Karnes Co. TX - NEWS - September 2004 This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Kimm Antell Copyright. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************ September 12, 2004 Poteet 27, Karnes City 14 KARNES CITY - The Poteet Aggies scored 20 fourth-quarter points Friday to down the Karnes City Badgers 27-14. Dustin Skloss put the Badgers (1-2) up as the first quarter ended with a 51-yard run and the extra point. Poteet (2-1) answered at the four-minute mark of the second period on a 17-yard TD pass from Sonny Estrada to John De la Garza. The Badgers regained the lead with 11 seconds to play in the half when Taylor Millington hooked up with Justin Butler on an 11-yard TD pass and a Skloss PAT. After James Martinez's 70 yard run with 10:51 left in the third quarter tied the game, Roger Santos put the Aggies up for good after bulling in from 2 yards out with two minutes left in the period. Estrada found Steven Reick on a 6-yard scoring strike in the fourth quarter to ice the game for the Aggies. September 18, 2004 Kenedy 22, Three Rivers 0 KENEDY - The Kenedy Lions rushed for 421 yards to knock off Three Rivers, 22-0. The Lions (3-1) got their scoring in the second half, getting a 19- yard touchdown run from Jason Baldera and an 11-yard run from A.J. Carvajal in the third quarter. Adam Cano added both extra point kicks for a 14-0 lead. In the fourth, Patrick Salas scored on a 21-yard run, and Salas converted the two-point conversion on a rush. Carvajal rushed for 240 yards on 25 carries, and Baldera had 58 yards on the ground. Baldera also threw for 71 yards. Salas rushed for 33 yards and caught two passes for 40 yards. Salas also had an interception in the game. Three Rivers remained winless at 0-3. September 19, 2004 Lonesome Dove Fest expands its features KARNES CITY - For the past 12 years, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts from miles around have made the trip down the winding roads that lead to Karnes City for a festival held every year when dove season rolls around. Lonesome Dove Fest, which is always scheduled during the opening weekend of dove season, has again expanded and will now encompass two days of entertainment as coordinators move their youth day to Thursday, leaving the weekend open for general admission. The gates to the Karnes County Show Barn between Karnes City and Kenedy will open at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday for various events and numerous vendors selling their wares. Nothing ever starts out drawing 8,000 attendees and Lonesome Dove is no different. It began as the idea of a couple of men, Larry Hedtke and Randy Witte. Hedtke and Witte had been talking years back about how they should create a festival that coincided with the opening of dove season. They kicked the idea around for a bit but then Hedtke was in a grocery store and overheard a couple of Cajuns talking to a stock boy. They were talking Cajun French among themselves when one of the Louisiana men eventually asked the stock boy, "What is there to do in this town besides hunt?" Hedtke said, "I called Randy and I said 'Lets do it'." They got their plans together and set up the festival in a bermuda grass field on Hedkte's land in Coy City. "We had a little bit of food," Hedtke said. "We did not have any entertainment. Everything ran on generators and we could not have too many generators or we would drown out everything." From those humble beginnings of skeet shooting and four-wheelers, the event grew and it moved to the Karnes County Show Barn. Youth day, which is Thursday, will attract about 300 students from schools throughout the area for seminars, many geared toward hunting and safety. Anyone can come out and watch but it's really a day for youth, Hedtke said. On Friday and Saturday, expect many of the same events from years past. There will be the cook-off, a tradition of three years, and various entertainers, including a snake handler and assorted musicians and reenactments - too many events and exhibits to list them all. "We are going to have the world champion longhorn steer," Hedkte said. "We have a lot of clowns there but we have a real clown coming. "We also have a single skeet thrower for people that want to hone up before they go out into the field." For those with some competition in their blood, the five-man team shoot is returning with an entrance fee of $300. After the shoot, the contestants will go on a guided hunt and then be given a meal, Hedtke said. Thanks to Aggreko of Corpus Christi, that donated two air conditioners, attendees will have two places to get away from the beating sun. "We are growing and the air conditioning makes so much of a difference," he said. Admission is $2 per person and children 12 and under will be admitted free. "We basically do that to get a head count and to keep the quality of the event up high," Hedtke said. About 8:45 p.m. Saturday, the auction will begin. "Some of the hunters that enjoy what we do so much, they help us out and support us in the auction," Hedtke said. "Ninety-nine percent of what we take in goes back into the community, through the vocational and college scholarships. What we do stays in our community." For more information on the festival or to download entry forms, go online to www.lonesomedovefest.com or call Hedtke at 830-780-2471. Skeet club reopening The Victoria Skeet and Trap Club will be reopening soon and the club will be selling pro-rated memberships for the remainder of the shooting season. The pro-rated memberships are $135 and include the remaining four months of this year, all of 2005 and January of 2006. The typical membership for the Victoria club runs from Feb. 1 through the end of January of the next year. Membership in the club regularly costs $100 per year and this is a family membership, which pays for all family members living in the same house and under 18 years of age. Senior memberships are $80 per year for people 60 years old and older and their pro-rated memberships from Sept. 1 on would be $110. More information about the club can be found online at www.victoriaskeetandtrap.com Hunter safety course Hunter safety courses are scheduled for various dates in September and October. Roger Coleman will be holding classes at the Lake Texana State Park in Edna on Sept. 25 and 26, and Oct. 23 and 24. One-day home study courses are being offered Sept. 26 and Oct. 10, 17 and 24. Cost of the course is $10 per person and pre-registration is required. Minimum age for the course is 12. Those between the age of 17 and those born after Sept. 2, 1971, must have the course to hunt. Successful completion of the course and test allows licensed hunters to hunt alone. Children 12 to 16 years old, must complete the course or be accompanied by a license hunter 17 or older to hunt. Anyone younger than 12, must be accompanied by a license hunter 17 or older to hunt. A new hunter education deferral is in place that allows a person 17 years of age or older who has not completed a hunter education program to defer completion for up to one year. A deferral may only be obtained once and is only valid until the end of the current license year. A person who has been convicted or has received deferred adjudication for violation of the mandatory hunter education requirement is prohibited from applying for a deferral. Those on the deferral who take the course by Aug. 31 of the current license year will receive a $5 discount. For more information call Coleman at 361-782-7470. Guides Cup results Results of the Midcoast Chapter Speedy Stop Coastal Conservation Association Guides Cup tournament in Port O'Connor are: 1. Wetlands Adventures captained by Gene Boerm; 2. In The Hunt captained by Mike Powell; 3. Team La Palatera captained by Mark Robinson. Largest trout: Wetlands Adventures. Largest red: Team La Palatera. Largest flounder: Team La Palatera. Spot pot: Watts Up captained by Shea Watts. Gene Boerm won $500 as the winning guide. The money was donated by Specialty Aluminum Works-Jack and Toni Fletcher. Luck of the Draw winners: Voodoo Kings with Captain Scotty Powers; The Gray Ghosts with Captain TJ Christensen; Spot Removers with Captain Chris Martin; Team Exxxtream with Captain Chad Peterek. Archery club seeks facility The Victoria-area youth archers have found themselves with no place to shoot indoors following the closing of the local indoor archery shop business and the shutdown of the Victoria County 4H activities center to clean up lead. These youth archers who hold numerous state and national titles, as well as most of the state records and one world record, and two of whom are either current or past members of the elite Junior United States Archery team ask that anyone with a vacant warehouse help them out. They need an area about 50 feet by 70 feet indoors with power for lights. It does not have to be climate-controlled but power for adequate lighting is important. The group has its own backstop netting, targets, stands, bow stands, lighting, etc. They are also fully insured. They are supervised and coached by certified instructors, who have introduced many youngsters to the discipline of archery. The group would like to find something in Victoria since they attract accomplished archers within an 80-mile radius of Victoria. The business where they shot previously found it advantageous to donate the range time to the non-profit group. The club is a member of the Texas State Archery Association and National Archery Association, which are both non-profit organizations. The contacts for the South Texas Youth archery club are Tom Barker, 361-578-0973 and Janet Lesak, 573-7770. Jason Collins writes about the outdoors for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6521 or jcollins@vicad.com. September 22, 2004 Walesa to visit Panna Maria PANNA MARIA - The nation's oldest Polish settlement will welcome Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Polish President Lech Walesa during its 150th Anniversary celebration on Sunday, Oct. 24. Walesa, who was the first president of Communist-free Poland, is the guest speaker during the celebration, which also includes Polish Ambassador Przemyslaw Grudzinski and members of the Polish American Congress. The celebration will begin at 11 a.m. with Mass celebrated by Bishop John Yanta at Immaculate Conception Church in Panna Maria. A luncheon reception with dignitaries will follow at 12:30 p.m. Speeches begin at 1:30 p.m., followed by singing and dancing provided by the Polish children's group of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish of Houston. Reservations are required for the luncheon, with seating limited to 350 people. Tickets are $15 each, and the deadline to order is Oct. 5. Confirmations will be made only after payment is received by Immaculate Conception Church, P.O. Box 9, Panna Maria, Texas 78144. Youth Day leads into Lonesome Dove Fest ROBIN M. FOSTER KARNES CITY - Karnes City Rotary Club members are gearing up for the 12th annual Lonesome Dove Fest on Friday and Saturday at the Karnes County Show Barn, located on U.S. Highway 181 between Karnes City and Kenedy. An annual fund-raiser for the club, Lonesome Dove Fest "is a celebration of the traditions and outdoor lifestyle of South Texas for local residents, visiting hunters, and especially kids to enjoy," according to the club's mission statement. The activity officially starts with Youth Day for local high school students on Thursday. Hundreds of young people will participate in mini-seminars on firearm safety, resource management and other wildlife management and outdoors activities. Exhibitors will be setting up all day Friday as the competitive sporting clays team shoot opens and exhibits commemorating Karnes County's sesquicentennial go on display, including an 1800's village and antique farm equipment. A dance featuring the Haymakers will be from 8:30 p.m. to midnight under the air-conditioned tent. Tickets are available at the door. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's outdoor skills program staff is providing a five-stand sporting clays trailer. Shooting events include the team shoot both Friday and Saturday, a celebrity shoot at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and single clay throwers. A 4-H and Boy Scout shoot-out will be at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Saturday's schedule is packed, featuring the Lonesome Dove Parade through Karnes City at 10 a.m. and the highly competitive barbecue cook-off. The cook-off awards are presented at 4 p.m. in the tent, and festival goers can sit down for a barbecue dinner from 7 to 9 p.m. Evening entertainment will continue with a raffle and auction, followed by musical entertainment provided by Jason Allen. Kids activities are planned throughout the day, including a camouflage contest at noon in the arena, Jolly Trolley Train rides, a moonwalk and appearances by Jilly Bean the clown. Trick roper Kevin Fitzpatrick will appear at 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. in the arena, a snake show will be featured at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the tent along with an all-day snake exhibit. Also as part of the sesquicentennial events, the Native American Friends will perform pow-wow dancing in the arena at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Texas Rangers re-enactors will put on a show at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., and the Sons of Confederate Veterans will demonstrate mortar firing in the afternoon. Lonesome Dove Fest is held each year to provide family fun, outdoor education and hunter entertainment. It is the Rotary club's major fund-raiser, providing for 14 annual scholarships as well as other civic projects such as Jaws of Life, construction of Little League facilities and support of a local team, support for Scouting, needy children and local families in crisis. Robin M. Foster is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361- 275-6319 or cueroadv@vicad.com. September 24, 2004 Young people learn about gun safety at Dove Fest ROBIN M. FOSTER KARNES CITY - Kids who haven't hunted before want to, and kids who hunt a lot will think on it harder now that they've attended Youth Day at the 12th annual Lonesome Dove Fest, which continues through Saturday night. Held each year at the start of dove-hunting season, the festival supports the Karnes City Rotary Club's efforts to provide 14 annual scholarships and other community projects. It also provides a little family fun with outdoor education and hunter entertainment. This year's event coincides with Karnes County's sesquicentennial, and many exhibits will focus on the area's heritage, such as antique farm equipment, an 1800s village and performances by the Native American Friends. Thursday's kick-off, though, was all about education, as high school students from three counties attended the day-long Youth Day to get an up-close look at topics ranging from hunter education and firearm safety to training a retriever and learning that pepper spray is part of a state trooper's uniform. Many came with permission to fire a shotgun at the festival's shooting range, which opens to the public Friday and Saturday. The students, who ranged from sophomores to seniors, watched as a helicopter from the Texas Department of Public Safety's aircraft section flew in from assisting the U.S. Marshal's Service with a raid in San Antonio. Lt. Bob Rhynsburger and Sgt. Ed Burris joined Trooper Travis Hill from highway patrol and Sgt. Marrie Garcia of the Texas Rangers in describing their law enforcement roles and gear for students. The DPS station was the first of nine that the students attended during Youth Day, which ended with a sporting clays shooting competition among their ag teachers. Yorktown's Brad Metting beat Kenedy's Tommy Burris, Karnes City's Mick Kroll and Runge High Principal Scott Cutler, who subbed for Ronnie Wieding. Metting accepted a $50 check for Yorktown High's FFA and a plaque from Rotarian and Youth Day chairman Jim Weiss. Well-known cook Ralph Winningham volunteered to share tips for firearm safety with the youth before giving them a shot at the firing range, a highlight for many students. Winningham attends Lonesome Dove Fest every year and has won the Celebrity Shoot for the past seven or eight, he said. That event will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, just before the 4-H and Boy Scouts Shoot-Out at 3:30 p.m. Another favorite for the students was Ben, a Labrador retriever and the best hunting dog Jay Brown has ever owned. Brown, from B&R Kennels in San Antonio, provided tips on how to train a dog to help a hunter retrieve his game. "This was a good opportunity for us to learn about wildlife and the safety that goes with it," said Billy Bob Moczygemba, who attends Karnes City High. Moczygemba said he almost won the turkey shoot, which was his favorite event along with the retriever demonstration. "I really liked the helicopter and the dog, the retriever," said Ashton Lassmann, a junior from Yorktown High. She said she has three older brothers who hunt and would consider going hunting with them now, especially since she did pretty good at the turkey shoot. Kelly Stehling, a senior from Yorktown, liked shooting the gun, too. She hunts with her dad sometimes, she said. From Pettus High, Juaquin Prieto said he hunts regularly. "I knew a lot of stuff (about hunter safety), but they put it in order," Prieto said. His classmates, Ashley Mares and Kristi Fudge, had never shot a gun before Thursday. "I liked it," Fudge said. "I would like to do it again." Abundio "A.J." Castaneda Jr. of Runge High felt the same. "I enjoyed the laser shoot. I haven't hunted before, but now I want to." Ty Harris with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department provided instruction for the laser dove hunting. The department also staffed stations on hunting laws with Game Warden Calvin Harbaugh, wildlife management with Alan Cain and hunter safety with Ed Griffin. Charlie Wilson was in charge of the department's sporting clays competition for the teachers. Lilly Hons gave tips for all terrain vehicle safety, and Bill Crumrine was the volunteer area chief for angler education, providing tips on bass casting. Lonesome Dove Fest continues today and Saturday at the Karnes County Youth Show Barn, located on U.S. Highway 181 between Kenedy and Karnes City. Exhibits set-up will be all day Friday, when team shooting competition begin. A dance featuring The Haymakers will be from 8:30 p.m. to midnight Friday under the air-conditioned tent. Tickets are available at the door. Saturday's schedule is packed, featuring continued shooting events, the Lonesome Dove Parade through Karnes City at 10 a.m. and the highly competitive and equally fun, sanctioned barbecue cook-off. The cook-off awards are presented at 4 p.m. in the tent, and festivalgoers can sit down for a barbecue dinner from 7 to 9 p.m. Evening entertainment will continue with a raffle and auction, followed by musical entertainment provided by Jason Allen. Kids activities are planned throughout the day, including a camouflage contest at noon in the arena, Jolly Trolley Train rides, a moonwalk and appearances by Jilly Bean the clown. Trick roper Kevin Fitzpatrick will appear at 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. in the arena, a snake show will be featured at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the tent along with an all-day snake exhibit. Also as part of the sesquicentennial events, the Native American Friends will perform Pow- wow Dancing in the arena at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Texas Rangers re-enactors will put on a show at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., and the Sons of Confederate Veterans will demonstrate mortar firing in the afternoon. Robin M. Foster is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361- 275-3619 or cueroadv@vicad.com. September 25, 2004 Kenedy raises tax rate 5 cents ROBIN M. FOSTER KENEDY - The Kenedy City Council is increasing property taxes by more than 5 cents per $100 of taxable value to pay for a long list of improvements within the community. "We expect a lot of positive changes here in Kenedy," City Administrator Loretta Thiele said Friday, a day after the council approved a rate of 55 cents per $100 of taxable value, up from last year's rate of 49.46 cents per $100. The additional revenue will help pay off $4.5 million in certificates of obligation the city plans to incur to launch a street improvement program, update the water system and expand the sewage treatment plant, Thiele said. The street improvement plan will enable the city to redo its streets on a seven-year cycle, she said. In the water works department, the city has a new well planned and could drill up to two more after the certificates are issued. The tax rate also supports the 2004-05 budget. Aside from the larger debt payments, new items in the spending plan include a 2 percent wage increase for employees and a 3 percent wage increase for supervisors. Also, $20,000 is being set aside to enable the building standards commission to address old, dilapidated homes in the city, Thiele said. No one appeared to ask questions about the budget when the city held its public hearing, and the few who attended Thursday's meeting to question the tax rate increase were pleased with the council's response, she said. RBGutierrez helps Flatonia to 31-1A win RUNGE - Halfback Lyndon Gutierrez carried the ball 20 times for 135 yards and a touchdown, and threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to pace the Flatonia Bulldogs to a 24-6 win over the Runge Yellowjackets. Gutierrez's touchdown run was for 57 yards in the first quarter. Flatonia's Tyrone Williams carried the ball nine times for 70 yards and a 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. It was tight end Juan Grifaldo who caught Gutierrez's pass in the third quarter for a touchdown. Joe Manzano was successful on all three of his extra point kicks, and kicked a 28-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Runge's only touchdown came in the third quarter on a 20-yard pass from Casey Oldham to Domingo Cano. The kick failed. Flatonia's wide receiver Galen Dunk had five receptions for 59 yards. Flatonia's record is now 4-1, while Runge is now 3-2. September 30, 2004 KENEDY - A chain of events caused construction of 277 huge transmission towers in Karnes and Goliad counties. In 1998, the Texas Public Utility Commission and electric utilities decided to take private property in order to construct huge transmission lines across the state prior to deregulation taking effect. Commissioners and utilities agreed the only problem facing them was just how contentious landowners might be (Wall Street Journal, 1999). There would be no regulatory problems because the chief regulator, Chairman Patrick Henry Wood III, was in their pocket. Americans supposedly have property rights protected by state and federal constitutions. Laws and regulations are supposed to govern the taking of property. The law of eminent domain requires a public need. When your property rights are threatened by a profit-making company helped by the government, you can give in or fight. In fighting, you are going against all odds. The trend over the last 20-30 years has been that when your property rights are threatened, you might as well give up because the big and powerful cannot be stopped. The courts tended to approve the takings. This has caused those wanting to take your property and the regulators to become lax in following the laws. Why bother? Property owners are defeated before they start. One hundred or so property owners first knew of the proposed line in July 1999. Most took conventional wisdom and gave up. Some decided to see what could be done. We sought expert legal advice from lawyers who deal in eminent domain and procedures at the PUC. One said it was pointless to practice before the PUC. One said Wood made up his mind that the 277 were needed. Wood controlled the other commissioners and was judge and jury in power line matters. Public need is supposed to be the reason that private property is taken. A short chain of events was to rubber stamp the application. Utilities apply. The charade of following procedures was to happen. Application approved, no one the wiser, no matter what, a done deal. "No matter what" happened, contentious property owners chose to question the process. Two lawyers were found. A principled administrative law judge was assigned. The utility asked to be ordered to construct the 277. The PUC had the right to do so and avoid a hearing to prove the need. Knowing it was a mere formality, the PUC ordered a hearing where the utility was to prove the line was necessary for the service, accommodation, convenience or safety of the public. Knowing it was just a part of the charade, the utility didn't bother much in their attempt to prove the need. To the actors' surprise, Administrative Law Judge Barbara Owens ruled that the utility failed to prove the line was necessary and recommended the application be denied. Regulations give the PUC limited rights to overrule the administrative law judge. Going beyond the limits, Wood overruled Owens, saying the line was needed to improve market conditions. Market conditions serve the utilities and the power-generating companies for their profit. "When government can take property to give it to private parties, interest groups will try to commandeer that power to enrich themselves. The force of the state becomes a prize to be won in a political contest. Groups which hope to profit from forced redistributions of property will attempt to influence the government to use eminent domain in their favor. But, properly applied, the public use limitation prevents this by making it impossible for interest groups to profit," Pacific Legal Foundation contended, in reference to a July 2004 decision by the Michigan Supreme Court said to have national implications. That court reversed a 20-year trend that allowed governments to take from one and give to another in order for the other to make a profit. The 277 towers symbolize government taking from A and giving it to B so B can profit. Lawyers Catherine J. Webking and Shannon K. McClendon have taken our case through the administrative hearing, district court, 3rd Court of Appeals and on Aug. 24 filed with the Texas Supreme Court. Wallace Jefferson has been appointed chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court. "He is perfect for the job because he will decide issues based on the law - he has no political agenda whatsoever, and he is not beholden to anyone," his brother, lawyer Lamont Jefferson, said in the Sept. 14 San Antonio Express-News. The same can be said of Owens but not of Wood. The Texas Supreme Court now has the opportunity to right a wrong, to force the PUC to follow the law and to take away the utilities' political prize. We are therefore hopeful that the 277 towers will come down. Henry A. Miller is a business owner in Kenedy. He also owns land that the transmission line diagonally crosses.