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Did You Know?By Cynthia Leal MasseyT he Helotes Cornyval Festival started as a street festival and an art show to celebrate the dedication of a new post office building (now Doris Young & Company, Realtors) on Old Bandera Road the first Saturday in May 1966. A few hundred people attended the festival, which was so successful that the next year the Helotes Festival Association (HFA) was founded to sponsor the celebration annually as a fundraiser forparticipating local nonprofit organizations. Known as the Helotes Cornyval, derived from the town’s name and from the history that corn played in the area, the annualfestival is a tribute to the area’s heritage.In 1967, a Miss Helotes Scholarship pageant and parade were added. Grand marshals and honorary grand marshals who have led the parade include Helotes “senior statesman” Alex Parrigin, U.S. Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez, State Senator Frank Madla, and actors “Big John” Hamilton and ET star Henry Thomas. Texas singer-songwriter Willie Nelson was the grand marshal of the 1971 Cornyval Parade, along with John T. Floore who served as honorary grand marshal that year. The 2006 Cornyval parade was rained out, the first time in its 39- year history.Over the years, the Helotes Cornyval grew to a four-day festival of food, dancing, music, PRCA rodeo, arts and crafts booths, carnival rides, and contests. In 1989, the festival moved from Old Town Helotes after the HFA purchased a fifteen-acre site on Leslie Road. In 1996, the HFA purchased nine more acres, and a year later added several more to bring the Cornyval site to 44.2 beautiful tree- studded acres.The festival’s growing popularity and ever increasing crowds — around 75,000 in recent years — were major factors in obtaining a larger site. The grounds include a covered pavilion and dance area, rodeo arena and box seats, an office building, permanent restroom facilities, and booths. The Festival grounds are now used throughout the yearDancing has always been a part of Cornyval. In this May 1968 photograph taken in downtown Helotes, festival attendees appear to be dancing to the popular country tune, “Cotton-Eyed Joe.” Only Leroy Galm Jr, on the far right, is identified.by various organizations.This year’s 58th Cornyval Festival will beheld from Thursday, May 4 through Sunday, May 7. The parade, taken over by the City of Helotes in May 2010, will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, May 6. This year’s parade theme is “Peace, Love, and Corn: A Tribute to the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.”Visit https://cornyval.org/ for up-to-dateinformation on ticket prices, performances, and activities.Cynthia Leal Masseyis the author of severalbooks and articles on thehistory of the area. Visither website at https://cynthialealmassey.com.BAy Lou Dugganpproximately 33 percent ofnot be aware. Such as:Fences & Security: HOAs are prohibitedfrom adopting or enforcing any restrictive covenant that prevents a property owner from building or installing security measures, including but not limited to a security camera, motion detector, or perimeter fence. However, an HOA can regulate the type of fencing.Display of Religious Items: New law prohibits restricting an owner or resident from displaying a religious item anywhere on the owner’s dwelling or property.Swimming Pools: HOAs cannot prevent a property owner from installing a swimming pool enclosure if it conforms to state or local safety requirements.Board Meeting Notification: New law requires notice of a regular board meetingbe posted and sent to the registered email address of HOA members at least 144 hours prior to the meeting.Board Budget: All amendments to the HOA annual budget must be approved by the board of directors at an open board meeting.Gated Communities: If gated, an HOA quarterly assessment will be more expensive than ungated. This is due to HOA responsibilities for maintenance of gates and streets.Additional Closing Costs: When a home within an HOA goes to closing there are additional costs, more so than properties not within an HOA. In the Bulverde/Spring Branch area an HOA Working Capital Fee of $1,000 is common. An HOA Resale Package Fee of $357 is also typical. There is also a charge of 0.25% of home sales price for an HOA Community Enhancement fee. Thus, 0.25% of a $365,000 sales price calculates to a Community Enhancement fee of $912.50.HOAs---Some Things You May Not KnowPart 4 of a multi-part series on HOAs---The Good, Bad, and UglyTexas homeowners live in aHomeowners Association (HOA). HOAs are attractive because they generally provide “country-club living without the golf course.” Swimming pools, gyms, trails, dog parks, manicured common areas, community centers, monthly activities--- all are common to HOAs. More amenities indicate more regulations and higher monthly fees.Each HOA community has its own unique covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs). It is important that each homeowner review these rules of ownership. In 2021 the Texas Legislature passed new bills that impact laws governing Texas HOAs. Thus, there are some new guidelines of which the homeowner mayPlus, usually there is an upfront charge for the quarterly HOA Assessment fee. In this case $210; most are higher. An HOA Delivery fee of $18 will be charged for online transactions. In this example, HOA fees should be anticipated in addition to usual closing costs in the amount of $2,497.50.Next month: HOAs---Residents’ RightsHELOTES DERMA AESTHETICSLocated Inside Helotes MedClinicExpert CareFor Your Skin!Treatment For:ACNE • ROSACEA • SKIN TIGHTENING HYPERPIGMENTATION • SKIN REJUVENATIONServices Include: BOTULINUM TOXIN • (BOTOX®/DYSPORT®) MICRODERMABRASION • PHOTOTHERAPY DERMA FILLERS • SKIN TAGS & MORE!Se Habla Españolwww.helotesdermaaesthetics.com12002 Bandera Rd Suite 111 78023 • (210) 947-2640I Spy With My Little Eye... ContestLBy Alissa Reinhardook carefully, search each and every page, up and down, left and right, front to back, and then backto front.Don’t give up! If you can find the hiddenbaby & momma bird you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a $50!Just email the page number and location where you spotted the baby & momma bird to contest@highlightspub.com.Deadline is May 10, 2023.We hope you’ll have fun with our versionof a mini-scavenger hunt within our pages. Good Luck!Congratulations to our AprilI Spy winner Robin Pool4www.heloteshighlights.comMay 2023