There are many forms and varieties of loyalty. Being loyal to a person or an idea means that there is a relationship and bond that makes the relationship special and elevates it above the casual acquaintance. A strong friendship can only exist when there is enough trust for a bond of loyalty that can endure adversity.

We all know of other kinds of loyalties: A doctor’s loyalty to patients; a judge’s to the law; the dedication a teacher has to his or her craft; the loyalty that exists within most families; and, of course, the loyalty we can see in a pet to its master.

When I was a child, a farmer gave my dad a puppy that was part wolf. “Fuzzy” turned out to be a wonderful companion. One day while playing at a neighbor’s house, the tornado sirens sounded an alarm: We were under a tornado warning. Fuzzy tracked me down at our friend’s house and I was dragged home by the seat of my pants. I must add that she did stop and look both ways before allowing us to cross the street. We arrived home safely. Fuzzy was definitely a loyal dog.

As district clerk for Bastrop County and as an elected official, my loyalty in that position is to Bastrop County and its citizens. It was hard work to win the election, and my loyalty dictates I will do the best job I can while I hold that office. I took an oath when I was sworn in and I am loyal to that oath.

There are others who have shown a loyalty to people they don’t even know. We should be reminded of those brave men and women in the Armed Forces who have lost their lives fighting for the freedoms we enjoy; freedoms for which some people don’t give a second thought. Those service members were loyal to our country and for what it stands. For that I am very thankful. For some, there is a way to repay that demonstration of loyalty.

Locally, there is the Honor Guard serving Bastrop County, comprised of military veterans and retirees who volunteer their time and effort to render final military honors to other veterans who have passed away. The families of the deceased are always grateful for such a patriotic service for their loved one. The Honor Guard is loyal to the patriotic tradition of honoring our deceased veterans with a military funeral.

What about loyalty to one’s community? Because of the devastating Labor Day wildfires, all of America saw firsthand the residents of Bastrop County’s loyalty to their fellow man. This whole community pulled together to help each other. This outpouring of compassion gave victims of these fires the encouragement and confidence to put their lives back together and, as a result, “We’re Coming Back.”

The firefighters were our heroes through that disaster. They gave every ounce of their energy fighting that dreadful fire. It was an extremely dangerous fire, incinerating everything in its path, but they were loyal to their goal and persevered.

October 26, 2011. The most devastating day of my life. Our 24-year-old son lost his life tragically. I have never felt such sorrow, shock, helplessness, confusion and anger. Part of me died with him and I did not know if I could survive such hurt. If it had not been for the loyalty and support of people from this community, I would have been totally lost. Your employees in the district clerk’s office stepped up to the plate and took over everything in the office, running it smoothly, as well as keeping tabs on me. I am so proud of them. They are very loyal and hard working and I am very fortunate to have such a wonderful staff.

Meals were organized by friends and Bluebonnet VFD and were delivered to our home each night. I received cards and calls from so many people, some of whom have also lost a child and shared their experience with me.

So many prayers went out for us. Another friend arranged hotel rooms for our grieving family, who came as soon as possible to help make the agonizing decisions that had to be made. We were surrounded by a flock of angels sent to comfort us. I felt as though I was being held up by a wall of people. Their loyalty and God gave me the strength to make it through the fog. I will never forget it. That kind of loyalty can never be forgotten or replaced.

This editorial is presented by the Smithville Times as part of a series, appearing once a month and written by county leaders on that month’s character trait.

In reference to the article “Illegal burning smokes county investigator,” by Denis McGinness that appeared in the paper, I for one was unaware that it was illegal to burn debris – before one hour after sunrise, and one hour before sunset.

What this means is that large piles of burnable debris cannot be started because it will be next to impossible to have the fires extinguished one hour before sunset unless huge amounts of water are used to douse the flames. Not many landowners or contractors are going to have that much water available. I suppose an option would be to build many smaller fires. Again, large amounts of water will be needed to extinguish the individual fires down to the last glowing ember. Trying to start the soaked debris next day will require large amounts of accelerants, whatever that may be.

It seems to me that if the fires are attended to by responsible personnel, burning at night should be permitted. If left unattended then the miscreants should be subject to heavy fines.

Norbert L. Simon
Bastrop

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The members of the Young School House Bible Church would like to thank everyone who came out to our annual picnic and auction. A special thank you goes to all the businesses and individuals who donated auction items and food. We also want to thank the families of church members who helped set up and serve food and provide beautiful music, and Alfred Vallejo and his crew from Vallejo Auctions for making our auction a huge success and so much fun.

The proceeds of our event benefit the Upton Cemetery Association for upkeep on two cemeteries. Also during our celebration the church presented the 3 N 1 Volunteer Fire Department and the Heart of the Pines Fire Department each a check for $500.

We look forward to seeing all of you next year.

Thank you and God Bless.

Donna Jones
Smithville

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The Smithville Police Association and the Smithville Police Department would like to thank everybody who helped with Blue Santa this year. Smithville’s Blue Santa was very successful and was able to provide gifts to about 300 children from 150 different families in our community. We could have not made it happen without your help. We know this was a difficult year with all the events that have happened in the last few months. We appreciate the community stepping up and supporting Blue Santa.

In addition, we would also like to thank everybody who personally donated gifts to Blue Santa. We also send a big thank you to all of the people who helped sort and wrap the gifts. Without each of you giving your time Blue Santa would have taken many more hours and possibly days to complete. Again thank you to the citizens of Smithville for your donations and support for Smithville’s Blue Santa.

Smithville Police Association Blue Santa

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Regarding Denis McGinness’ excellent Jan. 5 article, “Bastrop’s wells await permit.”

I am very concerned about Bastrop’s asking the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District to exempt the city’s new alluvium well in Fisherman’s Park from its moratorium on permits for large wells.

Bastrop’s request, if granted, defeats the reason that LPGCD instituted the moratorium: to protect the aquifers underlying Bastrop and Lee counties from being permanently depleted. Almost every municipality, river authority, water marketer and water utility in Central Texas is considering these aquifers as a major source of future water. Several have submitted permit applications to LPGCD that are being held up by the moratorium.

The Texas Water Development Board has yet to tell LPGCD how much water it has available for pumping. It is certainly not nearly enough to satisfy those seeking permits. If LPGCD begins making exceptions to the moratorium, especially to local favorites such as Bastrop and agricultural users, it will be left with only a weak argument to keep the moratorium in place for those with permits being held up by the moratorium.

Already, in my opinion, the aquifers beneath Bastrop County are being pumped faster than they can be replenished.

Bastrop is exploiting a technicality: that water in the Colorado River alluvium (sand and gravel that surround and underlie the river and hold water), not being part of a legally defined aquifer, is exempt from regulation that defined aquifers are subject to. This is true, but it is also a legal quirk. It could readily be defined as an aquifer, as are other river alluviums in Texas; it just hasn’t been.

Claiming this exemption for Colorado River alluvium water implies that it is somehow separate from, or disconnected from adjacent groundwater, and from the flow of the river. This is not so.

The river, alluvium, and surrounding aquifers are all part of the same system. If a part of the alluvium is pumped it will not remain void of water. It will ultimately be refilled from the flowing water in the river, and from the Carrizo-Wilcox and other aquifers that surround and underlie it. This is fundamental hydrology, not speculation. The argument that water in the alluvium is categorically differently from water in the aquifers surrounding it, and from flowing water in the river, is false.

I am also concerned by the parochial thinking behind the request to exempt the alluvium from the moratorium. Our area faces real and immediate threats to its future: from many entities in Central Texas who want to pump away the groundwater from our area, from our lack of efforts to conserve and efficiently use water, from possible intensive drought during 2012 and a prolonged drought throughout the Southwest for many years to come. Pumping more groundwater and further depleting our aquifers should be a last resort, after comprehensive measures to conserve, reuse, and efficiently use water are being practiced.

I am in no way suggesting that Bastrop should do without water it really needs. I am suggesting that its first step should be efficient and conservation-minded use of the water it already has, and that in this regard it should do much more than it is doing presently. It must see itself as part of a region in which water is a limited and threatened resource, and act in concert with all the other municipalities, water utilities, and agricultural and domestic users, and not seek exceptions for itself.

When Central Texas municipalities and utilities come for our water, our first and most effective defense will be to point out that the water already available to them is being used profligately, and that they must mend their ways before they are given more. We must demonstrate that we are using our water resources wisely, and insist that they follow our example.

Phil Cook

Cedar Creek

Sierra Club

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Recently my husband and I and our two kids were en route from Austin to Houston and had planned a quick stop in Smithville to see the giant Gingerbread Man.

We expected to take a photo, use the bathroom and continue on our way. What we did not expect was that we would run into the lovely and vivacious Adena Lewis!

Adena was the warmest, most charming representative your town could ever imagine (any town really!) She showed us a video of how the gingerbread man was made, took photos for us and gave us some interesting history on Smithville. She told us about the train explosion, movies that had been shot in the area and about all of the fun holiday events Smithville had to offer.

Mrs. Lewis was informative without being the slightest bit pushy – a lovely woman indeed. She showed a lot of heart and pride in the town she now calls home – again.

Between Mrs. Lewis’ engaging spirit and the town’s lovely architecture and welcoming atmosphere, my husband I can’t stop daydreaming about setting up a life in Smithville someday.

We loved your town, but like most places, it was the people we met there that made Smithville truly special.

Sincerely,

Diane and Tom Grodek

Austin

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Aqua Water Supply Corporation supports a mediation process to settle its dispute with the City of Elgin over who will supply water to the Austin Community College campus under construction west of Elgin and other neighborhoods.

The mediation discussions are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Jan. 31 with federal magistrate in Austin.

The conflict over authority to provide water to ACC surfaced last year when the college requested water service from Elgin for the 98-acre campus. The city offered to provide service, even though the ACC land is within Aqua’s service area.

All of us want the same thing – to ensure reliable water supplies for residents, businesses and schools so our community can prosper. We are offering to settle this unnecessary dispute in a way that benefits Elgin, ACC and our members.

Mistakes were made in the past on both sides, so we want to resolve this disagreement so we can all get on with the business of helping Elgin grow.

Bill Loven

General Manager of Aqua Water Supply

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It looks like the old saying, “If something seems too good to be true, it usually is,” is factual. Just as the stars were finally aligning over Elgin – and businesses and ACC were interested in locating here – a lawsuit is filed by Aqua Water Supply against the City of Elgin, ACC and the TCEQ. Wow! Two steps forward and three back.

I’ve been told that former city officials and Aqua Water officials did not take care of business properly concerning who supplies water to the developments west of Elgin.

That may be true, however, it took Aqua Water many years to realize they needed to do something about claiming the service area to supply the water themselves.

Surely the two entities can find common ground and negotiate a suitable agreement for both parties and most importantly, for the citizens of this community. How long have we waited for things to happen for us, not to us?

Here’s hoping all the concerned officials will not mirror the same actions and demeanor our national politicians do…draw a line in the sand and stand off until everyone loses.

Please be statesmen…not politicians!

Glynda Schroeder

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I remember when Elgin’s relations with Aqua Water Supply Corporation were good.  One of the several county level committees I served on was the Bastrop County Water Council with John Burke, Aqua’s general manager. John and I communicated well because we were both engineers with knowledge and understanding of water issues affecting Bastrop County.

It was a given that Elgin’s growth would encroach into Aqua’s CCN. It is also a matter of record that Aqua was willing at the time to surrender CCN to Elgin over time with appropriate compensation. We negotiated a 15-year agreement executed Oct. 4, 1994 which described the implementation responsibilities of both parties. Our respective governing boards approved it.

After retirement I pledged to each succeeding Elgin city manager to not interfere with his work, but to be available to help upon request. None came and I was unaware of a problem with Aqua until the current city manager called. I then learned that Aqua had accused the city of breach of contract in 2002.

What I do know is that a good relationship was lost somehow and Aqua now seems determined to bring the City of Elgin to its economic knees. And at what cost to the county and our region? Is not Elgin’s economic growth good for every county resident?

Elgin probably owes Aqua some money – but not nearly what’s being reported.  Aqua didn’t have then, nor has it added, any significant investment since in the disputed areas.  It wants to have ACC, Walmart and any future large water user foot the bill to deliver not only domestic supply, but fire flows, as well, without any cost to its system.

Federal legislation creating systems like Aqua were enacted to supply domestic water supplies to rural America. They were called Rural Water Supply Corporations, or FHA Water Corporations. Through direct participation, I recall the design parameters being  that you were going to be loaned a certain amount per customer even if it meant running a ¾” pipeline a mile to furnish some farmer with water to drink, bathe and water his livestock.

Fire hydrants weren’t called that because the system was too weak to furnish pressure and flow for fighting fires; instead, they were called flush valves.

So how does this apply to the current situation?

How many cows will be served on ACC’s property? How many at Walmart or any of the involved subdivisions? How would Aqua’s fire flow investments be supported by federal loans? These are, by any measure, meant to be municipal customers and John Burke, his board at the time and we in the City of Elgin knew it. We knew it then, we know it now.

Jack A. Harzke, P.E.

Former Elgin City Manager

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Just got back in town and I am happy to return my focus to the 2011 Airing of the Quilts. There is not enough space on this page to thank all the volunteers who made it such a success.

A huge thank you to the quilters who helped to make the beautiful raffle quilt and the wonderful team who sold chances on it. Another huge thank you to the great volunteers who got up early to hang the quilts and again take them down. Can’t forget the terrific exhibitors who brought their own handmade quilts and displayed them down Main Street. Merchants and homeowners did an excellent job at hanging quilts in front of their businesses and  homes.

Over 330 quilts were on display and out of town visitors were very impressed with our little town and how beautiful it looked. Again, a huge thank you goes out to Virginia Ilseng and the Airing of the Quilts Committee, whose help and support are greatly appreciated.

Because of everyone’s efforts, we were able to make a significant donation to the Smithville Veterans Memorial Park and I thank every single one of you.

Jan Rodwick
Smithville

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