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Flood - continued from page 7constraints typically required in flood-prone zones.On a Positive Note:More than 850 people were rescued. Amid the devastation, countless volunteers and heroes stepped forward with courage and compassion. Their deeds are powerful reminders of humanity at its best:--Scott Ruskan, a 26-year-old rescue swimmer on his first mission with the U.S. Coast Guard, rescued 165 campers at Camp Mystic, many of them young girls, by setting up triage and comforting them until aircraft arrived. He carried the youngest children to safety and stayed behind to coordinate evacuations when others were called elsewhere.--First responders worked 13+ hours straight, often without backup, using improvised gear like garden hoses to reach victims. Kerrville PD officers worked 16 to 20-hour shifts, some even volunteering on their days off to search for missing persons. They evacuated more than 200 people door-to-door before sunrise.--FEMA and state agencies opened disaster recovery centers and launched online portals for individual assistance applications. Kerrville-born companies like H-E-B and James Avery deployed mobile kitchens and donated resources to flood victims. --Groups like Lone Star Heroes Outdoors and Heroes for Humanity, made up of veterans and first responders, navigated treacherous terrain, used chainsaws to clear debris, and even conducted underwaterrecovery missions.--Emma Foltz, a college student and counselor, saved 14 campers during the flood despite recently losing her mother. --David Chambers, an RV park owner, evacuated all 15 guests just minutes before floodwater engulfed the area.--Jonathan McComb, who lost his family in a 2015 flood, returned as a volunteer to help others through their grief.--9-year-old Corrigan Camp and her twin brother raised over $5,000 for flood relief by selling lemonade and cookies in Fort Worth.The call for help was nothing short of extraordinary, with thousands of volunteers mobilizing across Central Texas to help in search, rescue, and recovery efforts. Center Point Fire Department coordinated over 600 volunteers on July 7 alone. Ingram Volunteer Fire Department led a team of 700 volunteers covering 70 square miles. Kerr County Sheriff reported that more than 2,000 volunteers had offered help in Kerr County alone.Within 12 days, volunteers searched more than 100 miles of the river for victims. Many were veterans, first responders, and civilians from across Texas and neighboring states. Organizations like Texas EquuSearch, Mission Mules, and the United Cajun Navy deployed specialized teams with boats, dogs, and even mules to navigate debris-filled terrain. Volunteers included parents, teachers, retirees, and even children, all driven by compassion and a desire to help.These stories reflect people who had compassion and refused to be broken. From seasoned rescuers to brave children, they showed that even in the darkest moments, light can shine through. God bless Texas.Second Act Productions’ Sizzled With Six, Teen EditionFront Row: Sadie Neal, Penelope Arumburu, Pia Alacazar, Presley Lucio, Mia SernaMiddle Row: (seated queens): Amira Rivera, Melynn Hill, Francesca CastilloBack Row: Victoria Abercrombie, Lyla Shelby, Lyric Haas, Kenzie English, Carson "Poppy" Jones, Patrick O'Hern, Kylie Diepenbrock, Adalyn O'HernBy Kelly LepeskaIn June, twelve young performers took the stage at Second Act Productions to perform Six, Teen Edition. Featuringtheir time on the stage. Though it was her first time performing at Second Act, Kinzey English, an incoming senior at Smithsonian Valley gave a breathtaking, heart wrenching performance of the ballad “Heart of Stone.” Second Act has year round programs for students of all ages and skill levels- including opportunities for adults to rediscover the passions of their youth or to just learn a new skill.Most recently, seventeen students in third through tenth grade gave a magical performance of the new Disney Jr musical, Dare to Dream Jr. With his signature energy, Jonah Furtek, a fifth grader at Vineyard Ranch Elementary, rocked the house. Allie Moreland, tenth grader from Pieper Ranch and Andrew Landtroop from Bush Middle School led the new crop of Disney Junior Imagineers and helped them learn how to reach for their dreams.As summer winds down, Second Act keeps chugging along with plays, musicals, and Open Mic Nights offered each month for our community to enjoy For more information on how you can be more involved with Stone Oak’s very own black box community theater, follow on social media or visit: secondactsa.com or contact them at: info@secondactsa.com• Keep looking. Though it’s hard to confirm various online claims regarding how many applications the average job seeker submits before landing a new job, various sources indicate a person can expect to apply for as many as 200 jobs before successfully finding new work. That’s a lot of leg work and frustration, but it’s vital that professionals avoid waving the white flag. A new opportunity will eventually arise, particularly for those who fully commit to finding a new job.The modern job market can be difficult to navigate. But diligent and dedicated professionals who commit to the process can land a fulfilling job.Tips To Find A Job In The Modern Marketapply in a few minutes or less.The modern job market certainlyrequires a different approach to finding a job than in years past. However, some useful points can help talented professionals find their next job.• Hone your networking skills. Networking is a vital skill for modern professionals, including those looking for a new job. Though internet reports suggest as much as 85 percent of job openings are now filled through networking, that data has been debunked and characterized as a myth. Still, networking can help professionals learn about openings before they’re listed (if they’re even listed at all) and also provide insight into a company’s culture.• Create a visible online profile. LinkedIn was long considered the go-to platform for professionals to establish an online profile, and that’s largely still the case. Though some LinkedIn users complain that jobs advertised on the site are not removed even weeks after they’ve been filled and others feel the site has become a more traditional social networking site and less a professional networking platform in recent years, it’s still a go-to platform among human resourcesstudents from our local community, this show engaged audiences from start to finish. Every night during the opening song, rising junior, Francesca Castillo would ask the audience, “Remember us from PBS?” The queens would each then sing their own personal tales, shedding a different light on the history of the British monarchy- specifically the six marriages of King Henry VIII.“One benefit of doing the teen version of this show is that it allowed for an ensemble,” said owner and director Kelly Lepeska. For two weeks, these students attended an intense“bootcamp”style rehearsal schedule, rehearsing for 4 -5 hours every day. Then, it was showtime! The cast was comprised of teens ranging in ages from 14-18 from all around our community and beyond. With students from Reagan, Smithson Valley, L.E.E., ISA, Churchill, Sotomayor, and even homeschool programs, Second Act Productions cultivates a true community theater experience. Connecting students with like minded students outside of their usual bubble helps them gain life skills and friendships that will last far beyondprofessionals and recruiters. In fact, a recent report from Jobvite found that 87 percent of recruiters utilize LinkedIn to identify candidates. So while some may view LinkedIn as less useful than it used to be, HR professionals continue to value it.• Create an informative online profile.It’s important to have an online profile in the modern professional world and equally vital to make that profile as informative as possible. Avoid lengthy sentences that HR professionals and others are unlikely to read in favor of bullet points of relevant experiences and skills. It’s possible to be both concise and informative, and professionals should aspire to be both when crafting their online profile.PBy Staffseeking a new job. But that challenge grewrofessionals know that standing out in a crowded field of applicants has long been a challenge whensignificantly more difficult in the internet era, when it became vastly easier and quicker to apply for a new opportunity but simultaneously more difficult to stand out from the many other applicants who couldFull-Service Bar Indoor & Outdoor Seating Food Truck ServicePet & Kid Friendly33855 Blanco Road Bulverde, TX 78163(830) 438-4425Aug.Special!50% offA BOTTLE OF WINEMention Or Bring This Adwww.thatplaceob.comExpires 8-30-2510www.bsbhighlights.comAugust 2025