February 24, 2021

Share the Joy! Zero wastewater discharge from Camp OTX in Tarpley is now a reality. The ink is dry on the signed permit, which was mailed Feb. 23, 2021.
Thanks to all of you for supporting this community effort. Our creeks will remain pristine. It took all of us, including the owners of Camp OTX, to come together to make this happen.
Rejoice!

Margo Denke Griffin Secretary/Treasurer Friends of Hondo Canyon

Archives

January 13, 2021

Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District to hear agenda item for a water well permit from Young Life on Thursday, Jan. 14. Send your comments NOW to dmauk@bcragd.org and hphillips@bcragd.org

Imagine that we live in a quiet, peaceful corner tucked into the canyonlands of the beautiful Texas Hill Country. So idyllic is this spot in fact, that when the first European settlers came and drank in the beauty that surrounded them they named one of the communities Utopia. Imagine that, as we go about our quiet way of life, we strive to keep our employment routines in such a way to not disturb the ecosystem, as we enjoy the unspoiled setting, feeding the birds, counting the butterflies every year to participate in a nationwide survey, swimming in and paddling the rivers. We strive to maintain a balance that honors nature, the native wildlife, and the rural way of life that our great grandparents, our grandparents, our parents lived, and to maintain that same tranquil way of life we found when we became stewards of the land. We and they have worked hard to keep the serenity ofthis unspoiled place. Now imagine that a very large corporation decides to bring their brand of summer youth camps into our setting. They come with admirable stated goals, a Christian camping experience for young adolescents. In this case they apparently wish to develop a campground that would serve a much-expanded attendance from that of the former owners of a camp at the same location. Imagine, such a well-funded corporation – a corporation that urges their supporters to cement their legacy in this life by giving real estate, business interests, oil, gas and mineral rights to fund the camp corporation – a corporation so well-funded that it can spend millions to develop massive new uses of the natural resources they have found available in this chosen spot. And now you need not imagine any longer! Young Life has come to Utopia. While we applaud one of the basic tenants of their values stated on their website “ Observing the highest standards of stewardship of all the resources placed in our trust” this high standard does not seem to include avoiding the risk of irreparably polluting our beautiful Sabinal River......... Now we find that they and a neighbor landowner are also seeking to draw a very significant volume of ground water in an area of our canyonlands where some landowners wells have reportedly already gone dry!

FOR THE WATER WELL PERMIT: Please make your voice heard. Send your comments to Bandera River Authority and Groundwater District (dmauk@bcragd.org and hphillips@bcragd.org) BEFORE this agenda item is heard TOMORROW, Jan 14, 2021.
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FOR THE WASTEWATER DISCHARGE PERMIT: Send your comments to: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/ Enter permit : WQ0015892001) asking that the PERMIT BE DENIED to discharge 60,000 gallons of water daily into creeks that ultimately flow into the Sabinal River. Please alert your neighbors to do the same. If we are to protect this gift of nature we must stay alert, be willing to make our voices heard. Together our community can save these treasured place we call home.​

EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
January 7, 2021

​Hi CCTRA riders! It’s warmup ride time.
This is our 51st year. Mark your planners for Saturday, Jan. 9. Rideout is at 9 a.m., from Twin Elm Guest Ranch Arena, around Schmidtke Road to Mr. Frank and Mary Anderwald gravesite to pay respects at S.t Stans. Chili/cornbread lunch in town around 1 p.m. and then return to the Twin Elm. Wagon space available and wagon friendly for folks who would like to come along. Please RSVP.

Jeanne Beauxbeannes
830-534-5750

January 5, 2021
​
I just read the article about Elithe Hamilton Kirkland, submitted by Bandera Spirits of Texas. My mother purchased Kirkland’s novel, Love is a Wild Assault, from a book signing at Scarborough’s Department Store in Austin in 1960. When she finished the book she gave it to me and I still have that signed, first edition copy. Love is a Wild Assault is by far one of my favorite novels. It is rich with Texas history and tells the story of one of our most fascinating pioneers, Harriet Potter, during the time of our fight for independence. Every few years I get a hankering to read it again and have enjoyed it several times. It is a classic. Kirkland was an excellent story teller and I was so pleased to hear more about her. She, too, was a pioneer and a true Texas treasure. The book is still available from Amazon and they have it in hardcover, paperback and Kindle edition.

Vicki L. George
Pipe Creek, TX​

December 30, 2020

December is a time to reflect on the past year and to give thanks. It is also a time to reach out and support those who are struggling. Can you help?
Just west of Hondo Canyon (Sabinal Canyon) an established summer camp – Camp Lone Hollow (downstream from Lost Maples State Natural Area) has been sold to Young Life. In their plans to update the camp and make it a year round destination, Young Life has applied for a TCEQ Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit (TPDES) to send ALL of their wastewater - up to 60,000 gallons/day - into an unnamed creek that flows to Long Hollow Creek then into the Sabinal River just north of Utopia. The Sabinal River is like Hondo Creek – it has never received wastewater discharge north of US Highway 90. Wastewater discharge will forever change this pristine section of the Sabinal.
There is no reason why Young Life cannot apply their abundant resources to design a zero discharge system. We navigated the path to ZERO DISCHARGE in Hondo Canyon.
Numbers count - let’s help our neighbors in their struggle by writing to TCEQ. Let’s not sit back while yet another clean river gets a rubber stamp approval to be changed to a polluted one.
Go to https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/?fbclid=IwAR1G41wKBcsHk yaGWk-byy6IA26nqnCGfE-xgkX8AfS07KsYiosbS8eRI0o
Fill in the permit number: WQ0015892001
Complete your contact information (you must agree to privacy policy–TCEQ does not accept anonymous comments)
Enter your comments–why this pollutant discharge permit should be denied.
Why should local children swim in a polluted Sabinal River at Utopia Park when Young Life’s children swim in pristine spring water?
Ask that TCEQ hold a Public Meeting on the permit.
Thank you for sharing our blessings.
​
Margo Denke Griffin
Friends of Hondo Canyon

December 8, 2020

​On Saturday, Nov. 12, at one point I counted 36 people - all volunteer - helping to set up the Christmas display on the courthouse lawn. More volunteers than we had last year. I would sincerely like to thank volunteers from Knights of Columbus, Bandera 4-H, Bandera Juvenile Probation, Bandera High School Honor Society, James Westover, Steve and Heather Jones of Zoka Jo’s, as well as an unknown number of residents from Lakehills and Pipe Creek, Medina and Bandera communities. Also, would like to thank the Bandera Prophet and the Bandera Bulletin for their contributions. A thank you to Bandera County Commissioners’ Court for use of the courthouse lawn and a $750 grant, and the Bandera County Chamber of Commerce. A special thanks to Bandera Equipment Rental for the use of the lift to put lights on the big tree, Dough Joes’ for the coffee and hot chocolate and Snowflakes for the doughnuts. A very big thanks to Chip Aragones for putting the lights on the courthouse. Bandera County is a great community. Hopefully this group of volunteers and more of the community can come together and make this an annual tradition of local volunteers. Our county has always had a great volunteer spirit. Commissioners and judges come and go! A sincere thank you for making this project fast, easy and enjoyable.

Jack Moseley
​Commissioner Pct. 3

P.S. We’re looking for volunteers on Saturday, Jan. 9, who would be willing to help take down and box up the lights for next Christmas.​
​830-522-1500
jmoseley@banderacounty.org​

November 20, 2020

The Bandera Blue Devils are currently registering for Spring 7v7 and tackle football. We are calling all 6th, 7th and 8th graders to come out. We are offering a competitive schedule and the chance to enhance your football understanding and abilities. If your child enjoys football and you are looking for a competitive option to soccer or baseball rec ball, contact us.
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Banderabluedevils@gmail.com

October 28, 2020

We write to you with an exciting update.
Friends of Hondo Canyon and RR 417, the company developing Camp OTX, have reached an equitable settlement in mediation together, which will become fully realized once both the camp’s wastewater and water rights permits have been issued by TCEQ with a couple of very positive amendments.
​Per the settlement agreement, there will be ZERO discharge of wastewater into the creek, and all state surface water will pass through and be returned as creek flow to Commissioner’s Creek. Through this complex process, which Friends of Hondo Canyon and Camp OTX navigated together, we have had to work through many frustrating aspects of Texas water law and the regulatory system.
We believe this mutual agreement provides some excellent protections for our creek. Thanks to all in our community for participating in this process!

Margo Denke Griffin - Secretary/Treasurer Friends of Hondo Canyon
Sam Torn and Chris Torn - Camp OTX

2020 CHRISTMAS
Let’s end 2020 on a happy note with Christmas lights on our Courthouse lawn again. Y’all may remember last year we put up the lights with all volunteer help. I had church groups, 4-H, Juvenile Probation kids and a lot of individual volunteers. We are trying to do it again. This year Chip Aragones has volunteered to put up lights on our courthouse also. Last year it took about three days total. Most of it was accomplished on the first Saturday. Hoping to start Saturday, Nov. 21, at 10 a.m. That gives us five days to finish. The lights will be turned on the Friday (Nov. 27) after Thanksgiving.
Anyone interested in helping please give me a call:
Jack Moseley
Bandera County Commissioner Precinct 3
830-522-1500
jmoseley@banderacounty.org​

Bandera Little League Elections for Spring

We are going to try and see if we can help everyone interested in attending by going virtual. Join the meeting on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 5 p.m. ALL positions are available. Help us have an amazing Spring Season! We need your help to help our kids play ball.
Join Zoom Meeting https://frost.zoom.us/j/2103818264

Meeting ID: 210 381 8264

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September 26, 2020

A settlement for the wastewater discharge permit has not been reached. The next public step for protesting wastewater discharge into the creeks is to attend the preliminary hearing on the pending wastewater discharge permit.  
The hearing is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 28, at 10 a.m. You do not have to speak at the hearing; your registration speaks for you. We do not want pollutant discharge into our creeks. To register, visit the SOAH website at: http://www.soah.texas.gov/ or call SOAH at 512-475-4993. When you get to the SOAH home page, click on the top blue banner  E-SERVICES  (on the line starting with home, agency, hearings and mediation). This will take you to a page ‘e-filing news’ and the last link on the list is Public Hearing Registration. Click on this and you will get a list of hearings for September 2020 and October 2020.
RR 417 hearing is the third one on the September list. Click on it, fill out the information and that you are attending as an observer.
​The more observers we have, the better. This is the official TCEQ process, and we travel it together.

Margo Denke Griffin
Secretary/Treasurer
Friends of Hondo Canyon​

July 23, 2020

💥💥 National Day of the American Cowboy Event Cancelled 💥💥

On behalf of the BBA:   
We are saddened to announce the cancellation of the NDAC this year, Saturday July 25, 2020, due to the tropical storm headed toward Texas and the forecast for rain/thunderstorms on Saturday. We thank all of our visitors, vendors and participants for your interest in this annual event. 

Bandera Business Association

July 23, 2020

We understand that everyone is facing trying times during the current COVID 19 pandemic and it has caused all of us financial difficulties.  The Chamber is no different; however, we rely on our membership dues, fund raisers and community support for our operations. Unfortunately, all events have been cancelled in the past few months and we have not been following up on unpaid membership dues because of the current environment. Both of these events have resulted in a significant liquidity issue for us. Any assistance you can provide would go a long way to allowing us to continue to operate.
We are currently selling gun raffle tickets and have an impressive 20 guns in the raffle. We also ned sponsorships for Buckfest and always welcome new memberships.  We really appreciate all you support and will do all we can to continue to support our membership and our community.
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Chamber Board of Directors

July 18, 2020 

I am reaching out to all of you today in regards to the county park in Lakehills, Precinct 2. 
I reached out to Mr. Harris this morning inquiring if the park was open. He advised me that it was not open and that the closure was extended yesterday at commissioners court. He also stated that this decision was made because of the outbreak in San Antonio and would be reviewed on a weekly basis. 
I asked him if opening the park to county residents only would be considered, before I could offer an explanation on why I was asking this, he began talking over me and sarcastically told me that when I provide him with 2 armed guards he would consider this. It is my understanding that Mr. Harris has been acknowledging and praising the Sheriff’s department for sending officers to help control traffic and help encourage people to behave, if this is truly how he feels about the Sheriffs department why is he asking me to provide armed guards for him to consider opening it county residents only? I am still trying to figure out if Mr. Harris consistently speaks over people with sarcastic comments or if I received this treatment because I am a woman. 
As a life long county resident we purchase annual boat ramp passes almost every year, my family has property near thousand trails, as the lake continues to be drained a lot of people are finding it more and more difficult to use their own personal boat ramps. This is quickly becoming the reality for my family.  We purchased an annual boat ramp pass on January 26, 2020, after initially purchasing this pass we have been unable to use it again because the park has either been closed or has been filled to capacity. Mr. Harris did inform me that 98% of the visitors to the park are from San Antonio, as the park is a county entity I would like to see the residents and tax payers of this county have access to this county park or be offered a full refund of annual passes to the residents of Bandera County. If I remember correctly from the previous auditor Christina, this is a tax payer funded property, I do have a call into the current auditor to confirm how this county entity is funded because funds are allotted in the county budget.
I will admit, I find it odd that Mr. Harris has opted to close the county park, while the commissioner that oversees Mansfield park has allowed that county entity to remain open, a weekly rodeo series that takes place there has seen attendance of up to and exceeding 500 people on a Friday night, with people coming from all over south and central Texas, including people from San Antonio. Why should one of these county entities remain open while the other is closed, if both were closed I would believe the statement of trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19? It seems that Mr. Harris maybe trying to lighten his work load by closing the county park. I find it difficult to believe that people going out in their own boat would be worse than stacking people into stands to watch a rodeo. 
​I am asking that the county park be opened for county residents only. I am sure this would be greatly appreciated by many of the county residents that are not able to use their own boat ramps. 

Thank you,  Jennifer Tschirhart-Konvicka ​

July 6, 2020

In spite of the restrictions that have been placed on us because of COVID-19 we have resolved to continue our work to protect and preserve the natural resources of the Texas Hill Country. Texas Master Naturalist, Hill Country Chapter are currently accepting applications for the 2020 Training Class and the application can be filled out online at https://txmn.org/hillcountry/ The application deadline has been extended to July 13. Become a Texas Master Naturalist!

​Texas Master Naturalist, Hill Country Chapter

June 9, 2020

Cajun Festival anniversary celebration postponed
It is with some sadness that we must announce that we will be postponing the 40th annual Medina Lake Cajun Festival to 2021. With the uncertainty of where this virus can go, we just felt that it was too big of a risk to hold it this year. It must be planned so far in advance and the monetary outlay is very high. We were able to retain all of the bands for next year and have adjusted the website to reflect the postponement of the festival and the entertainment lineup. The date for the festival is Sept. 26, 2021. We plan to have a fabulous 2021 Medina Lake Cajun Festival. We are sure that it is going to be bigger and better than ever. Forty years is an amazing milestone and we look forward to celebrating it. If you already had planned to support us this year, we thank you very much and hope you can understand our reasons. Maybe you will think of us again, when we plan to realize this postponed 40th anniversary Cajun Festival in 2021. Thank you very much again, and please do not hesitate to let us know your comments.
​
Medina Lake Cajun Festival ​

June 6, 2020

Some of the hail picked up off the ground.
Hope all faired ok.

Ray Carter

May 1, 2020

Due to the current events regarding CoViD-19 and the guidelines set in place by the government; the May 2 Medina River Clean up will be rescheduled at another time when it is safe to hold the event. With the uncertainty of the issues related to the virus, a rescheduled date has not currently been set. The Medina River Protection Fund Board sends its apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused anyone. Please, check in the coming months to check for updates. Be safe and be well!

Regards, Medina River Protection Fund Board

May 1, 2020

The month of May is National Neurofibromatosis (NF) Awareness Month. NF is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerve tissues.  They can grow anywhere in your nervous system, including on your brain and  spinal cord. It can also cause optic glioma, and Lisch nodules, bone deformities, learning disabilities, fine and gross motor skills delays, and multiple Café au lait spots. There are three types of NF.  NF 1, NF 2, and Schwannomatosis. NF 1 is the most common and affects one in 3,000 people of all races and genders. 50 percent of the people with NF inherited it and a spontaneous mutation on a very-long arm of chromosome-17 results in the other 50 percent. In April 2020, the FDA approved a drug called Selumetinib that can shrink plexiform tumors in individuals 2 years old and older. With continued research maybe one day there will be a cure for NF.

Sheila Zavorka
​ Lakehills

May 1, 2020

Today, I was in line at the DQ to get a takeout when my car overheated. I was able to get across the street to safe place near Exxon. While I was calling AAA for a tow a car drove up and a young lady handed me my food order. I offered to pay her but she refused saying she had already paid for it. I was under the opinion that she worked at DQ but upon calling to thank her, it turns out she was just a good Samaritan. I would really like to find her to convey my sincere thanks for helping me. This is what Bandera is all about. I'm glad I moved here three years ago with my wife!
​
Anthony Gregory

*The views expressed in Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the policy, position or opinion of the Bandera Prophet.