Click below for the Zoom Replay of the meeting April 14, 2021. Father Rafal Duda was the speaker and he shared how a small boy from Poland who loved soccer became a priest and landed in Kerrville, TX.
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Kerrville!
Satellite Club Meeting--THIRD TUESDAY of every month
5:15 p. m. Meet and Greet, 5:30 p. m. Meeting
Red Cross Building, 333 Earl Garrett St., Kerrville
Clint introduced our guest speaker Father Rafal Duda
Rafal is with the Notre Dame Catholic Church Kerrville.
Rafal told us he remembers being on a soccer field when he was one year old. By age of 10 he was on an organized team. By 17 he was playing second division teams.
He thought that he wanted to be famous and have cars, money and nice things. He then bought his first Bible. At 19 still playing ball he has some problems with his ankle. Then he decided that if he passed his test he would go to seminary school. His parents approved.
At seminary school it was like they were always trying to test and question his motivation and commitment to God. They kept asking and he kept answering to their satisfaction. He finally reached his goal of becoming a priest.
After meeting some folks from US he thought Texas sounded good.
First he went to San Antonio, from there to Kerrville in February of 2019. He still likes and plays soccer & Chess. He speaks 5 languages.
Click the link below to review the Zoom Replay of the 4/7/2021 Rotary Club of Kerrville. This meeting recognized First Responders from throughout Kerr County for their excellent work and dedication to county residents.
The Rotary Club sponsored the First Responder Awards program again last Wednesday. This program recognizes achievements by outstanding individuals from various agencies in the Kerr County area, and provides funds for continuing education for the first responders.
Following the presentation of the colors, Jeff Wendling provided the invocation and pledge, and introduced the head of the agencies that were honored today.
Here are the award recipients:
Kerr County Sheriff's Department Officer of the Year: Captain Carl Arrendondo
Corrections Officer of the Year: Sargent Brenda Cardona
Kerrville Fire Department EMS Person of the year: Firefighter/ Paramedic Ryan Michel
Kerrville Fire Department Fire Fighter of the year: Driver Casey Goodman
Kerrville Fire Department Officer of the year: Lieutenant Jaran Floyd
Kerrville Police Department Officer of the year: Jacob Trevino
Ingram Police Department Officer of the year: Officer Michael McDonald
Kerr County Volunteer First Responder of the year: Allison Sullivan Moyer
Texas DPS Trooper of the year: Trooper V Michael Bacon
Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden of the Year: Game Warden III Carson Wardlow
Lifetime achievement awards were presented to the following individuals:
Kerr County Sheriff's office: Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer
Kerr County Sheriff's office: Chief Deputy Clay Barton
Kerrville Police Department: Chief David Knight
Elm Pass Volunteer Fire Department: Chief Jerry Vincent
Former Constable Gene Huffaker
At the end of the program, Rotarians Tammy Prout, Marta Diffen, Jeff Harris and Jeff Wendling all voluntarily received a pie in the face, as part of achieving the challenge of selling 400 raffle tickets for our fund raiser. Thank you to our Rotary leaders!
I recently reported to you that Rotarian Glen Crain's wife had past away and that he has not been able to attend club meetings while he cared for her over the past year.
We have a great opportunity to show him how much we care about him on Thursday, from 3-5 p.m., at the VFW Post 1480 on Thompson Drive. Glen will be turning 97 on Thursday and a surprise party has been planned at his honor at the post. Glen is a WWII veteran and just a wonderful man.
The VFW is asking that we stop in and say "hi" to him and bring birthday cards. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Kerrville, we will present Glen with a Paul Harris Fellow membership!
As I've mentioned in the past, there are several of our members that cannot attend in-person meetings and do not use the internet. If you sat with a person you haven't seen on Zoom or in-person, please reach out to them. We don't know what our fellow members have been going through if we don't see them weekly.
District Raffle Tickets
Marta Diffen, an officer in our club, has been charged with selling the annual District 5840 Raffle Tickets. You might remember these at the "Cruise Raffle Tickets," but this year, due to COVID-19, district officials chose another set of gifts. The tickets are still $10 each (or a book of 10 for $100) and the prizes are seven chances at a $1,000 prepaid Frost Bank card.
When you win, you can plan your own vacation! Wait, there's more! For every $100 in raffle tickets you purchase, you will receive Rotary Foundation points towards a Paul Harris Fellowship. We have many members who use this raffle purchase to earn their annual Paul Harris pins, so please take note.
Marta will be selling these tickets. If you are virtual attendee and want to purchase these raffle tickets, please email me and we will get them to you. The drawing for the prepaid bank cards will be on May 8!
Scholarships
Our club historically awards $25,000 in scholarships to high school seniors wishing to attend college or a vocational program, as well as students currently enrolled in college or university. Our deadline for applications was yesterday and I am happy to report that we have had 24 applicants! Board member Roy Boudreaux has headed up this effort for us and we are so pleased.
We will have a committee of 10 people, including board members, review the applications and make the awards over the next week.
Rise Against Hunger
We have planned our Rise Against Hunger food preparation event for May 8 at the Hill Country Youth Event Center. In July, I asked each of you to step out of your comfort zone and actively participate in one of our service projects. If you have not been able to do so this year, please consider volunteering on this day. We will begin at 9 a.m. and will need 50-60 volunteers to work shifts over four hours.
A Check from a Rotary Club in Georgia.
Upcoming Golf Event for Morning Clug
Guest attending today
Tammy
Click the link below to review the Zoom Replay of the 3/31/2021 Rotary Club of Kerrville. This meeting finalized our 2021 Main Event Raffle and winners were drawn for all prizes culminating in the drawing for 10K in gift cards! Thanks so much to everyone who supported local club projects by purchasing a ticket for this raffle!
Click the link below for a Zoom Replay of member Chris Alvarez Cedzoy talking about craft beer at Basement Brewers in Kerrville, TX. Great story!
Last Wednesday, Rotarian Chris Chedzoy gave us a virtual tour of Basement Brewers of Texas, with his partners Doug Landrum and Randy Rose. Their brewery is at 521 Clay St. in Kerrville, and provides the largest selection of craft beer in the Texas Hill Country. Located in an old reconverted warehouse building, they offer beer, wine, and non alcoholic cider and soft drinks in a family and dog friendly atmosphere. They have fourteen taps for a number of small batches they produce, and always have some interesting varieties.
They have fun with their beer selections, and recent brews include Girls Scout Cookie Beer, Christmas Cake, and Putin Hacked my Stout. There is seating both inside and outside, with a large yard and picnic tables in the back yard. You can order beer to take home with you to enjoy later, in 64 or 32 oz. growlers, or they can even make aluminum cans, filled with beer straight from the tap.
Although they don't sell food, they encourage folks to bring their own or even order delivery from any one of numerous restaurants in Kerrville. Basement Brewers also hosts a variety of fun events, including back yard game tournaments, trivia nights, holiday parties and sports events.
We sold 400 tickets and did well on the Auction on line.
Andrea Wilson won the Paul Harris Fellows Award. ($1,000)
Allen Massey won the Asley Furniture gift card ($1,000)
Martin Peterson won the Kamado Joe Egg Cooker
Robert Lang won the 9.42 Peruvian Silver ring
Bryant Truitt won the 29"Amazonite Gold Necklace
Janelle Peralt won the $10,000 grand prize girt card
A Special thanks to all the Sponsors that donated to our Silent Auction
Heraldo Aldredge had a stroke and is now at home on Hospice.
Prayers go out to the family.
CR Prince, one of only two WWll vets at the VA Hospital passed away
on March 22 2021. I went to school with his kids and I knew him back in the 60's.
  An here comes the FUN! Our 4th Annual 1st Responders Golf Tournament! An Outdoor Event That Will Allow All Of Us To Enjoy The Spring Sunshine, Great Weather, Rotary Involvement, Service Above Self, A Way To Build Goodwill and Better Friendship and Of Course It Will Be Beneficial To All Concerned as we can continue to Serve Our First Responders! The Tournament will be held at Comanche Trace Golf Club, on Monday April 12, 2021 Schedule of Events: Registration: 11:00 Lunch: 11:30 Putting Contest: 12:00 Shotgun start: 1:00 Scoring: 5:30 w/Peoria Scoring Format If you want to sign up to play, please submit your team by the end of the day on Friday April 09, 2021 so the Golf Professionals can prepare and arrange for our event. All Funds Raised will benefit 1st Responders in our area and provide them with Needed Additional Training and for Continuing Education. These Men and Women that will benefit from this are your local Law Enforcement, Kerrville/Kerr County Fire Department/EMS and our much needed and used Area Volunteer Fire Departments as well. To ensure that we have an enjoyable round of golf with ample opportunity to be able to give back to those who give so much to us, the field will be limited to the first Thirty (30) teams or one hundred twenty (120) players. There are several ways to participate and support this meaningful event.
Please see the attached Registration Form which has the schedule of events, registration form so you can sign up individually or as a team... Don't worry, if you cannot or do not play golf... you can also support the event with a donation. Again we are asking for your help and support to ensure that this is again a HUGE Success!! Thank you in advance for your Rotarian Support! Your humble 1st Responders Support Committee Jeff & Jeff Look for the email from Jeff Harris for the registration form. |
The Zoom Replay of the meeting 3/17/2021 featuring Chief of Police, Chris McCall can be seen by clicking on the link!
Mark McDaniel introduces Chief Chris McCall
Mark expressed thanks to Chief Thomason for his help in going thru over 50 applicants.
Chief McCall’s Bio
Police Chief Chris McCall brings with him more than 20 years of law enforcement experience in Hobbs, N.M., where he began his career as a patrol officer in 1999. He served as deputy chief from 2010-12 and interim chief before his promotion to chief of police in 2013. During his tenure as chief in Hobbs, McCall:
provided strategic leadership and direction to 150 staff members;
oversaw operations of a 75-bed detention facility;
managed media relations and social media engagement;
devised crime and traffic enforcement strategies;
drove community engagement efforts aligned with policing in the 21st century;
served on various state level boards;
consulted senior community leaders on public safety issues and emergency response efforts.
McCall holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from Upper Iowa University and an Associate’s Degree in Mid-Management from Eastern New Mexico University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy 241st Session, the Kennedy School for State and Local Government Executives at Harvard University, the LEAD-Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, and the West Point Leadership Program.
McCall has served as president of the New Mexico Association of Chiefs of Police and the New Mexico Law Enforcement Professional Standards Counsel, and has been a board member of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board, the New Mexico Municipal League, the Lea County Communication Authority, Crime Stoppers, the Hobbs Rotary Club, and the Lea County Drug Task Force Board.
McCall has a proven background in practical application of law enforcement processes and procedures, problem resolution, data analysis, and the training and development of personnel.
Chris spoke about coming into Kerrville. He learned the group was lean & mean. Also mentioned about the need to get a new facility and to see what other units in town could possibly join the police department efforts to move to another location.
He also wanted to have a K-9 unit in Kerrville. Wants to get up to a unit with a two dogs and available seven days a week.
Make sure everyone knows about the Kerrville Police Foundation, a 501-C3 non profit and that it will accept donations. To insure that there is interaction with other law enforcement units to insure the sharing of information with all.
The two major points were to improve communication between community and organizations.
Questions ask
- are the officers wearing cameras? Yes on their body and in vehicles.
- With all the officers leaving jobs in other states are you looking at them as a source of potential personal. Yes we are
- What are the minimum requirements and how are you getting the postings out, They must have a clean record and a high school degree, and pass a psychological review. You can access openings thru our web sight. Also posting at colleges and universities.
- What is salary? $49,000
- What is the size of force? 75 total and of that 35 are patrol officers and the rest are criminal investigators and information officers.
- What about growth? There is strategic plan of growth and a process of looking at needs now and the future.
Something was said that brought a smile to a lot of folks!!!!
Click on the Link Below to view our Zoom Replay 3/10/21 of Kerrville City Manager Mark McDaniel talking about the city's current projects and success with Kerrville 2050.
Mark McDaniel, Rotarian and our City Manager of Kerrville, gave an update on current projects and the state of the city. Mark has been the City Manager since 2017, and has served in city government previously in several capacities.
One of the driving forces in guiding our city is the Kerrville 2050 Plan, which was compiled from citizen input at numerous meetings and workshops. Growth is inevitable, and with Kerrville approaching 25,000 residents, it is important to manage the growth to preserve the natural beauty and small town charm that we all enjoy.
Public Infrastructure:
New Ellenberger Well: This well into the Ellenberger Aquifer will supplement our domestic water needs.
Olympic Drive Extension: An extension of an existing road to provide better access to the new middle school, set to open shortly after spring break.
Legion Dr. lift station: This expands the city's sewage capabilities for a significant area of Kerrville, providing the capacity to tie to the sewer system for areas previously unable to.
Major Street and Drainage Improvements: Ongoing maintenance and complete rebuilding of a number of streets, and drainage systems improvements is ongoing.
New Public Safety Building: This project is still in the planning stage but will house a new Police Station, Fire Administration and Municipal Court.
Knapp Lift station: This will expand sewage capacity on the west side of town.
River trail new section: A concept plan has been approved for an extension of the River trail that would go from G Street to downtown, on the north side of the river. (not funded yet)
Sidney Baker Bridge: A grant will be applied for seeking funding for a wider, safer pedestrian walkway on the bridge over the Guadalupe River.
Main St. Board: A grant has been applied for to improve the walkability and safety of the pedestrian areas in the downtown area. They are also doing a study to identify businesses that could be a good fit for the downtown area.
Economic Development:
In addition to the Killdeer Plant, existing businesses including All Plastics and the State Hospital have added employees, and James Avery is back up to pre-Covid employment levels
Residential Development:
A new residential subdivision is being planned with Lennar Homes, which will be located off of the new Olympic Drive extension. Several multi family projects are also either recently completed or are in the planning stages.
Retail Strategies:
The big box and home improvement stores fared well during the pandemic, as well as HEB, which allowed our sales tax revenue to improve, contrary to much of the rest of the state. Online sales have also contributed to the sales tax revenue.
Tourism Strategies:
Although hotel visitation is down, other business are doing well during the pandemic, including air bandb's, RV parks and cabin rentals. Outdoor recreation is popular, as evidenced by the Sports Complex leagues and tournaments that bring visitors to town.
Tactical tools:
Improvements have been made to the Zoning, Sign and Subdivision Codes, and also to the Development Services department processes for building permits and development.
Financial Strategies:
Due to anticipated reduced income from the pandemic, a lean budget was adopted for the year. However, revenues were surprisingly better than expected, resulting in reserves being stronger than any other time in the city's history.
There were 42 folks live and 26 online
Main Event
MAIN EVENT
Our Main Event Online Auction is now live! There are 94 wonderful items for you to bid on. So bid today and bid often! The Bidding closes on March 29th. The link to all of the online fun is:
.
RAFFLE TICKETS
We have hand-delivered and mailed raffle tickets to every member and now we need to collect funds and raffle ticket stubs.
Please bring your money and ticket stubs to Wednesday's meeting to turn into President-elect Jeff Harris or his Main Event Co-chair Robin Miears.
If you cannot or will not attend in-person, please contact us so that we can come and collect your stubs and money. We have had great response so far and I am so proud of our club participation. At this point, only about 25 percent of our members have turned in their funds, but almost everyone has agreed to step up and sell their four tickets. We still have this week and next week, so let's FINISH STRONG.
Remember, we have only one fundraiser per year to fund all of our wonderful service projects. AND it takes all of us to get it done.
BLOOD DRIVE
After discovering the technical glitch on the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center website that omitted our blood drive for public viewing, we had only 12 people signed up to participate a week ago. Once we fixed the website glitch, I sent out plea to our club and asked the City of Kerrville to promote our blood drive.
I am so pleased to report that we filled all 40 time slots! Thank you all so much! And, thank you to the City of Kerrville for their support of this project! It was a success!
Service Above Self
Kerrville, TX 78028
United States of America