Sunday, May 13th 5:00 PM

1988 May Fete - May Pole with Shana & Darrell

The Richland Community Club announces the Royalty for the Sixty-Fifth Annual Richland May Fete to be held May 13^th at the historical Richland Hall, 18312 Cameron Road.

The Richland community is just a stone’s throw from the Good Luck Grill.  We are happy to tell you about it and encourage you to participate as it is one of the richest traditions in our community.   The public is invited to partake in the festivities and celebrate the reign of King Brandon Masi, a senior at Hendrickson High School. King Brandon is the son of Barbara and Chris Masi of Pflugerville.

Brandon is proud to serve as king since his grandparents, Kermit and Lydia Hees, were the King and Queen in 1952, and Brandon’s mother was the queen in 1985. King Brandon has chosen as his Queen, Lorrie Abels, a junior at Hendrickson High School.  Queen Lorrie is the daughter of Gail and Scott Abels also of Pflugerville.

Tiny Tot Royalty will be King Elliott Weiss a first grader at Riojas Elementary in Pflugerville. King Elliott is the son of Neal and Barb Weiss of Pflugerville.  Neal served as the 1988 May Fete King.  King Elliott has chosen Olivia Valdez, daughter of Mike and Vanessa Valdez, to be his Queen.

The May Fete was originally started to celebrate the beginning of the harvest season.  In the Richland Community our May Fete has been on Mother’s Day weekend for as long as I can remember. As high school students, my sister and I participated every year! It was such fun!  That’s me and my good friend Darrell (pictured above) in 1988 after wrapping the May Pole.

Brandon Masi 2012 May Fete King

Richland Hall was issued a charter in 1894 by the Fraternal Sons of Herman (a Germania Group) serving as the center of community life in the Richland/Cele Area.  This community consisted of a cotton gin, a general store, church, and two-room schoolhouse.  As the years passed and the community expanded to include the township of Pflugerville, Richland Hall continued to serve as a historical landmark and meeting place for the surrounding community to come together for many events of fellowship.  Since 1947, the Richland Community Club oversees its functions and maintenance.

The biggest event of any German community is the annual May Fete which was a day of celebration to begin with harvest season.  Growth and progress has changed the Richland Community with the landscape changing from fields of beautiful grain sorghum, cotton, and cows to houses and even Lake Pflugerville.  Even in the midst of all the growth, the Richland Community Club is committed to sharing with the younger generations what made the Richland area so special that German immigrants chose to settle in this area and call it their “Rich Land”.  One of the ways to share the history with the ever-expanding community is to continue with the traditional Richland May Fete.

We are one of the only communities left in Texas to continue the May Fete tradition. The members of the Richland Community Club select a young person from the community who is either a junior or senior in high school to serve as the May Fete King or Queen.  The tradition is that a King is chosen only on Leap Year.   The same is true for the Tiny Tot court which includes children from the community up through the second grade. King Brandon will choose a Queen and a court of his peers to participate in the May Fete. Each member of the court invites a date  to escort them and join them for the festivities.  Mothers will be honored from near and far and old and young alike!

The Festivities begin at 5 p.m. with the crowning of the kings (because it is leap year) followed by the March, and May Pole.  The March is a festive parade of children and teenagers dressed in their best spring outfits walking in intricate lines delighting the audience with the artistry of their formations. All former kings and queens will be recognized in a special celebration of the 65^th anniversary.  Food will be available for purchase and a Silent Auction and Free Dance will also be part of the activities.

Want your children to participate?

• - We would like to invite all children from the age of 2 years old through the second grade to participate.
• - Each child needs to have a partner to walk with in the parade.
• - Wear church attire of any color except white.
• - The Queen and the Ex-Queen wear white dresses.
• - The boys give the girls corsage and the girls give the boys boutineers.
• - Children can change into casual clothes after the parade and pictures.
• - Bring your lawn chairs and your cameras – the kids look so cute all dressed up.
• - Couples need to be at the hall by 4:15PM on Sunday May 13, 2012 so that everyone has time to take pictures and get in line.

1986 Richland May Fete Queen Barbara Hees Masi with Friends

Invite your family and friends for a fun afternoon of fellowship with food and drinks available to purchase, a silent auction and a FREE dance.   BYOB if you prefer alcoholic beverages.

*PRACTICE will be Friday, May 4th at 7:00PM at Richland Hall-If you cannot make the practice let Cyndi Motloch @512-466-2366 or email her at cyndi_6653@yahoo.com now with the name of the couple to be put in the lineup.

 DIRECTIONS:   

From Pflugerville take 685 and right onto Pflugerville Parkway – Turn left onto Weiss Lane -  Turn right onto Jesse Bohls Road – turn left on Cameron Road.  Richland Hall will be on your left less than a mile down the road.

From Manor/Austin take 290 east from Austin turn left onto FM 973 – go approximately 5 mi. and turn left onto Steger Lane –  turn  right onto Cameron  Road.  Richland Hall will be on your left.

Starting May 19, you will see canopies set up at the Good Luck Grill at 14605 FM 973 N , from 9 am to 4 pm. What’s under those canopies?

Handcrafted items by very talented local artisans, farmer’s market items, gift items, food, and lots of fun! While many of these artisans are well-established and known folks in the industry, the producers of this show, Mainstreet Productions, are on the lookout for LOCAL people who might be interested in showing and selling their art, or their crafts. They are also looking for Farmer’s Market vendors such as farm grown vegetables and fruits, meats, eggs, baked items, and canned foods (if canned in a commercial kitchen).

To be held on “3rd Saturdays” of each month, from May through November, Market Days promises to satisfy shopper’s desires for unique and different items, things that can only be found in an environment like this.

It’s all about SHOPPING LOCAL, says Sherri Arrington and Annie Urban, of Mainstreet Productions. The goal is to increase awareness of local talent, and to keep the shopping dollars inside the community. They plan to pull in folks from Manor, Elgin, Hutto, and Pflugerville. It’s important that the community come out to support this market, and to keep returning each month, while it grows in size and value.
If you, or someone you know, are interested in becoming a vendor, go to www.mainstreetproductionsrr.com and read all about it! Never hestitate to jump on board and come join the fun, whether it’s as a shopper or as a vendor! Good Luck Grill is so gracious and excited to be providing this event, so come check it out!

The first show is May 19, from 9 am to 4 pm.

If you are a business owner or would like to become one, take a look at the RISE 2012 conference March 26-30, 2012.  It is FREE!

RISE stands for Relationship & Information Series for Entrepreneurs.  This conference is held throughout the week at many different locations in Austin.  Speakers will cover topics for entrepreneurs at all stages and cover issues ranging from the nitty-gritty of getting organized and off the ground to marketing, social media and how to manage different phases of growth.  Visit www.riseglobal.org to register.  Although registration is free you will be required to give a $25 deposit.  The deposit is returned to you if you attend all of the session you sign up for.  Miss one and they will keep your money, but attend them all and you will receive a refund… or you can donate it to RISE.  Either way, I encourage all of my fellow entrepreneurs to explore how this conference can help you make your dream a reality or take your business to the next level.

I’m living my dream.  Let me know how I can help you live yours.  Onward & Upward!

Our guest speaker, Dan Picatte of Austin Tree Farm recommended his favorite large trees for our Blackland Prairie area. They include cedar elm, chinquapin and live oaks, white oak (or var. ‘Monterey’ oak), and lacebark elm (or var. ‘Drake’ elm). He also suggested smaller ornamental trees including crepe myrtle, mountain laurel, Texas redbud, yaupon and possum haw hollies, wax myrtle, and Carolina cherry laurel.

Crepe “murder” was explained and discouraged. Although prevalent in the landscaping trade where contractors need to do “something” during the dormant season, this drastic pruning is unnecessary and leads to weak, long shoots from a gnarled mass of joints that are easily broken in our windy areas. (If you succumbed to this practice, a great article by Greg Grant explains the problems and solutions. In the article, Greg suggests cutting plants to the ground to “save” them. You may also let shoots come up from the ground and gradually remove the incorrectly pruned ones. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/stopthecrape.html)

Maintenance for both the large and smaller trees includes watering deeply (1” of water) during dry periods and fertilizing in the spring with about 1” of compost or ‘Dillo Dirt out to the drip line of the tree. (The drip line is where standing under the tree looking up you begin to see the sky.) Add a layer of mulch to hold moisture around the tree and to prevent string-trimmer damage. A donut look holds moisture with no mulch actually touching the base of the tree. The “volcano” look is discouraged as it damages the tree and may cause small roots to come out into the mulch. Again, where you still see this in commercial landscapes, they need another contractor. Although beautiful trees, red oaks are host plants for the beetle that transfers the oak wilt fungus. We were also reminded not to prune live oaks between February and October to reduce oak wilt transmission. White oaks are not susceptible to oak wilt.

Great resources for more information on trees are: http://austintexas.gov/department/city-arborist

Native and Adapted Plant List, GrowGreen, available at local nurseries and online at

http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Watershed/growgreen/plantguide.pdf and searchable form at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/growgreen/plantguide/searchplant.cfm.

Shortly after the meeting, Dick Peterson and Shana Whiteley met Dan Picatte at the Austin Tree Farm to select a large variety of these trees to be planted at the Good Luck Grill. Manor Gardeners may now see some of the trees we discussed at the next meeting

The April 7, meeting will feature Dick Peterson and “Lawns to Beds the Easy Way”. A slide program will introduce the concept and (weather permitting) a small, hands-on project will be completed outside. The technique does not require removal of turf and can be started at any time of the year. If you lost lawn areas during the drought, this might be a good way to enhance the look of your yard and reduce watering at the same time.

Future meetings of the Manor Gardeners will be at 9:00 a.m. on the first Saturday of the month at the Good Luck Grill.

For more information or to be added to our distribution list contact ManorGardeners@yahoo.com. Like us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/manorgardeners

Press Release by Dick Peterson  (512) 922-3326  info@dickpeterson.com

Manor students visit the Good Luck Grill booth at the 2011 Cowboy Breakfast

The Good Luck Grill of Manor and the Boat House Grill of Austin team up Friday March 2 to serve up the best catfish and chicken at the Cowboy Breakfast on Auditorium Shores.  This event is part of the Austin Rodeo to raise awareness among Central Texas residents about the rodeo, western heritage, leadership development and youth scholarships.

Last year over 6000 people attended!  Whew that was a lot of catfish. We will start serving at 6:00 A.M. and either serve it up until 9:00 A.M. or when we run out – which ever comes first.  The moral of that story is get there early! There will be live music, cowboys cooking biscuits in Dutch ovens on open coals and there will be other fun things to see and do!

We are thrilled to be doing this with our friends at the Boat House Grill near Lake Travis.  Next time you are in the 620 & 2222 area be sure to stop in and check them out.  They too make a mean burger, chicken fried steak and catfish.

For all the details about the Cowboy Breakfast visit the Austin Rodeo site at http://www.rodeoaustin.com/events_detail.aspx?id=954 .  Remember it is FREE!  We hope to see you there!

Group member John MacInnes said, “we want to prevent trash from killing wildlife and making rivers, lakes, and the oceans a very disgusting place.  There is a garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean that is TWICE the size of Texas and if you don’t help the environment it will even get as big as the United States. So please send on this letter to your friends and colleagues and spread the word about throwing away electronics that end up in landfills.”

Drop off your electronics today at ANY Manor ISD campus.  The drive ends February 24^th, 2012.

These are the items that will be accepted in the electronic recycle bins. 

• Computers, Printers, Keyboards, Mice, Modems, Hubs, Routers, Scanners, Monitors
• VCR’s, Video Game Consoles, DVD Players, Flat Panel TV’s
• Telecom Gear, Cell Phones, Wireless Gear
• Irons, Hair Dryers, Flashlights
• Copy Machines, Fax Machines, Radios
• Battery-Operated Toys & Tools, Electric Pianos

To learn more about the contest click here http://www.marketwatch.com/story/lexus-and-scholastic-announce-second-round-of-winners-in-the-2011-2012-lexus-eco-challenge-2012-02-07

Join us at 9:00 am at the Good Luck Grill for the first meeting of the Manor Garden Club!

Tree Care Clinic for Manor Gardeners  

The first meeting of the Manor Gardeners will be at 9:00 am, Saturday, March 3 at the Good Luck Grill. This goal of this group is to promote good gardening practices with plants appropriate for our soil and climate. If you are new to the area or just want to know more about issues we have in our landscapes, join us for morning coffee, questions and answers.

We are fortunate to have Dan Pacatte of Austin Tree Farm speaking on tree care. He will instruct us about just which trees will thrive in our clay soil. Plus we will learn tips on pruning, mulching, feeding and water – especially how to keep trees alive during a drought.

If the weather is not too cold or wet, we will be outside so bring a lawn chair. If you have questions email manorgardeners@yahoo.com or call Tess Peterson at 258-8879. Many of us will be staying for lunch at the Good Luck Grill and you are welcome to join us.

Now is a great time to be planting your spring garden.  We have included a handy dandy planting guide form the Texas Cooperative Extension Service for your convenience.  Enjoy and Happy Planting!

Manor, Texas is growing.  It is a good place to do business, to raise kids and build community.  This year I have the distinct honor to serve as the President of the Manor Chamber of Commerce.

My primary objective as Chamber President is to help the positive growth and development that we wish for in Manor to become a reality for the betterment of our businesses,  organizations and our community.

Saturday January 28^th, 2012 The Manor Chamber of Commerce held its annual banquet to honor the past officers and install new officers. As the President, I had the opportunity to speak about my vision for Manor and what I want to accomplish as the Chamber president.

Below is my speech.  Know that I am committed to making our community stronger.  Thank you for joining me in that effort.

Chamber Speech

Each and every one of you are here tonight because you care about Manor.  You care because you are a resident here or you have a child that goes to school here.  Maybe you have a business here.  You know that great things are happening here and they are only going to get better.

Imagine a Manor with more retail ~ Walmart IS coming… What other businesses would you like to see here?  Imagine a Manor with better infrastructure, services and amenities…  Would you like to have a 973 extension that bypasses downtown Manor? Would you like to have a Parks and Recreation Department that could provide a community center with programs for kids and adults and that could develop and manage a hike and bike trails that connected our neighborhoods and businesses?

Imagine a Manor where residents feel great about their community and want to stay here, shop here, play here, worship here, and volunteer here.

ROAD MAP

I am honored to have been elected by a group of my peers to serve as the 2012 Manor Chamber of Commerce President.  What an exciting time for Manor. Change and growth are upon us.

So, I ask you this…

When you close your eyes and day dream about the Manor of tomorrow…

How do you envision those items on your wish list becoming realities?

Three things will help us get there: a plan, team work, and communication.

POINT ONE – Have a Plan

I have been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years ~ I know what you are thinking…“that doesn’t quite seem possible” since I am only 39.

But, in 2005, I began to fulfill my dream of owning my own business – the restaurant, now known as Good Luck Grill.  I began filling my dream by getting in my car and scouting locations from Georgetown to Round Rock, from Elgin to Taylor, and from Austin to Manor. I could have put my business any where… BUT I chose Manor. I had two unsuccessful attempts at acquiring a location in Manor before I settled on the current location.  But, I felt so strongly that Manor was the place to be.  I kept trying.

I had a plan. I stuck to it.  Finally, in 2007, what I had imagined for so long became a reality.

I am a firm believer that you have to have a plan if you know where you are going.

POINT TWO – Work Together

Mayor Jeff Turner spoke at the Chamber meeting in October.  And he said, “It is our time” He is right. It IS our time!

It is our time to take the Manor Chamber of Commerce to the next level and to expand the benefits that we are currently providing our members.   And, we need to work together, share our visions, and develop a plan.

An integral part of that plan is working with each other and the City to develop a Manor that our businesses can thrive in and that we can all be proud of.

When I was first asked to join the Chamber and became a Board member there was a lot of negative energy in the air regarding the relationship between the City and the Chamber. I wondered, “How do we extend the olive branch? It is a must that we work together for the betterment of our businesses and our community.”

When I think about the relationship between the Chamber and the City…  Well…  I think of my sister, Nishi.  Nishi and I use to fight like cats and dogs when we were younger.  The kicking, punching, pulling hair kind of fighting.  My mom was a stay at home mom and got tired of the sibling disputes quite quickly so, she established a rule very early in our lives, NO Tattle Telling.  And, if we did tattle, we would get in trouble for it.

When I was in the second grade we moved out to the country between Pflugerville and Manor to a two bedroom, one bath farm house. So, Nishi and I had to share a room which of course fueled a few of our sisterly disputes.

The house had lots of windows so, we could see who was coming and going pretty easily and it was one of those houses without any real hall ways. Each door connected directly to the next room and you could walk from room to room and end up back where you started without having to retrace any of your steps.

So, Nishi and I would be beating the tar out each other and each throwing our hateful jabs at each other over whatever we were arguing about that day and suddenly one of us would say. “Mom is coming… Mom is coming… “We were way more scared of Mom in that moment than we were of the other one. The fighting would instantly be over and we’d have our arms around each other’s shoulders.  We were hugging on each other so Mom wouldn’t know we’d just been trying to kill the other one, and we didn’t have to face the wrath of Nadine in the moment or James when he got home.

As we moved into High School and adulthood, Nishi and I became great friends.  We eventually moved out of that little farm house and Nishi and I got our own rooms. Still, we had to share a bathroom. We still had plenty of fights, but what our Mom’s no “Tattling Telling Policy” taught us was to rely on one another to listen to one another and have each others back.

In our Manor Family the City is the Chamber’s sibling and while we have had disagreements with them in the past – and while I am sure we will have disagreements with them in the future; it is OUR TIME to rely one another and to have each others back so that our visions came become a reality.

POINT THREE – Communicate

Building positive growth and development for the betterment of our business community takes planning, and teamwork… but the Cinderella in our story is communication… without it we just have two ugly step sisters.

Before I decided to become an entrepreneur, I had the opportunity to travel through the 4-H program and later through the Peace Corps. I was the Ambassador to Greece for 6 months in 1993 through a 4H program called IFYE and in 1998 I spent 8 months in Ukraine as a business development volunteer through the United States Peace Corps.

While in Greece I stayed with several host families throughout the country.  My favorite host family lived in northern Greece almost up to the Turkish border in a little town called Didimoticho which means “twin wall”. Hundreds of years ago… these walls were used as a barrier to the enemy.

My host mom, Despina is a fabulous cook and if you’ve ever had Greek food… well, it is delicious. Well, we would sit down to the table and my plate would always have the most on it…  And I would say… “Oh my… I can’t eat all of this.”  My host brother, Makis would then say…  “Eat is much as you can.”   And I would do so somehow, thinking that I would be rude if I didn’t eat what was provided for me.  My sister had the opportunity to stay with this family years later and we had a big laugh when she told me she said the same thing to her. It was during this laughter that we figured out that he meant “EATas MUCH as you WANT.’

I realized from this example that communicating effectively is critical. That if you don’t speak up and ask questions or clarify someone else’s point that you might not get exactly what you are looking for.

CONCLUSION

As small business owners, we join the Chamber for various reasons: resources, networking, or other benefits that membership may provide.  But, the bottom line is we want our businesses to be successful.

As your 2012 Manor Chamber of Commerce President, I pledge to you that I will put my best foot forward so that we can obtain the positive growth and development that we wish for to the betterment of our businesses and organizations and the Manor community.

Those items on your wish list for the Manor of tomorrow can become realties…

I ask you to be a part of the process of developing the plan to take ACTION, work as a team so that we can have thoughtful discussions, and communicate our wish list with one another and make our wants real.

Over 1000 exibitors participated with a great showing from the Manor, Cele, Richland, Pflugerville community.  It was wonderful to sit in the audience at the auction and watch these fine young people participate in the auction and display pride in something in the same way I once did as a member of the Richland 4-H club.  Click here to learn about one local girl profiled in the Blackland Reporter http://blacklandreporter.com/2012/01/24/travis-county-youth-show-auction/

It was also a privledge to provide food for the judges of the Youth Fair.  This show is supported by volunteers.  They donate their time and money to make our community a better place.  To support the Travis County Youth Show in any way please contact them at (512) 278-9498 or visit them on the web at http://www.traviscountyyouthshow.org.  They will continue to accept auction ad ons through next Friday February 3rd.

Photos are courtesy of www.blacklandreporter.com.

We at the Good Luck Grill support you and want to share a few ideas to help you achieve your health goals!

What if the conversation wasn’t really focused on shrinking waistlines, but instead what we want MORE of…. Like more health, more confidence, more strength, more satisfaction!

Here are a few things we are trying to incorporate:

Spinach Salad with Sesame

1.       More Veggies!Have a salad with lunch and dinner.

2.       More Enjoyment! Enjoy your food more by eating more slowly.

3.       More Satisfaction! Eat what you want but don’t overeat– leave SATISFIED not STUFFED.  If you are hungry later have a snack.  On a fullness scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being “I’m so hungry I am about to gnaw my toes” and 10 being “I am so full I think I might suffocate,” shoot for leaving the table with a level 5 fullness.  We have been experimenting with this for a few months now and find that it helps me not overeat.

4.       More Muscle! Do muscle building exercise 3 or more times a week.  Remember… “Strong is the new skinny!”  The more you increase muscle mass in your body, the more you increase your metabolism.

For me and most people I know, diets have never worked and they are wildly unsatisfying.  If one of the ideas above resonates with you, we look forward to getting your feedback.  Wishing you MORE health and MORE happiness in 2012 and always!