“ ”Connie McFall ClarkContributing Writer

At the Comal County Commissioners Court on May 28, Cheryl Fraser, Director of Public Health pro-vided the weekly COVID-19 update. As of this date they had identified 90 posi-tive cases in Comal County after receiving results of 1,494 tests conducted. Death toll was seven.

The large testing number is partially due to the Nursing Home tests. Anil T. Mangla, Infectious Disease and Public Health

Epidemiologist pre-sented an update on epidemiology details.

Mark Reynolds, Comal County Sheriff requested approval of the Addendum to Interlocal Agreement for the Provision of Law Enforcement Services by and between Comal County and Comal Independent School District. The current Interlocal ended on May 30 and Commissioners approved an extension to June 12 to allow for graduations and end-of-term activities.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) held an online Public Meeting on the Honey Creek MUD (Silesia Properties LP of San Antonio) Proposed Permit in June. If authorized, the per-mit allows disposal of treated domestic wastewater at a daily average flow not to exceed 365,000 gal-lons per day via pub-lic access subsurface area drip dispersal system with a mini-mum area of 84 acres. This permit will not authorize a discharge of pollutants into waters in the State.

The wastewater treatment facility and

disposal site will be located at 26226 West State Highway 46 in the City of Spring Branch. The waste-water treatment facil-ity and disposal site will be located in the drainage basin of Guadalupe River above Canyon Lake in Segment No. 1806 of the Guadalupe River Basin.

This Public Hearing is the final deadline for a Formal Comment period. The process going forward is that TCEQ will consider all formal comments made at this Public Hearing and those received via email

Rhonda ZunkerBSB Chamber President

Thank you to the Ranch Radio Group for including Bulverde Spring Branch on their Hill Country Strong tour of their listening area. On May 28 the Ranch Radio Group – including The Ranch 92.3 Classic Country, the Fox 93.9 Today’s Hot Country, The River 106.1 Classic Hits, and The Hill Country Patriot 104.3 – came out to the Physician’s Premier Parking lot and vis-ited with listeners, handed out T-Shirts, Hill Country Strong Yard Signs and bumper stick-ers. Physician’s Premier was the sponsor.

Mark Grubbs, owner of the Ranch Radio Group, stated that “The COVID-19 virus has certainly had its effect on our nation as a whole, both in physical health and economic health. Here in the Texas Hill Country the picture is a bit brighter. We wanted to come out and share a positive mes-sage that we’re okay because we are Hill Country Strong.

More than 130 cars came through the drive-thru event and after visiting with the Ranch Group, some BSB Chamber members lined the parking area to show they sup-port and talk with the visitors.

See HERO, page 4

See MEETING, page 4

See CREEK, page 4

Vol. 1 • No. 5 June 19, 2020 HillCountryWeekly.comBulverde Spring Branch

Back PorchNews

STRENGTH

COMMUNITYOF THE

We wanted to come out and share a positive message that we’re okay because we are Hill Country Strong.

Thank you to:Pat Rodriguez, Mary Kay Director, Ferris Orthodontics, Kathleen Banse State Farm, Sage Capital Bank, Ruiz Ranch Motors, Keller Williams – Hill Country, Connections, BSB Activity Center, Robert Evans with Reliance Residential Realty, Chicken Express, Uplifting Medicine, Spring Branch Tennis Association, Mercy Wellness and Texas Carpet Baggers for supporting the event.

Bulverde seeks new board membersThe City of Bulverde is

accepting applications for ser-vice on the City’s Planning & Zoning Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Planning and Zoning Commission: The City’s Planning and Zoning Commission is an advisory board which reviews zone change requests, plats, sign

code variances, and other planning related requests, and makes recommendations to the City Council on approval/denial of those requests.

The commission meets once a month, on the Thursday fol-lowing the regular City Council meeting (second Tuesday of each month). There are three regular and one alternate

position up for appoint-ment this year. Persons are appointed to the Commission for two-year terms.

Zoning Board of Adjustment: The Zoning Board of Adjustment reviews and rules on zoning variance cases. The board meets on an as needed basis, usually two or three times a year. Each meeting is

scheduled according to the members availability.

Each of these boards is intended to provide input to the city’s planning processes from regular citizens impacted by those decisions. No spe-cialized knowledge is required to serve, and training in duties and requirements will be pro-vided to all appointees. The

board has five regular posi-tions and one alternate posi-tion up for appointment this year.

All service on city boards and commissions is provided on a volunteer basis, and no compensation is provided.

All persons interested in serving should apply online at: https://bit.ly/2UTCMPm.

Miles Butry tries on a yellow helmet that he received from Fire Chief Doug Meckel.

Young hero honoredChristina RyrholmHill Country Weekly

Sometimes a city council meeting is about a heroic deed, not ordinances. Or tackling a new complicated task, not public hearings. Or saying a fare-well, not rezoning. Or leaving behind a legacy, not approving a sign.

At the meeting on Tuesday night the city council accomplished all of those things and more in a two-hour meeting.

Miles Butry, 3-year-old hero On Tuesday night, Fire Chief Doug

Meckel, representing the entire Boerne fire department, honored Miles Butry for his part in helping to rescue his older sister Ella and father Blake on May 12.

On that rainy day, the three were pud-dle jumping in ankle deep water at a cul-de-sac near their home in the Woods of Frederick Creek subdivision. When Miles no longer wanted to play, his

father lifted him to a nearby grassy area. When he turned back to get Ella, she was floating down the channel. Unable to reach her before she entered into the storm drain, he went in after her.

Miles, quickly and smartly for a youngster his age, ran home to alert his mother that his Daddy and Ella had gone into a hole. After 911 had been called, she and a neighbor went to look for the pair. The fire department crew were able to locate the father and daughter at the next storm drain, where they had been able to stand up in a manhole and wait to be rescued.

Miles, surrounded by family and the rescue squad, was given his own yel-low helmet and a badge to recognize his actions. Ella, too, was brave during the ordeal as was dad who unhesitat-ingly went in after her.

Nursing home testing yields more patients

Public weighs in on proposal for Honey Creek

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

WASTEWATER PROJECT

Bill KrawietzBulverde Mayor

The City of Bulverde can-celled its April Council and Planning & Zoning meetings. It also sent home part of the staff and closed the City Park. When it came to business clos-ings and such, we basically followed the County and State mandates. The City does not have a Public Health component, so we deferred to those other agencies for guidance. To coor-dinate those efforts there were daily calls between County Officials and all the Comal County Cities.

The only businesses closed earlier than those mandated from that outside guidance were Hair and Nail Salons. The closures were actually prompted by employees of those establishments reaching

out and requesting they be shut down for their own safety.

Now, as of May 12, things are starting to cautiously open back up. Tonight, the City held its first Council meeting

since March, observ-ing social distanc-ing guidelines. The meeting went well.

We said goodbye to Council members Kirk Harrison and Ray Jeffrey, as they both decided not to run for reelection. Each gave a short speech reflecting

about his time with the City; it was quite moving. They both have been on Council for quite some time and will be missed. Jeffrey, a lawyer, was our for-mer mayor before trying his hand at councilman.

Council is made up of six council members and the mayor. Each member holds a three year term. Every year, two council terms expire, and on the third year, the Mayor’s.

Council members serve at large representing the whole community, not a specific area or district. They do however have a “Place” on Council. That means, during an elec-tion when someone new files to run, it is for a specific seat. There could be several file to unseat a particular incumbent and only one for the other seat leaving the incumbent unchallenged.

Since only two candidates filed for the two seats being vacated by Harrison and Jeffrey, the City was able to cancel the election. This saves the taxpayers about $8,000 in voting machine rental and other costs.

After plaques were awarded to both exiting members, their replacements were sworn in. Chuck Hughes, who lives in Oak Village North, fills place 3, and Ashley Orndorff of Bulverde Hills will fill place 4. Council named Mechelle Salmon as Mayor Pro Tem.

Businesses are truly the

lifeblood of the City, generat-ing sales tax to fund its opera-tions. Those precious sales tax dollars keep our property tax much lower. We owe those businesses a great deal of grati-tude for their support and, as such, need to show our sup-port to them. The need to shop local can’t be emphasized enough.

For some businesses, recov-ering from the shutdown will be difficult to near impossible. The City works closely with the local Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Foundation (EDF). Both spoke of their efforts at the Council meeting to help businesses recover. They have shifted their efforts from trying to attract new businesses to try-ing to save the ones we have.

Joe Byers from the EDF shared some experiences he had will a local business who was ready to shut its doors for good. Joe has a ton of experi-ence with lending, finance, real estate and property

management. He spoke of one local business that was ready to close for good. With his help, they were able to secure gov-ernment recovery assistance they didn’t think was available to them and negotiate a solu-tion with their landlord.

Council unanimously approved a temporary amend-ment to the sign ordinance to allow businesses to display banner and flag type signs. Chamber President Rhonda Zunker discussed the need for additional signage to help businesses get their word out they are open.

As we move forward, remember we are all in this together. There are many resources available for indi-viduals, families, and busi-nesses alike. As I tell my kids, it’s amazing what you can get if you just ask for it. We live in a loving and caring commu-nity, and I’m always amazed by those who make it such a wonderful place by helping others.

Friday, June 19, 2020 H Back Porch News2

A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

FRONTIER TALES

City operations cautiously resume

Miranda KoernerHill Country Weekly

As a rule, dear reader, this reporter follows the journalistic adage of always sticking to third person and not revealing anything about one’s self or opinions. However, the Hill Country Weekly’s new editor, Perry White, insisted that readers wanted to know the person behind the byline. While this reporter tried to explain that she could, in fact, think of several people who would wish this byline would dis-appear, Mr. White insisted, and any good reporter knows you don’t mess with the person wielding the red pen. So, for the first, and hopefully only time, this reporter will reveal her own personal vendetta with tornados.

Two Sundays ago, I was not where I wanted to be. My four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son were crammed into a coat closet with me, my husband and our two 12-year-old Chihuahuas. Anyone with small chil-dren knows that when the power goes out at night, you’ve entered one of the levels of Dante’s Inferno. When you add in a storm that produces green skies, hail and roaring winds that aren’t coming from the fat Chihuahua nestled in your lap, you’re not just in the inferno, you’ve entered a whole new level of perdition. Especially when there’s one flashlight and both kids are fighting over it.

“Mommy?” my daughter asked, for-getting her quest in overpowering her younger brother momentarily for the flashlight, “Are my Barbies going to be ok?”

“Yes.” I braced myself for the demands of hauling the 500 Barbies and Baby Alive dolls into the closet along with my son’s Transformer cars.

“How do you know?” she asked.Well, there were a lot of ways I

knew. The first being that I was first generation Texan courtesy of two Okies who had never quite outgrown their rabid fear of rain. The second a wisp of cloud darkened the sky, my dad would bolt outside and race around the yard, checking to see if the spiders had webbed up their holes and the ants dammed up their houses. I spent most of high school praying to insects in order to keep my social life from being wrecked. If my dad even saw a hint of clouds on the radar, my wheels were parked. My mother was just as bad.

“An Okie is raised being woken out of a dead sleep and being dragged through knee deep water to a storm shelter,” she’d tell me, making it clear I should count my blessings as I crammed in the bathtub next to my squirmy sister with a twin mattress over us in our tiny bathroom. “We’d

have to stay down there for hours!”Growing up in Austin, I didn’t have

to spend a lot of time hiding under a mattress in the bathroom, though by 16 I came to the unpleasant real-ization that my parents’ paranoia of storms had made their genetic mark. I was babysitting in a neighborhood perched on one of Austin’s pictur-esque hills, perfect for real estate but a disaster for the epic Hill Country storms and rains that could hit. The kids and I were playing outside when the wind turned cold.

“Why is the sky green?” one of the kids asked me. After twisting around to see that indeed it was a horrifying shade of green gray, I regret that I said a word they gleefully repeated for their parents when they came home later that night. As I sat in their first-floor bathroom, a mattress over their tiny bodies as they whined and demanded cartoons, I grilled my mother on their cordless phone.

“So, what should I be listening for? Well, is it a train or a lion, Mom? Ask Dad what the radar says. No, I’m not near a TV, I’m in the bathroom with the kids under a mattress. What do you mean, did I grab food? How long am I supposed to be in here? Their folks aren’t coming home until 11, Mom. By that time, we’re probably going to be blown off the hill or swept down it in the monsoon. No, I’m not driving myself! After all this, you expect me to drive home? What kind of an Okie are you?”

Of course, their parents came home and were nice enough not to be mad

about the new word their little dar-lings learned. In fact, I gained new cli-ents because they boasted to all their friends that their babysitter knew what to do in storms. My dad strutted around about that for a while.

All this training came in handy, however, my senior year in college. In May, studying for my last semes-ter of finals, my now-husband and I looked up at the stormy sky. For him, it was an unfamiliar blaring that sounded like a stuck police siren. For the daughter of two Okies, it was the sound I had never wanted to hear.

“What is that?” he asked.“Tornado sirens,” I told him. “Run!”Perhaps that’s why he and I didn’t

have any problems during the quar-antine the past couple of months. After you’re stuck in a pantry where someone with giant feet that also writes stories for the paper knocks over a bottle of cayenne pepper and a few glass jars, and you can hear the nails ripping out of the roof over your heads and the metallic screech of the garage door warping as the tor-nado rips apart a gas station a street away from you…you don’t really get worked up about a lot.

So, for the second time in two weeks, after I’d seen that horrible green sky and crammed my kids and unamused Chihuahuas into the tiny closet, I looked at my daughter’s con-cerned face.

“Did I ever tell you what Okie kids have to deal with?” I asked her. “Let’s call Mee Maw. She can tell you all about it.”

Tornados, Okies, and a whole lot of Barbies

Dramatization - No dolls were harmed

Rebecca Huffstutler NortonSpecial to The Weekly

As controversy swirls around us on how to treat the coronavirus, it’s interesting to look back to see how those who lived on the Texas fron-tier treated their illnesses before the rise of pharmaceuticals. Some of the old-time remedies used by pioneers are curious, if not death-defying. In 1880, a scourge of diphtheria was raging around the country. It was known as the “Strangling Angel of Death” for the thick secretions that were produced by the illness that would coat the throat and cause dif-ficulties in breathing. Diphtheria was particularly deadly among children. Parents stood helpless as the gray-ish film in the throat first produced croup, then finally blocked the wind-pipe. Like today’s coronavirus, the disease could be transmitted by those who displayed no symptoms.

One particular treatment that was reported to have had some success was the use of sulphur. Sulphur and flour would be mixed together in a glass of water and given to the patient to gargle and then swallow. If the patient could not swallow, sulphur powder was sprinkled on a piece of burning coal and the patient could inhale the fumes, following the notion that brimstone kills every fungus species known to man, beast and plant in a few minutes. Doctors believed diphtheria was a fungus, not knowing at the time about bac-terial infections. For particularly bad cases, windows and doors would be closed off so the fumes could fill the room. This mode of fumigation was also used to cure severe cold cases and was recommended for treatment of consumption (tuberculosis) and asthma!

This may have been a more pal-atable option for a cough than the treatment of powdered cow dung dis-solved in boiling water for the patient to drink or the less offensive, but just as smelly, hot onion juice.

Open wounds could easily become infected before the days of in-door plumbing and the practice of good hygiene. Before antibiotics, the injury could only be cleaned with a good soaking in boiling salt water, kero-sene or turpentine. Ant and mosquito bites were covered with wet chew-ing tobacco, boils were covered with either raw meat fat or sauerkraut and to treat a balding head – cover it with wet cow manure. Animal droppings seemed to a “drug” of choice.

There were many treatments tout-ing their use, including placing warm cattle or sheep manure in a cotton bag and wearing it as a poultice around the neck or placing the bag on the chest of those suffering from whopping cough or pneumonia.

At least animal droppings could be said to be safer and more organic than the medicines purchased at the drug store or from a traveling sales-man. Cocaine and opium were often found in over the counter remedies, even in children’s teething medicine. Magic elixirs said to cure everything from fatigue to nervous disorders were everywhere. For many of these miracle cures, grain alcohol or just plain whiskey was the main ingredi-ent. No wonder Grandma often had a smile on her face!

Remedy is worse than the disease

Back Porch News H Friday, June 19, 2020 3

This and ThatCompiled by Randy Schmidt

• Licensed & Insured Arborist

• Local Referrals Available

830.283.4429 • expertisetreeservice.com

After a success-ful trial at 16 Sam’s Club locations, Walmart has an-nounced plans to roll out curbside pick-up at its warehouse club chain across the country. The service, which is temporarily free for all members.Tyson Foods, the largest chicken pro-ducer in the U.S., said it is cooperating with a Justice Depart-ment investigation into price-fixing. The food manufacturer discovered last year that some of its em-ployees were impli-cated in the alleged scheme that has seen the indictment of executives from Pil-grim’s Pride Corp. and Claxton Poultry Farms.Amazon says it is banning use of its facial recognition software by police for one year, as pressure on tech companies builds to respond to the killing of George Floyd by a police of-ficer in Minneapolis.Sixty-three percent of consumers are cutting meat from their diets to some extent and 51% of them are looking for greater variety when it comes to plant-based proteins, ac-cording to Mintel. Many consumers are seeking whole food plant-based proteins as an alternative to processed products.The Federal Reserve voted yesterday to keep benchmark short-term rates near zero. In addition to the rates move, the Fed said it would keep buying bonds, targeting $80 billion a month in Treasurys and $40 billion in mortgage-backed se-curities.The CDC: The U.S. may have to insti-tute severe lockdown restrictions again if COVID-19 cases rise dramatically. It stressed Americans should wear masks, stay six feet apart, and wash hands.Hertz shares soared 37% after the bank-rupt company un-veiled a truly crazy plan to sell up to $1 billion in stock. A court gave it the green light.Starbucks will now let employees wear Black Lives Matter apparel, reversing an earlier stance.Fox News host Tuck-er Carlson is losing big-name advertisers following comments about BLM protests, including Disney and Papa John’s.Matt James is the first black male lead cast on The Bachelor.

Tesla stock hit $1,000 for the first time.Texas reported its third straight day of record hospitaliza-tions due to COV-ID-19.Simon Property Group backed out of its acquisition of fellow mall owner Taubman Centers because of the coro-navirus.Reddit appointed Y Combinator CEO Michael Seibel to its board following the departure of cofounder Alexis Ohanian. Ohanian asked the company to replace him with a black candidate.Ford Motor will of-fer battery-electric versions of its F-150 pickup and Transit van by mid-2022, COO Jim Farley said this week. It’s the most detailed time-line yet for the com-pany’s electric vehi-cle plans.The pandemic did what years of nag-ging failed to: The locked-down world is consuming less sugar, Bloomberg reports: “The global closure of restau-rants, sports arenas and cinemas means sugar demand will drop this season for the first time in four decades, according to Czarnikow Group.” Ben Seed, an analyst at Czarnikow in Lon-don, said: “If you go to the cinema you would probably quite happily have a liter or maybe more of soda, whereas we just don’t think people would drink a liter of soda while watching Net-flix.”Hundreds of boats rallied this week on the St. Johns River in downtown Jack-sonville to celebrate President Trump’s 74th birthday, AP reports. In Palm Beach County, cara-vans of trucks, mo-torcycles and boats rode along highways and the Intercoastal Waterway. In The Villages, a retire-ment community of Trump supporters held a golf-cart pa-rade.The release of Chris-topher Nolan’s “Te-net,” the movie that Hollywood is bank-ing on to get people back into theaters, has been pushed back to July 31.Twitter deleted 170k+ accounts asso-ciated with a Chinese political influence campaign.Your Band-Aids are getting more di-verse: The bandage maker will manufac-ture black and brown Band-Aids to better match a range of skin tones.

The twin crises of coronavirus and systemic racism in policing are forcing local leaders to make many of the most important decisions in the country. Elected city leaders — many of whom do the jobs part-time — certainly weren’t prepared to respond to multiple crises at once. But they have no choice. For years, national narratives dominated and overshad-owed local agendas.Now, though, local governments are calling shots that will have far-reaching ramifica-tions, from reopening their economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, to reforming po-lice departments and responding to protests. The crises require a detailed, block-by-block understanding of neighborhoods’ needs.

Virtual doctor visits jumped from ~12,000/week to more than 1 million/week during the pandemic. “Physicians have now basically crossed the rubicon,” NY Presbyterian CEO Steven Corwin told Fortune. So what’s in the way?While it’s not new, telemedicine hasn’t been a top priority for providers or insurers. Vir-tual visits can be less profitable than inperson services, especially for rural hospitals. Regu-latory barriers have also created uncertainty around telemedicine’s future.For patients, Medicare, Medicaid, or in-surance don’t always cover the cost of vir-tual care. In rural areas (where telehealth is especially helpful in plugging healthcare gaps), many people lack tech or broadband access.The COVID-19 pilotWhen the pandemic began, federal officials relaxed telemedicine rules. They waived cer-tain Medicare requirements and allowed doc-tors to practice across state lines and virtually prescribe more medications.Many states also expanded Medicaid tele-health coverage and relaxed licensing restric-tions. Some required that private insurance plans cover and reimburse telemedicine as much as in-person visits.Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma is pleased with early results and wants the U.S. to continue expanding telemedicine access. But there are still some wrinkles to iron out, including whether Medicare/Medicaid should pay out the same for virtual appointments

The pandemic is accelerating economic hard-ship for Catholic schools across the U.S.: Doz-ens closed their doors this month and many more may have to do the same, Marisa Fernan-dez writes. The loss of private schools — about one-third in the U.S. are Catholic — could narrow the education market, especially in low-income and high minority communities, federal esti-mates show. Sixty private schools, 49 of them Catholic, have permanently closed since the pandemic, displacing more than 8,100 students, accord-ing to the CATO Institute Center for Educa-tional Freedom. The National Catholic Edu-cational Association told AP the number of Catholic school closures in recent weeks could be as high as 100.

Hollywood is back – just not as we know it.After months of at-home premieres, produc-tion pushbacks, and financial strain, Holly-wood is eager to return to normal. Califor-nia gave the green light for studios to resume filming June 12 – with some caveats. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers teamed up with Hollywood’s major players on safety recommendations to reduce the risk of transmission. Here are some high-lights: Limits on sex and fight scenes. “Contact must be kept to the shortest amount of time possi-ble,” the recommendations say, because of the increased risks these scenes pose. (Thank God “Game of Thrones” ended last year, that would have been a disaster.) Live studio audiences are discouraged. Pro-ducers might have to cue up the laugh track.Actors should do their own makeup and cos-tumes. Can you imagine Adam Sandler dress-ing himself? Shorter workdays. This could put a big strain on budgets as 2-day shoots stretch to 2 weeks.Just like the pandemic, the restrictions are global. The Producers Guild of India released guidelines that limit some of Bollywood’s fa-vorite tropes – no more epic dance numbers or larger-than-life wedding scenes. And no actor above the age of 65 is allowed.

Criminals are getting busy — and creative — with an onslaught of new frauds preying on people’s fears and anxieties about the corona-virus pandemic. People are finding their un-employment checks and stimulus payments stolen. They’re also being bombarded with of-fers for fake cures, fake work-at-home offers and messages asking for personal financial in-formation.TransUnion, the credit bureau, runs a weekly survey that shows that 29% of consumers say they’ve been targets of digital fraud related to COVID-19.The FTC says consumers have reported about $50 million in losses to the agency.

Workers removed the statue of Jefferson Da-vis, the former Confederate president, from the Kentucky State Capitol this week. In the brick and marble base, was “an empty bottle of Glenmore bourbon and the Oct. 20, 1936 front page of the State Journal newspaper, as though someone thought it might be taken down some day.” — Lexington Herald-Leader

The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index rose nearly 9% in May, partially recovering from a “historic” drop the previous month, Forbes re-ports. Manheim is the world’s largest wholesale auto auction, listing millions of vehicles per year. Since 1995, Manheim has aggregated these sales into a Used Vehicle Value Index, which tracks movement in used car prices.

A new front in the fight against academic paywalls: The University of California sys-tem will make much of its new research open access by default.

Yelp has a spiffy new feature: You can now peruse a store’s safety precautions while deciding whether to visit.

“A father is a man who expects his son to be as good a man as he meant to to be.”

Frank A. Clark

Friday, June 19, 2020 H Back Porch News4

Letters to the EditorI admit, I can’t relate

I can’t relate because I have lived a life of privilege. I’m not saying it was all easy, John and I worked hard to provide a comfort-able life for our three children and believe me, there were lean times. The difference is, we didn’t start out with the odds stacked against us.

There is a reason the majority of kids who age out of the foster care system (for no fault of their own) end up in jail or homeless, it is hopelessness, that is what we are witnessing across this coun-try, hopelessness that nothing will ever change, they can’t see a bright future, the odds are stacked against them.

I’ve never been judged dif-ferently because of the color of my skin. I can walk through my neighborhood at any hour and won’t have the police called on me. I can move into any neigh-borhood I want to and neighbors won’t worry about their “prop-erty values.” I can apply for any job and not wonder in the back of my mind if I didn’t get it, was it because of the color of my skin?

If you can honestly say you have never experienced any of these, then you can’t relate either.

This is where the conversation begins. It begins with acknowl-edging that racism is alive and well in this country. We can dis-miss it all we want by saying it was the sins of the past, I wasn’t

responsible, I can’t do anything about it. The truth is we can do something about it, we can start the dialogue.

While we can condemn the destruction of property, we need to acknowledge the pent-up anger on yet another person of color either having the police called on them because they had the audac-ity to bird watch in Central Park, be gunned down by white vigi-lantes because they were jogging (in broad daylight) in their own neighborhood, or killed by a cop (a cop that had no business being in law enforcement).

We have to acknowledge that peaceful protests have been going on for decades, and yet, here we are again. When is enough, enough? That is the anger you are seeing ... when are we going to say enough?

This isn’t a Democrat/Republican, left/right, liberal/conservative thing; this is a basic human rights thing!

Nina Woolard Boerne, Texas

I offer no such apologyIn response to “I admit, I can’t

relate,” wherein Ms. Woolard apologizes for her “white privi-lege” status based on the color of her skin and her lack of police contact, I wish to respond.

I offer no such apology because I can relate. Even though we grew up poor, we had strong work eth-ics instilled by our parents which my siblings and I have utilized our

entire lives. We lived next door to a wonderful motorcycle cop, Mr. Martinelli, who was always very kind to us and usually had bub-blegum in his shirt pocket. We learned to respect law enforce-ment officers.

We all worked hard in school, and we all achieved good grades. Why should I apologize for that? Anyone with the desire to suc-ceed can do so if they put in the effort.

I have worked with and super-vised people of almost every race and color — and never had a problem with any of them. Why would anyone apologize for their skin and the skin color God gave them? Should we apologize for our hair color and eye color too? No, it’s ridiculous!

Perhaps Ms. Woolard has for-gotten about “black privilege” in the form of the EEOC or “quotas” for hiring and admission to uni-versities, color over merit.

I disagree with Ms. Woolard that this isn’t a “Democrat/Republican” thing, the rights of blacks to vote, to be counted as citizens and to be free men and women were all passed by Republicans. President Trump has done more for blacks in his short tenure that our first black presi-dent ever accomplished.

What makes me really angry is to see people destroying our great country, setting fires, destroying personal property, looting, instill-ing fear into the general popula-tion, the vicious killing of police officers and creating mayhem. I’ve had enough, too.

Sue Willoughby Boerne, Texas

HeroContinued from page 1

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Meeting

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The city is working to identify similar areas to prevent such accidents in the future.

Police Captain Steve Perez receives certificate of merit

On Feb. 13, city manager Ron Bowman appointed Boerne police Captain Steve Perez to coordinate how the city would prepare and respond to the health crisis referred to as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tackling a huge responsibility with no known playbook may have been a daunting task for some but Steve took it in stride. Police Chief Jim Kohler remarked, “that he never complains.” Mayor Tim Handren followed with “you must be one of the hardest working city employees and managed to keep everyone calm. You are awesome!”

Even though a certificate of merit, recognizing excellence in performance, is usually given after the fact, the end of COVID-19 is an unknown. Rather than waiting, Jim wanted to recognize his contribu-tions sooner rather than later.

Brian Fowler, District 4, reluctantly says farewell

Sometimes a move is more than just relocating, as Brian Fowler learned when he sold his home on Pecan Street located in District 4 and purchased a home on Oak Park in District 5. This action resulted in the required resignation, from city council per the city home rule charter. Before voting unanimously to accept his resignation each council member and the mayor spoke of his contributions during his tenure.

Ron Bowman leaves behind a legacyJune 12, Ron will quietly turn off the lights of his

corner third floor city manager’s office and walk out of city hall with no scheduled place to be on Monday morning for the first time in nearly 40 years.

As a big reveal at the city council meeting on Tuesday, Mayor Tim Handren announced that to ensure that the legacy of work, dedication, growth and progress that Ron leaves behind will be remem-bered and honored, the meeting room will be named as the Ronald C. Bowman City Council Chambers.

After the lettering work which has already begun, is finished and installed, there will be an official ribbon cutting.

Discussion estab-lishing the Main Early Voting Location with four Temporary Branch

Early Voting Locations for the July 14 Primary Runoff Election was introduced by Cynthia Jaqua, Elections Coordinator. Council members approved the consideration. There will be five Early Voting loca-tions: the Main location in New Braunfels, the Community Resource and Recreation Center in Sattler, Garden Ridge Community Center’s Bluebonnet Room, the County Annex in Bulverde and Mammon Family Public Library. Governor Abbott pro-claimed the dates for early voting to be: June 29 through July 10 except for July 3 and 4. The revised hours will be from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The last five days of early voting will be from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Machine and poll pads will be disinfected after each voter votes. Masks, gloves and dis-posable stylists will be available.

On June 4, Fraser advised Commissioners Court that there were 113 positive cases of COVID-19 in the County out of 3,321 tests. The Texas Department of State Health Services has a program called Texas Health Trace. It is inte-grating with local health departments to man-age contact tracing and provide reports with the help of State-employed contractors.

At the June 11 Commissioners Court, Fraser provided an updated report on COVID-19. As of this date there were 159 cases in the County with 3,909 tests conducted. At

the time there were 141 cases, 18 probable, seven deceased, 115 recov-ered and 37 active cases with four remaining in the hospital. She stated, “Positives in the week since Memorial Day weekend have greatly impacted our local res-taurants and food ser-vices. Many of them have closed due to posi-tive cases amongst their employees. This may be a result of the tourists and maybe the people that came from higher affected areas such as Houston, Dallas and San Antonio that were in our local businesses.”

C o m m i s s i o n e r s approved the road con-struction within 4S Ranch Phase 1, the main-tenance, the construction of storm water drainage improvements, release of the Letter of Credit and execute the PIPROW permit in Precinct 2. Tom Hornseth, County Engineer stated this is a continuation of the 4S Development in the ETJ of Bulverde. Bulverde is administering the sub-division regulations and the County is monitoring the road construction.

A grant award sub-mission under the 2020 Help American Vote Act CARES Act in the amount of $151,140.85 with a required match of $30,228.17 was approved. The county will not be out any funds for this grant and the money will be used for PPE, any increase in ballot by mail and more equipment, if needed, for the November election.

Appointment of Sam McCosh as an unpaid Reserve Deputy Constable for Precinct 1 was approved. The department is look-ing to fill the position left by Deputy Jimmy Escarzaga.

Agendas, minutes and videos of the court may be found on its website.

and mail. A response will take several months and a decision will go out to all those who have provided their addresses. Once commenters are noti-fied, there is a thirty-day period in which citizens may request a contested hearing.

Eighteen people spoke during the Formal Comment period. Several property owners in the area of Honey Creek spoke out as well as cavers, geo-scientists and long-time residents from surround-ing areas. Representatives from various organizations spoke out as well: Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, Texas Cave Management System, Sabar Springs Alliance, Bexar Audubon Society, League of Women Voters and the National Cave Commission.

The comments reflected the general theme that the TCEQ should not grant the permit – that the development would cause catastrophic dam-age to the area. Most com-menters stated that the high-density development would generate so much wastewater and runoff that the Honey Creek cave and water system (that is over 21.5 miles long), the Guadalupe River in the State Park, wells and the aquifers below ground in the area would be contaminated.

Even though some

revisions were made in the developer’s appli-cation, those revisions would still not protect the environment accord-ing to those opposing the permit. Comments were made that the eighteen-inch ground cover of soil and non-indigenous Bermuda grasses wouldn’t be enough to keep the already saturated ground from seeping into the groundwater during heavy rainfall and overall climate change. Plus Bermuda grass is not native to this area, is invasive and the soil brought in could con-tain contaminants. With the huge amount of imper-vious cover, the affluent drainage would be devas-tating to the clear, pristine waterways. Several people mentioned the fact that the TCEQ seems to rub-ber stamp all applications even after presentation of valid reasons for not granting the permits in environmentally sensitive areas. One resident used the situation with the Johnson Ranch MUD and the issues that is causing. Another called for heavy monitoring and inspection protocols.

The permit applica-tion, Executive Director’s preliminary decision and draft permit are available for viewing and copying at the Mammen Family Public Library. Further information may also be obtained from Silesia Properties, LP in San Antonio.

Area banks display skill with SBA loansConnie McFall ClarkContributing Writer

A recent Wall Street Journal article was head-lined, “Small Banks Grabbed Lead in Rescue Effort.” The article referenced small businesses in other states so the Bulverde Spring Branch Back Porch News contacted local banks to get their perspectives.

According to Kelly Erwin, Business Development Officer for Sage Capital Bank, “We closed 377 total loans which equated to $26.6 million and more importantly, 3,287 jobs saved across our footprint of eight locations: Gonzales, Lockhart, Luling, San Marcos, New Braunfels, Shiner, Cedar Park and Spring Branch. The Spring Branch location contributed 100 of those loans, putting $6.1 mil-lion into our local economy and helping to keep 700 employees on the payroll. It was a little fast and furious during that time, we are fortunate to have a great team and the stories from our customers are worth every minute.”

In a Fox Business clip entitled, “How a Texas bank outpaced Bank of America on PPP loans.” Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.’s CEO and Chairman Phil Green was inter-viewed and credited his staff for volunteering dur-ing the coronavirus pandemic to help small businesses get loans. Frost Bank employees worked “all hours of the day and night to input data, contact customers, assist with complet-ing applications and processing them through the SBA PPP portal.” The regional bank led the nation in securing loans. Two thousand applications were processed in two days. Relationships with small and mid-size compa-nies helped get 82% of applications approved. Loans processed were for $350,000 or less and for companies with 25 people or less.

Back Porch News H Friday, June 19, 2020 5

The following inci-dents occurred before May 31. In addition to these, Bulverde Police served warrants on several occasions and responded to calls about deceased persons.

The Department also attended several func-tions within the City and ETJ over the course of the month.

ThreatsWindmill Ranch

An officer was dispatched for a report of threats. Caller stated an acquain-tance threatened him with violence if he didn’t return the subjects property. A criminal trespass warn-ing was requested by the complainant.

Evading ArrestHwy 281

An officer stopped a vehi-cle for a violation, but as the officer approached the vehicle, it sped away. Officers pursued the vehi-cle into San Antonio but cancelled the pursuit at TPC Parkway.

Ordinance ViolationCity Park

Several signs were cre-ated and stapled to several fixtures at the City Park. Attempts to identify the subject who placed the signs has been unsuccess-ful to this point.

Suicidal SubjectHeights of Bulverde

A patient at Heights of Bulverde was threaten-ing suicide. EMS arrived and assisted with trans-porting the subject to the hospital for an emergency detention/evaluation.

Suspicious CircumstancesOak Village North

An officer was requested at

a residence for a 90-year-old male who had pulled up to a house and walked inside but the subject did not know where he was. Subject was transported home in Spring Branch and Adult Protective Services notified. A Medical Advisory Board submission made as well.

DisturbanceWalmart

An officer was dispatched for a subject causing a dis-turbance inside the store. Management advised the customer was refusing to follow in store rules and began degrading employ-ees. The subject was removed from the loca-tion and told he would be arrested if he returns.Reckless Driver/Possession

Controlled SubstanceHwy 281

Officers were dispatched for a reckless driver. The vehicle was located and stopped. All occupants were juveniles. Several cita-tions for minors in posses-sion were issued with one arrest for a THC Oil vape pen.

TrespassingLittle Caesars

An officer was requested for a customer causing a disturbance and harassing employees. The subject was removed from the location and departed.

Animal Control Oak Village North

Officers were dis-patched for a dog issue. Complainant states their neighbors have once again attacked their dog.

DWI/Blood DrawCasey Road

A vehicle was found on the side of the road with the driver passed out behind

the wheel with the car door open and the car still running. The subject was observed earlier by depu-ties at a party where he was reported to be intoxi-cated. The subject refused to cooperate, so a blood warrant was obtained.

Burglary of BuildingTractor Supply

Officers were dispatched for an alarm and found a hole cut in the fence. After searching the area, a sub-ject was located hiding under a water trough. The subject was arrested for burglary. Charges pend-ing against the subject’s accomplice who was driv-ing the getaway car.

ThreatsSpring Branch

Veterinary HospitalAn officer was requested due to a customer who had repeatedly made threats of violence while inside the location. The subject was located at his residence and informed that he would be subject to criminal trespass if he returned to the business.

Civil MatterOakland Estates

An officer was requested for a possible theft. The landlord states a tenant stole a refrigerator. The tenant states the previous landlord gave the fridge to them. This is a civil matter.

Reckless DamageCowboys Cleaners

The driver of a truck backed into the rear door of Cowboys Cleaners. A license plate was obtained and the incident is under review.

Recovered Stolen VehicleHwy 46

Officers checked on an

abandoned truck and trailer on the shoulder of Hwy 46. Both units were found to be stolen out of San Antonio. They were impounded awaiting for the owners to claim them.

HarassmentShepherds Ranch

Caller reported receiv-ing harassing and annoy-ing messages on an old cellphone. The incident was documented in case any of the threatening messages became more serious.

Structure FireOakland Estates

Officers were dispatched for a structure fire. The fire was easily extinguished by fire personnel with little damage to the prop-erty. Officers learned an electrician was on scene performing work when he saw and smelled smoke.

Warrant ServiceCity Hall

Several subjects were con-tacted on this date in ref-erence to active warrants with the court. Several of the subjects either paid the fines in full or made a partial payment.

Warrant Arrest/ Failure to Identify

Hwy 281An officer made a traffic stop on a vehicle for an administrative violation. The driver was found to have a felony warrant out of Bexar County. The passenger repeatedly gave a false name and DOB before finally giving accurate information. The subject was arrested for failure to identify.

Minor DUIHwy 281

An officer stopped a vehicle for speeding and

found the driver did not have a driver’s license and was consuming alcohol as a minor. The subject was issued citations and released to a parent.

Possession of MarijuanaBulverde Community Park

An officer checking the park after hours located a vehicle with two occu-pants. The car smelled of marijuana that was located under a seat along with a pipe. Citations were issued and the subjects were released.

Possession of MarijuanaHwy 281

An officer stopped a vehicle that was show-ing no liability insurance. The driver did not have a driver’s license and no insurance stating they couldn’t afford it. The offi-cer inquired about the odor of marijuana and the driver stated they were in possession of marijuana that they could obviously afford to buy. Several cita-tions issued and the sub-jects were released.

Criminal MischiefCasey Road

A homeowner observed a truck parked outside his gate, with one sub-ject who appeared to be messing with his gate. The subject would not respond until the home-owner appeared armed with a handgun. The sub-jects then left the area.

Traffic Stop/Evading ArrestHwy 46

A BPD unit attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding on Hwy 46. The vehicle fled at a high rate of speed eventually pulling into a driveway in Oakland Estates. The driver was nowhere to be

found. Neighbors stated they had never seen the vehicle before, no answer at the residence.

Aggravated Assault w/ Deadly Weapon

Bulverde HillsOfficers were dispatched for a disturbance between a male and female involv-ing a knife. One sub-ject was arrested for Aggravated Assault and transported to jail.

Prescription FraudWalgreens

Caller advised they went to pick up a prescription and was told by the phar-macist that her sister had already picked up the medication. The sister had not given consent due to her sister having a sub-stance abuse issue.

Fraud/TheftBulverde Estates

Caller reported receiving a call stating his grand-son was in jail asking for money. The complain-ant advised they went to the bank and withdrew money as requested and shipped it via FedEx. Complainant states he called his son who con-firmed it was a scam.

DisturbanceOakland Estates

Officers were dispatched for a disturbance between an adult child and parent. The disturbance was over a stimulus check but was reported to be verbal only. One subject decided to depart for the evening.

Suspicious CircumstancesOak Village North

An officer was dispatched for suspicious circum-stances. The complainant advised they believed their home and tele-phones are bugged.

Bulverde/Spring BranchPatrolling Your Neighborhood

Bulverde city council attracts large crowd

Connie McFall ClarkContributing Writer

At the June 9 City Council meet-ing a Public Hearing was held to consider an application by MADRE Holdings on behalf of St. Paul Lutheran Church for a zone change from a combination of R-2 (Residential) and C-2 (Commercial) Zoning Districts to a combination of R-2 (Residential), R-5 (Residential) and C-2 (Commercial) Zoning Districts on approximately 63 acres of land located at 32005 U.S. Hwy 281 N. The application was denied as recommended by City Staff.

Councilmembers also consid-ered approval of an Ordinance Conditioning Consent to the creation of Honey Creek Ranch Municipal Utility District (MUD). City Council conditionally consented to the cre-ation of the MUD on May 8, 2018 for a proposed 582.9 acre development. However, that proposal from 2018 appears to have been abandoned and more acreage has been added to the new MUD petition.

On March 13, the City received a petition with the proposed district encompassing approximately 700.14 acres of land in the City’s ETJ, situ-ated generally on the north side of State Highway 46 at the intersec-tion of State Highway 46 and Blanco Road. A residential subdivision con-sisting of 2,347 lots has been pro-posed for this area.

If the proposed District were within the City Limits, staff would recommend that consent not be granted. Municipal Utility Districts generally facilitate increased devel-opment density and increase infra-structure costs for future District residents. Additionally, MUDs create widely varying tax rates across the Community, obscure the actual price of home ownership for buyers, and increase the burden of road, school and infrastructure bonds on District residents. For these and other rea-sons the City discourages the use of

MUDs whenever possible and gener-ally will not consent to the creation of one within the City Limits.

However, in the case of an ETJ MUD, state law basically mandates that the City consent to creation of the district. Granting unconditioned consent allows the District to exer-cise any and all authorities available to the District under state law, which will inevitably lead to a district with more debt and a longer existence. If the City refuses to grant its consent, the TCEQ will simply “presume” the City’s consent and create an unre-stricted district anyway, effectively ending up with the same result as if the City had simply granted uncon-ditioned consent in the first place. “Given these two poor options, Staff reluctantly recommends that the City Council grant conditional con-sent to the creation of the proposed District.” Council approved condi-tional consent.

Councilmembers agreed to approve a request by Musik in the Park for a Special Use Permit to host a free music concert at the City of Bulverde Community Park. Also approved was an Ordinance amend-ing the Subdivision Improvement Construction Review and Inspection Fees since the last certification was in 2017.

The roadway maintenance within the City is 85% completed accord-ing to Adrian Garcia, Public Works City Engineer. The recent right-of-way construction on Bulverde Road near Downtown Bulverde was initi-ated by Canyon Lake Water Service Company.

Bulverde Spring Branch Economic Development Foundation Director Joseph Byers explained his role in assisting a local company that was filing for Chapter 11. With Texas reopening, local businesses are open but with thin margins. Delayed development projects are coming back on track at Singing Hills. A 25-acre retail flex space with offices and warehouse should be coming in six to nine months in Spring Branch. The YMCA is looking at the new complex.

Full agenda and documents for this meeting may be found on the city’s website.

Michelle MolinaComal County Friends of the Night Sky

What is good for Camp Bullis is good for all of Texas! About five years ago I was driving home to Bulverde from San Antonio and was surprised to notice the billboards along Blanco Road at Camp Bullis have their lights facing down. I never realized this was an option and I am unable to understand why all billboard lighting is not required to face down. Camp Bullis got so called “special” per-mission to request this of the billboards but as it turns out, it is not “special” all at. It just took a Major General Russell Czerw to make this happen, along with Comal County Commissioners Court action.

Soon after, I called Keller Signs in San Antonio and posed as a potential buyer of a billboard to place on my property and asked if I would able to request the lights to be downward facing. I believe I spoke to J.D. Keller who said, “He was surprised no one ever asks for that”. Well, it was never brought to their atten-tion that they have a choice. Since then, I looked into the Texas Administrative Code links regarding billboards on Interstate and Primary Highways and Rural Roads. It is perfectly legal to install the lights facing downward.

Bulverde has a Dark Sky Ordinance and a No New Billboards Ordinance. We have two to three billboards in the City that are grandfathered in so for now they will remain with their light upward facing. At

least in the City of Bulverde no new bill-boards are allowed. The lights do have a severe impact on the amount of light pollution in our night sky. Bulverde’s Dark Sky Ordinance is out of date, so I am in the process of asking the City for an update.

People should know they do have a choice in the direction the lights face and the Kelvin temperature needed for a billboard to be dark sky compliant. “Their” billboard will have negative effects on the health of the people who live around it and on the wildlife and bug life. They are adding to light pol-lution of Texas and damaging our night sky heritage.

Cities can review into their ability to adopt a No New Billboards Ordinance. If citizen support of such an ordinance is not present, the city can adopt Any New Billboard must have downward lighting and only using 2,700K or 3,000K lamps ordinance.

It would cost outdoor sign companies to redo the lights but to see stars and, hopefully the Milky Way, again would be the greatest reward for generations to come. Citizens, dark sky groups, cities and counties are working daily to pro-mote the use of dark sky fixtures on the outsides of our homes and businesses. Check out the Facebook page for Comal County Friends of the Night Sky as well as information found in the Hill Country Alliance, Texas Dark Sky and Dark Sky websites.

At the June Coffee with the Chamber Zoom meeting in June, Dr. Anil T. Mangla, MS., PhD. MPH. FRIPH, Infectious Disease and Public Health Epidemiologist for Comal County pre-sented information on COVID-19 with the goal to provide knowledge at the County level.

CO is the corona virus family, VI is the virus and D is the disease. COVID-19 is a disease; it is not the virus. He stressed that even though State man-dates have lessened, this is not over. It will be a while until a national decrease in COVID transmission is reached.

It is transmitted via droplets, aero-sol, contact and fecal matter (discov-ered recently). It is very important to wear masks and protect your hands because this is more contagious than Ebola. It is a micro-microorganism, a very tiny virus and because of its size,

it can travel through air for a long time. The Ebola virus would fall to the floor if someone were coughing within three feet. COVID will go 6-7 feet.

Thirty percent of the population is asymptomatic that is important to know. Any virus and bacteria organ-ism has a timeline. It starts with the infection and then has an incubation period that the virus or bacteria is replicating in the body and provides a viral load. It is best to wait at least two or three days to be tested.

Dr. Mangla stated that the question they get all the time is, does this sur-vive outside of the body? This changes on a daily basis from CDC. Sanitizing hands is the most important action to take. If somebody sneezes it can affect the membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth. Your skin is your best barrier against any bacteria or virus so watch out for cracked or cut skin.

Community members voice concerns about potential zoning swap

Dark skies, billboards, lights

Chamber hosts health expert

Friday, June 19, 2020 H Back Porch News6

Strong & awesome

Shred Day a ripping success

Story by Jansen BeanMy dad smiles as he

picks up my little sister and sits her on his lap. Most of the family is there in the living room, and he looks each one in the eye as he tells us, “I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather spend quarantine with than you guys.”

I saw a viral post online the other day which stated, “There’s only been about 12 days in 2020 that I’ve actu-ally enjoyed.” Between COVID-19, the recent protests and nationwide unrest, and the many other tragedies that have

affected this world since the year started, it’s been really hard to find joy in everyday life. It can be so easy to read the depress-ing news or look up the latest COVID-19 statistics and focus on how truly messed up this world is. There’s a lot to get sad about. There’s even more to get angry about. I know my sleep schedule has suffered recently due to anger and worry over the current state of our coun-try. I miss my friends and my usual activities. All of my summer plans and goals are truly ruined. There really doesn’t seem to be a bright side to life when all I’m focusing on is sadness, pain and anger.

My dad helps show me that bright side. He’s

constantly smiling, and whenever he has a com-plaint or frustration over something it’s always accompanied by a laugh and a shrug. No use get-ting bent out of shape over something you can’t control anyway. Every single day, he asks me how I’m doing and what

I’ve been working on. He engages me in conversa-tion about whatever’s on my mind and listens with attentiveness and care. He does the same for all six of my siblings as well as my mom. How he’s able to juggle being a great husband to my mom and father to seven

kids alongside a job and not really mess things up even once I don’t think I’ll ever know. The amount of responsibility he car-ries is immense, and he manages to do it all with a smile on his face. He’s so stoic and dedicated to what he does that my mom calls him ‘Mr. Steady.’ I’m so glad he’s my father and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Fathers all over this world have an incredible responsibility. No mat-ter their family or living situation, being a father is hard work that ends up largely unrecognized and unpraised. Fathers deserve much more than just one single day to celebrate them, but since they’ve been given only one, it’s absolutely

necessary to make the most of it. This Father’s Day, make sure to cel-ebrate whoever’s been a father to you in your life, whether they’re a biologi-cal father or a father fig-ure, with every ounce of gratitude that you have. Don’t just go through the motions. Tell them what they need to hear to feel needed and valued. They deserve it. Sometimes we demand too much from our fathers, and they can’t help but make some mistakes in their job. Regardless of their mistakes, there’s no use living our lives in anger and bitterness when for a single day we can set those feelings aside and focus on the bright side of life, just like my dad taught me.

I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather spend quarantine withMy dad helps show me that bright side

By Ed MergeleI was born on May 1, 1926. It was

the height of good times in Texas and all over the United States. My Dad was the manager and part owner of the only lumberyard in our little town of New Braunfels.

My Dad said the May Fest parade was going by on the Main Street to Landa’s Park when I was born in the old two-story hospital across from the train station. My Dad had four broth-ers and four sisters. Only three were married, and my uncle Herbert had two daughters, so I was really some-thing to my grandmother and grand-father Mergele – the first grandson. My Dad thought he had really accom-plished a first in the Mergele family.

My grandparents felt the same. Everyone spoiled me, but I didn’t notice. I imagine I thought that was the way I should be treated.

We had a new house that my Dad had built in a new subdivision on a hill on the west side of town. My Mother had a maid and my Dad had a handyman. The maid’s husband took care of the yard and drove my Mother to do her shopping. Help then cost a dollar a day plus feeding them their meals. Dad had a Buick and a Studebaker in our two-car detached garage.

I started to elementary school in 1932 just four blocks away. Dad had Joe drive me to school and pick me up after school.

Life was great for everyone, but I didn’t realize the difference. The stock market had crashed in 1929 way off in New York City, but the effects hadn’t fazed our little town as yet.

Disaster struck for me in 1930, my parents had another son. I was no longer it!

In 1933/34 the economic crash hit New Braunfels. Many of the busi-nesses closed, men suddenly did not have a job, and worse of all for my Dad, the lumberyard went broke. His partner died of a heart attack. My Father was out of a job, and he lost our home. We had to move to a rented house. Dad had to sell both cars.

The next year my parents separated and my Mother moved to San Antonio to find a job. She took my brother and me with her. I missed my Dad.

My Mother allowed my Dad to have

my brother and me for each sum-mer to stay in New Braunfels. Those were great times going to Landa Park to swim and fish. I also stayed with my Grandpa and Grandma Mergele a lot. My Dad had a new business. He had bought a half interest in the Comal Creamery that was owned by his older brother my Uncle Arthur. He had also started a beverage distribut-ing company and it was doing very well even though this was the height of the Great Depression. His main selling product was beer – prohibition had ended.

Then disaster struck again. My Dad lost his business and went to work in San Antonio. My Mother lost her job and had to give my Brother and me to her sister and brother-in-law in Houston to live with. WWII had started and I went into the Navy. I never saw my Mother or Father again until after the War and then just for a brief visit. They both died too young.

I guess I learned a lot about having a Dad and a family staying together, because I have been married for 70 years. My wife Mary Lou and I have four wonderful children, 12 grand-children and their 11 children, our great-grandchildren.

Enjoy your father on Father’s Day. It is a great lifetime experience.

Father’s DayA long time ago

“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he has a son who thinks he’s wrong.”– Charles Wadsworth

Story by Holly Beaton

I love my dad because he takes me places. He loves me and plays with me and we have fun together. He comes with me to school sometimes. He also takes me to the lake to swim and pad-dle board. Dads are strong and awesome. I love my dad.

Rhonda ZunkerBSB Chamber President

The BSB Chamber hosts a Community Wide Shred Day twice a year. This event was held on Saturday, June 13 from 9 a.m. to noon. We partnered with Ranger Shredding to provide on-site shredding for our Chamber Members and the commu-nity. We had two sponsors: Randolph Brooks FCU and Sage Capital Bank.

A huge thank you to our volun-teers. At the front entrance were Judy Wilken and Christen Patterson. At the

Thank You stop were: Megan Tisdale, Brady Garza, Abigail Shepherd, Jean Williams, Kim Boren and Kim Weber. Unloading the boxes were Jay Johnson, Byrne James, Steve Stevenson, Robert Evans, Joshua Lynch, Bekah Ashworth, Jake Erwin and Andy Roca.

Sage Capital Bank came out to vol-unteer and kept everyone hydrated and happy. Many thanks to Brenda Bueno, Kelly Erwin, and John Sconiers.

We had over 245 participants and shredded over 725 boxes of papers. The next Community Shred Day will be on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Photo by Kelly Erwin

Back Porch News H Friday, June 19, 2020 7

Outbreak worries, traffic infractions top meetingRandy SchmidtBack Porch News Editor

The Spring Branch Commissioners meeting began at 6:31 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9 via Zoom. We all stood and said the Pledge of Allegiance. The Mayor James Mayer and City Clerk Katherine Wells went over the financials.

The Declaration issued May 23 is still in effect. There is still concern as the number of positive cases is increasing. It was suggested everyone exercise cau-tion, wear masks and use sanitizer. The Mayor was doubtful the county would implement stronger rules.

Next up, public comments. Carol heads The Old Spring Branch Road Group and owns lots of property on Old SB Road with the most significant amount of frontage. She is also very passionate and knowledgeable about what is going on up and down her road. Carol went on to say the number of vehicles that were speeding was alarm-ing and she noticed lots of the beer cans on the side of the road for residents and county workers to pick up.

Carol, Brandy and Chad all met about three weeks earlier to discuss the best way to get official signs posted. There are no parking signs posted, however, the main problem seems to be that drivers going to Nichol’s Landing ignore the signs and park wherever they want. Official signs and enforced

towing are needed says the group. The Mayor agreed.

Comal Towing was brought into the loop and has agreed not only to sup-ply the signage, but will handle the towing duties as well. The signs will be up about three weeks, as a warning, then the towing begins. Any member of the City Staff can authorize towing. Lawyers are working on an ordinance.

Speed bumps are another deter-rent. A very popular one it appears. Approximately 300 feet of Old Spring Branch Road is in the city limits. However, speed bumps require county approval and maintenance. The Comal County Commissioners have been advised that their support is needed.

As expressed in the last meeting, the Mayor also talked about his concerns and the safety of those using FM 311 and the bridge. This is another danger-ous area and kids are crossing the road like they were in a neighborhood. It has never been legal to park on a state high-way. The Mayor went on to say he is in contact with TXDOT and law enforce-ment about unauthorized parking on FM 311. The Mayor emphasized, “The ball is rolling and we will keep it roll-ing in all matters concerned with public safety.”

Larry Hull thanked the Mayor and wanted him to know how much every-one appreciated his hard work and effort for a safe Spring Branch.

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