Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative’s Board of Directors unanimously voted during its April meeting to return $4.7 million in capital credits to member-owners of the cooperative. Beginning in May, Bluebonnet’s members will receive a credit on their electric bill for their share of $4.7 million in capital credits, a $500,000 increase over last year.

“Approving the amount to return in capital credits is one of the best things we get to do as Directors on behalf of our members,” said Ben Flencher, board president. “The credit our members will see on their bills in May is one of the many benefits of being a member-owner of Bluebonnet. During the last few years due to growth and our financial success we have been able to return record amounts to our members.”

Capital credits are excess revenue above what it takes to run the co-op. Every April, Bluebonnet’s Board of Directors approves the capital credits payment during its April meeting. When determining how much to return to members, the Directors consider the impact that the amount returned to members will have on electric rates and the co-op’s financial strength.

The amount each member gets back depends on how much electricity they used in previous years through 2020 and how long they have been a Bluebonnet member. Current members will see a credit on their May electric bill for their share of this year’s capital credits retirement. Former members who are still owed a capital credit will receive a check in May or June.

Since 2005, Bluebonnet has returned $66.7 million to its members in capital credits.

“The ability to return millions of dollars to our members is possible because of prudent financial decisions and responsible daily operations,” said Matt Bentke, Bluebonnet’s general manager. “Bluebonnet’s Board of Directors and all employees have great respect for our fiduciary duty to our members. That in turn has led to the financial capacity to provide record capital credits to our members in 2021, and to reinvest more than ever in the Bluebonnet electric system, employees and the communities we serve.”

Story by Pam LeBlanc

Never mind the snake I nearly stepped on, or the feral hog that came crashing out of the underbrush. I chalk up my recent backpacking trip at Lake Somerville State Park as a smashing success. 

Most nights, I’d rather sleep in a tent, listening to coyotes yip or catching the stale perfume of a passing skunk, than snooze between high thread-count sheets at an exclusive resort. 

The outdoors works like a salve on my soul — plus, carrying everything I need on my back for a night in the wilderness makes me feel empowered and capable. And in these days of stress and uncertainty, who doesn’t need a little dose of nature to set our psyche straight? Backpacking can seem daunting if you’re new to it, and the thought of hiking down a trail hauling only the bare minimum can conjure up images of blisters, animal invasions and sleepless nights.

That’s why I always suggest that people new to backpacking try a shakeout run at a state park that offers a variation on backcountry or “primitive” camping, which means campsites aren’t near roads or parking lots and usually lack nearby amenities such as bathrooms and running water.

I enlisted the help of friend Joe Stafford, a Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative employee who designs pages in this magazine, for my recent overnight adventure at Lake Somerville State Park. He’s no camping newbie so was game to explore the place, which I haven’t visited since I was a college student at Texas A&M University 35 years ago.

The park, which is divided into the Nails Creek Unit, the Birch Creek Unit, a connecting 13-mile trailway, and an adjacent public hunting ground, covers nearly 9,000 acres and is just north of U.S. 290 between Brenham and Giddings.

It’s the only state park in the Bluebonnet service area with primitive camping sites that are miles from the car or conveniences.

Reservations are not accepted for primitive camping sites, but you can call the day of your trip to find out if one is available, and they’ll hold it for you. That’s what I did.

On the designated day, we stopped by the Nails Creek Unit headquarters to pick up our permit. Office manager Lauren Kubica let us know that two pedestrian bridges in the park were washed out by flooding in recent years, meaning we couldn’t hike directly to our destination.

To increase our time on the trail, she suggested we park at the Nails Creek access point on County Road 125, a 7-minute drive from the unit headquarters. From there we’d have about a 3.5-mile hike to the Newman Bottom primitive camping site, where we would pitch our tents. (If you want a shorter walk, you can park at an access point west of Flag Pond and walk a mile to reach the same spot.) Kubica said a pair of bald eagles and their juvenile offspring were nesting in a tree on a stretch of trail called Waldo’s Loop.

“We’re known for hiking, and fishing is a big deal especially during the white bass run in spring,” Kubica said of the park, which opened in 1970. “We get a lot of equestrian users as well.”

Flag Pond, near where we were headed, draws an assortment of birds, which lures eager tourists adorned with binoculars. Even alligators have been spotted in Lake Somerville State Park.

“Seeing all the eagles, the different hawks, and even white pelicans, that’s one of the big things here,” Kubica said. “I think it’s unique here. It’s great for physical and mental health.”

Lake Somerville was built as a flood control project to protect homes downstream on the Brazos River. It did its job when flooding hit every year from 2015 to 2018, but high waters killed off swaths of trees in the park, inundated the boat ramp pavilion at the Rocky Point area and washed out stretches of trail. Some facilities are still closed, including the Cedar Creek camping area.

At the Nails Creek trail access site, Joe and I locked the truck, made a few last-minute gear adjustments, slung our packs — which weighed about 30 pounds, including our water — over our shoulders and started moving.

It felt a little like walking down the Yellow Brick Road to Oz at first, only our road was made of bright green grass set against a gray-brown background of brush. As we trudged past groves of elm and oak and listened to chirping birds, I could feel my heartbeat slow as we retreated from the sounds of civilization. After about half a mile, we reached Flag Pond, a 350-acre oval of silver water with marshy edges. We curved around it, detouring onto Waldo’s Loop to look for the bald eagles.

It wasn’t hard to spot their nest. Eagles build them big — an average of 4 to 5 feet across and 2 to 4 feet deep, according to the National Eagle Center. This one looked like a sofa-sized bundle of sticks resting in the fork of some branches in the tallest dead tree in a field of dead trees. Then we spotted two adult eagles, circling majestically overhead.

We ogled the big, white-faced birds for 20 minutes, then pressed on, following the flat trail for a mile around the north end of the pond.

I came to a screeching halt when Joe hollered a warning just a nanosecond before I planted my foot atop a 3-foot snake stretched across the path. There went my heart rate! After I caught my breath, I whipped out my camera and snapped some photos, which clearly show I wasn’t in danger. The slow-moving reptile was a rat snake, not a dangerous pit viper, though they both have triangular-shaped heads. Venomous pit vipers have catlike, vertical pupils, by the way. Nonetheless, watch where you step; plenty of cottonmouths and rattlesnakes inhabit the area.

The wildlife show continued for the next 24 hours. White-tailed deer popped up their heads to gawk at us from a field of tall grass, an armadillo rustled and scratched its way through the scrub, and the next morning, a mud-covered feral hog that must have weighed at least 150 pounds barged through the brambles just behind us. We saw hawks and dragonflies, and a great blue heron that caught a fish so big it gave up and dropped it back in the water like it was returning a purchase from the Piggly Wiggly.

Remember to keep your distance from any animals: Harassing wildlife is against park rules.

We set up camp at the Newman Bottom primitive site, a keyhole-shaped clearing in the thick brush. That’s where we got another surprise that rookie backpackers might appreciate — two picnic tables and a firepit. (There was also a chemical toilet not too far from the site). We also had a cell signal at our campsite, which could be considered a benefit or a bad thing, depending on how much of an escape from the world you want.

Tents up and sleeping pads inflated, we lit our Snickers-sized portable camp stoves to heat water for dinner. A nearby clearing would make for great stargazing on a cloudless night. Joe made a fire (most state parks allow ground fires only in designated pits like the one we found), and we swapped stories until we couldn’t stay awake any longer. I crawled into my tent, zipped myself into my lightweight sleeping bag, rated for temperatures as cold as 15 degrees, and laid my head on a pillow of wadded up hiking clothes. I woke up once, briefly, to the screech of an unknown critter but slept soundly otherwise.

The next morning, I boiled a pot of water for hot tea, then struck out solo to explore. I tromped past a quarter mile of marshy terrain to get to Flag Pond at dawn. When I got there, I found dozens of turkey buzzards roosting in dead trees, gazing at the mist-covered body of water, all lit in the pink of a Texas sunrise.

I’d have been happy to climb up a tree and join them, but Joe and I wanted to get back to see the eagles again. We spent 15 minutes gathering our headlamps and toothbrushes, deflating our sandwich-thick sleeping pads and breaking down our tents, then hit the trail again, trying to remember where the snake had slithered out of our way. We breathed in lungfuls of fresh air. When we reached the big nest, we got another surprise: A juvenile eagle sat patiently in its treetop home, with no parents in sight. We spotted one of them later, scanning a nearby creek for breakfast to deliver to the family.

In another hour, we were back at our truck.

Here’s the thing: Lake Somerville State Park isn’t far from most anyone in the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative service area. It’s not exotic, but even nearby places like this state park serve up a respite from the ordinary, and inject a little adventure in everyday life.

And that’s something I’ll never turn down.

If you go

Advance reservations are not accepted for the primitive camping sites at Lake Somerville State Park, but you can get a same-day reservation by calling either the Nails Creek Unit at 979-289-2392 or the Birch Creek Unit at 979-535-7763. We stayed at the Newman Bottom site, but two other primitive sites are open — Flag Pond and Wolf Pond, on the Birch Unit side. A primitive camping permit costs $10; park admission is an additional $4 per adult (free for ages 12 and younger).

What to eat

Freeze-dried backpacking food doesn’t have to taste like heavily salted cardboard. A few years ago, while working on a newspaper article, I discovered Packit Gourmet, an Austin-based company that makes the best backpacking meals I’ve tried. And I’ve tried a lot of them.

Sarah Mullins Welton, who grew up canoe camping with her parents, Jeff and Debbie Mullins, created the company as a class project while she was working on her graduate business degree at the University of Colorado Boulder. She missed the meals her mother had made out of fruits and vegetables she had dehydrated at home.

Welton and her mother worked together to come up with a product line of meals. Backpacker magazine tried them and awarded the company an editor’s choice award for its tortilla soup. Today the company makes a line of pre-packaged meals with dinners like Texas State Fair Chili to Dottie’s Chicken and Dumplings, breakfasts such as West Memphis Grits Soufflé and desserts like banana pudding.
 

What to put in your pack

Infographic by Pam LeBlanc and Joe Stafford; Photo by Sarah Beal
Modern innovations and lightweight materials make it possible to keep your pack as light as possible.Here’s a look at a setup for a one- or two-night mild-weather backpacking trip.

A: Baseball cap
Head protection is essential gear. In cool weather, a merino wool cap is lightweight and warm.

B: Buff gaiter
These stretchy fabric tubes can be used to keep your neck warm, as a head covering or even an emergency towel.

C: Camp shoes
Giving your feet a chance to rest and dry after a long day's hike, camp shoes should be comfortable and lightweight. Shower shoes, flip-flops and classic Croc clogs are popular budget choices.

D: Camp clothes
A clean T-shirt and bottoms reserved for camp and sleeping.

E: Backpack
This Osprey Aura 50-liter pack is one of hundreds of designs to choose from. Newcomers might want to try out a borrowed pack before purchasing. Among considerations for choosing are price, weight, volume and comfort.

F: Tent
These days, technology has made tents smaller and lighter than ever. Shown is a Big Agnes Copper Spur that’s easy to put up and fits two. It weighs 3 pounds, 2 ounces.

G: Lighter
A mini lighter is a lightweight way to start fires and to light stoves that lack built-in ignition.

H: Stove
Shown: BRS 3000; plus a can of fuel (a 110-gram container works for just one or two nights). This version requires a small lighter or match to spark; some tiny stoves come with push-button igniters. Popular brand names are Jetboil and Pocketrocket.

I: Cooking pot
For re-hydrating freeze-fried meals and, of course, for morning coffee or tea.

J: Sleeping bag
Serious backpackers own more than one, providing weather-appropriate options.

K: Sit pad
Small accordion cushions are light and can be stuffed in an outer pocket of your pack.

L: Inflatable sleeping pad
Shown is a Sea to Summit Ether Light XT. Makes the ground more comfortable and provides insulation.

M: First aid kit
This DIY kit includes bandages, gauze, tape, aspirin, small scissors, Benadryl for allergic reactions and antibacterial ointment. Don’t forget tweezers for close encounters with cacti.

N: Water bottles
One that fits in a pocket of your backpack for easy access, plus a plastic water reservoir (shown: Platypus) filled with water — and a water filtration system (Sawyer Squeeze, a UV light purifier, or chlorine dioxide drops or pills all work well.)

O: Tiny multi-tool
The mini pliers can come in handy for making repairs in the field. A small folding knife is another popular option.

P: Whistle/compass combo
A whistle for emergencies and a compass for navigation in one small item.

Q: Toiletries
Small bag with toothbrush, toothpaste, eye care, sunscreen, toilet paper and any personal medicines.

R: Headlamp

S: Sunglasses

T: Freeze-dried meals
The market has been filled in recent years with these extremely lightweight, tasty meals. Mountain House is a popular, affordable option, and the Packit Gourmet brand is made in Austin.

U: Titanium spoon

V: Snacks
High energy treats like trail mix and Kind bars

 W: Ditty bag
Handy access to trail map and snacks to clip around waist

Ready for some backcountry camping?

Texas serves up good backpacking terrain if you don’t mind some driving. Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park and Davis Mountains State Park in West Texas all have backcountry campsites. Just to the north of those parks, Guadalupe Mountains National Park is home of the tallest peak in Texas (8,751 feet) and has good backpacking. Closer to Central Texas, remote sites can be found at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Pedernales Falls State Park and Colorado Bend State Park. The state’s longest footpath, the Lone Star Hiking Trail, extends 92 continuous miles; if you take all the side loops, it’s 129 miles long. The trail is in the Sam Houston National Forest, near Conroe in East Texas.

Eight tips for backpackers

1. Choose a good backpack. Be sure the waistband sits comfortably on your hips, where you’ll carry most of the weight, and look for padded shoulder straps. Backpacks come in a range of sizes and styles, but for a multi-day trip, you’ll probably want one with at least 50 liters of capacity. Make sure your pack is compatible with your water system: some come with pouches to hold water reservoirs. Consider features like separate compartments, outer mesh pockets, bottle holders and multiple access points. And pack with the heavier items at the bottom.

2. Pack light. For a nine-day trip, my fully loaded Osprey pack, minus water, weighs about 28 pounds. Extra ounces add up. To shave weight, use a lightweight tent and sleeping system and carry dehydrated food. (You’ll pay more for lighter gear, but Austin-based Gossamer Gear makes an array of whisper-light tents, packs and sleeping pads). Get rid of packaging and use the smallest of portable stoves. My teeny BRS stove cost less than $20.

3. Take care of your feet. Trail runners make magnificent backpacking shoes because they’re lighter than boots. Make sure they’re broken in before hitting the trail.

4. Prevent blisters. Injinji makes socks that encase each toe, stopping them from rubbing each other. Or try the line of blister-prevention products from 2Toms. Carry moleskin in case you develop a hot spot.

5. Stay in touch. If you’re going somewhere remote, carry a GPS tracking device like Garmin InReach or SPOT tracking device in case you need an emergency rescue. Tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return.

6. Get in shape. Prepare for a backpacking trip by loading books or filled water bladders into your pack and hiking around your neighborhood.

7. Bring enough water. A good rule of thumb is to drink a liter of water for every two hours of hiking; more if it’s hot and sunny. If you can’t carry enough, be sure you’ll have access to water you can filter or treat. Lake Somerville State Park has no potable water on the trail.

8. “Pack it in, pack it out.” Take all of your trash with you when you leave.

Download this story as it appeared in the Texas Co-op Power magazine »

Story by Clayton Stromberger
Photos by Sarah Beal 

Travel to communities and picturesque parts of the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative service area, and you will likely pass dozens of locations — a volunteer fire station, a community center, a small nonprofit — with equipment, a new or renovated building, a park or a program made possible with help from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet.  

In Shelby, which is in Austin County, American Legion Post 602 was refurbished in 2020 with fresh paint and new doors and windows. Over in Dime Box in Lee County, picnic tables now grace the first phase of a new public park that will be centered around historic Black Bridge. Swing by the library in Round Top in Fayette County to enjoy the new air conditioning and heating system. The McMahan Community Women’s Club in Caldwell County upgraded its wiring and lighting in 2020, and the New Ulm Volunteer Fire Department in Austin County now has a helipad for emergency helicopter landings.

Those are just a few examples of shared generosity. In the past five years, 31 grants totaling $700,328 have been awarded to area groups by LCRA and Bluebonnet. The list of Community Development Partnership Program, or CDPP, grants will grow again this year.

“The CDPP grants are one of the many ways we connect with, support and give back to the communities we serve,” said Matt Benkte, Bluebonnet’s general manager. “The funds make it possible for recipients to improve lives by helping people through difficult times, or save lives by providing much-needed vehicles and critical equipment to volunteer fire departments and other public safety organizations. We are proud to partner with people who are making tremendous differences in our communities.”  

Groups and projects in Bluebonnet’s service area have been receiving CDPP grants since 1996. Funding has gone to numerous nonprofit organizations, including volunteer fire departments, emergency responders, libraries, civic groups, community centers and museums. The grants help pay for capital improvement projects that might otherwise not be affordable. Bluebonnet‘s five community representatives work in their regions to publicize the CDPP grants and encourage eligible organizations to apply. 

“This program really enhances our communities, especially in smaller rural areas,” said Deborah Rogers, who is Bluebonnet’s Bastrop-area community representative and also a member of the CDPP Review Committee for LCRA.

There are two CDPP grant application cycles each year, in January and July. Groups that request more than $5,000 must supply matching funds of at least 20 percent of their project’s cost. Grants larger than $25,000 are awarded less frequently and are intended for projects with long-term impact on a broad community. These large grants are competitive, comprising no more than 30 percent of grants awarded.   

Get details about the CDPP program from LCRA at https://www.lcra.org/community-services/ community-grant-program/#about. 

Before the pandemic, an oversize cardboard check replica was handed out for jubilant group photos. Those ceremonies are on hold until it’s safe to resume them. But the CDPP grant program continues full-steam. 

Read on for five stories of how recent CDPP grants to Bluebonnet-area organizations have made a lasting positive impact.

Lincoln Volunteer Fire Department 

$19,893 for a new oxygen tank-refill system

Chief Spencer Schneider, above, with the machine that can refill two oxygen tanks at a time. The device saves precious minutes in response time.

Community fundraising meals keep a rural fire department going, plate by plate, bowl by bowl. So it’s lucky for the Lincoln Volunteer Fire Department in Lee County that chief Spencer Schneider is fearless in front of a huge, bubbling pot of chili. “I’ve cooked up to 600 pounds at a time for fire department functions,” Schneider said matter-of-factly, along with “many a gallon” of stew. 

The fire chief’s cooking prowess helped the VFD raise $4,973 by spring 2020 to go toward purchase of a piece of essential equipment — a refill system for the oxygen tanks that firefighters use in hazardous air situations. Without their own oxygen refill center, Lincoln volunteer firefighters had to drive 8 miles to the Giddings fire department’s station to refill their three, 4-foot metal oxygen canisters. Sometimes they would ask for help from another fire department. Each of those trips cost precious minutes of response time.

In May 2020, a $19,893 CDPP grant provided the additional money needed to buy the refill station — and it’s already increased efficiency. “I can send guys back to the station, and it averages less than five minutes” to fill a canister, Schneider said. 

Lincoln sits in the middle of Lee County, on Texas 21 between Giddings and Lexington, which each have oxygen refill stations. Smaller volunteer fire departments in the area are now critical minutes closer to an oxygen refill. That means Schneider can share not only his chili recipe with fellow volunteers in nearby towns, but also a potentially life-saving refill of oxygen.  

Washington Volunteer Fire Department 

$19,740 for an emergency generator 
Fire is a wily foe. Clyde Miller, longtime chief of the Washington Volunteer Fire Department in northeast Washington County, knows this well. He learned it firsthand as a rangy teenager battling blazes in the mountains of his native West Virginia, and he has honed that understanding over five decades as a volunteer firefighter in Washington County. His father-in-law helped start the volunteer department in 1972. Miller is one of a handful of the founding members who are still at it. 
 

Washington Volunteer Fire Department chief Clyde Miller, above, with the 48 kilowatt emergency generator purchased with a grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet. The generator's 500-gallon propane tank could keep it running for up to a week before a refill. 

When dealing with fire — or floods, hurricanes, massive storms, and any other natural upheavals that might require county volunteers to leap into action — it pays to stay a step ahead of danger. So as he began his third stint as chief 12 years ago, Miller wondered: What was needed to take the VFD’s abilities up to a higher level of preparedness?

One key piece of equipment came to mind: An emergency generator, for those moments when a power outage from a hurricane or massive storm might threaten the volunteers’ ability to respond effectively to a fire or natural disaster. In 2011, the department began saving money from fundraisers, and in the fall of 2018, the VFD received a $19,740 CDPP grant for the generator. 

“This is a really valuable piece of equipment,” Miller said proudly. Without it, a downed power line could prevent firefighters from reaching or recharging life-saving equipment, or retrieving water from the VFD’s well. The VFD is on FM 1155, about 3 miles south of Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park. 

The generator is already providing the assurance of reliable power to Washington County EMS’s 24-hour helicopter rescue team, which works out of the VFD’s recently constructed 12,600-square-foot station on Texas 105. During a disaster, the generator guarantees the fire station can be a safe place to distribute water and food and host a relief organization like the Red Cross. 

Chief Miller and the department are now much more prepared to protect their community in the event of a disaster. “These grants are really something nice,” Miller said. “It’s a way of giving back to the community.”

Crowe’s Nest Farm 

$24,500 to build a 1-acre pond and wetland habitat

The wetlands habitat pond was built at Crowe's Nest Farm, near Manor, with the help of a grant in 2020. 

It’s been a tough 13 months for Crowe’s Nest Farm, which has been inviting the public — especially schoolchildren — to visit its grounds and learn about our region’s natural and agricultural resources since it was founded in 1983 by educator Dr. Diane Crowe. 

This 100-acre working farm, which moved from Austin to its present location about 8 miles southeast of Manor in Travis County in 1998, is funded primarily by visitor admission fees. For decades, groups of children have rolled in on yellow school buses to see farm animals, visit the Big Red Barn, tour the gardens, go on a hayride and learn from educational exhibits. But the pandemic that was declared in March 2020 led to a catastrophic loss of income for the organization. “There were 40,000 kids planning to come on field trips who all had to cancel,” said Dave Williams, who has been with Crowe’s Nest since its founding and is now executive director. 

Workers at the farm, at 10300 Taylor Lane, expect to finish repairs, replant after February's damaging statewide winter storm and re-open in early March. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. 

An ongoing GoFundMe online fundraiser has helped the organization hang on. Meantime, the crew at Crowe’s Nest Farm have one shimmering new bright spot to lift their spirits – a beautiful, one-acre water capture pond and wetlands habitat, created with the assistance of a $24,500 CDPP grant awarded in May 2020. The project transformed an unsightly low runoff area into a sparkling highlight for future tours. 

“We have such a tremendous number of birds that fly through here,” Williams said, “so it’s going to be a great stop-off location for great blue herons, white egrets and other native species, along with geese, ducks, cranes and other birds.” 

Native plants will form a berm on the north side of the pond to block the winter winds and create a wildlife habitat. A windmilldriven fountain and a solar-powered pump fountain will aerate the water to prevent stagnation. Eventually, the pond will be stocked with largemouth bass, perch and catfish. 

“We’ve been wanting to put in a pond there since we arrived in 1998,” Williams said, “and so this was a huge blessing last year.”

Delhi Volunteer Fire Department 

$50,000 to complete a new fire station

Chief Danney Rodgers helped design the Delhi Volunteer Fire Department's fire station in Caldwell County. The station was completed in 2017 with the help of a grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet.

Not every firefighter keeps a department truck parked in front of their house. But when Danney Rodgers began his term as chief of the Delhi Volunteer Fire Department in east Caldwell County in 2010, he didn’t really have a choice – the department didn’t yet have funds to build a station, so its equipment was stored in three different locations, including in his front yard. 

“We had space at our homestead, so the truck wasn’t in the way,” Rodgers recalls. “But logistically it’s a problem when equipment is scattered around like that. If I wasn’t home, someone would have to drive out here to get the truck before responding to a call.”

The Delhi VFD hoped to build a first-class station house on Texas 304 in this unincorporated community about 19 miles southeast of Lockhart. They had built the outer shell of their station. A $50,000 CDPP grant awarded in spring 2017 helped complete phase two of the project — everything from electrical wiring and plumbing to interior walls and bathrooms.

The station was carefully designed by Rodgers with input from department members and other VFDs in the region. Countless fundraisers at the little community center across the street from the site helped provide matching funds. The goal was to build a state-of-the-art station to last for “30, 40, 50 years,” Rodgers said. 

Now everything can be stored in one 9,400-square-foot location, which is reducing response times, Rodgers said. There is space for department training, and a shiny industrial kitchen to handle large fundraising events. As a bonus, the Delhi community — which has steadfastly supported the department through the years — now has its first large, climate-controlled gathering spot that area residents can use. 

“It’s a great addition to our county and our community,” Rodgers said. “Everybody is super proud of it. And I think it’s going to be there for a long, long time.”

Rosanky Community Center 

$14,835 for renovations to its historic building 

The 125-year-old Rosanky Community Center received essential renovations thanks to a CDPP grant in 2020.

The historic schoolhouse that now serves as the Rosanky Community Center in south Bastrop County has hosted lots of family reunions, meetings and church lunches over the decades from its quiet perch at the end of Main Street. Photos on the center’s Facebook page show scenes from such an event in the 1960s, with folks gathered at the brickand-concrete picnic tables in front of the now 125-year-old structure. 

“It’s kind of the center of the town down here,” community center president James Rose said. “It brings people together. And it’s one of the last of the old buildings still standing.” The center is about 15 miles southwest of Smithville, on 135 Main St. in the unincorporated Rosanky area.

All those winters and summers can take a toll on a wooden building, and a few years ago, the old schoolhouse was in serious need of “a lot of TLC,” Rose said. Bulky air conditioning units protruded from its windows. Insulation-free walls meant the building was not energy-efficient or easy to cool on a broiling summer afternoon. The aging septic system was always in danger of overflowing.

The aging septic system was always in danger of overflowing. Today the Rosanky Community Center has been transformed. Thanks to a $14,835 CDPP grant announced in May 2020 — which was matched with $7,988 in funds raised by the center — the unsightly AC units are gone, replaced by an energy-efficient system nestled artfully along the back of the building. Foam insulation now fills the old gap between the exterior and interior boards, and the narrow, old-fashioned windows have double panes. There’s a new septic system there, too. 

The benefits brought by the renovations are not only visible, but also audible, Rose said. “When we had meetings in there before,” he said, “and we had the AC or heat on, you couldn’t even hear yourself. Now you can’t even hear that they’re on.” The building itself has been closed to community gatherings due to the pandemic, but it continues to serve as a polling location, and recently was the site for water distribution after February’s winter storm. 

On a sunny day the historic building — simple and square as a Monopoly house — glows in its white paint, looking trim and hardy alongside a gleaming playground also made possible by a CDPP grant, awarded in spring 2017. Center volunteers teamed up with Bluebonnet to install the heavy-duty play equipment themselves. The playground is a source of pride for the community, Rose said. 

“Before we put this in, people here had to drive all the way to Smithville or Bastrop with their kids to find a playground,” he said. “The community just loves it. Families come over all the time and enjoy it. And we would not have been able to build it without that grant.

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