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Did You Know?By Connie McFall ClarkH ans Heinrich Dietrich Knibbe traveled from Germany to start a new life for his family in the Texas hill country. They traveled by sea on the George Dillus. Unfortunately the vessel ran into a reef sailing into the Texas coast and in order to keep the ship from sinking, all farming equipment was tossed overboard. He lost his wife on the voyage but later married the widow Bernadine Fledermann in New Braunfels. The two moved to western Comal County and established a ranch. As Spring Branch’s first pioneer in 1852, Hans established a homestead on 22,000 acrespurchased for one dollar per acre.His family was joined by five additionalfamilies - Elbel, Porter, Imhoff, Horne, andFuhrmann between 1854 and 1856. These six farms were equally divided along opposite banks of Spring Creek, a small spring-fed creek which flowed for 1.5 miles into the Guadalupe River. That community of farms became Spring Branch once a post office was established in 1858.There were four Knibbe brothers originally but two decided to sell their share of land and two of the brothers remained on the original homestead. It is still part of the Knibbe family. The family prospered in the area and in the early 1900s, Spring Branch was an established community. Grandson Herman Knibbe and wife Ada Ohlrich Knibbe built their 1910 home in the then-thriving community. The Herman and Ada Knibbe home is located at 9981 Spring Branch Road. The beautifully-crafted homebuilt by Dietrich’s grandson still stands and is a testament to the successful family in this once remote area. Fifth-generation Charles Knibbe and wife Sharon Hill Knibbe live in the well-preserved home and operate the Knibbe Ranch across the road. The home was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 2018.The Knibbe Ranch is still in operation today and is one of the few“century heritage ranches” left in the state of Texas. The ranch has been a continuous agricultural endeavor in cattle for over a century and is full of German heritage and culture as introduced by Hans Knibbe.Contact me at connieclark. conniecanwrite@gmail.com with historical events, people and places!electricity markets.The League of Women Voters is a 501(c)3, nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation in government and influencesConnie McFall Clarkspotlights historical and human interest stories from the area. www.conniecanwrite.compublic policy through education and advocacy. LWV never supports or opposes candidates for office, or political parties. For more information, go to lwvcomal.org.ERCOT Predicts Texas Power Demand Will Double By 2030. What’s The Solution?BSubmitted By Helena MacCrossanefore Winter Storm Uri hit Texas in February 2021, few Texans knew about or often through of ERCOT.Since then, we now see frequent news reports about how ERCOT continues to navigate the precarious balance between supply and demand. In June 2024, ERCOT president and CEO Pablo Vegas told state lawmakers that power demand in Texas is growing even faster than expected. ERCOT had previously estimated overall capacity would need to grow from 85,000 to 110,000 MW by 2030, but nearly doubled that estimate to 150,000 MW.But how will ERCOT keep up as Texans’ energy usage continue to rise? Join the League of Women Voters Comal Area on Wednesday, November 20th at 6 p.m. at Tye Preston Memorial Library (16311 S Access Rd, Canyon Lake, TX 78133) for a discussion led by Beth Garza, former Director of the ERCOT Independent Market Monitor.Included in the discussion will be the intricacies of Texas’s power grid, its structure, challenges, and its role in ensuring a stable energy supply for the state. Texas2024 Nonpartisan Voters Guide Live At Vote411.orgmarket design and ideas for improvement, understanding and managing the supply mix combined with increasing demand. Do we need a new entity to be a distribution system operator, or could other utilities or ERCOT play that role? Why does Texas keep experiencing mass power outages, and are outages likely to continue?The League of Women Voters Comal Area is honored to host Beth Garza. She served as Director of the ERCOT Independent Market Monitor from 2014-2019, after serving as the Deputy Director since 2008. Ms. Garza is a renowned industry leader in electricity market design and is known for her ability to convey the most complicated nuances ofDSubmitted By Helena MacCrossano you know who’s on your ballotthis election day? Ahead of thegeneral election on November 5th, the League of Women Voters Comal Area (LWVCA) offers the nonpartisan election resource VOTE411.org. This “one-stop shop” for election information provides Comal and Guadalupe County voters with simple, accessible tools to help them navigate the voting process. VOTE411 provides personalized candidate information, voter registration details, polling place locations, and other helpful election information for all voters nationwide.“This November election includes offices from local School Boards and County Commissioners to state Representative and Senators as well as US President, Senator and Representatives. It is crucial voters in the Comal Area make their voices heard this election year,” said Jerrie Champlin, LWVCA President. “VOTE411 is the nation’s premiere online election resource that provides voters with the resources they need to make an informed vote this fall. Our local League has published the voter guide on VOTE411 as a resource for all area voters and will bedistributing printed copies throughout the two counties starting October 10.”With resources available in both English and Spanish, VOTE411 helps millions each year — many of them young people and first-time voters — learn more about what’s on their ballot, where candidates stand on the issues, how to find their polling place, and more.The LWVCA has been assisting local school districts in registering students turning 18, providing registration and election information at local libraries, community centers and community events for the past 3 months. In early October, recorded candidate forums for local races will be posted to the LWVCA YouTube channel. More information is available at lwvcomal.org/voting. Champlin added, “the League encourages voters to visit VOTE411. org to make a voting plan so they are prepared to cast their vote confidently.”Early voting in Texas will take place from October 21st-November 1st, ahead of Election Day on November 5th, 2024. Make your plan to vote today.RELAX...we got this!Try MaidPro today and sweep up this exclusive offer:$125 $25 OFF YOUR 2ND, 4TH,AND 6TH CLEANINGSReference Stone Oak Highlights and also receive a FREE Fridge or oven Clean! $50 value.Use Code: BSHL 125OFFCall 210-664-4884 or visit maidpro.com/stone-oak4www.bsbhighlights.comNovember 2024