Texas Co-op Power • January 2014

JANUARY 2014

READY TO POWER AREA GROWTH!Stable rates, reliable power top CoServ’s list of resolutions

for booming North Texas suburbs ... PAGE 19

CoServ_01-2014 TCP DC.indd 1 12/9/13 3:37 PM

Stick to your New Year’s resolution to save money in 2014 by scheduling a free CoServ Energy Audit. Need extra incentive besides making your home more energy e� cient? The fi rst 100 Members who schedule an audit this year with our Energy Services Team will receive a free 2014 CoServ calendar, full of great recipes from CoServ Employees. Email [email protected] for more details today. For more ways to save with CoServ this year, read the Curtis Trivitt Says So column on 2.

#SaveWithCoServ

MARK YOUR (FREE) CALENDARS 2014 is the year to save energy—and money

1 pound ground sausage (cooked-mild or spicy, recipe calls for Italian)1 package real bacon bits (the actual crumbles of real bacon)24 ounces chicken broth2 tubes of Knorr homestyle chicken stock2 cups heavy whipping cream4 medium potatoes (sliced or cubed)1 can of Progresso Recipe Starters creamy roasted garlic

1 cup kale (chopped)2 tablespoons garlic1-2 tablespoons fl aked red pepperSalt and pepper (to taste)

Add all ingredients and cook in crock pot for 4 hours.Or cook on stove top low setting for 4 hours.

Recipe courtesy of Cindy Dickinson


You have two chances to win this season with CoServ and the Texas Legends: 1. Enter a random drawing for a Legends Ticket Package—concession vouchers and four tickets to see the Dallas Mavericks’ D-League team play at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco—at CoServ.com>Community>Texas Legends. 2. Answer our CoServ Trivia question at Facebook.com/CoServEnergy to be entered in a drawing for a $200 electric bill credit. Good luck, CoServ Nation!

TICKETS + FOOD + $200 = FULL-COURT PLEASURE!


CoServ | 7701 S Stemmons, Corinth, TX 76210-1842 | (940) 321-7800 | [email protected]

Q: What are these academic initiatives about?

A: In 2014, a record $15,000 in scholarships will be awarded to graduating seniors who plan to pursue higher learning in Texas, including one $5,000 scholarship for the top applicant. The Youth Tour is coordinated by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and involves an all-expenses-paid trip in June to Washington, DC, for two area high school juniors or seniors.

Q: How do I know whether I qualify?

A: Students whose permanent residence is served by CoServ Electric are eligible for both programs.

Q: What is the deadline and where do I apply?

A: The deadline for both programs is 5 p.m., Jan. 31, 2014. Find more details on Page 25 and download instructions and application forms at CoServ.com> Community>Academic Initiatives. You can also email [email protected] for more information.

#CoServAcademic

3 QUESTIONS:W. Tip Hall Jr. Scholarships

2014 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour


COSERV ELECTRIC EDITION JANUARY 2014Fence-Cutters War The Texas Giants Mushroom Recipes

The best kolach? Why, it’s at every stop along the trail.

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TexasCoopPower.com January 2014 Texas Co-op Power 3

T E X A S E L E C T R I C C O O P E R AT I V E S B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S : Darryl Schriver, Chair, Merkel; Jerry B. Boze, Vice Chair, Kaufman; David Marricle, Secretary-Treasurer, Muleshoe; Debra A.Cole, Itasca; Kyle J. Kuntz, Livingston; Robert A. Loth III, Fredericksburg; Mark Rollans, Hondo P R E S I D E N T/ C E O : Mike Williams, Austin C O M M U N I C AT I O N S & M E M B E R S E RV I C E SC O M M I T T E E : Kelly Lankford, San Angelo; Bryan Lightfoot, Bartlett; Billy Marricle, Bellville; Stan McClendon, Wellington; Blaine Warzecha, Victoria; Jerry Williams, Paris; Kathy Wood, MarshallC O M M U N I C AT I O N S S TA F F: Martin Bevins, Vice President, Communications & Member Services; Jeff Joiner, Editor; Tom Widlowski, Associate Editor; Suzi Sands, Art Director; Karen Nejtek,Production Manager; Grace Arsiaga, Print Production Specialist; Ashley Clary-Carpenter, Field Editor; Andy Doughty, Production Designer/Web Content Manager; Suzanne Haberman, Staff Writer;Kevin Hargis, Copy Editor; Ellen Stader, Proofreader C A L F: M A R G OJ H | B I G STO C K .CO M

C O V E R P H O T O Ryan Halko is surrounded by kolache at the Village Bakery in West. By Rick Patrick

F E A T U R E S

January 2014Since 1944

14 35

The Kolach Trail At Czech bakeries, esteemed pastry isserved with heritage and pride—and apricot and creamcheese By Jeff Siegel • Photos by Rick Patrick 8

F A V O R I T E S

33 Texas HistoryTowering Texans Tour with Circus By Martha Deeringer

35 RecipesGrowing Demand for Mushrooms

39 Focus on TexasLooking Up

40 Around TexasList of Local Events

42 Hit the RoadBattleship TexasBy Jeff Joiner

O N L I N ETexasCoopPower.com

Texas USALeTourneau: A Mover and a ShakerBy K.A. Young

ObservationsThose Who Can, TeachBy Camille Wheeler

Around Texas: Youngsters show off poultry, rabbits, lambs and steers at the Blanco County Youth Council Stock Show, January 24–26 in Johnson City. 40

Barbed Wire, Barbaric Backlash Fences that stretchedacross vast frontier pushed tempers past peaceable boundaries during the fence-cutters war By E.R. Bills

39

42

14

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tion Association, and you can betthat was the best thing we had everwitnessed.

ROY TEAGUE | UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES

Mayoral CorrectionI enjoyed the article “FreddyFender: A Man for All Seasons”[November 2013]. “The MilagroBeanfield War” is one of myfavorite movies. However, Freddy’srole in the movie was as the mayorof Milagro—not the sheriff, asstated in the caption.

SHARON JOHNSON | HEREFORD

Game Day ExcitementEditor’s note: Because of the fervorover college football in Texas, weknew the September 2013 feature“More Than a Game” would excite


readers. So did a barbed letter wereceived in response [“Game Day,”November 2013]. Many readers tookexception to comments published inour Letters section. Here’s a sam-pling of responses:

As a Texas Tech alum ... I am all toofamiliar with tacky comments aboutmy school. Most of these commentsare not intended to be hurtful, butsometimes they cross the line. Allthe more reason to be disappointedby the publication of such disparag-ing comments from one of yourreaders.

SAM WHITEHEAD | PEDERNALES EC

As a proud Texas Tech alumnus, thelast thing I want to read ... is theslanted viewpoint of an overzealousLonghorn supporter. You owe allTexas Tech alumni a formal apology.

WILLIAM BULHAM | COSERV ELECTRIC

We are entitled to our opinions,especially when it involves a sportsrivalry, but publishing such com-ments is unacceptable in a maga-zine designed to reach a broadbase.

SCOTT CROWE | PEDERNALES EC

TEXAS CO-OP POWER VOLUME 70, NUMBER 7 (USPS 540-560). Texas Co-op Power is published monthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC). Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX and at additional offices. TEC is thestatewide association representing 76 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 or email [email protected]. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE is $4.08 per year forindividual members of subscribing cooperatives. If you are not a member of a subscribing cooperative, you can purchase an annual subscription at the nonmember rate of $7.50. Individual copies and back issues areavailable for $3 each. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560), 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please enclose label from this copy of Texas Co-op Power showing oldaddress and key numbers. ADVERTISING: Advertisers interested in buying display ad space in Texas Co-op Power and/or in our 30 sister publications in other states, contact Martin Bevins at (512) 486-6249. Advertisementsin Texas Co-op Power are paid solicitations. The publisher neither endorses nor guarantees in any manner any product or company included in this publication. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely withthe advertiser.

© Copyright 2014 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohibited without written permission. Willie Wiredhand © Copyright 2014 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

GET MORE TCP ATTexasCoopPower.comFind more letters online in the Table of

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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

ONLINE: TexasCoopPower.com/share

EMAIL: [email protected]

MAIL: Editor, Texas Co-op Power,1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701

Please include your town and electric co-op.Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

CURRENTSHomecomingSuzanne Haberman’s article “OldHaunts” [October 2013] made mego back to my youth in the EastTexas town of Talco. Though small,Talco was a thriving oil-field townwith a beautiful school building inthe shape of a T. Now the schoollies abandoned. It should be listedas a historic site.

MIKE HAYNES | JUDSONIA, ARKANSAS

Changes in FarmingI was born in Floyd County in 1934,and was raised and lived on a farmthere until 1966, when I pulled myfamily up and moved to Hurst.

A few days before I received myOctober 2013 Texas Co-op Power,my son and I were checking out thefarming operations southwest ofFloydada, my old stompinggrounds. I told my son that I won-dered how the farmers made theirrows in a circle so the sprinkler sys-tems could water the cotton withoutmessing up the rows when in opera-tion. The article on the Smith familyoperation [“Where Cotton Doesn’tShrink”] explained that in detail,and now I know. My, how farminghas changed through the years.

We received our first electricityin 1950 when I was 16, and theprovider was the Rural Electrifica-

It was disappointing to see that lit-tle rant printed in Texas Co-opPower.

SCOTT HUTCHENS | DEEP EAST TEXAS EC

The reaction … is not unexpected …but it is unexpected to be publishedin Texas Co-op Power, which shouldappeal to all Texans.

LELAND TURNER | PEDERNALES EC

@TexasCoopPower

Letters, emails and posts from our readers

Chicken on SundayWhat a wonderful story by Betty Calcote[“When the Preacher Came to Visit,”November 2013]. I remember shooting yardchickens with a .22 (flopping and all) andSunday dinners on a farm/ranch in Mathis.

Fried chicken in the big city (CorpusChristi) was at a friend’s house every Sun-day, and I always hoped I’d get an invitationafter church.

PHIL ALBIN | ROCKPORT

LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION OCTOBER 2013High Plains Cotton Chili William Travis’ Ring

Rust in PEACEGhost town relics hint of times teeming with life

Freddy Fender

TexasCoopPower.com6 Texas Co-op Power January 2014

H A P P E N I N G S

Energy, innovation, people, places and events in Texas

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Sowing Seeds of AwarenessSeveral Texas electric cooperatives joined a 1,000-mile tractor ride last fall to fightrural hunger. They raised about $105,000 for food pantries in Central Texas, wherenearly 70 percent of public school students qualified for free and reduced lunches in2012, according to federal data.

Electric cooperative employees from Comanche, Lyntegar, South Plains and UnitedCooperative Services participated in Tractor Drive 2013: Driving Hunger Out of RuralTexas. They joined lead organizer AgTexas Farm Credit Services, a regional lendingcooperative, and local chapters of the National FFA Organization.

“It’s been a lot of work, and it’s been a lot of fun and very rewarding,” said ShirleyDukes, communications and public information specialist at Comanche EC, whichhosted three cookouts in late October.

Although the purpose of Tractor Drive 2013 was to raise awareness of local hunger,the co-ops’ fundraisers also drummed up support for 32 Central Texas FFA chapters.

Real Find for Artifact HuntersThe Fredericksburg Indian Artifact Show on January 25 atPioneer Hall in Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park features 65tables of Native American artifacts and collectibles for sale,including arrowheads, beads and pottery. Winston H. Ellisonand N. Dwain Rogers will have their limited-edition book, “TheFinest Artifacts of Prehistoric Texas” (Hynek Printing, 2013)available for sale.

The event runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with $6 admission forages 15 and older. Cases are also available for sale to keep pur-chased artifacts safe. Buzzie’s BBQ will offer breakfast andlunch, and door prizes will be awarded throughout the day.

INFO: (830) 626-5561, hillcountryindianartifacts.com

CURRENTSCzech Passions AreMutual in West

The folks in West, 15 min-utes north of Waco, mightargue that the “Kolach trail,”featured on Page 8, beginsand ends there. For onething, the Village Bakeryclaims to be the first all-Czech bakery in Texas. Foranother, the town of just2,800 people boasts threebakeries serving kolache, thefruit-filled pastries withCzech origins that lure trav-elers to exit Interstate 35.

West’s Czech roots rundeep—75 percent of resi-dents claim Czech heritage.And when the fertilizerplant in West exploded April17, killing 15 people, PetrGandalovič, the CzechRepublic ambassador to theUnited States, visited twodays later to offer condo-lences and lend support, say-ing the explosion was thetop news story in his homecountry that day. Within aweek, that country’s govern-ment approved 4 millionCzech crowns (about$200,000) to help rebuild acommunity center.

Find more happenings all

across the state at TexasCoopPower

.com


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Don’t Fence Me InStrange laws are still on the books in Texas. Car-rying wire cutters in your pocket is illegal inAustin, according to a law remnant of Wild Westdays when renegade cowboys snipped barbed-wire fences that didn’t belong to them. (See“Barbed Wire, Barbaric Backlash,” Page 14.) Thislaw is featured on websites that highlight datedlaws around the country, including dumblaws.com.

Other strange laws and ordinances in Texas:• It is illegal to shoot a bison from the second

story of a hotel. • In Galveston no person shall throw trash

from an airplane.• It is illegal for children to have unusual hair-

cuts in Mesquite.• Obnoxious odors may not be emitted while

in an elevator in Port Arthur.

2,000,0002,000,000Cooperative businesses provide more than 2 million jobs in the U.S. and create more than $75 billion in annual wages,according to the National Cooperative Bank. The largest co-op sector is agriculture, which accounts for $139 billion inrevenue. Energy and communications co-ops rank third.

CO - O P P E O P L E

Mid-South Helps Electrify HaitiThree Mid-South Synergy linemen volunteered with NRECA Interna-tional Foundation last summer to help electrify two villages in northernHaiti. The work harkens back to the roots of the electric cooperative pro-gram, which began in the 1930s to extend electricity to rural Americans.

Larry Finley, Clayten Owens and Bo Williams spent about three weeksin the villages of Caracol and Jacquezyl. They helped implement a ruralelectrification plan by building infrastructure, distributing supplies andsharing tips of the trade with locals.

“It reminded me of the stories I have been told about rural Americawhen our local cooperatives were organized,” says Kerry Kelton, generalmanager of the co-op based in Navasota. “The lives of our current mem-bers and the economic health of our service territory is thriving becausepeople banded together to bring electricity to our rural area.”

This was the linemen’s first trip with NRECA International Founda-tion, a charitable organization and affiliate of the National Rural ElectricCooperative Association, which partners with U.S. co-ops to provide elec-tricity to poor rural communities in developing nations.

Mid-South Synergy’s crew of Bo Williams, left in hard hat, Clayten Owens, next to him, and Larry Finley, in bandana,pose with a Haitian line crew and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Leo Hernandez, in plaid shirt.


BY J E F F S I E G E L

At every Czech bakery along

the way, esteemed pastry

leads to conversations

filled with heritage and

pride—and apricot

and cream cheese

The billboard rises above StateHighway 71 outside of Ellinger, remind-ing drivers they can stop at Weikel’s Bak-ery, some 10 minutes farther west in LaGrange, to buy kolache. The billboard islittle different from thousands of othersadvertising roadside stops in Texas, savefor one thing. The Weikel’s billboardalmost towers over Hruska’s Store &Bakery on Highway 71. Hruska’s sellskolache, too, that are equally as famousas Weikel’s.

Think barbecue is taken seriously inTexas? Wait until you hear aboutkolache.

“Kolache is a symbol,” says DeniseMazel, a Czech native and chef whoowns the Little Gretel restaurant inBoerne. “Kolache is a small pastry, but toevery Czech, it represents family. Soeveryone is going to say their kolache isthe best and their recipe is the best.”

Kolache, plural for the Czech wordkolach, are one part sweet roll and onepart tradition, and have been a CentralTexas staple since Czech-speaking immi-grants brought them with them in the19th century. They might not be asfamous statewide as barbecue or chili, butpartisans are just as loyal, just as opinion-

ated and just as ferocious in their sympa-thies. Want to start an argument in Hal-lettsville, home to the annual KolacheFest each fall? Say something nice aboutkolache from West or Ellinger or LaGrange or Wharton.

Call it a kolache state of mind.“You can travel across the United

States, and at every exit you’ll seeMcDonald’s and Jack in the Box andTaco Bell,” says Imran Meer, who ownsthe Kolache Depot in Ennis, about 40minutes south of Dallas. “Even in Ennis,a small town, we have five Subways. Butyou don’t find kolache on every corner.

The

Eating only one takes some willpower,but if you do, you’ve eaten a kolach.

That is the proper singular noun.Kolache is the plural word, though

most people call them kolaches.

TKolachrail


That’s what makes it unique, and that it’sunique is why it’s still popular, even afterall these years.”

A Long TraditionAnyone who has driven Interstate 35 morethan once knows about West, 15 minutesnorth of Waco and home to three kolachebakeries—impressive for a town of just2,800 people. But kolache are about morethan geography; there are kolache bak-eries as far east as Corpus Christi and asfar west as Lubbock, and even in the fourbig cities—anywhere, apparently, wheresomeone has a recipe, often handed downfrom the old country, and the wherewithalto use it. Still, if there is a focal point forTexas kolache, based on the concentrationof bakeries and Czech communities, it’sprobably the area between Austin andHouston that includes Hallettsville,Ellinger, La Grange and Wharton. Yet res-idents around Caldwell, near College Sta-tion and home to a kolach festival of itsown, almost certainly will take issue withthat in the finest kolache tradition.

“We eat a lot of kolache here,” saysSharee Rainosek of the HallettsvilleChamber of Commerce, who overseesthe 19-year-old kolach festival and thechamber’s kolache sales (about 500dozen a year), kolache queen pageant,kolache-eating contest and, for the lasttwo years, the baking of a 6-foot-longkolach. “This is an area with a long his-tory of Czech and German immigrants,and that means we have a long history ofkolache.”

The pastry can trace its Texas roots toCzechs who settled in Central Texasbefore and after the Civil War. By thebeginning of the 20th century, therewere 250 Czech communities in the state,according to the “Texas Almanac.” Tradi-tionally, kolache were made at home,with bakery-made pastries unheard of(still true in the Czech Republic). Theywere made with a sweet yeast dough, hol-lowed in the center, filled with fruit andeaten as an afternoon snack. Fillings weresimple—apricots, poppy seeds, prunesand cherries, all available locally in East-ern Europe. Kolache were similar toother Eastern European pastries such asthe Polish piernik and a Ukrainian sweetwhere filling was placed inside rolleddough.

A century later, much has changed,except for the basic recipe. Finding

homemade kolache is becoming moreand more difficult, says Rainosek,thanks to the usual 21st century rea-sons—more women in the workplace, anemphasis on convenience foods andgenerations further removed from theidea that kolache should be homemade.

Fillings have become almost exotic—pecan pie and chocolate coconut creamamong the 30 varieties at Zamykal Gour-met Kolaches in Calvert, for example.The modern bakery, whether the tradi-tional Village Bakery in West, with itslace decor and its claim to be the oldestCzech bakery in the state, or the truckstop-like Hruska’s and Weikel’s, is nowwhere most people, Czech heritage ornot, get their kolache.

Always EvolvingThis is part of what Jamie Allnutt, themarketing manager at the Village Bak-ery, calls the kolach’s resurgence in pop-ularity. It’s not so much that the pastryever went out of favor; rather, she says,“people are going back to their roots, and

they want to experience other people’sethnic roots. It makes them happy whenthey do that, and they can do that withkolache.”

She divides the postmodern kolacheworld into three parts:

• Gourmet, where bakeries focus onnontraditional fillings and attempt toupdate the pastry for the 21st century.Kolache, in fact, have been embraced bythe artisan food movement, and trendytakes on kolache are popular in Austinand Houston.

• Bigger is better, where bakeries focuson size.

• Tried and true, where bakers maketraditional kolache as they were made inthe 19th and early 20th centuries.

Which brings up the question thateveryone has an answer for, and which isdifferent for everyone who has ananswer: What are the best kolache?

The question can’t be answeredbecause, as Jude’ Routh, who ownsZamykal with twin sister Jody Powers,notes, “The thing about kolach recipes is

Twin sisters Jude’ Routh, left, and Jody Powers are especially proud of the kolache they serve at Zamykal GourmetKolaches in Calvert. Routh holds up a peach kolach, a variety named grand champion at Westfest in 2010.


that every family recipe is different, likeevery family has a different recipe formeatloaf.”

Each region—no, each bakery—hasits partisans, and none of the othersmeasure up, in the same way that twopeople will argue about whethermesquite and direct heat barbecue isbetter than pecan and indirect heat bar-becue as long as either can take a breath.One bakery’s dough is too soft or tooyeasty while another’s fillings are toosweet or too fruity. Or it may come downto the kolach not being round enough,because shape matters. Besides, is that

The Halko family from Georgetown—mom Celeste,dad David and sons Christopher, left, and Ryan—eyeball their options at Village Bakery in West. Ruby Kotch is ready to serve their selections.

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71Junior’s Smokehouse

WHARTON

Kolache Fest

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Kolache Festival

CALDWELL

Zamykal Gourmet Kolaches

CALVERT

SAN ANTONIO

HOUSTON

AUSTIN

FORT WORTH

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Kolache Depot Bakery

ENNIS

Village Bakery

WEST

Weikel’s Bakery

LA GRANGELittle Gretel

BOERNE

Hruska’s

ELLINGER

TheTKolach rail

LOCATIONS MENTIONED IN

OUR STORY

sNORTH


A Kolach By Any Other NameArguments flare over what is and isn’t a kolach

other recipe really that authentic? Andnone of this takes into account thesausage-filled kolach, which isn’t reallya kolach at all and often brings onanother round of argument (see sidebarbelow).

And don’t even bring up kolache soldat chain doughnut shops.

The irony is that many of the kolachein Texas have one important thing incommon—most of the recipes areauthentic, handed down from generationto generation. Routh talks about thefamily recipe that took three years toperfect. Teresa Jones, who ownsHruska’s, talks about her bakery’s pas-sion for what she calls its original style ofkolache. Kalan Besetsny, whose familyowns five Besetsny’s Kountry Bakeries inCentral Texas, credits his grandmother’srecipe for the business’ success. JamesDornak, who bakes kolache at Junior’sSmokehouse in Wharton, uses a recipefrom his family, Czech on both sides.

The other irony? Many bakeries,even those that offer exotic fillings,report that their best-selling kolache arethe most traditional—apricot, poppyseed and cream cheese.

Regardless of style or niche, everyonesells lots and lots of kolache. Some sell somany that, in the finest competitive tra-dition, they don’t want to talk about howmany. Zamykal, though, which is locatedin a town with one stoplight on the wayto towns not much bigger, will sell asmany as 300 a day. At its Hallettsvillelocation, Besetsny’s will sell some 8,000a week, and Junior’s Smokehouse sells acouple thousand each week.

This, ultimately, is why kolache have

endured and evolved over the past 160years.

“It’s about our German and Czechheritage,” says Besetsny. “It’s still outthere, and here in the country; it’s still inthe blood. People remember their grand-mother making kolache, and they wantto relive that. They want to rememberwhat that was like.”

Which is a fine thing for any pastry to

be ableto do—even if no one agrees whatit’s supposed to taste like.

Jeff Siegel is a Dallas writer.

Starting an argument among Texas kolach afi-cionados is easy, but what really gets peopleworked up is when someone calls the sausage-filled pastry sold in Czech bakeries a kolach.

It isn’t a kolach and never has been. The clas-sic Czech recipe is for a pastry with a fruit-filledcenter, and no one in Prague would recognizethe so-called sausage kolach from a milkshake.It’s a Texas invention called a klobasnek—pluralklobasniky—which is Czech for little sausages.The Village Bakery in West takes credit for it, butothers would no doubt disagree.

But that’s only the beginning of the contro-

versy. How you fill klobasniky is another story. Isit OK to use a hotdog-style sausage, or should itbe smoked sausage? Or even ground sausage?Is it OK to add cheese? If so, what kind ofcheese? Talking about this with James Dornak,who bakes kolache at Junior’s Smokehouse inWharton, seemed to make his head hurt.

Regardless, klobasnek is an amazingly pop-ular product, no matter how it’s made. Beset-sny’s Kountry Bakery sells 5,000 a week,sausage, cheese and all, at its Hallettsvillelocation.

Jeff Siegel

Mike Sulak, left, and Bill Klaus chat with Mimi Montgomery Irwin, owner of the Village Bak-ery, which claims to be the oldest Czech bakery in Texas. Her parents, Wendel and GeorgiaMontgomery, opened the business in West in 1952.

We’ll end our feature the way we started, with a littlelesson. Kolache are traditionally baked with fillingssuch as fruit, poppy seed or cream cheese. When bak-ers put meat or sausage in the dough, they have madea klobasnek—plural klobasniky.

Web Extra on TexasCoopPower.comWatch the sisters at Zamykal serve theirkolache with a smile—and sometimes witha song. Check out their ditties online.

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Barbed Wire,Barbaric BacklashFences that stretched acrossvast frontier pushed temperspast peaceable boundariesduring the fence-cutters war

BY E . R . B I L L S

When barbed wirewas introduced in 1875, Texans wereunimpressed. The contrivance had origi-nated in the north, and many folks con-sidered it a gimmick of carpetbaggery.

Barbed wire was eventually used inisolated applications, and it quicklyproved durable and cost-effective. Tradi-tional fencing materials such as timberand stone were hard to come by in manyparts of the state, and barbed wire waspractical. This made it an irrepressibleprospect.

In no time, larger ranches purchasedbarbed wire by the trainload and subju-gated horizon-to-horizon stretches ofthe Texas frontier with little regard forconvenience, public access or the prop-erty of others. Barbed wire installersfenced in property that didn’t belong tothem, restricting access to communitywater sources, obstructing cattle drives,blocking common thoroughfares andimpeding postal routes. Concerned par-ties contacted their state legislators, but

at first complaints were ignored orreceived unsatisfying answers.

By the late 1870s, disgruntled Texanswere taking matters into their own hands.They began carrying fence-cutting pliersand simply snipping stretches of barbedwire that were in their way. As their num-bers grew, fence cutters organized clan-destine groups with official and unofficialnames, such as the owls and the javelinas,and began cutting miles of fencing atnight. If fence lines reappeared, thefencecutters nipped them again.

With no small amount of public sup-port, the fence-cutting crusade evolvedinto what became known as the fence-cutters war. In many cases, fence-cuttingactivities were well-organized, includingthe use of disguises and armed lookoutsto protect participants.

In 1883, the imbroglio reached a boil-ing point when Texas suffered through ahorrendous drought. Cattle died indroves on the dwindling open ranges. Thelack of access to fenced-off range was cat-

astrophic for landless stockmen. Evensome closed-range ranch advocatesgrazed their cattle on common rangesuntil the grass was gone and then movedstock into their enclosed pastures. Thisexacerbated the situation, increasingfence cutting, pasture-burning and siz-able herd liberations, if not outright theft.

Closed-range ranchers began hiringsecurity personnel to patrol their fenc-ing. One large ranch in DeWitt Countypersuaded some Texas Rangers to tradein their tin stars for fence security work,and confrontations along the barbed-wire boundaries increased, resulting inseveral casualties.

By late 1883, newspapers reported thatlosses from destroyed fencing had reached$20 million, and tax valuations in generalhad declined by approximately $30 mil-lion. These staggering numbers began toshift Texans’ worldview. In the beginning,the widespread fence-cutting movementwas viewed as reasonable civil disobedi-ence. Yet, like many protest efforts that


WIR

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ND

CAT

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Cattle search for grass along a barbed-wire fence in the midst of awinter storm. Cattle were vulnerable to powerful, fast-moving winter

storms known as blue northers in the barren Texas Panhandle. In1882, ranchers built a drift fence across the width of the Panhandle

that in the winter of 1885-86 killed thousands of cattle trappedbehind it during a devastating blue norther.


were committed to addressing inequities,fence-cutting activities devolved intopetty or pointless swipes that approachedvandalism, anarchy or counter-oppor-tunism instead of redress.

With public opinion starting to favorpermanent ranches, Texas politicians gotinvolved. On October 15, 1883, Gov. JohnIreland scheduled a special session of theTexas Legislature on January 8, 1884, “toconsider and find remedy for wantondestruction of fences … .”

After weeks of heated debate, the spe-cial session adjourned with new laws onthe books. Fencing the land of anotherbecame a misdemeanor with a fine not toexceed $200, and the culprits weregranted six months to remove the illegalfence. If the fence ran across publicroads, fencers were required to install agate every 3 miles and ensure that gateswere kept in working order.

Injuring a fence or leaving a fence gateopen—causing “any hogs, cattle, mules,horses or other stock to go within theinclosed lands” and graze without the con-sent of the owner—led to a fine of $10 to$100 and imprisonment for up to one year,according to the Texas Penal Code. Will-fully cutting a fence was a felony and led toimprisonment of one to five years. Pastureburning, also deemed a felony, resulted intwo- to five-year imprisonment.

Enforcement of the laws reduced

fence-cutting offenses, but they didn’tend altogether. Contrarian sentimentwas slow to fade.

In the summer of 1888, fence cuttingbecame a regular occurrence in NavarroCounty, and the Texas Rangers dis-patched Sgt. Ira Aten and lawman JamesKing to address it. Aten and King posedas farmhands and became familiar withthe local fence cutters. Rather than arrestthem, the duo attempted to exact theirown justice on the cutters. As Aten laternoted in his 1945 book “Memoirs,” heplanted along fences dynamite chargesrigged to explode when the wire was cut.

When Aten’s superiors got wind of hisplan, he was ordered to stand down andreturn to Austin. Instead, he detonatedthe makeshift bombs in place. Rumors ofremaining fence-line explosives wereenough to eliminate fence cutting in thearea.

Barbed wire protected pastures andreduced rustling, but it also restricted thelong-held practice of free grazing and,essentially, ended large cattle drives. Then,easy access to railroad cattle cars madelong-range drives and their cowboys obso-lete. Within a decade, the days of the tradi-tional cowboy in Texas were done. Frontierpurists were forced to head south to Mexicoor west for refuge in the remainingexpanses of open American range.

Cowboys were not the only victims.

Their bovine charges also suffered, espe-cially in what came to be known as theBig Die-Up.

During the 1880s, the Texas Panhandleand the South Plains of West Texas got alittle too crowded with ranches and live-stock. Because the region was vulnerableto powerful blue northers—frigid stormsystems that dropped temperatures rap-idly, brought hard freezes and createdblizzards—cattle there liked to drift farsouth to take cover in draws, canyons andriver valleys. Every time a norther blewthrough, the cattle dispersed, and theranchers had a hard time regrouping theirherds.

In 1882, with barbed wire all the rage,the Panhandle Stock Association resolvedto build a “drift” fence to keep northernlivestock from wandering down to thesouthern ranges. Within a few years, thefence stretched the entire width of the Pan-handle, from New Mexico to Oklahoma.

In 1885, extreme cold sent thousandsof head south, and they became trappedat this fence. The cattle converged at thebarrier in increasing numbers. Those nottrampled, frozen or starved to death felleasy prey to wolves and coyotes. The firstthaw of January 1886 revealed a barbed-wire deathtrap. Thousands of cattle laydead along the fence line, and several big-ranch herds were almost destroyed.

Legendary Seven K Ranch foremanFrank Biggers was so incensed by theunnecessary losses that he demanded theSeven K Ranch owners allow him to cutthe Panhandle fence, but they refused.Biggers immediately quit and wired hisresignation from the location of his newemployer, the Box T Ranch.

The 1886-87 winter brought morenorthers, and cattle once again perishedby the thousands. One ranch hand report-edly skinned 250 carcasses a mile forapproximately 35 miles along one stretchof drift fence, according to the Texas StateHistorical Association, and several Pan-handle ranches almost went under.Within a generation or two, Panhandlecattle developed more sedentary habitsand settled into a driftless existence.

The fence cutters won a few battlesbut lost the war. Their enemy turned outto be progress rather than carpetbaggersor big ranches.

E.R. Bills is a writer from Aledo. His book‘Texas Obscurities: Stories of the Peculiar, Excep-tional and Nefarious’ (History Press, 2013) isavailable at retail stores and online.

During the height of the 1880s fence-cutters war, ranchers used barbed-wirefences to carve rangeland into smaller, permanent ranches to stop cattle

from moving freely across open lands. At first little regard was given toproperty access or even public roads as fences crisscrossed the state.

CORB

IS

Reported by J. Page

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CEO MESSAGE: New growthbrings new challenges in 2014

In November, Flower Mound voters authorized $16 million in bonds to develop The River Walk into a premier retail/residential district. Frisco ISD is rezoning hundreds of students to accommodate four new elementary schools and its seventh high school due to the city’s population boom. And, The City of McKinney recently took over operations at Collin County Regional Airport and renamed it McKinney National Airport with the goal of attracting corporations to the area.

There’s no doubt about it: Suburban North Texas is growing like gangbusters, and as these examples and the detailed article on the next page show, area cities are not just waiting to see what happens or avoiding the challenges posed by rapid growth. These cities are attracting new businesses and residents; they are funding the infrastructure needed to accommodate them; and they are dealing with the “growing pains” associated with development, including school rezoning, tra� c congestion and higher taxes.

CoServ Electric also plans for growth. We don’t wait until demand for power outstrips supply. Our obligation is to provide a� ordable, reliable electricity to new and existing Members, and our Project Engineers and System Planners prepare for the growth years in advance by modeling load growth and demand in fully developed areas.

CoServ proactively plans distribution infrastructure as soon as development is confi rmed. When the initial phases of development begin—platting and permitting—CoServ System Planning Engineers start designing. System Engineers then ensure our system’s health and integrity—what the load looks like and what the load will look like—to ensure CoServ’s continued reliability. If it appears that distribution capacity

in a growth area will be inadequate to meet demand, CoServ contracts with a full-service engineering fi rm to conduct formal studies on the growth area. The information is provided to our wholesale power provider, Brazos Electric Cooperative, which responds to the need for new infrastructure through the CCN (Certifi cate of Convenience and Necessity) process dictated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC).

As unprecedented development in our territory continues, new projects will continue to arise, and CoServ will communicate clearly with you about such needs.

CoServ’s commitment to Members has not wavered since our cooperative was created in 1937: To reliably serve a growing area. As we enter a new year, rest assured that CoServ stands ready to keep the lights on in your current homes and businesses and to energize new development as required.

Michael A. Dreyspring,President/CEO

CoServ keeps pace with area’s growth

CoServ Electric’s service territory stretches from Wise County to Collin County, north to parts of Cooke and Grayson counties through Denton County and a sliver of Tarrant County. In 1980, we provided service to 13,706 meters.

As of late 2013, fueled by the region’s rapid growth, CoServ provided electricity through 173,826 meters to Members reliably, consistently and with the stable rates that aren’t dictated by the dysfunctional deregulated electricity market.

This is the promise we’ve kept since 1937 and this is the promise we intend to keep in 2014 and beyond for all new Members.

January 2014 COSERV ELECTRIC Texas Co-op Power 19

CoServ Electric Reliable • Safe • Local • Trusted

CoServ_01-2014 TCP.indd 19 12/9/13 3:38 PM

A TALE OF THREE CITIES:

Growth defines CoServ territory

If your drive around town is marked by road construction, new development and congested tra�c, chances are good that you live in one of the fast-growing communities north of Dallas.

It wasn’t always this way. In fact, it wasn’t until 1980 that much of the rural land north of the big city began its suburban conversion, prompted by the completion of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in 1973. At the time, Flower Mound had 4,402 residents; Frisco had a mere 3,499; and McKinney was a big town with a population around 16,000.

Three decades later, North Texas continues to grow. Flower Mound has a population of 68,000 and recently passed a proposition for a new mixed-use development that is expected to draw even more residents. In addition, the Canyon Falls development o� FM 1171 in the western part of town broke ground in May and is expected to add 1,700 new houses on its 1,242 acres, half of which are in Flower Mound.

These developments will require significant new electric infrastructure to meet the growing demand, and CoServ is proactively planning to serve the needs that fall within our service area.

The Lewisville Independent School District, which serves Flower Mound and surrounding towns, reflects the same pattern. From the third quarter of 2011 to the second quarter of 2012, LISD had the fifth most-active new home market among D/FW-area school districts with 647 total closings.

And the No. 1 district for new-home closings? Nearby Frisco ISD with 1,941. Between 1990 and 2011, district enrollment grew more than 2,500 percent—the highest in the nation—and more than 50 rezonings occurred. The next rezoning is scheduled to occur in August, when three existing high

Signs of growth in CoServ service territory: Construction in progress on the River Walk Marquis in Flower Mound (top), the new Independence High School in Frisco (middle) and new Corporate Center in McKinney ( bottom). Previous Page: One of many new housing developments in Frisco.


20 Texas Co-op Power COSERV ELECTRIC January 2014


32,500

65,000

97,500

130,000

1990 2000 2012

6,141

33,714

128,176

Two Decades of Growth

36,250

72,500

108,750

145,000

1990 2000 2012

21,283

85,101

143,223


17,500

35,000

52,500

70,000

1990 2000 2012

15,527

52,962

67,825


schools—Liberty, Heritage and Centennial—will be rezoned to accommodate the opening of the new Independence High School. In addition, four new elementary schools are scheduled to open next fall.

The city of Frisco incorporated in 1902 and by 1910 had a population of 332. Twentieth-century growth trickled to 6,138 in 1990. A decade later, the opening of Stonebriar Centre mall served as the catalyst for the boom in Frisco’s population.

By 2010, Frisco was a thriving metropolis of 114,989 residents. Today, more than 135,000 people call the city home—about halfway from the city’s fully built-out growth projection of 280,000.

The Phillips Creek Ranch development on the west side of town will play a big role in this growth. At the intersection of Stonebrook and Lone Star Ranch parkways, Phillips Creek Ranch will eventually have more than 3,700 homes and more than 12,000 residents.

As a result of the projected growth and load demand in these areas, CoServ has determined that there will be

a distribution capacity shortfall in the coming years. We proactively notified our wholesale power provider, Brazos Electric, of the need. And Brazos, in turn, has begun the process of evaluating the area and proposed potential routing for new transmission infrastructure and substation locations. (You can read more about the current status of the Brazos Electric project on CoServ.com, which includes a comprehensive FAQ and other resources.)

To the east, McKinney expects to more than double its population, reaching full build-out at 387,000. The Gateway development at the corner of Interstate 75 and the Sam Rayburn Tollway has secured a $38 million Sheraton McKinney Hotel as testament to that. It will connect to a 20,000 square-foot events center, both slated to open in February 2015, drawing new business to the 90-acre tract of land.

The developments will draw new business and new residents to the once sparsely populated prairies of North Texas.

Developments:

Cowboys Sports Complex and Corporate Headquarters at Dallas North Tollway and Warren Parkway—a 12,000-seat stadium anchoring nearly 92 acres of retail, restaurant and o¢ce space.

Frisco North at Dallas North Tollway and U.S. 380—a 320-acre mixed-use project to include a Cinemark Theater, specialty stores and restaurants.

Developments:

River Walk at Central Park at FM 1171 between FM 2499 and Morriss Road—retail, o¢ce and residential space with 46.5 acres of parks and open spaces.

Lakeside DFW at FM 2499 and Lakeside Parkway—150-acre master-planned community to include retail, restaurant, o¢ce, hotel, 170 single-family homes and 425 urban-style homes.

Developments:

The City of McKinney took over operations and attained a national designation for the Collin County Regional airport.

Raytheon recently moved its corporate headquarters to McKinney, and Emerson opening new global headquarters in the city, as well.

61.8 square milesIncorporated in 1902

41.39 square milesIncorporated in 1961

62.21 square milesIncorporated in 1849, 1859




Curtis Trivitt (CTSS),SVP—Energy Services

CURTIS TRIVITTCS S

T

Says So

CURTIS TRIVITTCS S

T

Says SoNew Year means new ways

to save with energy rebates On the lookout for a New Year’s resolution that really pays

o ? Look no further than the next page and CoServ.com> TogetherWeSave for a detailed list of available rebates and immediate energy savings in 2014. If you’re not sure where to start or which options provide the biggest savings for your home, contact our Energy Management Team at [email protected] or call (940) 270-6860 to discuss your home and appliance conditions with a qualifi ed Energy Management Technician.

The Energy Management Technician will recommend which rebates give you the most bang for your buck. Is your water heater on its last legs? Take advantage of a $200 rebate by purchasing a high-e� ciency heat pump water heater. Per ENERGY STAR®, these units are up to 200 percent more e� cient than a standard electric water heater.

ENERGY STAR also says you can save $180 a year by installing a programmable thermostat. New this year, CoServ is o ering a $50 rebate for any programmable WiFi-enabled thermostat. These units start at about $120. Imagine being able to raise or lower your temperature settings from your mobile device or work computer. You’ll never again come home to an uncomfortable house, and you’ll save energy in the process.

Thinking about replacing your loud, outdated pool pump? Also new this year, CoServ is o ering a $150 rebate for a high-e� ciency variable-speed pool pump. In addition to the rebate dollars, these pumps lower energy use by as much as 75 percent. (You can fi nd a detailed list of qualifi ed pumps at CoServ.com.)

How about installing solar screens on your home’s windows? CoServ now o ers a $10 rebate per window on east, west and south-facing windows with screens that provide 80 percent minimum solar-heat blockage. And if your AC unit is ready to be replaced, we’ve added a $100 rebate for 15-SEER units and a $200 rebate for units rated 16-SEER and higher.

Upgrade and watch the energy savings begin.While you’re visiting with us about rebates, be sure to

schedule a free CoServ Energy Audit with our qualifi ed Energy Management Technicians. Our tech will inspect your windows, doors, attics, appliances and HVAC unit to pinpoint where your energy dollars are wasted. Audits are conducted with a variety of high-tech tools, such as infrared cameras and energy-consumption monitors. These resources help determine the best way for you to save money, and you’ll receive a report with detailed fi ndings and suggestions. This service is just another benefi t of being a CoServ Member, and it’s absolutely free (and comes with $25 in free compact fl uorescent lamps).

In addition to free audits, CoServ also o ers a blower door test. The fee for this service is $75, but to help kick-start your energy savings, visit our Facebook page and look for the January CTSS post about New Year’s resolutions. The fi rst fi ve Members to comment and request a blower door test with their audit will have the test fee waived. In addition, the fi rst 100 Members who schedule an energy audit in January will receive a complimentary 2014 CoServ calendar, full of great recipes from CoServ Employees.

Turn to the facing page for an overview of our 2014 Energy Rebate Program and visit CoServ.com>TogetherWeSave to view the entire range of new and updated rebate options, as well as other ways to save. And don’t forget to comment on the CTSS post on Facebook for chances to win a $200 electric-bill credit and learn more about energy e� ciency!

CTSS: On CoServ.com, click on the CTSS logo for more energy resources, tips and traps.

FACEBOOK: At Facebook.com/CoServEnergy: Share your energy-saving tips and New Year’s resolutions in the Comments area of the CTSS status update starting Jan. 1 for a shot at a $200 electric-bill credit.




� NEW! AC: $100 per unit for 15 SEER; $200 per unit for 16 SEER and higher

� NEW! Heat Pump Water Heater: $200 for 2.00 EF or higher

� NEW! High Efficiency Variable Speed Pool Pump: $150 (see CoServ.com for a list of qualified pumps)

� NEW! Programmable WiFi Thermostat: $50

� NEW! ENERGY STAR® Refrigerator: $25

� NEW! Solar Screens: $10 per window; west, east and south-facing windows

� UPDATED! LED: $3.50 per bulb

� UPDATED! Solar DG Installation: $1,000 for minimum size of 2 kW DC

� UPDATED! HVAC Tune-up*: $50 per unit

� UPDATED! Commercial Lighting: $0.30 per watt on upgrades

� UPDATED! Energy Efficient New Home: $550 for HERS rating of 60 or better

� UPDATED! CFL Program: $25 worth provided as part of a CoServ Energy Audit

� Heat Pump Replacement: $150 per unit for 15 SEER; $300 per unit for 16 SEER & higher

� ENERGY STAR Window AC: $25

� ENERGY STAR Dishwasher: $15

� Electric Water Heater Replacement: $30

RING IN 2014 WITH COSERV ENERGY REBATES!

For complete details, instructions and application forms, please visit CoServ.com>TogetherWeSave>2014 Rebates.

*Free Energy Audit required.




No big check, just a lot of warmth

Donations from the CoServ Charitable Foundation don’t always come in the form of a big check. Christian Community Action’s Lonnie Pope, left, with CCF Executive Director Dennis Engelke picks up a delivery of blankets and heaters to distribute to CoServ Members and Customers who struggle to keep warm. This year, CCF gave $13,000 worth of blankets and heaters to our social-service agency partners, which also includes Allen Community Outreach in Allen; Community Services in Corsicana; Frisco Family Services in Frisco; Texas Neighborhood Services in Weatherford; and Volunteers In Service To Others (VISTO) in Gainesville. To fi nd out more about CCF, Operation Roundup and the social service organizations that CCF partners with , visit CoServ.com> Community>CoServ Charitable Foundation.

CoServ System during ice storm: Strong and dependableThe winter storm that slammed North Texas in early

December with ice, sleet and sub-freezing temperatures was a good reminder of an old saying: “The best time to plan for a crisis is on a sunny day.”

Luckily, CoServ Electric had plenty of good weather in 2013—and we spent those sunny days designing, planning and maintaining systems that stand up to the elements in extreme conditions to deliver power when you need it most.

This planning includes an extensive Vegetation Management initiative, which helps prevent trees from falling on power lines during storms; regular maintenance of lines and equipment, which anticipates potential problems; and frequent investigations of disruption causes, which help pinpoint equipment that needs to be repaired or replaced. Also, in November, CoServ participated in a two-day drill conducted by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) that simulated a major winter storm and its e� ect on the state’s electric grid.

Bottom line: CoServ Electric was ready for December’s ice storm that shut down North Texas and at times left more than 270,000 residents, mostly on Oncor lines in Dallas County, without power—some for as many as three days in

subfreezing temperatures. Between noon Thursday, Dec. 5, when a Winter Storm

Warning took e� ect, and noon Monday, Dec. 9, when the ice started to melt, CoServ Electric reported a dozen weather-related power disruptions a� ecting about 4,100 Members. All were restored by 1 a.m. Saturday, the average restoration time was 2.5 hours, and zero outages were reported over the weekend. This represents about 3 percent of the total number of CoServ Members in our six-county service territory. Throughout the ice storm, we monitored conditions and kept Members updated on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

“This storm was a good reminder of why we spent so much time during the year maintaining our lines and focusing on such initiatives as vegetation management and power quality and reliability,” said Greg Ward, CoServ’s Senior Director of Operations. “CoServ Employees are always ready to respond as needed and showed true cooperative spirit during this winter storm.”

ON COSERV.COM: WINTER SAFETY TIPSON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER: REAL-TIME UPDATES

CCF: BLANKETS AND HEATERS




Beat the application deadlines for youth tour, scholarship“Put down the candy cane and pick up a pen.” This is one

way to encourage your teens this month to fi ll out application forms for CoServ’s Youth Tour and Scholarship programs.

The deadline for both programs is Jan. 31, 2014, and the holiday break is the perfect time to print out and complete the forms. Details for both programs are below, and instructions and applications can be found online at CoServ.com>Community>Academic Initiatives.

W. Tip Hall, Jr. Scholarships: In 2014, CoServ Electric will distribute $15,000 in scholarships to fi ve graduating seniors whose permanent residence is served by CoServ Electric and who plan to pursue their education at an institute of higher learning in Texas. One scholarship will be awarded in each of the following amounts: $5,000, $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000.

The W. Tip Hall, Jr. Scholarship was named for a longtime educator, preacher and legislator who served on the CoServ Electric Board of Directors for 10 years. Mr. Hall’s love and

commitment to education, and his work in developing the scholarship program for CoServ Electric, is the reason the scholarship bears his name.

Electric Cooperative Youth Tour: CoServ will send two high school students—juniors or seniors—on an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. in conjunction with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

Since 1964, the NRECA has coordinated the Youth Tour to give students a fi rsthand look at the political process and the role it plays for electric co-ops. About 1,500 youth nationwide participate every year.

Students tour several landmarks, including the Smithsonian Institution and Mount Vernon. They also visit their congressional representative’s o� ce on Capitol Hill.

Only students whose permanent residence is served by CoServ Electric are eligible for both programs. For more about these and other Academic Initiatives, please visit CoServ.com>Community>Academic Initiatives.

ACADEMIC INITIATIVES: JAN. 31 DEADLINE!

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER: WINTER WONDERLANDTHE CARDINAL RULES: We asked for “Winter

Wonderland” photos and we got them. This month’s winner is Sharlott Hasty of Aubrey for this stunning shot of a cardinal eating berries near her patio. In addition to getting published here, this image was featured as our Facebook cover photo at Facebook.com/CoServEnergy.

UP NEXT: Texas Independence. Email your best “freedom” shots for March’s Texas Co-op Power magazine (subject line “PHOTO CONTEST”) along with your name, address, phone number and a brief description, to [email protected], by Jan. 15. You can also upload them directly to CoServ.WeTransfer.com.




CoServ Vision StatementTo be trusted to safely and

consistently exceed Members’ and Customers’ expectations for reliability, service, value

and community support.

Contact InformationCoServ.com

[email protected]

(940) 321-7800

Open Monday—Friday8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Telephones answered 24 hours a day

Board of DirectorsClyde GeerChairman

McKinney, District 3

Anne VadenVice Chairman

Argyle, District 5

Richard MuirSecretary/Treasurer

Sanger, District 1

Leon PelzelPilot Point, District 2

Jerry CobbFrisco, District 4

Bill RagsdaleFlower Mound, District 6

Curtis TallyJustin, District 7

What’s that WNA line on my bill?WNA is the Weather Normalization Adjustment that takes e� ect from

November through April. If you’re a CoServ Gas Customer, you’ll see a line item regarding the WNA on your billing statements from December through May.

The calculation is based on normal historical temperatures between November and April. When temperatures are lower than established norms, the WNA appears as a credit on a Customer’s bill to o� set the higher usage cost for natural gas. Conversely, if temperatures are higher than normal, a WNA charge appears to bring usage cost up to the “normal” level.

WNA is authorized by local municipalities and the Texas Railroad Commission. For more information about WNA and how CoServ Gas works to provide safe, clean and reliable natural gas service for Customers, visit CoServ.com>Gas>GasRates.

“Thank you for all you do. We haven't lost electricity, and the dedication of your workers to go out in this terrible weather to keep us warm is appreciated!”

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"CoServ is AWESOME! We are so impressed with the service and quick response. We live in McKinney and had about one hour without electric yesterday am. Quickly restored. No more issues. God bless you and your sta� working out in these frigid temps."

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Clogged, Backed—up Septic System…Can anything Restore It?DEAR DARRYL: My home is about 10 years old, and so is my septic system. I have always taken pride in keeping my home and property in top shape. In fact, my neighbors and I are always kidding each other about who keeps their home and yard nicest. Lately, however, I have had a horrible smell in my yard, and also in one of my bathrooms, coming from the shower drain. My grass is muddy and all the drains in my home are very slow. My wife is on my back to make the bathroom stop smelling and as you can imagine, my neighbors are having a field day, kidding me about the mud pit and sewage stench in my yard. It’s humiliating. I called a plumber buddy of mine, who recommended pumping (and maybe even replacing) my septic system. But at the potential cost of thousands of dollars, I hate to explore that option. I tried the store bought, so called, Septic treatments out there, and they did Nothing to clear up my problem. Is there anything on the market I can pour or flush into my system that will restore it to normal, and keep it maintained?

Clogged and Smelly – Arlington, TX

DEAR CLOGGED AND SMELLY: As a reader of my column, I am sure you are aware that I have a great deal of experience in this particular field. You will be glad to know that there IS a septic solution that will solve your back-up and effectively restore your entire system from interior piping throughout the septic system and even unclog the drain field as well. SeptiCleanse® Shock and Maintenance Programs deliver your system the fast active bacteria and enzymes needed to liquefy solid waste and free the clogs causing your back-up.

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Texas History

Towering Texans’ Circus Tour P.T. Barnum putsShields brothers under the big top as the Texas Giants BY MARTHA DEERINGER

In frontier Texas, where high-heeled boots and 10-gallonhats gave even normal-sized hombres a vertical advantage, theShields brothers rose above the rest like skyscrapers in down-town Dallas. Their heads reached so high that in 1879 theyattracted the attention of one of P.T. Barnum’s talent scouts.Four of the brothers, not so enamored with scratching out a liv-ing on their father’s hardscrabble farm in northeastern Texas,were easily persuaded to join the circus and travel the countryas entertainers—billed as the Texas Giants.

There were actually nine brothers, sons of John and PenelopeShields of Alabama, who settled on a farm near White Rock in 1868.The couple lost one son, James, in the Civil War and another, Star-ling, before the move to Texas. The boys’ father was between 6 feet6 inches and 7 feet tall, their mother of average height.

There must have been a good milk cow in the barn, though,because the youngsters continued to grow.

And grow. By 1879, Jack, Frank, Guss and Shadrack (Shade) Shields had

sprouted into full-grown giants. Many accounts say each waswell over 7 feet tall, though some sources claim none of themreached that height. Barnum, infamous for supposedly stating,“There’s a sucker born every minute,” listed the Texas Giants as:Shade, 7-8; Guss, 7-10; and Frank and Jack at 7-11 ¾ inches. Anaverage-sized man could walk beneath their outstretched armswith his hat on.

By the time Barnum discovered the Shields family, the threeoldest boys were settled on farms and had no interest in theroaming life offered by the Greatest Show on Earth. But the fouryoungest, eager to wring excitement from lives of toil, rushed tothe depot in Kingston and boarded the train for New York City.Frank, 26, and Guss, 28, were married, but times were hard andthe lure of a $100 weekly salary was too good to pass up. Thegiants supplemented their incomes by selling photos of them-selves, called cabinet cards, for 10 cents apiece.

The Shields brothers, who traveled by train throughout theUnited States and Canada, appeared with Barnum for 10-dayperiods in large cities like Chicago and at many one-day stops inbetween. They also toured Great Britain. “We have a nice largeroom with carpets on the floor,” Guss wrote to an uncle from aluxury hotel, “ … and we have an easy time, no responsibility norno work.”

Their job was simply to be on display. They appeared in spe-cially made military uniforms crowned by tall hats, and rumorscirculated that Barnum outfitted them with elevator shoes. Thefour were on exhibit from noon to 5:30 p.m., took an hour off for

dinner in the circus concession, and returned until 11 p.m.On Christmas Day, 1890, Shade Shields married a giantess, 7-

foot-tall, red-haired Annie O’Brien. The couple toured togetheras “the tallest married couple on Earth.” They had one son, whowas of average height.

Guss, Jack and Frank quit the circus in 1883 when a smallpoxepidemic broke out in the Barnum camp, said Annie Shields,Jack’s daughter-in-law, in a 1969 interview for the Denison Her-ald newspaper. Guss and Frank lost wives to the disease. Jack rana grocery store in Kingston after his circus career and laterjoined his younger brother in operating a saloon. Shade movedto Hornersville, Missouri, where he was elected mayor and thenjustice of the peace. His closest friend was 3-foot-tall William“Major” Ray, another circus veteran who settled in Hornersville.

Circuses brought much-needed entertainment in the 19thcentury. While many sideshow performers were billed as freaksof nature, the Texas Giants simply sprang from a family ofexceptionally large people. Most of their numerous offspringwere of average size, although Frank’s grandson, Marcus RossFreiberger, was 6-10 and won a gold medal with the U.S. basket-ball team in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.

Martha Deeringer is a frequent contributor.

The Shields brothers, known as the Texas Giants, wore military uniforms speciallymade for their large frames when appearing with P.T. Barnum’s circus.

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Healthy Mushrooms Mean Growing Demand Since being foundedin 1988 near Gonzales, Kitchen Pride Farms has ridden a growing public awareness of nutrition research identify-ing the health benefits of eating mushrooms. People are also learning how good fresh mushrooms taste, saysKitchen Pride founder Darrell McLain.

“With all the talk about nutritional benefits, people have realized that mushrooms are not only healthy, butthey add so much to recipes,” McLain says. “They just make things taste better.”

Fresh mushrooms are fat-free, low-calorie and a good source of B vitamins and selenium, essential for the pro-duction of antioxidants. With increased demand for this healthy food source, Kitchen Pride, served by GuadalupeValley Electric Cooperative, has gone through four major production expansions. Today, it grows more than225,000 pounds of mushrooms a week that are shipped to major grocery store chains across Texas and sold innumerous farmers markets. Because they are grown in climate-controlled rooms, the farm delivers fresh mush-rooms year-round.

McLain says increased demand promises to continue: “Consumers are trying new things like substitutingmushrooms for meat or trying mushrooms in different things like breakfast tacos. Growing awareness means weneed to grow more to keep up.”

Visit kitchenpride.com to learn how mushrooms are grown. The site also lists farmers markets where you canbuy Kitchen Pride mushrooms and provides recipes, including the one below for a healthy dish with salmon andmushrooms. JEFF JOINER

Recipes

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Mushroom, Edamame and Salmon Penne

4 cups uncooked penne pasta 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 pound mushrooms, sliced 1 large onion, diced 16 ounces frozen shelled edamame (soybeans) 4 sundried tomatoes ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon salt ¾ cup white wine or water 1 ¼ cups vegetable broth 1 pound skinless salmon, cut into 6 strips

› Cook pasta according to package directions.› Heat 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over

medium-high heat. Add a single layer of mushrooms andonion and cook, without stirring, for about 5 minutes oruntil mushrooms become red-brown on one side. Flipmixture and cook about 5 minutes more, until other sideis the same color.

› Add edamame and stir. Add tomatoes and sprinkle withflour and salt; stir for 3 to 4 minutes to slightly cook theflour. Pour in wine or water and broth and stir to inte-grate flour into the liquid. Cook until sauce thickens,about 5 to 10 minutes.

› In a separate skillet, sear salmon in remaining olive oilabout 3 minutes on each side.

› Add cooked pasta to mushroom mixture and gently stirto combine. Heat until thoroughly warm and top withsalmon strips to serve.

Servings: 6. Serving size: ⅙ of dish plus 1 salmon strip. Per serving: 610 calories, 31.4 g protein, 15 g fat, 72.6 g carbohydrates, 12.6 g dietaryfiber, 571 mg sodium, 5.6 g sugars, 41 mg cholesterol

White ButtonJuicy and tasty with

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Some Mushrooms Grown at Kitchen Pride Farms

ShiitakeWoodsy, concentrated

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OysterGraceful appearance with

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Portobello Pizzas Margherita

8 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed 1 clove garlic, mashed 4 tablespoons olive oil 8 slices mozzarella cheese, each approximately ¼ inch thick 1 large tomato, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon sea salt ⅓ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

› Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat surface of bak-ing sheet with cooking spray. Arrange mushrooms, gillside up, on baking sheet.

› Saute garlic in olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes, or until garlic is golden brown.Remove garlic and discard. Brush mushrooms with oliveoil.

› Bake 5 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly brownedand slightly crisped on top.

› Place a slice of cheese on top of each mushroom. Dividediced tomatoes among mushrooms, mounding on top ofcheese. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and basil. Return tooven 3 minutes more, or until cheese is melted andbubbling.Servings: 8. Serving size: 1 pizza. Per serving: 253 calories, 16.8 g protein,16 g fat, 6.5 g carbohydrates, 1.4 g dietary fiber, 669 mg sodium, 3.1 gsugars, 30 mg cholesterol

BETSY KUEBLER | FARMERS EC

Mushroom Lasagna

¼ cup butter 1 pound mushrooms, sliced thin Juice of half a small lemon, optional 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon salt 2 ¼ cups milk 8 ounces lasagna noodles 1 pound ricotta cheese ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

› Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add mushrooms andlemon juice and sauté until softened.

› Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of water. With awire whisk, blend cornstarch and salt into mushroommixture.

› Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk. Return toheat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Setaside.

› Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook noodles according topackage instructions.

› In an 11-by-7-inch baking dish, spread a layer of sauce,top with a layer of noodles, then a layer of ricotta, moz-zarella and Parmesan, repeating layers until all ingredi-ents are used, topping with remaining mushroom sauce.

› Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow tostand about 15 minutes before serving.Servings: 6. Serving size: ⅙ of dish. Per serving: 480 calories, 22.3 g pro-tein, 23.7 g fat, 42.4 g carbohydrates, 5 g dietary fiber, 684 mg sodium,6.5 g sugars, 80 mg cholesterol

GARY FEARS | MAGIC VALLEY EC

Cook’s Tip: The mushroom sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated until

ready for use.

36 Texas Co-op Power January 2014

Recipes

SANDRA JENNINGS | GUADALUPE VALLEY AND NUECES ELECTRIC COOPERATIVESAdd Umami with Mushrooms Contest WinnerThe mild flavor of bite-sized button mushroomsmakes them perfect for marinating. In SandraJennings’ prizewinning recipe, fresh herbs andgreen onion give the savory fungi a flavorfulpunch, while red bell peppers add a sweet crunch.

Cindy’s Marinated Mushrooms

1 pound button mushrooms 2 large red bell peppers 1 bunch green onions 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 1 large clove garlic, finely minced 1 teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup olive oil ⅓ cup soy sauce ⅓ cup red wine vinegar

› Chop mushrooms, bell peppers and green onions(including tops) into 1-inch pieces. Place in largebowl with a top that seals. Add basil, parsley, garlicand pepper and mix well.

› In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, soy sauceand vinegar. Pour over mushroom mixture. Sealbowl. Turn over several times to coat vegetables.

› Refrigerate at least 2 hours turning once or twice. Servings: 8. Serving size: about ⅜ cup. Per serving: 99 calories, 2.9 g protein, 6.7 g fat, 7.5 g carbohydrates, 1.9 g dietary fiber, 608 mg sodium, 3.3 g sugars

TexasCoopPower.com

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Stuffed Portobellos

6 medium to large portobello mushrooms 1 pound Italian sausage, mild or spicy 1 medium onion, diced 1 cup chopped okra ½ cup chopped zucchini 4 medium cloves garlic, minced ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs ¼ cup shredded fresh Parmesan ½ teaspoon garlic salt ½ teaspoon paprika ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon oregano ¼ teaspoon thyme

› Using a spoon, scrape the gills from the mushroom capsbut leave the stems intact.

› Remove sausage from casing and crumble into a frying

pan. Over medium heat, cook sausage and onions untilhalfway done. Add the okra and zucchini and cook untilthey begin to soften.

› When sausage is fully cooked, add minced garlic andcook for 1 minute.

› Remove from heat and mix in breadcrumbs, Parmesanand spices.

› Fill mushrooms with sausage mixture and bake at 350degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.Servings: 6. Serving size: 1 mushroom. Per serving: 351 calories, 16.2 gprotein, 24.2 g fat, 14.5 g carbohydrates, 2.6 g dietary fiber, 886 mgsodium, 4 g sugars, 61 mg cholesterol

JENNIFER MAJESKI | BLUEBONNET EC


$100 Recipe ContestMay’s recipe contest topic is Peanuts. The versatile peanut can beused in so many ways, the possibilities are endless. Do you have arecipe that features the legumes, which are a major crop in Texas? Thedeadline is January 10.

S P O N S O R E D BY T H E T E XA S P E A N U T P R O D U C E R S B OA R D.

There are three ways to enter: ONLINE at TexasCoopPower.com/contests; MAIL to 1122 Colorado St., 24thFloor, Austin, TX 78701; FAX to (512) 763-3401. Include your name, address and phone number, plus yourco-op and the name of the contest you are entering.

Web Extra on TexasCoopPower.com Find more than 500 recipes that have appeared in Texas Co-op Power,including others containing mushrooms, on our website.

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Focus on Texas

Looking Up Things are definitely looking up, asyou’ve shown with all of the photos you sent in—upwardof 200. We knew you would rise to the occasion.

ASHLEY CLARY-CARPENTER

Upcoming ContestsMarch Issue: StairwaysDeadline: January 10

April: Slow Shutter

May: Inspirational

All entries must include name, address, daytimephone and co-op affiliation, plus the contest topicand a brief description of your photo. ONLINE: Submit highest-resolution digital images atTexasCoopPower.com/contests. MAIL: Focus on Texas,1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Astamped, self-addressed envelope must be includedif you want your entry returned (approximately sixweeks). Please do not submit irreplaceable photo-graphs—send a copy or duplicate. We do not acceptentries via email. We regret that Texas Co-op Powercannot be responsible for photos that are lost in themail or not received by the deadline.

Web Extras on TexasCoopPower.com We received 200 photos and are showing you only five? What’s up withthat? No worries. We uploaded a bunch more to our website.

g Cooke County EC’s Rene Schmitzshares the unusual perspective oflooking up through a grain silo.

o Skydivers wow the crowd at theRandolph Air Force Base air showin Universal City. Thanks to PaulGarcia, Medina EC, for sharing.

o Jonathan Berrier, 3-year-old son of Shannan, Grayson-Collin EC,reaches up to grasp a sunflower.

Taken in about 1980, young Patrick Fortune looks up at his grandpaDub with love and adoration. Today, Patrick belongs to Panola-HarrisonEC, as does his father, Paul, who sent in the photo. Dub was also amember from 1945 until his death in 2012. d

o Tammy Jaresh, Grayson-CollinEC, takes a look up into the hotair balloon carrying her throughthe sky.


Around Texas

January

11 Athens Bird and Nature Walk,(903) 676-2277, athenstx.org

Johnson City, Hye, Stonewall, Fredericksburg Port ’n Pairings,(830) 868-2321, wineroad290.com

16 Austin [16–18, 24] Travis County YouthShow, (512) 278-8498, traviscountyyouthshow.org

Q U I LT: VA I D E | B I G STO C K .CO M . C H I L I : D E H O O KS | B I G STO C K .CO M . V I O L I N : UAT P 1 | B I G STO C K .CO M

Pick of the MonthHeart of Texas One Stop Shop HopWaco [January 31-February 1]

(254) 741-6988, heartoftexashop.com

Shop in a winter wonderland January 31 andFebruary 1 at McLennan Hall in the Waco Convention Center. More than 30 quilt shopsare under one roof.

Get Going > This is just a sampling of the events

January 18Victoria

Victoria SymphonyPresents Wynonna

January 18Round Top

RT Family Library’s10th Annual Chili

Cook-Off

18 Brenham Uptown Swirl, 1-888-273-6426,downtownbrenham.com

Round Top RT Family Library’s 10th AnnualChili Cook-Off, (979) 249-2700,ilovetoread.org

Victoria Victoria Symphony PresentsWynonna, (361) 576-4500,victoriasymphony.com

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Come see us at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo at Booth 336 and 337.

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6525 BAKER BLVD., FORT WORTH, TX 76118

Browse hundreds of events at


19 Austin 2014 3M Half Marathon,(512) 984-7223, 3mhalfmarathon.com

24 Red Rock [24–25] Old School House Sanctioned Chili & Barbecue Cook-Off,(512) 284-4097

24 Tyler [24–25] Kiwanis Antiques & VintageCollectible Show and Sale, (903) 530-1771,tylerkiwanis.org

Johnson City [24-26] Blanco CountyYouth Council Stock Show, (830) 868-7167,johnsoncity-texas.com

25 Rockport [25–26] Piecemakers by the BayQuilt Show, (361) 727-0437, piecemakersbythebay.org

29 Fredericksburg [29–31] Texas AquacultureAssociation Conference and Trade Show,(281) 639-8271, texasaquaculture.org

February01 Boerne Hill Country Family History Seminar,(830) 331-8730, rootsweb.ancestry.com

Lockhart Wild (And Not-So-Wild) GameDinner, (512) 764-2585

A N T I Q U E C LO C K : A RTY | B I G STO C K .CO M . D O G : E R I K L A M | B I G STO C K .CO M

08 Clifton Hearts and BARKs Gala,(254) 675-7712

February 8Clifton Hearts and BARKs Gala

Submit Your Event!We pick events for the magazine directly fromTexasCoopPower.com. Submit your event forMarch 2014 by January 10, and it just might befeatured in this calendar!

January 24Tyler

Kiwanis Antiques& Vintage

Collectible Show and Sale

Land Clearing Attachments Special

Tree & Brush Cutting Attachments Dougherty Forestry Manufacturing

Dougherty Forestry Mfg. Hinton, OK. Toll Free: 1.888.530.8967, www.turbosaw.com

TR3200 with Grapple$5,600 msrp.

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The Original Turbo Saw cuts

faster, safer, and easier than any

other tree cutter on the market.

540 PTO, Category 1 or 2. Mesquite, Chinaberry, Locust, Cedar, etc.

and festivals around Texas. For a complete listing, please visit TexasCoopPower.com/events.

TexasCoopPower.com

Hit the Road Battleship Texas

A youngster sits at the controls ofan anti-aircraft gun on the deck of a war-ship spinning the still-functioning eleva-tion control, raising and lowering thegun barrel as his father points out howsailors aimed the weapon. Craig Russell,a U.S. Army artilleryman stationed atFort Polk in Louisiana, explains the finerdetails of gunnery techniques, but 6-year-old Damon is having too much funto listen.

The Russells are touring the BattleshipTexas, commissioned as the USS Texas in1914 and today a floating museum in LaPorte. The Battleship Texas BB-35 StateHistoric Site is home to the world’s lastdreadnought battleship and the last surviv-ing U.S. warship to serve in both worldwars. Developed before World War I,dreadnoughts were the world’s most pow-erful weapons at a time when internationalclout was demonstrated on the high seas.

“The Battleship Texas is an amazinghistorical artifact,” says Ship ManagerAndy Smith of the Texas Parks and WildlifeDepartment. “It represents the first 50

years of modern naval technology, from thefirst battleship to launch an airplane in1919 to the first to use radar in 1939.”

The Texas sits docked in a sea of petro-chemical complexes along the HoustonShip Channel adjacent to the San JacintoBattle State Historic Site. The ship is ahub of activity as visitors scramblethrough hatchways and down stairs tovisit crew quarters below deck, where asmany as 1,400 sailors lived. On the bow,visitors climb into the massive No. 1 turretto see where sailors loaded 14-inch shellsinto twin guns. People scurry high abovethe deck on the conning tower, taking inspectacular views of the Texas and ship-ping traffic on the channel.

The Texas is best known for its servicein World War II when it fought in both theEuropean and Pacific theaters of the war.The battleship bombarded the enemy dur-ing amphibious landings including D-Dayin 1944 and assaults on the Pacific islandsof Iwo Jima and Okinawa in 1945.

“The Texas witnessed some of themost iconic images of World War II,”

Smith says. “You can stand wherecrewmembers watched from the bridge asthe flag was raised on Mount Suribachi”during the battle for Iwo Jima.

After World War II, aging battleshipswere offered to their namesake states, butonly Texas accepted the offer, Smith says.Decommissioned, the Texas was officiallytransferred to the state in 1948.

In 2009, the Legislature approvedfunding to build a permanent dry berthfor the ship at its present location. Thoseplans were put on hold in 2012 when thebattleship experienced severe floodingfrom leaks. Structural repairs are nowbeing made to the ship, Smith says, whichremains open to the public.

Visitors can daily take self-guided toursor join occasional tours of areas not open tothe general public. Guided “hardhat” toursoffer a look at areas such as the ammo-han-dling room, boiler room, main radio roomand the pilothouse. The Battleship TexasFoundation also offers overnight stays onboard for groups. Participants sleep inbunk beds, just as the crew did.

“One of the coolest things about theTexas is getting a sense of the conditionsthe crew lived and worked under,” Smithsays. “You can walk the deck and imaginewhat it was like to be here in the middle ofNorth Atlantic storms or in the heat of theSouth Pacific.”

Jeff Joiner is Texas Co-op Power editor.

Visit the Battleship TexasThe Texas is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, ChristmasEve and Christmas Day. Visit tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/battleship-texas. Learnmore about the ship’s history and efforts torepair and preserve it at the BattleshipTexas Foundation website, battleshiptexas.org.

Witness to naval history and World War II’s most memorable moments is docked at La Porte and open to the public BY JEFF JOINER

A BIG GUN: For 6-year-old Damon Russell, visiting the Battleship Texas in La Porte is a larger-than-life adventure that includes trying out the controls of an anti-aircraft gun. The historic warship is open daily for self-guided tours.

H

JEFF

JO

INER

Web Extra on TexasCoopPower.com • Take a video tour of the Battleship Texas.• Read about the March Battleship TexasCentennial Celebration.

42 Texas Co-op Power January 2014

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Texas Co-op Power • January 2014

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