texas co-op power • may 2014

WHICH HOME WOULD YOU RATHER LIVE IN?

RELIABILITYTHAT WEATHERS

THE STORM

MAY 2014

Co-op Di� erence: The Power to Choose or the Power to Lose…Page 20

CoServ_05-2014 TCP DC.indd 1 4/10/14 10:22 AM

3 QUESTIONS: RELIABILITY, CHOICE AND VALUE

Q: Has CoServ provided a reliable supply of energy during the last decade of rapid growth?

A: Yes. Our company diligently monitors and carefully plans for the new infrastructure needed to distribute energy to growing communities. 12 years ago, our utility served 65,000 meters using 16 substations. Today, our territory covers the same area, and the company serves 172,000 meters using 27 substations. Over the next ten years as the population boom continues, so will the demand for power. CoServ stands ready to meet that need.

Q: Why can’t I choose my electric provider?

A: In 2002, the Texas Legislature restructured the retail electricity market. Often referred to as deregulation, this action applied only to investor-owned, for-profi t utilities within the region managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and a� ects about 75 percent of Texas residents. City-owned utilities and not-for-profi t electric cooperatives can opt in to the deregulated market but are not required to do so.

Q: Does choice equal lower electricity rates?

A: No. In fact, throughout the past decade, independent reports and studies have found that the exact opposite happened: Pricing in this market has been dysfunctional, and rates for Texans have actually increased. CoServ Electric is one of 75 electric cooperatives in Texas that serve more than 3 million residents. Only one of these co-ops has opted in to deregulation. The rest, including CoServ, adopted a cautious approach because they were not convinced that deregulation was in the best interests of their Members. Also, the decision would be permanent because once opted into the deregulated market, it is impossible to opt out.


CRAZY AUNT SHERRY´S PASTA SALAD1 16-oz box bow tie pasta

1 red onion

1 green bell pepper

2 Roma tomatoes

1 cucumber

1 ½ cup sugar

1 cup white vinegar

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons mustard

1 tablespoon parsley fl akes

Cook pasta according to box directions, drain and set aside. Chop or dice each vegetable and set aside.

Dressing: Mix the liquid and powder ingredients together well. Add vegetables (you can put as much of each vegetable that you chopped as you’d like) to pasta and pour dressing over. Mix so that vegetables and pasta are coated. Can be served right away or best when refrigerated for a few hours. Will yield a large 9” × 13” serving dish.

Recipe borrowed from Sherry Carnes courtesy of Janie Mann

Doesn’t this dish look perfect for a picnic at the park? If you think so, too—and want more recipes—you should start following us at Pinterest.com/CoServ. You’ll fi nd other Employee recipes that will tantalize your taste buds and make you savor the fl avor. Prefer the hard copy? For a 2014 CoServ Calendar with perforated pull-out recipe cards, email your address to [email protected] and we’ll drop one in the mail to you while supplies last.


Facebook.com/CoServEnergy

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3 reasons to follow us on Facebook 1. Real-time updates on service

disruptions and restorations

2. Weather, Safety and Energy tips and news

3. Play #CoServTrivia for a chance to win a $200 bill credit

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


TEXASPour

Add wine to ourembarrassment of riches

Pour

TEXASAdd wine to ourembarrassment of riches

COSERV ELECTRIC EDITION MAY 2014Xeriscaping Cooking with Peanuts Barbed-Wire Phone Lines

may 14 local covers - black 4/15/14 8:39 AM Page 1

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TexasCoopPower.com May 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, MarshallM A G A Z I N E S TA F F: Martin Bevins, Vice President, Communications & Member Services; Jeff Joiner, Editor; Tom Widlowski, Associate Editor; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager; Andy Doughty,Creative Manager; Grace Arsiaga, Print Production Specialist; Ashley Clary-Carpenter, Field Editor; Suzanne Haberman, Staff Writer; Kevin Hargis, Copy Editor; Elizabeth John, Communications Assistant;Ellen Stader, Proofreader; Andrew Boze, Editorial Intern F I R E H E L M E T © Q U E E N 2 1 | D O L L A R P H OTO C LU B

C O V E R P H O T O A 2012 cabernet claret flows into a glass at Spicewood Vineyards. By Laura Jenkins

F E A T U R E S

May 2014Since 1944

We Know Vino The rest of the world is discovering, as are Texans, that our bragging rights include a burgeoningwine industry Story and Photos by Laura Jenkins 8Lawn Be Gone! Xeriscaping offers a water-wise strategy to cultivate attractive yards that minimize—or eliminate—thirsty grasses By Kaye Northcott 14

35

36

4239

F A V O R I T E S

20 Local Co-op NewsGet the latest information plusenergy and safety tips from yourcooperative.

35 Texas HistoryWired for SoundBy Camille Wheeler

36 RecipesFor Love of Peanuts

39 Focus on TexasInspirational

40 Around TexasList of Local Events

42 Hit the RoadFossati’s Delicatessen in VictoriaBy Sheryl Smith-Rodgers

O N L I N ETexasCoopPower.com

Texas USAWomen’s WorkBy E.R. Bills

ObservationsSecretary AppreciationBy Martha Deeringer

Around Texas: Enjoy big helpings in a small town and help out the Bleiblerville Volunteer Fire Department at a fish fry and fundraiser May 18. 40

http://www.texascooppower.com/

TexasCoopPower.com4 Texas Co-op Power May 2014

The National Grass of Texas

w w w . T U R F F A L O . c o mw w w . T U R F F A L O . c o mor 800-872-0522

Bred in Texas to help save one of our most precious resources - water! Order from your nursery or direct from Turffalo online. Your lawn will be shipped to you in plugs that are easy to install at one per square foot. Then get ready for a green lawn - in sun or in shade!

Let’s GetCrackin’!Let’s GetCrackin’!

• Fry bacon slices until crisp. Break into ½-inch pieces and set aside.• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan. Add pecans, brown sugar,

Worcestershire and mustard and stir well. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring well to mix. Remove from heat and set aside.

• Core pears and slice into 24 ⅛-inch rounds. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan. Add pear slices and cook for 1 minute per side. Remove from pan and set aside.

• Place 4 slices of Brie, 4 pear slices, 4 to 5 bacon pieces and about 2 table-spoons of pecan mixture on half of each tortilla.

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small (9- to 10-inch) skillet. Add one quesadillato pan and sauté for 1 minute. Fold empty half of the tortilla over the Briemixture and continue to sauté until lightly browned and slightly crisp on bothsides. Repeat process with remaining quesadillas, keeping each quesadillawarm until ready to serve.

3 slices bacon¾ cup butter, divided

1 cup Texas pecans, chopped medium fine

¼ cup packed dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon prepared yellow mustard2 crisp pears1 round (8 ounces) Brie

6 flour tortillas (fajita size)

NUTS

FOR TEXAS PECANS!

Make Texas Pecans part of your meals year round.

Spice up any party with Texas pecans.Pecans contain an abundance of unsaturated fats, and studies show they can help lower cholesterol levels,making pecans good and good for you!

Do you have a great recipe to share? Enter the 2014 Texas Co-op Power Holiday Recipe Contest today at TexasCoopPower.com.

TEXAS PECAN BOARDVisit TexasPecans.org for more recipes and a list of Texas pecan retailers.

SURPRISE PECAN BRIE QUESADILLAS2012 Texas Co-op Power Holiday Recipe Contest $500 Winner

proud of all recipients of the Con-gressional Medal of Honor.

LORETTA BEDFORD | SAN AUGUSTINE

DEEP EAST TEXAS EC

A Great Native SonThanks so much for the short articleabout T.R. Fehrenbach [“He WroteTexas’ History Book,” March 2014]. I

had not heardabout his death inDecember, so thatwas a surprise.

My favoritework of his is “ThisKind of War.” Itincludes severalpages of informa-tion about myfather, Col. Arthur

B. Busbey Jr. (then a captain) andhis experiences as an infantry com-pany commander in the KoreanWar. I quoted from that book at my


father’s funeral at Fort Sam HoustonNational Cemetery four years ago.Sadly, Texas lost another greatnative son in Mr. Fehrenbach.

CHARLES P. B. BUSBEY | DRIPPING SPRINGS

PEDERNALES EC

Pearl Portrayed PerfectlyYour article describes Pearl per-fectly [“Pearl Bluegrass Jam,”March 2014]. My parents, Tom andJeanette Ludwick, were avid blue-grass fans and called Pearl theirsecond home, even to the extent of leaving their travel trailer perma-nently parked at the communitycenter until their deaths.

Any bluegrass fan or musicianworth his or her salt knows allabout Pearl. Thank you for a heart-warming article that I can sharewith my family.

JEFF LUDWICK | TEMPLE

HEART OF TEXAS EC

TEXAS CO-OP POWER VOLUME 70, NUMBER 11 (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.

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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.

CURRENTSInclude These Books, TooGood list. I would add “The Jeffer-son Bible.” With Greek, Latin,French and English on facing pages,I could perhaps teach myself anextra language or two.

VEDA SMITH | PIPE CREEK

BANDERA EC

I would recommend very highlyWilliam J. Bennett’s “The Book ofVirtues.” It is more than 800 pagesof poems, stories, famous speechesand excerpts from the Bible andplays. Good reading for all ages.

JUANA BISHOP | AUSTIN

PEDERNALES EC

What books would you want on adeserted island? Share your list onour Facebook page or send it [email protected]. And see morelists from readers in our online Let-ters to the Editor.

Making Us Proud“Valor Always Welcome” [March2014] on Gainesville’s recognition asthe Most Patriotic Small Town inAmerica was the best article you’veever printed. I knew of Gainesville’stitle, but I hadn’t realized the reasonor the extent of the town’s project.

The article by E.R. Bills demon-strates all that is possible when a

town is united in beliefs and workstogether to make reality happen.All Texans should be proud of theresidents of Gainesville as well as @TexasCoopPower

Letters, emails and posts from our readers

Must Reads for a Deserted IslandI enjoyed “Bound and Determined” [March 2014], but I was especially chal-lenged by the question, “What books would you want on a deserted island?”Initially, I started to list all of my favorite books and writers, which in itselfis not an easy task. But as I explored this task in more depth, my list beganto change.

The books would have to sustain me. They would have to keep me saneand grounded. They would have to bring me hope and keep me connected tomy past and to the rest of humanity. Some would have to soothe; some wouldhave to challenge; some would have to make me laugh.

The Bible“Charming Billy” by Alice McDermott“Leaving Cheyenne” by Larry McMurtry“The Power of One” by Bryce Courtenay“Paula” by Isabel Allende“PrairyErth” by William Least Heat-Moon“Hard Times” by Studs Terkel“The Decameron” by Giovanni Boccaccio“The Best Short Stories of Ring Lardner”“Selected Poems” (Spanish and English) by Pablo Neruda

JIM HILL | LUBBOCK | SOUTH PLAINS EC

GOODBOOK

LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION MARCH 2014Gainesville’s Heroes Artisanal Cheese Pearl Bluegrass Jam

Curl Up With a

Hairstylist ReignsOver Reading Empire

Curl Up With a

GOODBOOKHairstylist ReignsOver Reading Empire

Medal of Honor recipient Duane E. Dewey

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Lost Pines Find FriendsMore than two years after a wildfire burned 34,000 acres of the famed Lost Pines forest in Central Texas,Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative employees lent a hand and some shovels to the recovery. About 80 co-opemployees and their families planted more than 5,000loblolly pine seedlings on 15 acres at the co-op’s Bastropheadquarters in January, replacing trees lost in the Bastrop County Complex fire, which started over LaborDay weekend in 2011. The seedlings were provided byTreeFolks, an Austin-based urban forestry charity.

CURRENTS

Tuxes and Deep PocketsHigh school students—or, more likely, their parents—dig deep these days fortheir social event of the school year: prom. The nationwide average cost ofgoing to prom was $1,139 last year, according to a survey by Visa Inc. Par-ents foot 59 percent of that bill, the survey showed.

Where does all the money go? A Seventeen magazine survey in 2012found that girls spent an average of $231 on a dress, $50 to get their hairdone and $68 on their makeup. In addition, they shell out $45 for shoes and$32 on jewelry. Then there are the costs of tuxedo rentals, dining out, per-haps a limo.

Texas teens go to prom at a cost higher than the national average,spending $1,203. Kids in the Northeast rack up the heaviest bills, averaging$1,528.

Energy, innovation, people, places and events in Texas

Mother’s Day MilestoneMother’s Day officially turns 100 this month. By 1911, Mother’sDay was celebrated in most states, and on May 8, 1914, Presi-dent Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution designatingthe second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Anna Jarvis is considered the founder of Mother’s Day inthe U.S. Though she never married or had children, she lobbiedpassionately to set aside a day to honor mothers. She wasinspired by her own mother, Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis, anactivist and social worker in West Virginia who used to expressher desire that someday someone should honor all mothers,living and dead.

When Mother’s Day quickly became a gold mine for theflower, candy and greeting card businesses, the younger Jarvisfervently objected and spent decades trying to turn the focusof the day to intimate family celebrations.

Was she successful? You decide. American consumers spentabout $170 on Mom last year, according to theweek.com. (Thatcompares to about $120 spent on Dad for Father’s Day, accord-ing to outsidethebeltway.com.)

Bluebonnet EC employees and friends plant 5,000 loblolly pineseedlings to replace trees lost in the 2011 Bastrop County wildfire.

May 2014 Texas Co-op Power 7TexasCoopPower.com

Texas farms produced 433 million pounds of peanuts in 2013, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture. That’s enough to make more than 4 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Of course, peanuts have a place in many recipes, as you’ll see starting on Page 36.

Find more happenings all

across the state at TexasCoopPower

.com

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CFLs’ Grace PeriodFor decades, most of the light-bulbs in our homes wereincandescents. They werecheap to buy and costlyto run. Ninety percent ofthe energy they use isgiven off as heat, andonly 10 percent as light.Maybe that’s why manyof us had “Turn out thelight!” drilled into usevery time we left a roomas kids.

Incandescents are beingphased out, replaced in largepart by CFLs—compactfluorescent lamps. Theyare cheap to run and moreexpensive to buy thanincandescents. They canlast 10 times longer thanincandescents, althoughthe more you flip them onand off, the more you shortentheir lifespans. So does “Turn outthe light!” apply to CFLs?

The Department of Energyproposes a simple rule: Leave yourCFL on if you will be out of theroom for 15 minutes or less. Other-wise, turn off the light.

433,000,000

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Mudbug ManiaMemorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, and there’s no secret about what’s on the menu May 23–25 at the Crawfish Festival inFredericksburg. Of course, there is more to do than eat your fill of the tasty little mudbugs. (Still, bring your appetite: Last year, close to 6,000 pounds ofboiled crawfish were served.)

Delicacies featuring the popular critter include bread, sausage and po-boys.If crawdaddies aren’t your thang, there’s boiled shrimp. Have a more refinedpalate? Opt for the Sunday creole brunch from chef John Russ.

Swing your hips to country and zydeco music and shop from some of Texas’finest artisans. For the kiddies, a carnival, climbing wall and zip line beckon,but perhaps best of all is a petting zoo featuring baby alligators.

INFO: $7 for adults, $5 for ages 6-12; (830) 433-5225; fbgcrawfish.com

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As a general rule, Texans aren’t great atkeeping secrets. We’re the swaggering sort, ever poised to tellthe world about our Blue Bell, our barbecue, our bluebonnetsand our beer. We’ve got the goods, and we’re highly inclined totout them to anyone who’ll listen.

But even the most loyal and loudmouthed among us mightnot be aware that our beloved state has been quietly cultivatinganother extraordinary asset. Texas is settling into its terroir—aFrench term to describe the specific environmental conditions,especially soil and climate, that influence a wine’s flavor. Andthat, in turn, has spawned an emergent wine culture that’s unlikeany other in the nation. For a variety of reasons, the Texas wineindustry has seen astonishing growth over the past 10 years, andby all indications, the rest of the world is catching on.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine named the Texas Hill Countryone of the top 10 wine travel destinations in the world for 2014.Numerous Texas wines have recently received high honors atprominent competitions around the globe, outscoring winesthat hail from many of the most celebrated viticultural regions.

The figures alone reflect an astounding expansion: The num-ber of wineries in Texas has increased more than 500 percent,from 46 in 2001 to 293 as of December 2013. The Texas wineand grape industry contributed $1.8 billion to the Texas econ-omy in 2011 and is currently ranked fifth in the nation in bothwine production and consumption. Clearly, we’re in the midstof an epic growth spurt.

We Know VinoThe rest of the world is discovering,as are Texans, that our braggingrights include winemaking

Alamosa Wine Cellars owner Jim Johnson pioneered growing grapes in Texas that thrive in a hot climate. At top, a cluster of grapes at Spicewood Vineyards nears harvesting.

STO RY A N D P H OTO S BY L AU RA J E N K I N S


Spicewood Vineyards owner Ron Yates is as likely to be tending his grapevines—his 32 acres of grapes include European varieties such as viognier, graciano and tempranillo—as he is pouring wine for visitors eager for a taste. Yates and his staff are eager to engage guests in conversations about wine.

Wine in Texas is nothing new. In his book, “The WineslingerChronicles: Texas on the Vine” (Texas Tech University Press,2012), Russell Kane recounts the origins of winemaking inTexas. The abbreviated explanation is that Spanish missionar-ies brought vines to Texas in the mid-1600s. Though the grapessurvived the next 175 years, wine wasn’t terribly common orpopular by the time Texas won independence from Mexico. Addin the Civil War and a host of other conflicts, and it’s plain to see,Kane writes, how such forces “delayed the civility and economicdevelopment necessary for expanding wine culture in Texas.”

Texas grape growing and winemaking accelerated in the 19thand 20th centuries, but the 18th Amendment, which outlawedproducing, selling or transporting alcoholic beverages fromJanuary 1920 until its repeal in December 1933, interruptedviticultural expansion for decades. According to Kane, therewere more than 50 wineries in Texas before Prohibition, and ittook until the late 1990s to surpass that number. Prohibition“left a complicated and arcane set of laws” in its wake, saysKane, some of which have been lifted only recently.

Today, many refer to state legislation passed in 2003 and2005 as the tipping point for the recent industry surge. Amongother things, those changes in the law expanded wineries’ abil-ity to ship directly to consumers and extended permission tosell and serve wine on their premises—regardless of whetherthey are located in a dry county.

Late wine pioneers Doc McPherson and Bob Reed are largelyregarded as the fathers of the modern Texas wine industry. Thetwo Texas Tech researchers experimented with grape growingin the Panhandle near Lubbock in the 1960s and ’70s. The area

later became the Texas High Plains American Viticultural Area,which generates more than half of the state’s wine grapes everyyear. The pair eventually established Llano Estacado in 1976, aniconic Texas winery near Lubbock that’s still one of the top wineproducers in the state.

McPherson is thought to have been the first to plant Italiansangiovese grapes in Texas. Though he reportedly never made acommercial wine entirely from sangiovese, McPherson’s exper-iment reinforced the notion that grapes from regions that shareclimate similarities with Texas—Italy, Spain and Portugal, forexample—might thrive here. Still, most vintners in the LoneStar State continued to focus on California-centric grapes,including varieties such as chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon,which don’t typically flourish in extreme heat.

In the late 1980s, Jim Johnson had a hunch that adoptingCalifornia’s model might not be the most effective approach toTexas winemaking. At the time, Johnson lived in Houston andworked for NASA, but he also moonlighted at a wine store tosatisfy his growing fascination with winemaking.

“I thought that there might be some grapes we could grow thatcould do better than what the California paradigm demanded atthe time,” says Johnson, now the owner of Alamosa Wine Cellars inthe Hill Country near San Saba. “It was a gut feeling. I knew therewere hot places in Europe that made wines and that the wines theywere making weren’t cabernet, merlot or chardonnay.”

After hearing a California vintner underscore the impor-tance of winemaking talent in the industry, Johnson left NASA,moved to California and enrolled in the viticulture and enologyprogram at the University of California, Davis.

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After graduating in 1991, Johnson worked for wineries in Cal-ifornia and Texas before planting his own vineyard near San Sabain 1996. He started by growing sangiovese and viognier (grapesindigenous to Italy and France, respectively) and later addedtempranillo, a Spanish grape that has done so well here some havestarted calling it the “National Red Grape of Texas.” Alamosareleased the first commercial tempranillo in Texas in 2000.

Johnson was near the forefront of the growing trend to cul-tivate nontraditional grapes, which include varieties mostAmericans haven’t heard of—tannat, souzão, mourvèdre andalbariño, to name a few. Many of these grapes have been aroundfor centuries in Europe, and they thrive in weather conditionsthat somewhat mirror Texas’. So far, the European grapes seemto be making themselves right at home here.

If you’ve ever been to Napa, chances are you’ve tasted plentyof California cabernet sauvignon. It accounts for 40 percent ofthe region’s production. Most people know that California is theundisputed wine king of America. And for that reason, manyhave tried to duplicate its success.

“When Oregon first started as a wine-producing state, they

were trying to emulate California and grow the same stuff,”Johnson says. “It wasn’t until they figured out that pinot noirand pinot gris were the varieties that worked best for their cli-mate, their soil and their topography that they finally got theirown chapter in ‘The World Atlas of Wine.’ ” Johnson says thathe and other Texas growers and winemakers are arguably mak-ing the same types of discoveries.

The hope, of course, is that wine lovers will embrace theunconventional. But 90 percent of the domestic wine producedin the United States comes out of California, and many con-sumers tend to equate familiar names with quality—a bias thatoften keeps them from trying anything else. Dacota Haselwood,former chief governmental affairs officer at the Texas Wine andGrape Growers Association, says that tasting rooms have theright idea on how to get past such preconceptions.

“One of the things I think the Texas wine industry learnedearly is the best way to convince somebody that you have a goodproduct is to get it in their mouths,” Haselwood says. “If a per-son walks into a tasting room and they’ve never had wine intheir lives, you have much more of an opportunity to educate

Tours of wineries allow oenophiles—wine connoisseurs—to observe the production process. Clockwise from top left: Visitors get a sip of red straight from a barrel at William Chris Vineyards in Hye. Elsewhere at William Chris, a vat of white wine awaits the next step of production. An aroma wheel, inset, helps wine tasters identify the many fragrances and flavors in wine. Grapes get stirred early in the production process at Dry Comal Creek Vineyards in New Braunfels.


them about nontraditional varietals. They’re open to tryinganything. But you and I both know people who only drink whitewine, and they only drink pinot grigio.”

Many in the industry say that the biggest hurdle in introduc-ing new wines is persuading folks to try something besides whatthey’re attached to. But once the “new” wine hits their tastebuds, they’re often sold.

Not Everything Is BiggerSpending an afternoon at Spicewood Vineyards, about 30miles northwest of Austin, is like being cradled in the palm ofthe Texas Hill Country. A cluster of towering live oaks hangs likea canopy over the spacious, breezy porch. Visitors recline incomfy chairs and savor wine while chatting, picnicking or sim-ply enjoying the serenity.

If you’re looking for owner Ron Yates, he’s probably thebearded guy in shorts and flip-flops pouring your wine. Yatesand his staff exemplify the ethos that has given Texans a reputa-tion for being approachable, friendly and easygoing—where

winemakers issue an invitation not only to taste great wine butalso to be a part of the conversation that surrounds it, regardlessof how much you know.

Wineries in Texas come in all shapes and sizes. Among thelargest are Mesa Vineyards in Fort Stockton, which produces theSte Genevieve wine brand; Becker Vineyards in Stonewall; andLlano Estacado. Those three combined accounted for more thanhalf of the 3.2 million gallons of wine produced in Texas in 2013.

But much of the growth in the industry over the past 10 yearscan be attributed to a host of smaller wineries that are slowlyhelping define Texas wine culture. Most will never become a MesaVineyards or a Llano Estacado, and that’s exactly what their own-ers want. A growing number of vintners prefer a low-key operation,where the demands of production are high enough to sustain abusiness and low enough to keep them near the shop floor.

“It’s a challenge for us as we grow to keep our balance,” saysJohn Rivenburgh, a co-founder of Bending Branch, a boutiquewinery in Comfort. “As you get bigger, obviously there are morethings you’ve got to do. When there’s more work, it’s a littleharder to taste wines with people. We’re definitely striving tokeep that small, intimate feeling about our place.”

Clockwise from top right: Tempranillo grape vines, gaining a reputation as the ‘National Red Grape of Texas,’ bask in the Hill Country sun at Spicewood Vineyards. Grapestomp events are festive rituals at wineries across the state. At Dry Comal Creek, willing guests can partake in the Annual Order of the Purple Foot, where feet get undressedand wine glasses get wrapped. For those who prefer to limit the purple to their taste buds, Andrew Stephens offers a variety of choices in the tasting room.


There are differing opinions aboutwhat constitutes a “boutique” winery.Usually the term refers to small, some-times family-owned and operated cellarsthat produce wine in limited quantities.The emphasis is less on volume and thesize of the facility and more on the art ofwinemaking and creating a communalexperience around it. Bending Branchtypifies that approach. It’s not that largewineries don’t make spectacular wines orprovide stellar tasting experiences. Manydo. But you’re not as likely to run into thewinemakers or the owners when you’re intheir tasting rooms.

Johnson is a good example of an “arti-san” winemaker, meaning he’s at the helmof every step of the process at AlamosaWine Cellars—from growing the grapes tobottling the wine. In all likelihood, you’llfind him in the tasting room because he’sthere about 80 percent of the time it’sopen. Rivenburgh and his co-founder(and father-in-law), Bob Young, stay busytending to the 16 grape varieties they’veplanted in their vineyard. But they alsointentionally spend time in the tastingroom whenever they can.

Bobby Cox, a legendary viticulturalconsultant who has been a key player inthe evolution of the Texas wine industry,says that what Texas has to offer is notonly great wines but also a highly accessi-ble experience. That sociable vibe is indirect contrast to the elitism that manyattribute to Napa.

“Part of the problem of establishing aconsumer base in Texas is that all toooften people assume that they don’t knowenough to drink wine,” Cox says. “Theythink it’s too formal; it’s kind of a crookedpinkie thing. But that’s not the way it is inTexas; we want wine to be fun.”

If the online calendars of many Texaswineries are any indication, Cox is spoton. Plans for 2014 include stargazing par-ties, grape stomps, cook-offs, barrel tast-ings, gourmet pairings and live musicgalore. And that’s the short list.

“Texas wines are more like the onesyou would find on your vacation in Italythan your vacation in California,” Coxsays. “One of the subliminal reasons thatwe love our Italian wines is that LucilleBall stomped grapes in Italy, not France.It’s the fun aspect, the casual aspect. Youdon’t have to know about the wines toenjoy them.”

Laura Jenkins is an Austin writer and photographer.


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A walk down WaterSaver Lane atthe San Antonio Botanical Garden takesonly a few minutes, but that’s longenough to get a bonanza of ideas forreducing water use without sacrificing abeautiful and inviting landscape.

With the assistance of the San Anto-nio Water System, the garden has cre-ated six model landscapes that offer avariety of approaches to using drought-resistant vegetation. WaterSaver Lane isone of many educational efforts inparched San Antonio, where the popula-tion has grown by 52 percent since 1984,but water use has increased only 21 per-cent, according to the city’s water utility.

Sasha Kodet, the botanical garden’seducation director, takes me on a tour ofseveral sample gardens and explainsthat water-thrifty yards don’t have to berocky and forbidding.

One of the first lawns Kodet shows meis the Traditional American Lawn, one ofthe most common Texas yards. It relies onSt. Augustine, the greediest of all turfs thatuses more water, fertilizer and pesticidesthan other lawn grass, according to Kodet.It’s close-cropped and needs wateringonce a week during the growing season.

Farther down WaterSaver Lane, we’llsee yards with less turf and more patios,perennial flowerbeds, herb gardens andgroundcover.

Before we get there, it’s time to con-sider why we should care. Of course, thereis saving money. Many cities are usinggraduated rates for water use, making itexpensive to water lawns and plants.

But what if you don’t mind payingmore to keep your St. Augustine lushand green? Well, there’s another com-pelling reason to save water: Texas isrunning out of it.

Much of the state is in the midst of anextended drought. Fall rains provided sig-nificant relief to some areas, giving theimpression that things aren’t so bad.

LAWN BEGONE!LAWN BEGONE!BY KAY E N O R T H COT T

Xeriscaping

offers water-wise

strategy to cultivate

attractive yards

The watersaver garden at the San AntonioBotanical Garden showcases water-friendlylantana, mugwort, agave, yucca and esperanza.

The cottage gardens along WaterSaverLane feature bat-faced cuphea, Belinda’sDream rose and Confederate jasmine.

TexasCoopPower.com

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May 2014 Texas Co-op Power 15

However, a little perspective shows oth-erwise. Texas State Climatologist JohnNielsen-Gammon of Texas A&M Univer-sity explains that drought conditionsaffected half of the state in November2013. “That’s a smaller percentage than atany time since the current drought beganin late 2010,” Nielsen-Gammon says.

But you need to consider, he adds,that “in the western half of the state, sev-eral consecutive years of drought havecontinued to deplete water stored inreservoirs and aquifers. Despite all therain in the eastern half, statewide reser-voir storage is only about 63 percent ofcapacity, while in a normal year it wouldbe about 80 percent. The long-rangeforecasts aren’t especially favorable, andnormal rain isn’t sufficient in WestTexas to replenish water supplies.”

Across the state, the No. 1 use ofwater is irrigation. “That water is ulti-mately being used to feed people,” saysNielsen-Gammon. “Urban irrigation, orwatering, is the largest use of waterwithin cities, but unlike irrigation forfood, urban irrigation is more like sim-ply pouring water on the ground.”

He explains that in a large urban area,a 20 percent reduction in irrigation couldeliminate the need for an entire newreservoir. Water-saving practices in theyard are among the least punishing andmost rewarding ways to address short-ages that will only become more acute.

The now-common term for such con-servation efforts is xeriscaping, a conceptdeveloped in 1981 and copyrighted by theDenver Water Department. Xeriscapingsets you free from the traditional lawn.Imagine less mowing, or no mowing at all,and winding paths through glades ofperennial flowers with transitions to dra-matic grasses or shrubs.

Depending on the size of your prop-erty, you might want to think of the out-door area as different rooms. You canhave an area for succulents leaningagainst rocks, especially if you have aslope for good drainage. You can havecrushed granite or pebbles for walkwaysor even geometric sections divided bybrushed steel for a clean, modern look.You can have an outdoor living room anda kitchen annex.

Back on WaterSaver Lane, Kodetshows me the Manicured XeriscapeLandscape, which is similar to traditionalAmerican lawns. It provides the same

neat, clean appearance but substitutesless thirsty grasses and ground cover forSt. Augustine. I get one idea for my yard,which is to plant privet, a perennialshrub, in an area where I once had St.Augustine and keep it cut low.

The Texas Hill Country Landscape is

great for areas with thin, alkaline soils.This yard uses natural rock outcroppingsand leaves some areas as natural habitat.(This could take on a desert look.) Forthe most part, it is water-wise to useperennial plants (ones that come backyear after year) rather than annuals that

Asiatic jasmine, zoysia grass, salviafarinacea, artemisia and Mexicanruellia create a manicured xeriscape.

Visitors on WaterSaver Lane walkpast vitex, duranta, Belinda’sDream rose and a turkey fig tree.


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have to be replanted or reseeded yearly.Wildflowers are the exception. Theymust be reseeded every year, but theyadapt so well to the natural landscape andneed so little attention that xeriscapersendorse them. The more native plantsused, the less watering is required.

On to the Wildscape Landscape,designed to attract wildlife and insectsthat need a variety of food—nectar, seedsand berries. As in the Hill Country land-scape, native plants are used becausethey handle periods of drought betterthan most imports.

The Cottage Garden, or kitchen gar-den, is a part of every culture. Designsmay change around the world, but thereis a practical use for every planting,

whether for cut flowers, herbs, vegeta-bles or fruit. It’s rather a hodgepodge, butyour eye can be directed to a trellis or abirdbath or a garden bench.

Last, we see one of my favorites, theSpanish Courtyard. I’ve already adoptedthis look in my backyard. Designed as anextension of living space, a patio made ofbrick, stone or crushed rock is set in dec-orative patterns. I have a recirculatingfountain. It loses some water to evapo-ration but nowhere near as much as alawn sprinkler. Birdbaths provide aninteresting sculptural look. Vegetationis usually limited to the periphery orlarge pots.

Xeriscaping has an option for justabout everyone. For myself, I’d rather be

filling a birdbath, watering a few plantsin big pots and topping off the fountainthan mowing and weeding and putting ina lawn irrigation system. Besides, I enjoymy yard a lot more knowing I did my partto conserve Texas’ water.

Visit sabot.org to learn more aboutthe San Antonio Botanical Garden’sWaterSaver Lane.

Kaye Northcott is a former editor of TexasCo-op Power.

Web Extras on TexasCoopPower.com• Learn tips for designing your garden escape.• Read about seven principles for designinga successful xeriscape garden.

Agave calliandra, cenizo andyucca rostrata thrive at theBotanical Garden entrance.

Mexican oregano and aloe

Goldenrod with porterweedin foreground

Mexican bush sage

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$400

Lost

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$300

$200

$100

$600

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$800

$500

0

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2003

2004

2006

2005

2007

2008

2009

2010

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2012

$4,500 in Lost Savings per household

Source: United States Energy Information Administrationhttp://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/page/sales_revenue.xls

Exhibit 3: This exhibit compares electricity costs for a typical customer paying average rates charged by deregulated retail electric providers in Texas, to costs for a customer with the same usage but paying average rates charged by Texas providers exempt from deregulation.

*For purposes of comparison, this exhibit assumes monthly electricity usage of 1,300 kWh.

THE DEREGULATED ELECTRICITY MARKET: POWER TO CHOOSE OR POWER TO LOSE?

In the late 1990s, supporters of a deregulated Texas electricity market claimed the move would save Texans money and lower rates through a competitive market. A decade’s worth of data indicates this did not happen. In fact, earlier this year, the Houston Chronicle cited analysis by the Texas Coalition for A� ordable Power that found Texans in deregulated areas have paid $22 billion more than those in regulated service areas over the past decade. That equates to about $4,500 per household in lost savings. The editorial concluded:

In hindsight, it is clear that deregulation was never about getting the best deals for Texas consumers. It was about bigger salaries for CEOs and bigger returns for shareholders. It was about creating a middleman in a system that never needed one, by gaining access to expensive electric power infrastructure to sell electricity without having to pay for building it.

It also created a system where generation, transmission and distribution, and the retail sale of power were unbundled. As a result, deregulated consumers have experienced a decline in reliability since deregulated entities are for-profi t organizations focused on the lowest costs possible and meeting minimum standards.

The deregulated areas of Texas cover about 85 percent of the state. So where does this leave the 15 percent of the state that is exempt from this system for buying and selling electricity? In the case of CoServ Electric, a not-for-profi t provider, the answer is: In good hands with stable rates and reliable service.

CoServ Electric is a Member-owned, not-for-profi t, electric cooperative. CoServ’s Board of Directors are Members who are elected at-large by CoServ Electric Members. The Board

and the CoServ Electric executive leadership team proactively monitor the deregulated market because they have a fi duciary responsibility to make decisions that are in the best fi nancial interests of CoServ Members.

Our Members deserve reasonable and stable electric rates. Conversely, the mission of Retail Electric Providers (REPs) is to generate investor profi t. CoServ has no shareholders, and our responsibility is to our Members. Our current residential rate is around 10 cents per kWh, which is less than the current average (11 cents) that Texas REPs were o� ering in April and competitive with the lowest 12-month fi xed price REP o� er per the Association of Electric Companies of Texas. It’s also important to understand that rates listed on Power to Choose are “limited o� ers.” These rates are not representative of what these REPs are actually charging their consumers. Conversely, CoServ’s residential rate is charged to all Members and is representative of what our Members actually pay for power.

We’ve been a local not-for-profi t company, with a local Call Center for more than 75 years. This means no gimmicks or short-term promotional rates that are unsustainable. No o� -shoring of Customer Service jobs or long hold times.

It also means the reliable delivery of power when you need it most, like during the December 2013 ice storm that left deregulated parts of the DFW area without power for days.

We hope these details help clarify a topic that isn’t as clear-cut as it seems—specifi cally: “The power to choose” does not automatically result in lower cost or more reliable service. For more information, please visit CoServ.com. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].

All told, Texans living in deregulated areas would have saved more than $22 billion dollars in lower residential electricity bills since 2002 had they paid the same average prices as Texans living outside deregulation. The lost savings amounts to more than $4,500 for a typical household since 2002.

CoServ Electric Reliable • Safe • Local • Trusted

20 Texas Co-op Power COSERV ELECTRIC May 2014

CoServ_05-2014 TCP.indd 20 4/14/14 11:04 AM

$400

Lost

Sav

ings

$300

$200

$100

$600

$700

$800

$500

0

2002

2003

2004

2006

2005

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

$4,500 in Lost Savings per household

Source: United States Energy Information Administrationhttp://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/page/sales_revenue.xls

Exhibit 3: This exhibit compares electricity costs for a typical customer paying average rates charged by deregulated retail electric providers in Texas, to costs for a customer with the same usage but paying average rates charged by Texas providers exempt from deregulation.

*For purposes of comparison, this exhibit assumes monthly electricity usage of 1,300 kWh.

4 REASONS WHY ‘CHOICE’ ISN'T WHAT YOU THINK IT IS

1. The "great deals" on PowerToChoose.com are on a per-contract basis are not sustainable. Last year, a Retail Electric Provider (REP) o ered new customers a 4.4-cent per kWh deal. A great deal, sure … for three months. A deeper dive showed the rate rose to 12.2 cents after the three-month contract expired and contained several hidden charges (i.e., a $5 charge for every call to customer service). It's this type of bait and switch price volatility that CoServ wants to avoid for its Members. Our rates aren't just for three months; they're stable and long-term.

2. A recent study by Texas ROSE1 indicates the deregulated utility industry is mimicking the airline industry—fees, fees and more fees—to increase revenue. The study states that many REP fees are buried in the fi ne print of the terms of service. Fees now exist for customer service, minimal usage, contract cancellation, payment reminders, etc. Also, a growing REP trend is charging a higher per-kWh cost for not enrolling in E-Bill or participating in automatic bank draft, and subsidizing lower rates for new customers by charging existing customers more.

3. The electric provider "choice" in Texas is more perception than reality. Because CoServ Electric owns, operates and maintains the infrastructure serving your homes and businesses, it's important to understand that CoServ is your wires company, as well as your power provider. If CoServ opted in to the deregulated market, you would indeed be able to decide who sells your electricity, but CoServ’s infrastructure would continue to deliver your power. As a result, a portion of your monthly bill would still be paid to CoServ for delivery costs. Thus, it's unlikely that o ering "choice" would actually lower your rates in the long term.

4. The decision to opt in to the deregulated market is irrevocable. Given this uncertainty and dysfunction in the deregulated market, CoServ is hesitant to change the structure of our business in favor of a model that doesn't appear to e ectively control costs and rates for the long run. Again, as a not-for-profi t electric cooperative, CoServ is committed to delivering power at a competitive cost for all Members—not just the newest or most established. If we were positive that deregulation would allow us to maintain this mission for Members, we would've opted in to deregulation already. By taking a more cautious approach to monitor the market’s progress, we've been able to see the bigger picture surrounding deregulation and protect Members from price volatility.

1Ratepayers’ Organization to Save Energy

SAVE THE DATE: ANNUAL MEETING

Mark your calendar for our Annual Meeting and dinner, where you’ll learn about CoServ’s 21st Century Vision as a leader in implementing innovative energy ideas. CoServ was created to serve, and we’re committed to our Mission of providing safe, reliable, energy solutions.

When: Thursday, June 19

What: Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Business meeting at 7 p.m. Door prizes drawn after the meeting

Where: University of North Texas Coliseum Denton, Texas

FACEBOOK PROMOTION: Like last year, we’ll be interacting with you on Facebook before and during dinner! Members who respond to our Annual

Meeting Facebook post between 5 and 7 p.m. will be entered in a special drawing for a $300 electric-bill credit. Stay tuned for details! (NOTE: You must be present to win.)

Prepare in advance by “liking” our page at Facebook.com/ CoServEnergy. And watch for more details in the June issue of Texas Co-op Power magazine!

JUNE

19 VOTE EARLYEAT WELLWIN BIG!!!

May 2014 COSERV ELECTRIC Texas Co-op Power 21



SUMMER SPIKES PEAK DEMANDPower must be continuously delivered to CoServ Electric’s

distribution system to meet your electricity needs. CoServ’s power provider is Brazos Electric Cooperative, and we’re one of 16 Member/Owners of Brazos in the same way that more than 152,000 North Texans are CoServ Member/Owners.

Brazos provides competitively priced power by optimizing the operation of its electric generation plants with wholesale power market purchases. Brazos forecasts the electricity needed daily by CoServ (and its other members), monitors power consumption and schedules required power supply for delivery to the ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) transmission grid.

Just like at your homes or businesses, an electric meter

measures the amount of wholesale power delivered to CoServ. We pay for this supply at Brazos’ wholesale power rate, which contains a peak kilowatt (kW) demand charge. That charge represents roughly 42 percent of CoServ’s annual power cost. This translates to about 2.5 cents per kWh in your retail electric bill.

How can Members reduce this demand charge and save money?

Kilowatt demand is the amount of power consumption during a 15-minute period. CoServ’s wholesale demand charge is based on peak demand—the maximum kW demand during June, July, August and September. CoServ’s peak demand is

Curtis Trivitt (CTSS),SVP—Energy Services

CURTIS TRIVITTCS S

T

Says So




about 1.2 million kW. Each kW of peak demand costs about $103, adding roughly $1.23 million to our annual wholesale power bill. Without question, peak demand is a component of the bill that can be controlled/reduced. And because wholesale power cost is a direct pass-through in CoServ’s retail rates, any savings in wholesale power cost results in a reduction on your electric bill.

CoServ’s peak kW demand typically occurs on the hottest days between 4 and 8 p.m. Air conditioners and pool pumps are two large contributors to peak demand, but delaying the use of any electric appliance during these times reduces the peak-demand charge.

According to a recent peak-demand Brazos study, deferring the use of one residential AC unit can result in a 1.2 kW reduction in peak demand; turning o� a pool pump can produce a 1.7 kW reduction in peak demand; and delaying the use of an electric water heater can produce a 0.4 kW reduction. Assuming it is possible to achieve 2 kW of demand reduction per home, and assuming 50 percent of Members participated in demand-reduction actions, at $103 in wholesale savings per kW reduced, CoServ would pass through over $15.6 million in savings to our Members on their electric bills—every year.

CoServ Members can signifi cantly impact our wholesale power cost with simple actions:

� On the hottest days, increase the thermostat setting by 3 to 5 degrees between 5 and 6:30 p.m. Using a Wi-Fi enabled programmable thermostat adds convenience to managing temperature settings. (Even more savings—CoServ now offers a $50 rebate for these types of thermostats.)

� If you have a pool, set the pump to run before 4 and after 8 p.m.

� If you have an electric water heater, install a timer to turn the unit off between 5 and 6:30 p.m.

� Delay washing clothes/dishes and cooking until after 6:30 p.m.

� Turn as many lights off as possible. � Close window blinds and shades.

For a chance to win a $200 electric bill credit, visit Facebook.com/CoServEnergy and look for May’s Curtis Trivitt Says So column. The full article includes information about new technology that CoServ is using to reduce peak kW demand though a technique called CVR (Conservation Voltage Reduction). To be

entered in the drawing, comment on Curtis’ suggestions, o� er a suggestion of your own for energy savings or simply "like" the status update. Together, we can reduce peak demand and reduce electric cost.

FRISCO TEENS WIN DC TRIPCongratulations to Aarushi Aggarwal and Sahara

Khan, winners of CoServ’s 2014 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour!

Aarushi and Sahara, both of Frisco, will travel to Washington, DC, this summer for an all-expenses-paid trip to learn about our nation’s government. Joining them will be 1,500 youths from electric cooperatives across the nation.

“I never thought I would be blessed with such an invitation. When I got the email, I literally jumped on my feet and screamed,” said Aarushi, a 17-year-old junior at Liberty High School.

As a fi rst-generation American whose parents are from India, Aarushi said she’s particularly excited to share her experiences with her family. “Whatever knowledge I get from this trip,” she said, “they’ll learn, too.”

Sahara, a 16-year-old junior at Wakeland High School, said she aspires to join the legal profession and that the trip is a great opportunity “to get exposed to American history and current national undertakings.”

Her parents, she said, are very supportive. “When they explained to me the highlights of the trip, I instantly knew I had to apply!”

Both are part of the graduating class of 2015 and were selected for their extracurricular activities, involvement in their communities and written responses demonstrating knowledge about government, leadership and electric cooperatives.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), which has coordinated the Youth Tour since 1964, uses the all-expenses-paid trip to give students a fi rsthand look at the political process and the role it plays for co-ops. Students will experience several landmarks, including the Smithsonian Institution and Mount Vernon, and also visit their congressional representative’s o ̈ ce on Capitol Hill.

To fi nd out more about the program and how to apply for the 2015 Youth Tour, visit CoServ.com> Community>Academic Initiatives>Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.

Aarushi Aggarwal Sahara Khan

CURTIS TRIVITTCS S

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Pipelines in your communityCoServ Gas transports natural gas every day through a

network of pipelines. According to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board, pipelines are the safest and most reliable method of transporting natural gas. We are committed to safe and reliable operation of our pipelines in your community. Once designed, tested and installed, pipelines are operated and maintained according to all federal and state requirements. We also conduct frequent inspections and maintenance to ensure we are providing the safest delivery of natural gas to your home or business.Where the pipelines are:

Since pipelines are located underground and are not visible to the eye, CoServ Gas uses line markers to identify the proximity of the pipeline. The markers are placed to help you, our Customer, as well as any individual or company planning to excavate. The marker will typically provide the name of the gas company, the contents of the pipeline and an emergency phone number. While markers play an important role in identifying pipelines, they are not used to give depth or exact locations. The only way to ensure the location of a pipeline is to practice the “call before you dig” rule. Pipeline markers are important for the safety of the general public. It is a federal crime for any person to willfully deface, remove or destroy any pipeline sign or marker. Call before you dig:

Before you dig or excavate 16 inches or deeper, state law requires you to contact the National One-Call Center, 811. Please call 48 hours (two business days) before you start your project, whether it’s landscaping, building fences or major construction. CoServ Gas will mark the lines at no cost to you. If the pipeline is damaged in any way—even if it appears to be minor—call 911 and immediately notify CoServ Gas at (940) 321-7800 or (800) 274-4014 so that we can conduct a thorough inspection and make necessary repairs.Customer Yardlines

CoServ Gas maintains the gas line in your yard up to the point it reaches your meter. If your meter is mounted away from your house, the pipe between the meter and house is Customer-owned and is your responsibility to maintain. If this pipe is not maintained, it may become subject to the potential hazards of corrosion and leakage. Customers are responsible for periodically inspecting pipes for corrosion and leakages and making repairs if unsafe conditions exist. Pipes can also be cut or damaged by excavation. When a Customer calls 811, a locator service will come out and mark utility-

owned lines, but they do not mark Customer-owned lines beyond the meter. If you plan to dig around your gas line or ours, you should always dig by hand. It may be necessary to contact a plumber to locate or inspect your yardline and make repairs if needed.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS YOURSELF. Potential Hazards of Pipeline Products

Besides liquid petroleum and natural gas, pipelines transport a variety of products for our everyday lives such as oxygen for hospitals. They may contain other types of gases, chemicals, hazardous liquids, refi ned products or crude oil, as well as nonfl ammable products. If a leak were to occur on the pipeline, some of these materials could cause environmental damage. Other products may be highly fl ammable, or harmful if inhaled, cause eye or skin irritation and possible di� culty breathing. Because of these potential hazards, it is important to be able to recognize a pipeline leak. How to recognize gas leaks:

Pipeline emergencies include damaged pipelines, a fi re or explosion near or directly involving a pipeline, a natural disaster a� ecting the pipeline, a leaking pipeline or leaking pipes in your house or building.Here are some tips to help you recognize a gas leak:

� Look—Persistent bubbling in standing water or discolored vegetation are signs of a possible leak around the pipeline.

� Listen—Note any unusual noise like a hissing or roaring sound. � Smell—Odor is an easy way to identify the release of natural

gas. Natural gas in its original state is odorless. An additive is injected into the gas supply to help our Customers smell and identify the release of natural gas. That additive smells like rotten eggs.

What to do when a leak occurs:1. Immediately leave the area.2. Abandon any equipment being used in or near the suspected leak.3. From a safe location, call 911 and immediately notify CoServ

Gas at (940) 321-7800 or (800) 274-4014. Give your name, phone number, description of the leak and its location.

4. Warn others to stay away when possible.What NOT to do:1. Do NOT touch, breathe, or make contact with the leaking gas.

Stay upwind.2. Do NOT light a match, start an engine, use a telephone, operate

light switches or do anything that may create a spark.3. Do NOT attempt to extinguish any pipeline fi re that may start.4. Do NOT drive into a leak or vapor cloud area. Automobile

engines may ignite the vapors.What CoServ Gas will do during an emergency:

CoServ Gas will immediately dispatch trained personnel upon notifi cation of an emergency. We will provide information to public safety o� cials to aid in their response. We will also take the necessary operational steps to minimize the impact of the emergency.Contact information:

To report an emergency, call 911 and immediately notify CoServ Gas at (940) 321-7800 or (800) 274-4014.

For more safety tips, visit our website at CoServ.com>Gas> Resources>Safety. Please do NOT report gas emergencies (including leaks) via the Web.




INDIAN CREEK STUDENTS GETA CHARGE OUT OF POWERRACE! BOARD GAME

“Can a person really become a supervillain after being electrocuted, like in the new Spiderman movie?”

“What about the time SpongeBob touched an electric eel and Patrick tried to rescue him and became electrocuted … and then Squidward tried to rescue Patrick, and he became electrocuted, too?”

These are just some of the questions that Indian Creek fi fth-graders posed to CoServ Area Manager Dan Mugg when he brought CoServ’s giant board game POWERrace! to the Carrollton elementary school in February to teach students about how electricity gets distributed.

Players divided into four groups and surrounded the approximate 5-by-8-foot board game, each with the mission to bring electricity to a designated building across town and to wire as many buildings as possible in the process.

The game comes with a set of playing cards that informs students how much money they have and what choices they can make. To win, a team must abide by the rules on the cards drawn and bring electricity—one pole or underground connection at a time—to the team’s designated building.

“Don’t waste money!” one frugal fi fth-grader called out

to his teammates. With the assistance of Area Manager Tracee Elrod, who acted as the banker and scorekeeper, each class of students played for 30 minutes before a winning team was declared.

“I like how engaged they are,” said science teacher Amy Vitosh. “They’re arguing over what they should do and coming up with their own strategies.”

Students learn how to power a town with electricity and how to work together as a team while keeping track of a budget. For instance, one team had to choose between burying its power line for $3,000 or putting it above ground on a pole for $1,000.

“The developer gets to choose,” Dan told them. The students chose the above-ground option and positioned the pole one move closer to the target building.

“It was a great morning, a great group of kids,” Dan said.

CoServ Area Manager Dan Mugg conceived the idea for the board game POWERrace! as a tool to educate children about the distribution of electricity.

Want to play POWERrace! at your school? Please send a note to CoServ Area Manager Dan Mugg care of [email protected], subject line “POWERrace!”




The Board of Directors approved the Mission, Vision and Core Values at the last board meeting of 2013 as guiding elements for an inspiring future. The elements set the tone for the daily work of CoServ Employees. They help our organization prioritize our responsibilities to our Members and Customers, and set guidelines for planning strategic objectives. It is every Employee’s duty to uphold the CoServ

Mission and to aspire to achieve the Vision. Guided by our Core Values, our Employees serve each other as we serve our Members and Customers.

One of the extraordinary di� erences o� ered by an electric co-op is the benefi t of being local. Our Employees are your friends and your neighbors. Some are even your family members. If you need something, just let us know.

Mission (our purpose—why we exist): To deliver excellent service to our Members and Customers by

providing safe and reliable energy solutions.

Vision (our goal for the future):To be a respected leader dedicated to implementing innovative ideas

that fulfi ll the needs of those we serve.

CORE VALUES� Respect � Accountability � Integrity � Safety � Excellence � Service

OUR PEOPLE, PURPOSE

AND FUTURECreated under the National Rural Electrifi cation Act,

the Denton County Electric Cooperative was founded in 1937 to bring electricity to rural areas and the people who lived there—people ignored by for-profi t providers. As a CoServ Member, you are a part of this historic mission—whether your family has lived in North Texas for generations or whether you’re new to the area.

CoServ’s history keeps us rooted in the communities we serve. But the mission is evolving and branching out, as is our vision for the future while our organization continues to experience substantial growth. Led by CoServ’s Executive Leadership Team, strategic planning began last year to acknowledge the changes in our growing communities and to lead our organization to update our Mission and revise our Vision Statement and Core Values.




I think you are doing an outstanding job promoting conservation and I want to say, "Thank you."

–CoServ Member Leslie Vinson of Friscovia email

Love the new rebate program! You guys are great!

–CoServ Member Brian A. Ricci of McKinneyvia email

VOICE OF MEMBERSHIP

CoServ Vision StatementTo deliver excellent service to our Members and Customers by providing safe and reliable

energy solutions.

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

I would like to convey my gratitude for the generous donation that the CoServ Charitable Foundation made to Civil Air Patrol Nighthawk Squadron. The computer equipment that will be purchased with your donation will enable us to fulfi ll the missions of CAP more e ectively. Emergency Services, through e� cient mission management, Cadet Programs, especially Cyber Patriot, and Aerospace education will all benefi t from the new more capable hardware.

Thank you again, —Mark Hammack, 1st Lt., CAP

Operations O� cerX-413 Nighthawk Composite Squadron

CORRECTIONThe 95 kilowatt (kWp) solar photovoltaic system on the roof of CoServ's truck shed cost

$4,900 per kWp, not $4.90 per kWp, as stated in the CoServ pages of March's Texas Co-op Power.

Thank you





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National Collector’s Mintannounces a special limitedrelease of 2,541 Morgan SilverDollars 93-136 years old at$29 each. Several prominentnational dealers charge $46MORE for a comparableMorgan Silver Dollar. TheseMorgans are among the lastsurviving originals still inexistence, and each coin isguaranteed to be in mostlyBrilliant Uncirculated to Finecondition. Due to volatilefluctuations in the preciousmetals market, price can beguaranteed @ $29 each for oneweek only!

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Texas History

Wired for Sound Between you, me and the fence post,barbed-wire telephone systems kept rural folks hanging on every word

BY CAMILLE WHEELER

On March 10, 1876, Alexander GrahamBell debuted the talking telegraph: the tele-phone. Bell earned two patents for hisinvention, and in 1877, he and two financialbackers formed the Bell Telephone Com-pany. But when Bell’s second patent expiredin 1894, the technological landscape under-went a seismic shift. Suddenly, Bell wasn’tthe only company that could legally operatetelephone systems in the U.S.

Over the next decade, more than 6,000independent telephone companies wentinto business, and the number of telephonesin the country swelled from less than half amillion to 3.3 million. Telephone systems,though, mostly served urban populations.Entrepreneurs steered clear of ruralregions, where the installation of poles andphone wires carried exorbitant costs.

But near the turn of the 20th century,Great Plains settlers, including pioneersacross Texas, weren’t wireless. They had aready-made telephone transmission system in place: miles andmiles of barbed-wire fences that kept ranchers’ cattle herdsseparate; prevented northern cattle herds from drifting on tograss-rich Panhandle spreads; and delineated ranch pasturefrom farm field, cow horse from plow horse.

Fences symbolized division—and connection. The processstarted on the pages of Montgomery Ward and Sears Roebuck &Co. catalogs, from which people could order telephones by mail.From there, the spark of ingenuity provided the missing link.

As described by Seguin-based historian and author CharleyEckhardt, electronic communication was now easily withingrasp. Using a jawed, metal alligator clip, you could clamp thetelephone wire from your house to the top wire on your barbed-wire pasture fence, making sure it connected to a property-linefence. Or, if the yard fence was connected to the pasture fence,you could clamp on there.

And so it went, house after house, fence after fence as ruralfamilies struck up the kind of conversation, sort of, that Bellimagined hearing when he began experimenting with telegraph-wire voice transmission in the early 1870s. “A rural telephonesystem that had no operators, no bills—and no long-distancecharges—was born,” Eckhardt wrote in a 2008 online TexasEscapes story, a version of which originally appeared in TheTombstone Epitaph, a historical monthly Arizona newspaper.

Not surprisingly, the system had its flaws. Roaming cows andlovesick bulls broke many a telephone wire. And rain-soaked

fence posts shorted out phones and lines. But discarded saloonbottles, as Eckhardt explains, were good glass insulators.Wooden pegs with drilled holes were whittled to fit inside bro-ken bottlenecks, and the bottles were nailed to fence posts, withwire strung between the insulators.

There were other challenges. Without a central operator,each household had its own crank-phone ring, such as two longsand three shorts, to indicate incoming calls. A single long ringdenoted an emergency, and everybody along the line would pickup the phone to hear the news. All telephones rang when callswere made. Eavesdropping prevailed, and the discussion of any-thing intimate was ill-advised, Eckhardt says.

But glitches and all, the system worked, surviving into the1930s in some areas. After enabling farming and ranching tocoexist, “barbed wire unwittingly became part of the nation’sbudding telephone network,” Maryland-based author and histo-rian David B. Sicilia wrote in a 1997 Inc. magazine article. “Whatkept crops and animals apart helped bring people together.”

In her 1958 book, “Light ’n Hitch: A Collection of HistoricalWriting Depicting Life on the High Plains,” author Laura V. Ham-ner praised barbed wire as both a “thorny barrier” and a linkamong Texas ranch women. “Equally important as the urgentmessage,” she wrote, “was the woman-talk which kept the barbwire humming—and which meant so much to the lonely ladiesof the plains.”

Camille Wheeler is an Austin writer.JOH

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Recipes

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For Love of Peanuts It’s hard to find a food more versatile than the peanut, and Texas has longbeen one of the country’s leading producers. The mighty legume, a good source of monounsaturated fat, fiber andprotein, remains a stalwart of Texas agriculture. Our state holds the distinction of growing all four types of peanutsincluding runners, Spanish, Virginia and Valencia. Each is usually identified with certain foods. For instance, runnersare commonly used in peanut butter, while the high-oil, papery-skinned Spanish peanuts are often used in candy.

Through history, peanuts have been grown in various Texas towns, including Aubrey, Whitesboro and Floresville.These towns no longer consider peanuts a cash crop but still each honor their peanut-growing heritage at festi-vals held every October. These days, the “peanut capital” of Texas is Gaines County, the largest peanut-producingcounty in the state—and the entire country, according to the Texas Peanut Producers Board. Nearby Terry Countyalso grows peanuts and is home to shelling facilities including Birdsong and Golden Peanut, which supply nuts tosome of the country’s most recognizable brands.

Here’s one of my favorite peanut recipes, Monster Bark, a free-form cookie cut into pieces and served likecandy bark or brittle. ANNA GINSBERG, FOOD EDITOR

Monster Bark

1 large egg ⅓ cup granulated sugar ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar ¾ teaspoon baking soda ⅜ scant teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup peanut butter (4.8 ounces on a scale) 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour 1½ cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned (not instant) oats ¼ cup semisweet chocolate or peanut butter chips ¼ cup mini candy-coated chocolates (M&M’s) ⅓ cup chopped, lightly salted peanuts

› Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large (about 18-by-13-inch), rimmed, heavy-duty baking sheet with parch-ment paper.

› In a mixing bowl, stir together the egg, both types ofsugar, baking soda, salt and vanilla. Stir in the peanutbutter and butter. When mixed, add flour and stir untilblended. Lastly, stir in the oats, chips, candies andpeanuts.

› Empty onto the baking sheet and divide dough into twosections.

› Dampen fingers and press each section down to make itas thin as possible. You could make one big slab, butmaking two gives you more edge pieces and more crunch.

› Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and slideparchment onto a cutting board. With a pizza cutter, cutthe slabs into multiple uneven pieces—but do not sepa-rate cut pieces, as the cookies will still be rather crumblyat this point. Return parchment paper with cookies tobaking sheet.

› Return to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 min-utes. Let cool for about 10 minutes on baking sheet andcarefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.Cookies should crisp as they cool.Servings: 12. Serving size: 2 cookies. Per serving: 229 calories, 6.1 g pro-tein, 12.9 g fat, 25.6 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g dietary fiber, 240 mg sodium,15.4 g sugars, 23 mg cholesterol

Cook’s Tip: If you have some thicker pieces that aren’t crunchy once cooled,throw them back in the 250-degree oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, thenlet cool. The thinner you press the slabs, the better chance you have of get-ting crunchy bark.

Monster Bark

Peanut and Pea Salad

1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed 1 cup dry-roasted peanuts 1 cup chopped celery 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled ¼ cup chopped red onion

½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup prepared zesty Italian salad dressing

› In a large bowl, combine the peas, peanuts, celery, baconand onion.

› Mix the mayonnaise and Italian dressing in a small bowl.Pour over salad and toss to coat.

› Chill until served.Servings: 5. Serving size: ¾ cup. Per serving: 494 calories, 15.8 g protein,39.2 g fat, 17.8 g carbohydrates, 5.8 g dietary fiber, 592 mg sodium, 6.6 gsugars, 15 mg cholesterol

DEBRA TACKER | FARMERS EC

Pea-Nutty Meat Loaf

½ cup chopped onions ½ cup chopped bell peppers 1 teaspoon olive oil ½ cup finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts 2 pounds ground chuck 2 slices white sandwich bread, torn into pieces 2 teaspoons seasoned salt 1 teaspoon sugar ¾ teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 beaten eggs 2 tablespoons milk ½ cup tomato sauce Ketchup or barbecue sauce for topping, optional

› Preheat oven to 350 degrees.› Saute onions and bell peppers in olive oil. Put in a large

bowl and add peanuts, chuck, bread, salt, sugar, pepper,Worcestershire, eggs, milk and tomato sauce. Mix well.

› Divide mixture equally between two loaf pans and bakefor about 40 to 45 minutes. During last 10 minutes ofbaking, top with ketchup or barbecue sauce, if desired.Servings: 8. Serving size: 1 slice. Per serving: 397 calories, 24.4 g protein,29.5 g fat, 8.6 g carbohydrates, 1.6 g dietary fiber, 766 mg sodium, 2.9 gsugars, 127 mg cholesterol

TOMMY OSTEEN | CENTRAL TEXAS EC

MARIAN EVONIUK | PEDERNALES EC

Peanuts Contest Winner: Texans love their

peanuts, and this month’s recipe submissions

were evidence of that! Although many readers’

recipes scored high in testing, here’s our favorite.

Peanut Butter Dream Pie

1 cup Spanish peanuts (no skins), finely chopped 6 cinnamon graham cracker squares, finely crushed ¼ cup butter, melted ¼ cup brown sugar ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup, divided 3½ cups heavy cream 4 tablespoons granulated sugar 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, divided ½ cup peanut butter 1 cup powdered sugar, divided

› Preheat oven to 350 degrees.› In a small bowl, combine peanuts, graham cracker

crumbs, butter and brown sugar. Reserve ¼ cup fortopping. Press remainder into bottom and up sidesof a 10-inch pie pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Let coolslightly then drizzle bottom of crust with ¼ cup ofchocolate syrup.

› In a medium bowl, beat heavy cream until frothy.Add granulated sugar and vanilla and beat untilpeaks are stiff but not dry.

› In a large bowl, beat half of the cream cheese with the peanut butter and ½ cup powdered sugar untilfluffy. Add half of the whipped cream and beat untilsmooth. Pour into crust and drizzle with another ¼ cup chocolate syrup.

› In a large bowl, beat remaining cream cheese and ½ cup powdered sugar until smooth. Add remainingwhipped cream and beat until fluffy. Spread over firstlayer and drizzle with remaining chocolate syrup.Swirl syrup into second layer and top with reservedgraham cracker mixture.

› Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight beforeserving. Pie can be frozen. Remove from freezer 1 hour before serving.Servings: 12. Serving size: 1 slice. Per serving: 612 calories, 9.3 gprotein, 48.4 g fat, 39.5 g carbohydrates, 2.3 g dietary fiber, 274mg sodium, 28.6 g sugars, 126 mg cholesterol


Web Extra on TexasCoopPower.com Find more peanut recipes online along with recipes from years past.

$100 Recipe Contest• Instead of a recipe contest in September, we will showcase staff picks.Watch for favorite dishes from our kitchens. • October’s recipe contest topic is Cakes. If you think you bake one soyummy it, well, takes the cake, share the recipe with our readers. Thedeadline is May 10.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.

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TexasCoopPower.com

Upcoming ContestsJuly Issue: Friendship Deadline: May 10

August: Refreshing September: Energy

All entries must include name, address, daytime phone and co-op affiliation, plus the contest topic and a briefdescription of your photo. ONLINE: Submit highest-resolution digital images at TexasCoopPower.com/contests.MAIL: Focus on Texas, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must beincluded if you want your entry returned (approximately six weeks). Please do not submit irreplaceable photo-graphs—send a copy or duplicate. We do not accept entries via email. We regret that Texas Co-op Power cannotbe responsible for photos that are lost in the mail or not received by the deadline.

Focus on Texas

Inspirational Sources of inspiration are thedriving force behind some of life’s most rewardingachievements. When facing adversity, one drop ofencouragement can become a reservoir of confidenceand creativity. These are a few reader-submitted photos that were inspirational to us. ANDREW BOZE

Web Extras on TexasCoopPower.com ‘You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.’ Hockey legendWayne Gretzky said that. You also miss 100 percent of our online Inspi-rational photos unless you check out our website.

o Ralph Arvesen of Pedernales EC captured this photo of daughterMakayla against the sunset in northwestern Blanco County.

This photo, submitted by Judy Faught of Lyntegar EC and taken by herdaughter Breck, captures the connection between generations. a

Carrie O’Brien-Sibley of FarmersEC spotted a great blue heroncoming home to its family onLake Fork in Rains County. d

g This photo, taken by SusanGreen of Heart of Texas EC,shows a vast field of resilient sunflowers, shining even under a cloudy sky.

o Elizabeth Coffman of Heart of Texas EC submitted this well-arrangedshot, taken by her daughter, Emma.

15 Luling 87th Annual Field Day,(830) 875-2438, lulingfoundation.org

Bulverde [15-18, 22-25] S.T.A.G.E. perform-ances of ‘Tom Walker,’ (830) 438-2339

16 Gainesville M-o-o-ving Thru the Mud withLandon, (940) 372-0343, mudwithlandon.com

Huntsville 11th Annual Shot in the Dark Golf Tournament, (936) 295-8113,chamber.huntsville.tx.us

Lufkin Sawmill Sampler, (936) 632-9535,treetexas.com

Kerens [16-17] 2nd Annual Dancin’ on theBricks and BBQ Cook-off, (903) 396-2971,ci.kerens.tx.us

Madisonville [16-17] MSCA BBQ Cook-off,(936) 348-8460, sidewalkcattlemens.com

17 Gainesville A Day and Night for VISTO,(940) 902-3402, concertforvisto.com

Valley Spring Valley Spring VFD AnnualFish Fry, (325) 247-5354

May10 Corsicana 16th Annual Coyote SquadronAirsho, (903) 257-8282, coyotesquadron.org

Johnson City JCVFD Annual Fish Fry and Raffle Fundraiser, (830) 868-7684, johnsoncity-texas.com

Mico Mico VFD Annual BBQ,(830) 751-2848, micovfd.org

Waco Funky Junk Roundup,(405) 596-1687, montagefestivals.com

Wimberley Garden Club Tour,(512) 847-3595, wimberleygardenclub.org

C H A L K : © V E S N A C VO R OV I C | D O L L A R P H OTO C LU B . F LOW E R S : © A L E KSS | D O L L A R P H OTO C LU B

Pick of the MonthChalk This Way!Lewisville [May 17](972) 625-1726, lakesidearts.org

This daylong event features professional chalkartists, an amateur chalk art contest, a scholar-ship contest and a children’s gallery, plus artvendors, food, drinks and music.


Around Texas Get Going > This is just a sampling of the events

May 10Wimberley

Garden Club Tour

34th Annual

Step Back in Time for the Time of Your LifeStep Back in Time for the Time of Your Life

Just 30 minutes south of Dallas/Fort Worth in Waxahachie

Get Your Tickets On-Line TODAYwww.SRFestival.com

Find Events Online

Gas Up and Go!Fairs, festivals, food and family fun!It’s all listed under the Events tabon our website.

Pick your region. Pick your month.Pick your event. With hundreds ofevents throughout Texas listedevery month, TexasCoopPower.comhas something for everyone.

17 Victoria Art Car Victoria Parade,(361) 575-8227, navemuseum.com

Dripping Springs [17-18] Tour the TalentArt Studio Tour, (512) 296-7751, tourthetalent.com

18 Bleiblerville Bleiblerville VFD Fish Fry & Fundraiser, (979) 249-6382

23 Ennis [23-25] 48th Annual National Polka Festival, (972) 878-4748, nationalpolkafestival.com

23 Fredericksburg [23-25] FredericksburgCrawfish Festival, (830) 433-5225, fbgcrawfish.com

24 Port O’Connor Memorial Weekend Kids’Fishing Tournament, (361) 983-2244, portoconnorchamber.org

Fort Worth [24-25] Fort Worth Gem andMineral Club Annual Show, (817) 925-5760,fortworthgemandmineralclub.org

Gainesville [24-26] Lavender Festival,(940) 665-6938, lavenderridgefarms.com

30 Athens [30-31] Athens Old Fiddlers Reunionand Contest, (888) 294-2847, athens.tx.org

31 The Colony Mother & Son Luau, (972) 625-1106, visitthecolonytx.com

Tyler Vince Vance and the Valiants Concert,(903) 881-9733, josefelicianofoundation.org

P O L KA CO U P L E : © K I T TY | D O L L A R P H OTO C LU B . TAC K L E B OX: © G A R RY _ I M AG E S | D O L L A R P H OTO C LU B

Submit Your Event!We pick events for the magazine directly fromTexasCoopPower.com. Submit your event forJuly by May 10, and it just might be featuredin this calendar!

June1 Sherman [1-7] 8th Annual Melody RanchBluegrass Festival, (903) 546-5893,melodyranchbluegrassfestival.com

5 Levelland [5, 12, 19, 26] Sounds of TexasConcert Series, (803) 894-3157, levellandtexas.org


May 23Ennis48th Annual National Polka Festival

May 24Port O’ConnorMemorial Weekend

Kids’ Fishing Tournament

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


Hit the Road Victoria

If only walls could talk. Then, oh,the tales that Fossati’s Delicatessen inVictoria could tell. The wooden slatsmight whisper about a bloody incidentafter the turn of the 20th century whenan enraged resident shot down his wife’s

lover, who staggered across the deli’sfront threshold and died. Or they mightrecall a hot day in August 1932 whengangsters Bonnie and Clyde flung openthe swinging doors, gulped down a beer atthe bar, then fled. “At least, that’s whatUncle Kite used to tell,” says Therese Fos-sati Bomersbach, 71, who runs the familydeli, billed as the state’s oldest.

True or not, the colorful stories add tothe Wild West ambiance that permeatesFossati’s, established in 1882 by FrankNapoleon Fossati (feh-SEH’-tee). “Mygrandfather was a stonecutter from Italywho hoped to find a job at the state Capi-tol, but he arrived too soon,” says Bomers-bach, a member of Nueces Electric Coop-erative. “For a time, he worked for therailroad. Then he came to Victoria andopened a chili and sandwich stand” at the

intersection of South Main and Juan Linnstreets, she says. Later, he opened a baracross the street. In 1895, he and a partneropened a saloon on a third corner. Thenin 1902, he opened Fossati’s Grocery andFeed Store in the present 1895 clapboard

building, which still retains the originalwooden bar and large mirror.

Frank retired in 1910 and handed thebusiness to son Caeton (Kite). In thoseearly years, only men frequented Fossati’s.At the bar, a trough-style spittoon at theirfeet provided a convenient place to spittobacco and take care of other matters. Atday’s end, someone would rinse thetrough into an outside drain. To this day,the spittoon remains—but for looks only!

Another remnant from Frank’s erahangs high on one wall. The framedprose, hand-penned in black ink onstained butcher paper, advises patronshow to act like gentlemen. “In 1908, mygrandfather paid a traveling sign paintertwo schooners [mugs] of beer and asandwich for that,” Bomersbach says.“The sign disappeared in the 1960s, but

we got it back in July 2013.”Caeton retired in 1967. Managers out-

side the family ran Fossati’s until 1981,when it shut down. But not for long.Seven descendants, including Bomers-bach, bought back the business in 1984.After renovations, Fossati’s reopened forlunch only (it is closed weekends) in 1987.

On the menu, several items harkenback to Frank and Caeton’s time, like theReuben sandwich and Kite’s Kalterauf-schnitt (Dutch lunch), a plate of slicedmeats and cheeses served with coleslaw,potato salad and sliced bread. Along withsandwiches, the deli also serves soups,salads and a daily special, such as KingRanch chicken or lasagna. Temptingdesserts include peach cobbler, applecrisp and Fossati’s brownie sundae.

Daring customers request the deli’ssignature hot beer mustard, made freshusing Frank’s original recipe. “Our mus-tard doesn’t get you going down, but it’llsure clear out your sinuses!” Bomers-bach grins. “We use beer, ground mus-tard and one other ingredient. And it’snot horseradish!”

No hot mustard, please, for PhilCastille, president of the University ofHouston-Victoria, who drops by regularlyfor a double-meat corned beef on rye witha side of coleslaw. “Fossati’s is a localinstitution with a long history,” he saysbetween bites. “We love to bring our jobcandidates here. But the thing is, the foodis always good. Just having a heritagewouldn’t keep this place open!”

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers, a frequent contributor,is a member of Pedernales Electric Cooperative.

Fossati’s Deli, 302 S. Main St., (361) 576-3354,open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays only.

Fossati’s Delicatessen, billed as the oldest in the state, boasts menu items and captivating tales from another century BY SHERYL SMITH-RODGERS

Good food and a colorful history draw crowds to FOSSATI’S DELICATESSEN in Victoria.H

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Web Extras on TexasCoopPower.com • Watch a video from Fossati’s.• View a slideshow with more photos. • Can’t get to Victoria anytime soon? Sam-ple Fossati’s menu with recipes for Germanpotato salad and broccoli cheese soup.

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