A $5,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative will help the Dr. George M. Jones VFW Post 1309 create a new public park alongside the Colorado River.
 
The Community Development Partnership Program grant will help the Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter develop the park on 14 acres it owns near the river. The park will include a covered picnicking area, access to the Colorado River, walking trails lighted by solar-powered units and a mulch-covered parking lot. The picnicking area will be adjacent to the building Post 1309 uses for events and meetings, and the hiking trails will wind downhill to the river.
 
VFW Post 1309 Quartermaster Stephen Barthelme said the organization has partnered with Rising Phoenix Adventures, which will rent kayaks and offer tours of the river. Barthelme said members hope the newly created park will become part of a series of Smithville parks linked by trails.
 
“We can’t build there on that spot because it’s in the floodplain, but we can create a spot where people can put in or pull out of the river, and we can build trails right up to our post,” Barthelme said. “We’re right down the river from Riverbend Park in Smithville, and the city has been talking about developing a trail system along the river to join four or five parks.”
 
While studying one of the city’s proposals, Barthelme said he noticed the proposed trail would pass right by property owned by Post 1309.
 
“Our thought was if we cleared our section and created some trails, that place could become a nice little park for the people of Smithville and visitors,” he said.
 
“To get the grant was amazing,” he said. “To be able to develop this park for veterans and their families so they can come out and enjoy the river and the outdoors, and hopefully also develop it in conjunction with our community – well, we look forward to what the future holds for us.’’
 
The community grant is one of five grants being awarded by Bluebonnet and the LCRA through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp. 

The Ellinger Chamber of Commerce will make significant improvements to the Ellinger Community Center, thanks to a $21,315 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.
 
The grant, along with $9,135 in matching funds from the Chamber, will allow for purchase of a walk-in cooler for food storage, HVAC unit and additional duct work.
 
“Our large event hall takes a lot to air-condition,” said Michael Schlabach, Ellinger Chamber of Commerce president. “With this grant, we get to improve the temperature control in the dining hall, which will make things much more comfortable for everyone, especially our older generation.”
 
Built in 1935, the center offers an affordable location for family reunions, weddings, trainings, church services and other events. The center has served generations of Ellinger residents.
 
“It has hosted local church feasts, fundraisers for the fire department and weddings,” Schlabach said. “Great-grandmothers who were married in this building see their great-grandchildren getting married here.”
 
The center also serves as an important venue for residents to give back to the community. Each year, volunteers make over 200 gallons of chicken noodle soup in the center’s kitchen as part of a fundraising event. The walk-in cooler will improve food safety and the working environment for volunteers.
 
“One thing I’m very proud of is that our center teaches children the act of volunteering – learning to do physical labor and that what you gain from it is pride in seeing what you’ve done for the community,” Schlabach said. “As a community center, we try to always keep growing so they see what they’ve contributed and can say ‘I did that. I helped with that.’
 
“It’s great when you have somebody as small as us getting help from someone as large as LCRA and Bluebonnet,” Schlabach said. “It shows how we all work together – how LCRA and Bluebonnet give back and how we give back. We only have about 300 residents here and we have one of the finest halls in the area. It shows that when people take pride in something, work hard and don’t look out for just themselves but instead look out for their community, they can make a very big difference.”
 
The community grant is one of five grants being awarded by Bluebonnet and the LCRA through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.
 
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.