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The Georgetown ISD Board of Trustees named Wes Vanicek as the new principal for Georgetown High School at its regular meeting Monday, June 20.

Presently, Vanicek is an assistant prin-cipal at Coppell High School in Coppell Independent School District, which serves more than 3,100 students and has 230 staff members.

Prior to his current position, he served at New Tech High in Coppell ISD as an as-sistant director where he designed and im-plemented professional learning experienc-es for campus educators, and also served as a Biotech educator where he developed, designed and implemented cross-curricu-lar instruction. Additionally, he served on the strategic planning committee to help develop the Coppell ISD Strategic Plan/Long Term Vision.

“Wes brings a wealth of knowledge regarding the design of engaging learning experiences that fosters critical thinking and collaboration using real-world scenar-ios so that students aren’t merely memo-rizing information, but actually applying what they learn,” said Superintendent Dr. Fred Brent. “His background in developing innovative instructional strategies with a focus on developing positive and appropri-ate relationships with students is perfectly aligned with the work that’s already un-derway at GHS. It was critical to select the right person to lead GHS and we’re proud to welcome Wes to the Georgetown ISD family,” said Dr. Brent.

Vanicek received his Bachelor of Science in Biology and his Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University. He has been a mentor teacher in the Teach North Texas Program at the University of North Texas and at the UTeach Program at the Univer-sity of Texas at Dallas.

Mr. Vanicek took some time from Coppell to speak to the Advocate about his move to Georgetown.

What appealed to you about George-town? I have met so many people from GISD doing work across the state and developed a great rapport with them. I was looking toward the next step in my career and Georgetown was looking for some-one to jump into the Principal spot. It just evolved perfectly.

I have driven through Georgetown many times and always liked the town. I always knew it had a historic and smaller-town feel to it even though it is still a growing interstate town. We’re happy in the Hill Country and my family is excited to move here. It’s definitely been good conversation for us and it is a fun, new opportunity to make new friends. They all enjoyed visit-ing the community and are already starting to see themselves here.

What are you looking forward to most? I’m looking forward to learning more about this up-and-coming district. I also plan to continue innovating and redesign-ing education plans for a greater positive impact on students’ education.

As an assistant principal, you have

different silos to operate out of as part of a larger team. I enjoyed having exposure to different areas, but my job was not as hands-on in all those different pieces. I am looking to being able to work with all the different components of the campus as opposed to working on pieces. I will get to know the entire campus, staff, students and all the programs. Being principal enables me to have an impact at a comprehensive level.

What is your philosophy on education? Education is a multi-faceted passion for me, and I’m ready to take risks to pro-vide a deeper and more profound sense of learning. Any time I get my hands on something I want to run with it. So, when I jumped into education I ran with it.

I want education to be meaningful, relevant and authentic so kids will be able to use it in the real world as opposed to “sit and get.” We don’t use knowledge in isolation. We have to merge everything and apply collectively in real life. That style of education—cross curricular—real world education.

We are in the job of teaching and we work with young people. The real meat and potatoes of it is forming relationships and knowing what makes them tick. I want to help them mature—they all bring some-thing unique to the table.

It’s also fun to get to know the kids so they don’t think we all live under our desks or sleep in the classrooms. When kids get to know and trust us, and trust is strong in the classroom, there is nothing an educator cannot do.

What are your thoughts on plans after high school? We have a duty to prepare our kids, not necessarily for the future but their own personal future. I would love to see them all go to college and get a degree, but at the same time we always prepare every kid for any future he or she has planned for himself. I want each of them to be prepared for whatever their future may hold; whether it’s a trade, the military, higher education, or entrepreneurship.

Of course, we want our kids to latch on to experiences and pathways that lead to a career, but at the same time there is value in our kids just learning about different things whether they apply it to a career or not.

I am also passionate about trades and working with my hands. I use those skills every day; working around the house or on the ranch. There is great value in knowing how to work well even if it’s not a job decision.

Any thoughts for students and parents? I am so eager to bring my experience to Georgetown, get to know them and the staff and just dive in. I am extremely excit-ed about this opportunity and being a part of the education process.

Mr. Vanicek will arrive in Georgetwon in mid-July and the district has scheduled a meet-and-greet for parents, staff, and community members for 6 pm on July 19 in the Georgetown High School cafeteria.

New Principal Named for Georgetown High SchoolGeorgetown High School’s new principal, Wes Vanicek

Joe West Day in GeorgetownOn the occasion of World War II Veteran and Navy Captain (RET) Joe West’s 90th birthday, the Berry Creek Home Bridge Club celebrated with a lavish party at the home of Karli and Paul Hohlstein, and invited Mayor Dale Ross to attend. The Mayor presented a proclama-tion from the City in honor of West’s active duty service 12/3/1943 to 8/26/1946, and following that, 30 years in the Naval Reserve. Captain West also served on many special government projects and was a recent guest of Honor Flight Austin on a trip to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. “On behalf of the city, we are truly honored to have such a fine man as a fellow citizen,” the Mayor read, and proclaimed June 18, 2016 as Joe West Day in the City of Georgetown.

Retired USMC Color Mike Schaefer gave the toast, “It is an honor to know one of the Greatest Generation.”

Capt (RET) Joe West, his daughter Jill Winter and Mayor Dale Ross

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City Facility Closings on July 4City of Georgetown offices and facilities will be closed Monday, July 4 for the Independence Day holiday. Facilities closed on Mon-day, July 4 include:

• Airport Terminal, 500

Terminal Drive• Animal Shelter, 110 W.L.

Walden Drive• City Hall, 113 E. Eighth

Street• Economic Development,

809 Martin Luther King, Jr. Street

• Library, 402 W. Eighth Street

• Municipal Complex, 300-1 Industrial Avenue

• Municipal Court, 101 E. Seventh Street

• Parks and Recreation Administration, 1101 N. College Street

• Planning Department, 406 W. Eighth Street

• Recreation Center, 1003 N. Austin Avenue (facili-ty and splash pool closed)

• Tennis Center, 400 Sere-nada Drive (facility and pool closed)

• Visitors Center, 103 W. Seventh Street

Pools July 4On Monday, July 4, the outdoor pools at Riv-er Ridge, Village, and Williams Drive will be open from 1 to 7 p.m. The outdoor splash pads at San Jose Park and downtown at Ninth and Main streets also will be operating on July 4.

Regular solid waste & recyclingThere will be regular solid waste and recycling collection for City of Georgetown customers on Monday, July 4. For questions about trash or recycling collection, call Texas Disposal Systems at (512) 930-1715.

The Collection Station at 250 W.L. Walden Drive will be open normal hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, July 4.

Progress at HEBThe Williams Road HEB has been working around the clock on their expan-sion and remodeling. Work progresses well during the day but as Manager Stephen Zabaneh reports, “Things really start buzzing after we close at midnight.” Changes to the front of the store are expected to be complete by mid-July. This piece includes the business center, restrooms, book-keeping office and other rooms that provide custom-er and employee support. Contractors are ahead of schedule on the interior due to long bouts of rain that prevented exterior work so to keep on schedule, they moved inside early. The next project will include removing some walls in the pharmacy and updating the area in phases, which should be complete in about 45 days. This month customers will also see new elegant cases for wine and beer. Finished in black, they are modern refrigerat-ed cases with doors. Look for them in the Market department.

Several additions have added a little charm to the store while it is in con-struction mode. The sheet rock across from the cash registers is a welcome sign for anyone who would like to sign their name or add a drawing. There is also new artwork contributed by Lemon Tree Schools students and several murals are on the way from the Sun City Art Club and East View High School.

Be on the lookout for helpers in the store to provide assistance for new product placement. “We are trying to assure our customers that we’re managing our standard operations,” Zabaneh says. “Everything is going to be new so our helpers will be wearing special shirts to identify themselves.”

Zabaneh reports great feedback so far from customers who have been asking for the updates for

a long time. “People have been very positive about the changes and they are very understanding about the construction in the meantime.”

Austin Ave.Bridges Public Input Workshop June 29Developing a vision for the Austin Avenue Bridg-es will be the focus of a public workshop hosted by the City of Georgetown on Wednesday, June 29. The workshop will be a hands-on opportunity for members of the community to share input on the vision of the bridges considering aesthetics, bicycle and pe-destrian accommodations, and trail connections.

Prior to the workshop, a walking tour will be conducted with the public to evaluate existing condi-tions and opportunities for enhancements. The City is requesting RSVPs for the workshop and the walking tour to help in preparations.

The workshop meeting takes place Wednesday, June 29 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the San Gabriel Commu-nity Center, 445 E. Mor-row Street, Georgetown, TX, 78626. The off-site walking tour begins at 5 p.m. The City will provide transportation from the Community Center for the tour for a limited number of participants. The tour will begin at 5:10 p.m. from the parking lot at Blue Hole adjacent to El Monumento. Use the RSVP form at austinave.georgetown.org to sign up for the workshop meeting and send an email to aus-tinave@georgetown.org to sign up for the walking tour. The initial presen-tation for the workshop at the Community Center starts at 6:10 p.m.

The project webpage at austinave.georgetown.org will be updated to share all ideas and concepts developed at the meeting.

a publication of Fidelis Publishing Group, LLCPublisher: Mike Payne • Editor: Cathy Payne

Copyright © 2016 Fidelis Publishing Group, LLC- All Rights Reserved

WriterAnn Marie Ludlow

Sports EditorGalen Wellnicki

Sports PhotographyRussell Rinn

Freelance CorrespondentsDeborah MarquisRussell Rinn

GraphicsElysia Davis

Address of Record:181 Town Center Blvd.Suite 500Jarrell, Texas 76537512-746-4545info@FPGTX.com

First Class Mail Subscriptions:$37.00 / 26 issuesThe AdvocateP.O. Box 213 • Jarrell, TX 76537

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The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of The Advocate, administration, staff or contributing writers. The views expressed in all letters to the editor and signed opinion articles are those of their authors.

All letters to the editor must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Anonymous and unverified letters to the editor will not be printed. The Advocate reserves the right to edit letters for length and journalistic style, and has a recommended length of 300 words.

Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo ’16

Top: Sheriff’s Posse Drill Team prepares for the Grand Entrance; Rodeo Sweetheart Alexis Rickman on Blossom Dancer and Christie Schultz on Tiny. • Bottom: Carson on his way to a 92 score in Mutton Busting as clown Leon watches.

The Williamson County Sheriff’s Pos-se was formed in 1943 to help out the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department. County Sheriff Robert Davis deputized the members and call upon them to help out law enforcement in the time of need.

As the years moved on and the WCSP was not needed as much to support the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department the direction of the Posse changed and they now facilitate community events year round.

There is great history in the WCSP. During WWII, the WCSP members helped out the Williamson County Sher-iff’s office as many of the men were off at war. The WCSP has helped out more recent in the Jarrell tornadoes, search and rescue efforts for missing Rachel Cooke and the Bastrop, TX animal relief during the fires.

Each year they host the Georgetown WCSP Rodeo with open riding events at the arena. This year they held mutton busting events for 20 kids. All received a t-shirt and goodie bag courtesy of HEB. Friday and Saturday also included the HEB Steer Saddling Challenge; con-testants put a saddle on a wild steer and Attempted to ride. The winning team received a $150 prize.

Save the date for next year’s rodeo, which is always held on the fourth week-end in June.

JUNE 30, 2016 THE ADVOCATE PAGE A3

GeorGetownJudge Laura Barker Takes the Bench in CC#2

After more than a year and a very long campaign season, Williamson County Court at Law #2 has a new Judge on the bench. Judge Billy Ray Stubblefield administered the oath June 17 to Judge Laura Barker who won the Republican primary in a run-off vote May 24. On June 8, Wil-liamson County Commis-sioners Court appointed her to fill the position vacated by Judge Tim Wright last year. She will be sworn in again on January 1, 2017, the official start of her first term. Her appointment also marks the first time that women make up the ma-jority of our county’s trial court judges.

The 277th District courtroom was standing room only for the ceremo-ny, which included many elected and party officials, attorneys, courthouse staff, and family and friends.

Judge John McMaster opened with words of

praise for his new “neigh-bor” in the courthouse. “It’s an exciting time to be a judge in Williamson County. It’s a time of growth and promise. This is one of those professions where you have an oppor-tunity to make a difference in people’s lives and it’s one of the most satisfying jobs in the world because it matters.”

Judge Stubblefield reflected on the new era for the county. “I want the peo-ple of Williamson County to know that you have a great team working for you on the bench.”

Judge Barker spoke after her husband Allan gave her the traditional assist with her robe. “I became an attorney because I truly wanted to help people become more productive members of the community and our society. Left: Judge Barker and husband Allan Jones and son Gavin. • Top: Judge Billy Ray Stubblefield congratulates new Judge Laura

Barker after administering the oath. • Above L-R: Judge John McMaster, Judge Ryan Larson, Judge Stacey Mathews, Judge Laura Barker, Judge Rick Kennon, Judge Betsy Lambeth, Judge Bill Gravell, Judge Billy Ray Stubblefield

Grand Re-opening of Williams Pool Dive-In Movie Officially Kicks off the new Summer Season

Above: Bathers awaiting the countdown for the big plunge following the Mayor’s ribbon cutting. • Right: Mayor Dale Ross with the assist from Avery Jones and Johanna Waters • City Council member Ty Gipson and Mayor Ross

About 100 sunset swim-mers arrived to officially re-open the Williams Drive pool for business after completing its $850,000 renovations. Mayor Dale Ross cut the ribbon June 18 and recognized several years work to improve the city’s biggest outdoor pool, built in 1978.

Since 2013, when Coun-cil approved a master plan and design contract, the renovation has been done in phases to avoid interfer-ing with the summer swim schedule.

Improvements include renovations to existing restrooms and bath houses, a new pavilion and 11,000 square feet of new decking and accessible walkways.

Contractors also con-structed a new parking lot; adding 14 spaces and creating a safe pick up and drop off area for parents.

“The renovation process was a success,” the Mayor said, “due to help from City staff, swim teams, water aerobics groups, high school swim coaches and neighbors who all provided input on what improve-ments were needed for the facility.” The Mayor also had high praise for the Parks staff who worked tirelessly to get the pool ready for the Memorial Day weekend.

The pool itself was built with a grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife and is managed by the George-

town Parks and Recre-ation Department. It is 50 meters in length, holds 422,000 gallons of water and is available for private parties.

Special thanks to the advisory board members, Keith Fruge, Glen Hol-zer, Bob Palko, James Hougnon, Scott Macmurdo, Sharon Reed and Daniell Houck. The Mayor also recognized the Georgetown Aquadillos for coordinating options that will keep up with future needs as well.

To cap the festivities, the Parks Department filled up the city’s inflatable movie screen and everyone enjoyed viewing “Dolphin Tale” from their own inflat-able spots in the pool.

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GeorGetownPAGE A4 JUNE 30, 2016 THE ADVOCATE

New Hope Baptist ChurcH“The Barn Church”

1700 CR 305 | Jarrell, TX | (512) 746-2828

Sunday ServicesSunday School: 9:45 am | Worship: 11am

Sunday Evening Service: 6 pmAdult Service & Youth Service (7th -12th grade)

Wednesday Services: 7 pmAdult Bible Study

RA & GA(Boys & Girls 1st - 6th grades)

Youth Group (7th -12th grade)

PastorKevin Ross

The Georgetown Police Department held the first of three Junior Police Academy training sessions June 20-25 at the Safety Center. A hearty group of 8-10 year olds spent five full days under the watchful eyes of Officers and Explorers who put them through physical assess-ments, training scenarios, confidence exercises, even SWAT training and a little bit of fun.

The week started with an address from Chief Wayne Nero, then the group went right to push-ups and sit-ups and all responses punctuated with “Sir!” in quick order.

The intent of the camp is to expose the kids to every-thing the police department does and build relationships early with kids so they feel friendly with officers as they get older. “Most of these kids will see us as [School Re-source Officers] eventually,” says Officer Alan McDon-ald. “Having a good rapport with them already is a great benefit.” Captain Evelyn McLean says, “If there is a spark of interest in a future police officer, that would be great but this is really about familiarizing the kids with what we do in the communi-ty.”

This is the first time the GPD has held this program, one that is becoming more popular with departments regionally. The Department sent out a notice on the Georgetown ISD email blast and the first two classes were filled within three days. The second session in July is for 11-13 year olds and there is still some room in the Au-gust session for 14-16 year olds to apply. “We received a great outpouring from the community as well,” McLean says. Several companies stepped up to provide food, water and t-shirts for all three groups.

Camp days included a visit from Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace, the Central Texas SWAT team, and the fire department, as well as trips to the animal shelter, Inner Space caverns and the splash pad for a little break from training. Cadets all re-assessed for improved physical performance before graduation on the final day of the academy.

Any 14-16 year olds interested in apply-ing for the August session, contact Captain McLean at 512-930-3510.

Junior Police Academy, Sir!

Clockwise from top: GPD officers and explorers with the 8-10 Junior Police cadets. • Luke pushing through his sit-up assessment. • Jackson dons the SWAT protective gear with Ofc. Kemp

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Virginia Alice Skeries • 1940-2016Virginia Alice Skeries of Georgetown passed away from this life on 6/2/16. Virginia was born in Hig-gins, TX to Ross and Jennette Stucker in 1940. She is survived by her beloved son John W. Skeries III, daughter in-law Kathryn M. Skeries and Grand-son John W. Skeries IV; brother Bob W. Stucker; sisters Darlene Koch Chandler and Carolyn Stucker Carlson. She has 16 nieces and nephews and many friends. Virginia had a very successful 30-year career as a Regional Property Manager of Real Estate. She was an explorer and free spirit; leaving home at age 16, she traveled the world and experi-enced the best life has to offer. She was an active part in the community, church, RNC, and Wounded Warriors, and spent as much time with family as she could. She was a pillar who raised her son single-handedly and rose to be a great success in corporate real estate with only a small-town, high school education. Family has requested that any memorial gifts be made to the Wounded Warriors Foundation.

IN MEMORIAM

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JUNE 30, 2016 THE ADVOCATE PAGE A5

Ready for Some Football...Ladies? Guys, you will love this too.

July 28 is Date Night

Get your tickets to the second annual Austin Football Academy. Southwestern University football coach Joe Austin is reprising his informative, easy and sublimely entertaining evening of football tutelage at the Palace Theater on July 28 at 7pm.

The evening is open to all, and will make a great date night, but is designed to appeal to the female appreciation of the sport. “We’re going outside what you would hear in a typical male-ori-ented setting; why our team is the best or how our plays are the best.” Austin says. “This will be a little different approach. I’ll be going with what’s most relevant and most fun to hopefully learn a lot in a short period of time.”

At last year’s event, the Theater in the square was transformed into an education forum for peo-ple wishing to learn or understand more about football. This is a personal project for the Coach be-cause, he says, there are so many football events geared toward men, and the Coach and his wife, Marissa, wanted to do something fun for everyone.

“A lot of women are football fans,” Austin says, “and there are not a lot of things geared toward them. We hope to build football fans regardless of what they watch; Pirates, Eagles or Patriots or the Cowboys.”

The coach uses diagrams, films, simple language and a lot of humor to explain why “it’s not just 11 guys running into each other as fast as they can.”

The evening is about two hours; set up in four quarters for four main topics with breaks between. He starts out simply; introducing player positions, and made sure to point out, “That guy in the middle—he’s a Center. When you’re watching TV with a bunch of people around, don’t say ‘the hiker’; you’re going to out yourself!”

At least year’s event, within

30 minutes there were women in the audience gleefully calling out “That’s a 4-3 defensive front, cover 2!” and high-fiving each other over their newly expert grasp of what goes on in the game.

He went over offense and de-fense roles, referee roles, working the chains, what all those lines on the field mean, and even what a coaching staff does with the 90 percent of their lives not spent on the field. Proof positive, Austin says, “This is the last non-South-western thing I will do until Thanksgiving.”

If you think you know foot-ball, there is still a lot to learn from a coach of Austin’s caliber. As a bonus, he performed with all the patience and without the condescension we might have experienced when we asked our dads or boyfriends to tell us what was going on—without waiting for the commercial.

A definite touchdown of an evening; great sports, snacks, beverages provide by Gum-bo’s, and laughs as we gear up for pre-season and fall sports. Hustle—don’t walk—to get your tickets for a rare and lively pep talk with the Coach.

Audiences last year gave the coach great feedback. He emailed everyone who attended the notes from the clinic and they were thrilled to have them. A lot of women were very pleased to be able to ask the questions they always want to ask but in a group setting without being embar-rassed. “People don’t want to ask a question at a Superbowl party and feel awkward,” he says. Still, when in the room with a profes-sional coach, it’s very likely that no one knows as much as they

think they do. Austin says he will build on

the things that went well and change up a few things because it’s fun for him and also so folks who came last year will get new information.

Tickets are on sale already and they are available at the Palace Theater box office. Call 512-864-7469 or online at Georgetown-Palace.com.

Coach Austin with his staff: Tom Ross, Garrett Winsett, Bill Kriesel, Kenneth Eboh, and Richard Berrouet

PAGE A6 JUNE 30, 2016 THE ADVOCATE

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The July 4th celebration and fireworks display will be held at San Gabriel Park on Monday, July 4. This year the event will be TWO DAYS with entertainment, games, arts and crafts, and food on Sunday, July 3 and Monday, July 4.

Sunday, July 3Activities on Sunday, July 3 begin at

12 p.m. (noon) at San Gabriel Park with live entertainment by the Palace Theater Players in the afternoon and local musical talent in the evening. Festival hours on Sunday are 12 to 10 p.m. with live enter-tainment, arts and crafts vendors, food and drinks, kids’ games, and a petting zoo.

Monday, July 4A festival area at San Gabriel Park opens

at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 4 with arts and crafts vendors, food and drinks, kids’ games, and a petting zoo. On Monday, July 4, live entertainment at the gazebo starts at 12 p.m. (noon) and continues until 9:30 p.m.

Hometown Parade July 4A July 4th Hometown Parade in San

Gabriel Park begins at 11 a.m. on Mon-day, July 4 at the low-water crossing near the College Street Bridge and ends at the gazebo. Participants should gather at 10:30 a.m. at the low-water crossing. Kids are encouraged to decorate their wagons or bicycles for the parade. No motorized vehicles or pets.

Fireworks July 4The fireworks display begins at ap-

proximately 9:30 p.m. on Monday, July 4 Fireworks will be launched from the McMaster Athletic Fields on N. College Street. Fireworks can be viewed from San Gabriel Park, VFW Park, and other areas. The main entrance to San Gabriel Park is via Chamber Way on N. Austin Ave.

ParkingLimited parking in San Gabriel Park

includes the parking lots at the Show Barn and the Rodeo Arena. Attendees also are encouraged to park at Georgetown High School and carpool to San Gabriel Park. Limited handicapped parking is available in designated areas in San Gabriel Park.

Both the McMaster Fields parking lot and the Parks and Recreation Administra-tion parking lot at N. College Street and W.L. Walden Drive will be closed on July 4 due to their proximity to the fireworks fall zone.

College Street and McMaster Fields Closure

Due to the fireworks fall zone, N. Col-lege Street will be closed on Monday, July 4 from approximately 9 to 11 p.m. between the traffic circle and Holly Street. Park-ing, standing, or sitting along N. College Street in that segment will not be permitted during this time.

The McMaster Athletic Fields will be closed all day on Monday, July 4.

FIREWORKS PROHIBITEDBy City of Georgetown ordinance, fireworks of any kind are not allowed in the city limits of Georgetown or within 5,000 feet of the city limits, unless they are used in a permitted display authorized by the Georgetown Fire Department. This area outside city limits includes, but is not limited to, the neighborhoods of Cedar Hollow, Crystal Knoll, Escalera, Fountainwood, Indian Creek, Logan Ranch Road, Lost Rivers, Oak Crest, Olde Oak Estates, Serenada, Shady Oaks, Turtle Bend, and Woodland Park,

and areas along D.B Wood Road.

The discharge of fireworks is prohibited in the city limits or within the 5,000-foot buffer beyond city limits. Violations can lead to fines of up to $2,000 per firework.

To view a map showing the 5,000-foot boundary, go tomaps.georgetown.org/fireworks-ban-area-map.

July 3 & 4 Celebration at San Gabriel Park

Miss Georgetown 2015 Skylar Amaya with Mayor Dale Ross at the 2015 Parade

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Life After Legs: Reflections on Independence

by Johnny “Joey” Jacobs

As I sit in the beautifully powerful Texas sun this evening watching my 7-year-old son play in our pool I can’t help but count my blessings. He splashes around with a glowing smile as if nothing in the world is wrong and the only thing that matters is how long he can hold his breath under water... And of course, constantly asking if I heard him jubilantly scream “look daddy” be-

fore he dives again. Watching him, I think

about all the events, people and circumstances that brought us to this exact moment. How many men and women stood against all odds to form a coun-try so free, so selfless, so thankful and patriotic that a good ole boy from a small, poor mountain town in north Georgia can enlist in the Marine Corps, travel the world, fight two wars, lose his legs in combat and find a home here in Georgetown, Texas.

This Independence Day I want to show my appre-ciation, not only to this country and those who have sacrificed so much to

keep it sovereign, but to this community.

I want to say “Thank you” for being the kind of place I’m honored to call home; a Purple Heart town that prides itself on welcoming new residents while standing firm in the values that made this town a home since 1848.

As a Marine, I’m proud to have served you in war. As a dad and husband I’m humbled to come home and continue serving you as a veteran and active citizen. This Fourth of July I urge you to go out, watch the fireworks, join in the cele-bration and stand proud of the community you helped build. Georgetown, Texas, you are our home and we thank you for it!

Johnny “Joey” Jones turned a traumatic, life-changing disability into a personal mission to improve the lives of all veterans. Now the spokes-person and COO for the Boot Campaign, Jones is key to educating the civil-ian public and corporate America on issues con-cerning veterans and their families in a nonpartisan, inspiring way.

JOEY JONES

Summer Safetyby Dr. Aaron Schultze

With summer in full swing, we will surely have animals come into our hospital and the emergency clinic that will be showing signs of heat stroke. Heat stroke can happen more quickly than most people realize.

Recently, a bulldog came in that had only been outside for 10 minutes and presented with many signs of heat stroke. Fortunately, through rapid treatment, the pet survived; most do not.

Of the animals that come into the clinic to be treated for heat stroke, many arrive DOA or succumb quick-ly, even after aggressive treatment.

Bulldogs are most susceptible to heat stroke because of the structure of their airways and the inability to move enough air to cool their bodies fast enough; indoor dogs that are let out and not used to the heat; large, heavily muscled dogs, such as Rottweilers or Pit Bulls; and dogs left in cars, even for short amounts of time.

It’s not just heat—high humidity can also be a major factor in a dog get-ting heat stroke. When it’s humid, dogs are not able to cool themselves as well. One of the main ways dogs cool themselves is through evaporative loss off of their tongue, and on days with high humidity—almost

every day in Texas—it puts the dog in a potentially dangerous position.

Signs of heat stroke include: excessive pant-ing; dark red/purple gums; animals hot to the touch; weakness that will progress potentially to vomiting and diarrhea, seizures, collaps-ing and then death.

Owners: limit activity of your dogs to cooler parts of the day, preferably super-vised. If you see your dog becoming distressed, begin to cool him immediately and take your pet to the veterinarian at once—time is critical!Dr. Schultze graduated from Texas A&M Veteri-nary School with a BS in Chemistry, a BS in Biology, and a DVM. He has been in practice for 18 years and has 15+ years emergency experience. He owns Sala-do Veterinary Hospital and works with Dr. Jon Kendall & Dr. Juanita Duel.

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PAGE A8 JUNE 30, 2016 THE ADVOCATE

The Last WordEDITORIAL CORNER

The Cat’s MeowBy: Mike Payne

Early in the week I had an appointment with my dentist. On my way inside, I heard a faint, but unmis-takable mew of a kitten coming from the flower bed in front of his office. I searched through the foliage and, behold, there was the tiniest kitten I have ever seen—eyes still shut, fran-tically searching for mama. I looked around for her too, hoping she was lurking nearby, poised to move this last baby to a new, safer location. After learning from the office staff that this baby had been there for some time with no signs of a mama in the vicinity, I located a box to carry him in and headed to the vet. She supplied me with kitten formula, a tiny bottle, and instructions on how to nurse a cat that couldn’t be more than five or six days old.

I brought the baby home, swaddled in a blanket to my wife, the consummate nurturer; she immediately added a heating pad to keep him at just the right temperature, and tried her best to feed him every three hours—but the little guy just couldn’t wake up enough to take the bottle.

The following day, the vet suggested we try a drop of Karo syrup, as hypogly-cemia is often an issue for abandoned newborn kittens. After the sugar in the syrup kicked in, he finally started showing signs of progress. We watched as he ate heart-ily for the first time, and my wife burped him (yes, you have to burp a kitten), and snuggled him in his little box for a nap, beaming like any proud mama. An hour later she called me in, and said, “I don’t think he’s

breathing.” He wasn’t. Why do I tell this story?

Because I truly believe that events like this are God’s reminder to slow down and “smell the roses.” In the mayhem of life in the news business, with deadlines looming as always, we were forced to make a decision as to whether we wanted to continue on with “business as usual”, or dedicate a moment of our time to the joy of caring for one of God’s creatures. We chose the latter, and I’m better for it. I was reminded that life— a cat’s or my own—is but a mere wisp in time, and to live each day to its fullest, showing myself approved to God! I am glad this little ball of fur came into our lives, even if just for a moment. Thanks for the reminder, God!

The Congressional Veteran Commendation is anominations-based program designed to recognize the

wartime sacrifices and peace-time communityinvolvement of residents of TX-31. 2016 CVC honorees

will be announced and recognized by CongressmanCarter at a ceremony in October. The deadline to submit

a nomination is August 19th, 2016.

Nominees must meet the following requirements:

To download a nomination form, or for additionalinformation, please visit www.carter.house.gov or

contact the Round Rock District Office at 512-246-1600

John R. CarterMember of Congress31st District of Texas

Nominate a Veteran for theCongressional Veteran Commendation Award!

Nominees must currently reside in TX-31Veteran was active duty in the US ArmedForces or was a reservist called to active dutyVeteran retired from the US Armed Servicesor was honorably discarged

Rep. John R. Carter (R-TX-31), along with his Texas Republican col-leagues, joined Governor Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in sending a letter to President Obama re-garding the Syrian Refugee crisis. The letter calls into question the handling of the Syrian refugee crisis by the administration given the stated intention by ISIS to infiltrate and exploit the program to carry out attacks on the west.

“Texas accepts more refugees than any other state in our nation and the President is not living up to his requirements to routine-ly consult and engage State and local governments on resettlements,” said Rep. Carter. “I will not stand by and allow these terrorists to infiltrate our homeland. We must take the fight to them, to their home base, and destroy their opera-tions. We cannot, and I will not, allow them to bring the fight to American soil. That is why I am in support of stricter oversight of our refugee program and block-ing refugees from Syria and Iraq from coming to America. The President is failing, and by doing so is putting our nation at risk.” Following are excerpts from the letter.

It is clear that Islamist terrorists are still targeting our country and our way of life, and the American people expect Washington to respond decisively.

ISIS fighters are exploit-ing the refugee process to infiltrate the West to con-duct terrorist attacks.

We cannot be blind to this threat. But we are

alarmed to learn that even in the face of these terror plots, your Administration is still attempting to resettle at least 10,000 Syrian refugees in the United States this fiscal year. In fact, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson recently announced that 4,700 Syrian refugees have been approved for resettle-ment, while an additional 7,900 are awaiting security review.

U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies are still worried they can-not confidently root out ter-rorists from these groups. These concerns are not hypothetical. The Office of the Director of National In-telligence has informed the House Homeland Security Committee in writing that individuals with terrorist ties in Syria have already attempted to gain access to the United States through our refugee program.

The threat could not be clearer: terrorists are targeting our homeland, and they know that security vulnerabilities in the ref-ugee process could allow them to reach the West undetected.

Despite this, we be-lieve your Administration has manifestly failed to reassure and adequately engage State and local governments on these reset-tlements.

The lack of transparency is dangerous for everyone. Texas is not only responsi-ble for protecting its own citizens from public safety threats like terrorism but also for protecting refugees themselves who may be targeted with violence.

We insist that you work with the State of Texas to reform your Administra-tion’s refugee resettlement policies and procedures. The places these refugees are being relocated must be better prepared for their arrival, and States like Tex-as must have a say in that process. We implore you to act immediately to outline a plan for improving this process and addressing the serious concerns States like ours have expressed.

It would also be a mis-take to proceed with this resettlement policy without providing greater public safety assurances. That is why we also urge you to proceed with implement-ing the national security safeguards outlined in H.R. 4038, American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act of2015.

These safeguards would require top law enforce-ment and intelligence officials to validate the background-check pro-cess for Syrian and Iraqi refugees and to certify to Congress that admit-ted individuals are not a threat. Such officials have expressed concerns about current security gaps, and they should have a great-er say in the admissions process. We hope you will agree that we need to work together to keep potentially dangerous individuals from infiltrating these programs to reach our territory.

The full text of the letter is available by visiting: http://mccaul.house.gov/sites/mccaul.house.gov/files/2016-06-22%20F%20Syrian%20Refugee%20TX%20Del.pdf

Carter, TX Republicans Send Letter to President Regarding Syrian Refugees

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