A reader can place a name with a face in a wonderful old family photo, thanks to Texas Co-op Power. The Texas House adopts a resolution in honor of 50 years of the Government-in-Action Youth Tour. Plus, a shout-out to the honorary state artists, and to co-ops, which celebrate Cooperative Month in October.
Crumley on the Family Tree
Nell Clover has been a genealogist for about 50 years, connecting branches on her family tree. Her latest discovery jumped off our magazine pages.
“The Old Indian Doctor,” the March 2015 Texas History feature, included a photograph of Dr. Benjamin Thomas Crumley—Doc Crumley—from probably the late 1800s. Clover, a member of Cherokee County Electric Cooperative, has a family photo hanging in her house, and she now knows the man standing second from the left is Doc Crumley. Clover’s husband was Clarence Harvey Clover. His great-grandparents were John and Cassie Alexander. Cassie’s sister Lulu was married to Doc Crumley.
“There’s no question it’s the same man,” Clover says. Until she saw the story, Crumley was just another name in one of her many notebooks.
Legislature Honors Texas Youth Tour
Texas Electric Cooperatives’ celebration of 50 years of participation in the Government-in-Action Youth Tour included the adoption of House Resolution 2553, which congratulated member cooperatives and the program for sending thousands of high school students to Washington, D.C.
State Rep. Brooks Landgraf of Odessa sponsored the resolution. He was joined at the lectern by 10 representatives who have electric co-ops in their districts and who supported Landgraf in presenting the resolution on the House floor May 20.
Landgraf attended Youth Tour as an Odessa Permian High School student in 1998, one of 3,844 Texans who have made the trip since 1965. “I’m proud to say I’m one of them,” he said. “In fact, that was one of my first experiences with public service.”
“Rep. Landgraf and the others who joined him showed their support not only for the Youth Tour but for electric co-ops generally,” said Eric Craven, TEC’s senior vice president of government relations and legal affairs.
Youth Tour 2015 was in June, when 125 Texas teens spent a week in Washington, visiting many historic sites and meeting with their congressional representatives.
Official State Artists
Did you know Texas has a state poet laureate—San Antonio’s Carmen Tafolla?
In conjunction with the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Legislature biennially appoints a state poet laureate, musician, two-dimensional artist and 3-D artist for the current year and a person in each category for the following year.
In addition to Tafolla, the honorees for 2015 are: Jimmie Vaughan, musician; Vincent Valdez, two-dimensional artist; and Margo Sawyer, 3-D artist.
The 2016 honorees are:
Laurie Ann Guerrero, poet laureate; Joe Ely, musician; Dornith Doherty, two-dimensional artist; and Dario Robleto, 3-D artist.
Texas state artists are recognized for their contributions to the state and the advancement of their respective art forms. The governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House of Representatives appoint a committee that selects the artists.
Cooperative Month and That “Small Extra Touch”
October is Cooperative Month, an excellent opportunity to shine the light on electric co-ops, which are member-owned and committed to demonstrating concern for the community.
Co-ops across Texas celebrate Cooperative Month. Big Country Electric Cooperative in Roby holds a member appreciation day and open house—October 15 this year. Members who stopped by last year received an energy-efficiency kit that included a power strip, a night-light, several LED bulbs, a water-saving showerhead, a fridge/freezer thermometer, silicone caulk and a refrigerator coil brush.
“Last year, we had the opportunity to visit one-on-one with around 240 of our members, which we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do otherwise,” says Sarah McLen, key accounts executive at Big Country EC. “It’s just a small extra touch that sets us apart from many other businesses our members may be associated with.”
