piece behind the bar. A couple sips from a bottle of Grand Prize, circa 1920, looking straight out of Fitzgerald’s Gatsby, yet still, so subdued. BH: What’s something only you have? HF: We walk past the dance floor, where the bands normally play. There in the shadows, in a worn wooden frame, is a posting from Prohibition, Miss Henrietta said. BH: What’s your pride and joy? No—it didn’t end with Stevie Ray Vaughn—been cool, if it did, though. Rather she leads us to her infamous “Wall of Fame,” which appears on our cover. It spans the dance floor wall, with autographed photos galore. From bands. Solo acts. Even a few couple—wedding reception here, I guess—all signed to her with love. Page 41
HALLETTSVILLE BARNSTORMERS
By BOBBY HORECKA
A
viation was still brand new a century ago when the word “barnstormers” first came about. Sure, those Wright brothers might’ve come up with mechanical flight, but almost no one had yet seen or touched a real plane. Or flew one, for that matter. There were those, however, who never fit a mold. So, many went off to war, where they learned to fight and picked a skill. Go fight, they were told. Fight they did, only to learn they had an even rarer skill. They had a knack for skirting death, no matter how close they crept to its edge. A daredevil’s soul, they called it. These daring souls they taught to fly, placing them in some of the nation’s first planes, to fly in
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some of the first aerial battles ever fought. Then, just like that, their war ended. Some went adventuring. They spent years coursing distant lands, chasing all sorts of pursuits. But for them nothing topped flying. So, they returned home eventually, and they scraped all they could to get a plane. Cheap, usually. A secondhand beater on its last leg, bought military surplus from the Great War. It’s what we now call the First World War, but nobody yet dreamed a second war might be looming, far more global and inextricably deadlier in nature. Finally equipped with a plane, they took to the skies, and only then did they truly feel at home again. They aimed straight for America’s Heartland, where they spent weeks, even months sometimes, DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
Inspiring aviation, one wonder-filled child at a time
flying place to place. They never got terribly far. Mostly because their worn-out planes needed constant babying. Most could keep their ailing birds aloft with little more than chewing gum and a matchstick. Still all parts broke eventually, and repairs were costly. So, they learned to tool their own parts. How to turn a few bucks, too. The easiest of the moneymakers, hands down, came by simply sharing this thing called flight with others. Soon, they stopped wherever they spotted a crowd of respectable size. They were places not unlike those found in Lavaca County back then, mile after mile of endless rows. The corn, oats and milo kept livestock fed. Potatoes, onions and cabbages filled their own plates. They canned what they could of the beets, beans and cucumbers, and sold all the rest. But the DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
real cash crops came from tomatoes, melons and, of course, cotton. Most of those farmers kept it going with their families alone. Come harvest time, however, the bigger those farm crowds might become. The bigger the crowd, the barnstormers soon learned, the greater the amazement, the more likely their eyes to truly sparkle in wonderment. These were the groups those pilots loved best. Not only because they usually meant a good meal and, maybe, a respectable barn for the night, but it was these farmers, folks who understood a hard day’s work, who appreciated most what those early pilots truly sold: Up there in the skies, they found freedom, for a while at least. Freedom to pick their own horizons, not just those they were dealt back down on the ground. Page 49 43
The flyers all had it, and they could, too. Just a palmful of pennies is all it took. The pilots understood that, too, for most came from similar backgrounds, before they left off for the war. Now they made do, earning change for their bread, a couple pennies here or a dime there. Still, it kept them in fuel, provided the occasional part. By night, they slept camp-style, in a barn or beneath the stars somewhere with only their wings for a roof. At dawn, they’d take off once more, seeking all new horizons, their next awestruck crowd and eyes that never dulled of wonder. Newspapers, trying to make sense of those early morning departures the writers happened upon, coined the term “barnstormers.” It proved widely popular, and the name stuck. Page 50
And the more they made headlines, the more these early flyers brought an interest and awareness to aviation. They encouraged an entire nation to look to look ever skyward, eyes sparkling with wonderment, and simply explore. They inspired a whole generation to span oceans, cross deserts, and eventually land a man on the moon and bring him back again. In fact, six of the first seven astronauts — Earth from beyond her sky and clouds — credit their interest in aviation to a barnstormer visit, back when they were small. For the Hallettsville Barnstormers, much like those first barnstormers from so many decades before, that one simple mission remains at their core. To inspire… “Kids today have just as big an appetite for adventure as they ever have,” their website reads, “But we’ve plunked them into a world
where opportunities for exposure (short of some type of electronic media or game) are limited. They lack that simple element: Inspiration, to achieve the great things they’re capable of.” Scholars & Dollars Aviation holds something for all, Hallettsville Barnstormers believe, whether that interest lies in flying or designing or maintaining. And opportunity, much like inspiration, knows no bounds. After all, most everyone knows the Wright Brothers were first to fly their airplane. But how many know they designed and built the engine for that plane? Or, its propeller, too? It’s why starting this year, in 2022, Hallettsville Barnstormers are excited to offer the Richard and Maribeth Green Flying Scholarships, as well as the John DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
Cournoyer Aviation Mechanics Scholarships. The Green Scholarships are open to any local youth with an interest in flying. As in the past, beginning in February they notified local and area high school counselors of the opportunities. If accepted, the student will be awarded an introduction to aviation ground school, and three flights in the Piper Cub. There are opportunities for further flight training upon the completion of the introductory flights. Non-local students are welcome to apply as well. To get the ball rolling, please email them and they will add your name to the interview list. Any youngster, ages 14-17, is welcome to apply. Provide a brief introduction, your goals, why you like aviation, and a good way to get back in touch. Hallettsville Barnstormers has not yet begun accepting scholarship applications for the John Cournoyer Scholarships. Those interested in applying should send the Barnstormers an email, so they can be notified once the application window opens. Watch their website for more information by logging on to http://whereolddogsfly. org/. For those who didn’t know him, John Cournoyer was quite possibly the most active antique aircraft restorer in the United States, says Jim Baker, president of Hallettsville Barnstormers. He had an affinity for WACOs, and of the remaining original WACOs flying today, Cournoyer owned most of them at one time or another. He also built antique cars, hotrods and an occasional motorcycle. “It didn’t matter the object, whatever he touched was better whenever he was done,” Baker said. “John restored the Hallettsville Barnstormers’ 1932 WACO UBF Texaco 17. It takes seeing the airplane, in person, to truly grasp the quality craftmanship and magic he performed. “John was more than just a great mechanic,” Baker added. “He was an excellent teacher, DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
Lavaca County Cultural Arts Trail H 1
H
3 Hallettsville
H 2
H 4
Yoakum
Family-Friendly Tourism Make sure to visit our Parks, City Libraries and Local Theatres!
H 1
Moulton
Orrin L. Winters Cabin Two-room cabin built circa 1853. Moulton Community Park 102 Veterans Drive, Moulton, TX 361-596-4621 www.cityofmoulton.com “Camp of the Texas Army” Historical Marker March 15,1836 Army camp site under the command of General Sam Houston, retreating from Gonzales to Brazos River American Legion Hall Post 392 500 N. Lavaca, Moulton, TX 361-596-4621 www.cityofmoulton.com
H
2 Shiner
Edwin Wolters Memorial Museum 306 S. Ave I, Shiner, TX Open: Wed.,Thu., Fri.: 8 AM - 5 PM (Closed from Noon - 1 PM)
Sat.: Noon - 4 PM 361-594-3774 www.woltersmuseum.org Spoetzl Brewery Gift Shop 603 E. Brewery St., Shiner, TX Gift Shop Hours: Mon. thru Sat: 10 AM - 6 PM Sunday: Noon - 6 PM
Check calendar for schedule and close dates for holidays. Daily tours are listed on Facebook: Spoetzl Brewery, Home of Shiner Beers
361-594-3383 www.shiner.com
H 3
Hallettsville
Hallet Oak Gallery Historic Kahn & Stanzel Bldg. (1890) J. Riely Gordon, Architect 115 N. Main St., Hallettsville, TX Open: Mon. thru Fri.: Noon - 2 PM Sat.: 11 AM - 3 PM 361-217-7030, www.halletoakgallery.com Lavaca Historical Museum 1205 N. Texana Hallettsville, TX 77964 Sunday & Monday - Closed Wed. & Thu.: 10 AM - 4 PM Fri.: Noon - 4 PM 361-798-4113 www.lavacahistoricalmuseum.org
H 4
Yoakum
Yoakum Heritage Museum 312 Simpson St., Yoakum, TX Open: Sun, Tues, Thu.: 1 PM - 4 PM Fri.: 10 AM - 4 PM 361-293-7022 www.yoakumareachamber.com Chisholm Trail Monument and Park W. Gonzales and Highway 77A Yoakum, TX 361-293-6321 www.cityofyoakum.org Lavaca County Cultural Arts Trail Supported by Hallet Oak Foundation, Texas Historical Society, Dr. Betty J. Edwards, City of Moulton, City of Shiner, City of Hallettsville, and City of Yoakum.
For more information: www.halletoakfoundation.com Page 51
mentor and friend to many people, and I was always proud to be included in that group.” To support the scholarship begun in Cournoyer’s honor, Hallettsville Barnstormers happened upon a jewel and that was just too cool to pass up. They found cherry a red Ford Mustang that rolled off the assembly line in 1965 that was lovingly cared for ever since. They even had the car checked out by Tirekickers, a veteran-owned company that knows old cars, nuts and bolts, and exactly what to look for. “It got a clean bill of health and was exactly what we were looking for,” Baker said. “It’s all original and in great shape.” While not a “show car,” per se, it’s something that could probably win a local cruise night or two. It has 76,000 original miles to date, and it will be fully serviced, tuned up and ready for another 57 years of open-air fun for one lucky winner. That’s right, Hallettsville Barnstormers are raffling that car off, Baker said. Just 3,500 tickets have been Page 52
printed, and tickets cost $50 each. The drawing will be held on Dec. 12, or whenever all tickets are sold out, whichever happens first. So, be sure and get yours today. The John Cournoyer Scholarships will be offered a bit differently than others the Hallettsville Barnstormers have offered previously, Baker said. “We are spreading our wings, so to speak,” he said. “This country is losing its tradesmen, and it just seemed right to start a scholarship line in honor of one of the greatest I’ve ever known. We will open the application process this spring to any student, in any school, actively enrolled in an A&P or Avionics curriculum. We are looking for the applicant who loves working on airplanes, cars, motorcycles or tractors in their spare time. Questions like ‘show me what you’ve built’ or ‘what do you drive?’ might creep into the selection criteria. I’m looking for the guy or girl who understands what ‘flashing the field’ means, without thinking we’re talking about overexposing someone at a sports event. They are out
there, I’m sure of that. I don’t think anyone could ever fill John’s shoes, but we’ll definitely help them build their own.” Unlike many others, the Barnstormers scholarships are not based on academic achievement. As Baker put it, “We’ve often encountered kids who are just bored in school. Any youngster who has an aviation interest is welcome to apply.” The Texas Barnstorming Museum, part of the Hallettsville Barnstormers, holds several events through the year, from fly-ins, like the large one they usually try and plan each October to ice cream socials and other impromptu events of a lesser scale held throughout the year. The photos which accompany this article are from the seventh annual Hallettsville Barnstormers Fly-in held Oct. 30, 2021, which went to support these, and other scholarships awarded to graduating seniors at Hallettsville High School. The Texas Barnstorming Museum is a state-registered 501(3)c nonprofit organization dedicated DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
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to the restoration and operation of antique aircraft, and in fine barnstormer fashion, the introduction to and inspiration of youngsters into the many fields that aviation has to offer. For as they say on their website, “Five thousand feet of road will take you about a mile, but 5,000 feet of runway can take you anywhere.” The Texas Barnstorming Museum is in Hanger 34R at the Hallettsville Municipal Airport, located three miles south of Hallettsville on Highway 77. For more information, check out their website at http:// whereolddogsfly.org/ and follow tps://www. facebook.com/jim. baker/.
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Genealogically speaking… You might find yourself — or a relative — at one of Lavaca County’s museums or libraries By BOBBY HORECKA
W
e get calls all the time at our news offices from people tracing their ancestry here, hoping they might stop by sometime and peruse our back editions. They call from everywhere, all over the country. Not terribly surprising, really, if their families were anything like mine. My grandmother and her siblings packed their farmhouse with a full baker’s dozen when she was growing up. My grandfather was one of 12. Thing is, lots of families were exactly like them, back in those days. But that doesn’t even begin to account for the many who came here and eventually moved on, long before my ancestors even arrived. So, chances are, there are lots of people whose roots, at one time or another, can likely be traced back here. Thing is, though, none of our news offices keep much in the way of historical records anymore. Most went to our local libraries, ages ago. Plus, in partnership with Page 56
the University of North Texas and the Texas Press Association, nearly every surviving copies of newspapers were moved (or are moving) to digital form, accessible today by anyone with the internet, from the comfort of their own home. But where’s the fun in that? History always tastes better when experienced, not just read about. We suggest you go find those places your family found here. See them for yourself, with your own eyes. See what drew your people here, and feel what they felt as you retrace their steps. Then, learn more about the place by one of the historical markers you find. Because trust me, if one’s not standing there prominent, right where you are, keep looking. One’s nearby. Lavaca County has more than 110 markers already, with new ones going up all the time. We take great pride in our history. As you trace your roots back through here, you will, too. And is local history and family genealogy is what you’re after, then here are a few place you must see while you’re here: DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
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• Lavaca Historical Museum—They have several great displays on a diverse array of topics, as well as several local authors’ books which detail certain aspects of those histories. They even have copies of all the Hall of Fame honorees from Fiddler’s Frolics, Polka Fest and other events at the Hallettsville KC Hall. The museum opens 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays and noon to 4 p.m. on Fridays. It’s located at 1205 N. Texana in Hallettsville; Phone: (361) 798-4113; http://lavacahistoricalmuseum.org/. • French Simpson Memorial Library—Their local history/genealogy collection concentrates on Lavaca County and adjoining counties. A wide range of materials is available, including books, microfilms and historic photographs. Collection highlights include 11 books written by Judge Paul C. Boethel and six books of cemetery listings. The archives include World War II news clippings, rural school photographs, Hallettsville Volunteer Fire Department records, and Masonic records. Their microfilm collection features the 1850-1920 Lavaca County census, tax rolls and issues of the Hallettsville Herald, Tribune Herald and New Era, The Shiner Gazette, The Moulton Eagle and the Yoakum Times and much more. Located at 705 E. Fourth St. in Hallettsville, they’re open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, noon to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
They are closed Sundays and Mondays; Phone: (361) 7983243; https://hallettsvillelibrary.org/. • Lavaca County Historical Commission—Links to several past historical conferences held Lavaca County’s various communities through the years, as well as contact information for the organization itself and its president, Doug Kubicek, hands down the foremost scholars on Lavaca County history. http://www.lavacacountyhistory.org/ historical_commission.htm, and be sure to Like/Follow on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/LavacaCountyHistoricalCommission/. • The Lavaca County TXGenWeb Project—This is a wonderful online tool for those searching local genealogical information, with links to local birth, death and marriage records;cemetery data and miles of obituaries; U.S. Census Data starting in 1850; biographies and genealogical information on various families in the county; links to other TXGenWeb Project counties nearby; and even a message board that might prove useful for specific questions. http://www.lavacacountyhistory.org/. • Carl & Mary Welhausen Library—Set inside the remodeled/repurposed old city power plant, the Yoakum public library is as architecturally unique as it is structurally beautiful. Their genealogy collection includes copies
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2 Convenient Locations! 201 US 77 Business, Yoakum, Texas 361-427-4040 DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
210 Heinrich St., Schulenburg, Texas 979-743-7077 Page 59
of the Beck and Buffington Funeral Homes ledgers, copies of E.F. Smith’s scrapbook collection of Lavaca County Tribune obituaries, Yoakum school yearbooks, Yoakum city directories and phone books, and much more. The Yoakum newspapers are being microfilmed now, but once completed, those records will be housed here permanently. It’s located at 810 Front St. in Yoakum; Phone: (361) 293-5001; https://www.cityofyoakum. org/Library.html.
Members make the difference.
1206 N. Texana, Hallettsville, Texas 77964
(361)798-4361 www.sacredheartcu.com
“Members Make a Difference”
• Yoakum Heritage Museum—Railroad and rawhide items form the crux of the regular exhibits, along with visiting, seasonal and rotating displays. Housed in a 1912 residence at 312 Simpson St. on Yoakum, the museum contains a large collection of memorabilia and photos on the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad, which connected all the towns in this county at one point. Hours are 1-4 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays; Phone: (361) 293-7022; http:// www.yoakumareachamber.com/visit-yoakum/experience-history/. • Edwin Wolters Memorial Museum—Shiner native and museum curator Duff Wagner has an encyclopedic grasp of the families who built Shiner and the events that brought them together in this westernmost settlement in Lavaca County. It’s vast holdings, most donated by those very same families who made Shiner what it is today, are a must-see for any local history buff, as well as anyone tracing a family tree whose branch swept past here. Located at 306 S. Ave. I in Shiner, they’re open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays; Phone: (361) 5943774; http://www.woltersmuseum.org/home.html. • Hoffie & Lank Wolters Public Library – Dedicated in 1994 thanks to a generous roughly half-million-dollar donation given by Hoffie Wolters to build a public library and cultural center in Shiner, they are now home more than 60 years’ worth of the city’s earliest printed records. Most notably, nearly 3,000 digitized editions of The Shiner Gazette they have on file, dating to the 1890s. The library, located at 115 E. Wolters St. in Shiner, is open 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8-11 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays; Phone: (361) 5943044; http://shinerpubliclibrary.org/.
Your family and cosmetic dental office
Dr. Jaclyn N. Smith, DDS, PC 103 S. Kelly St. Hallettsville, Texas 77964 361-798-2766 www.hallettsvilledentist.com Creating Beautiful Smiles For All Ages Page 60
• Convenient drive-thru • Fast, courteous service • Tyler candles & washes • Game Guard products • Children & baby items • Gift cards • Rosaries WE OFFER $5 GENERIC PRESCRIPTIONS, ACCEPT ALL MAJOR INSURANCE PLANS AND OFFER FREE PRESCRIPTION DELIVERY IN BOTH SHINER AND MOULTON.
408 N Avenue B, Shiner, TX 77984 • 361-594-2262 Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
“ We know our business so you can focus on yours.” LIFE - ANNUITIES - HEALTH MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTS LONG TERM CARE - AUTO HOMEOWNERS - BUSINESS FARM - BONDS - FLOOD
L
EOPOLD NSURANCE GENCY
I A
(361)798-4311
www.leopoldinsurance.com 9 0 0 N. T E X A N A, H A L L E T T S V I L L E
207 US Hwy 77 South 361-798-9200 Reservations: 1-800-528-1234 bestwestern.com DISCOVER LAVACA COUNTY
Wendy S. Janak agent
In Business Since 1967 Page 61
Licensed and Insured Pest Controllers You Can Trust
Proudly Serving Lavaca and Surrounding Counties Since 2015 General Pest Control, and Specialty Pest Control Weed Control, Customized Fertilizer Programs and Fungus Control for Lawns
Fuel and Petroleum Sales and Service
FUEL DELIVERY AND OIL SALES • • • •
Dyed Farm & Off Road Diesel Clear Highway Diesel Ethanol Free Unleaded Regular Unleaded
• • • •
300 & 500-Gallon Overheads 300, 500, & 1,000-Gallon Skids Variety of Oil Products Tanks, Hoses, Filters & Misc.
Locally Famiy Owned and Operated
361-772-8658 www.patriotfueldist.com
2340 US Hwy 77N Hallettsville, Texas 77964
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Easter Picnics:
St. Joseph Catholic Church Zion Lutheran Church Lodging:
Czech House Moulton Inn & Suites
Restaurants:
Kloesel’s Steak House Bryan’s
Moulton Town & Country
JAMBOREE Last full weekend in July
Moulton, Texas
Community Downtown Christmas
1st or 2nd weekend in December City of Moulton, Texas 102 S. Main Street P. O. Box 369 Moulton, TX 77975 Phone: 361-596-4621
Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
The Friendliest Little City with a HEART as BIG as TEXAS
Annual Events JANUARY Chamber Banquet and Business Expo FEBRUARY Shiner Business Men’s Club Area Big Buck Contest Banquet MARCH City Wide Garage Sale • Shiner FFA Stock Show Shiner Heritage Quilt Show APRIL Shiner Volunteer Fire Department BBQ Cook-off & Car Show Shiner GASP Bike Ride MAY Annual All Texas Chapters Beer Colllectible Show Sts. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church Spring Picnic JUNE Miss Shiner Pageant JULY Annual Half Moon Holidays Celebration & BBQ Cook-Off
SEPTEMBER Sts. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church Fall Picnic OCTOBER Spoetzl Brewery Oktoberfest Shiner Lions Club Music Fest Shiner Lutheran Church Festival Shiner Chamber of Commerce Pumpkin Patch Shiner Methodist Church Trunk or Treat NOVEMBER Shiner Beer Run Half Marathon & 5K Shiner Half Moon 4-H Show DECEMBER Christmas in the Park & Jingle Jog 5K ONGOING EVENT Shiner Downtown Market Days Every 3rd Saturday Hosted by B’marie Boutique & Coffee Bar
www.shinertexas.gov
City of Shiner TX, 802 N Avenue E, Shiner, Texas 77984 • 361-594-3362