By Janet Wilson
For a sliver of a second, there was silence. Then the words from the loudspeakers rang out.
Three new champions leapt to their feet. High-fives and hearty cheers gave way to shrieks of joy and raucous shouts that rippled like a wave through the crowd of several hundred. Despite aching muscles, the men bounded up the stage, their own joyous hollering adding to the din.
Bluebonnet celebrated several milestones in 2019. In addition to its 80th anniversary and surpassing 100,000 meters and 10,000 followers on Facebook, the cooperative added its 1,000th renewable energy member in November.
Carmine Hall, a longtime community gathering spot in Fayette County, is renovating its cramped, outdated women’s restroom thanks to a $6,000 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, paired with matching funds of $6,010, will pay for three new restroom stalls, including one that’s handicapped-accessible, new flooring and fixtures, and a new vanity and inset sinks.
The Delhi Community Center will be able to complete its building renovations by installing new windows and exterior siding thanks to a $25,000 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $15,000 in matching contributions, will allow the center in Delhi to replace broken windows and deteriorating vinyl siding.
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.
Story by Alyssa Dussetschleger
If you think you're seeing more electric vehicles on the roads of Central Texas, your eyes aren’t lying. By mid-June this year, more than 52,000 electric vehicles — or EVs — were registered in Texas, and 63% of them are model years 2020 or newer, according to data from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
A $19,583 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority will help Martindale Volunteer Fire and Rescue purchase a utility terrain vehicle to assist with river rescues and patient transports.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $4,896 in matching funds, will provide the department with a reliable rescue vehicle to access areas along the San Marcos River that are hard to reach with standard firetrucks or brush trucks.
