Page 4 - HH_5_24

Did You Know?WBy Cynthia Leal Masseyhen Max C. Toepperwein Jr. was looking for a new place to put down roots and start a businessin the early 1950s, he saw the potential along Bandera Road, then a two-lane road.Toepperwein purchased a 250-acre dairy farm near Loop 1604 and Leslie Road. An avid hunter, Max also purchased a five-acre tract on the southwest corner of Bandera and Leslie Roads, where he built a store he called “Toepperwein’s, a family-owned sporting goods store, gas station, and ice house. Today, Broadway Bank and Starbucks occupy the property.The Toepperwein family, which included Max, his wife Lottie, their six children Joanne, Max III “Butch,” Charles, William, Hugh, and Harry–and Max’s parents, Max Sr. and Clara, moved to Helotes from Leon Springs in 1950. The Toepperwein’s were part of a large clan that immigrated from Germany in 1851, first settling in Fredericksburg. Max’s grandfather, Herman, the youngest son, purchased a 400-acre ranch in northwest Bexar County, land which now comprises the Dominion subdivision.Opened in 1951, Toepperwein’s was thefirst business people saw as they approached Helotes after driving several miles through open countryside. A popular stop along the way to other hill country attractions, the store carried ammunition, ice, drinks, groceries, gas, hunting and fishing licenses, provided game storage and supplied fishing tackle.The children helped their parents at the store, which was opened six days a week, closed on Wednesdays. “In those days, you serviced cars, pumped the 25-cent gas, got the bait, crushed ice. It was not a one-man operation,” said William.Toepperwein’s became well known throughout South Texas as a sportsman’s headquarters and was one of the longest running stores in town, operating from 1951 until 1977. Max Jr. passed away in 1975, at age 58. His wife and children operated the store for another year and a half, and then leased the property for several years, finally selling it in 2001, after Lottie died.Today, mega sports stores have replaced such family-owned businesses as Toepperwein’s. While megastores provide a myriad of options for the sportsman that smaller stores cannot, they can’t replaceToepperwein’s, shown in this 1970s-era photograph during the Cornyval Parade, was the first business visitors saw as they approached Helotes after driving several miles through open countryside.Mayor’s CornerThe Dutiful Public ServantTDear Residents,here is a common misconception that politicians are self-serving and live cushy lives off tax dollars.While that may occur in certain federal positions, it is certainly not the case at the local level. The local level of politics is where the rubber meets the road and where decisions are toiled over because they directly affect each of our neighbors and the community we live in. Endless hours of policy review, discussions with the public, meetings, and answering every letter of complaint and FB comment comprise the life of a local government official. And locally, there is no cushy life to go with it as all of our elected officials in Helotes actually volunteer their time as there are no salaries.Our citizens run for local government positions purely out of altruistic reasons: to make their communities the best they can be. We are not perfect, and there will always be someone that is not pleased with every decision, but we must remember to assess the performance of our volunteers based on the sum total of all our decisions and the overall health and direction of the city, of which I’m pleased to say that our city is currently doing very well! I would like to take this opportunity to appreciate our city council members, and ask you to join me in thanking Craig Sanders, Jen Sones, Matt Merchant, David Cato, and especially Cynthia Massey who will bethe personalized service that family-run operations provide. As the late Jim Benke, who frequented Toepperwein’s recalled, “There was always a group of people who showed up to throw the bull around.” The latest hunting expeditions and outlandish “fish stories” were a staple.Joanne Harris, Max’s daughter, says that Toepperwein’s had several tables in the back of the store and “old dairymen” would come by during the day and some evenings and play Pitch, a trick-taking card game. Although coffee was available, beer was the beverage of choice, no doubt contributingto raucous card games.Toepperwein’s is long gone, but thespirit of the place lingers on. Think on that as you sip your Starbucks coffee or linger in the Broadway Bank lobby.Cynthia Leal Masseyis the author of severalhistories on Helotes.Visit her website at https://cynthialealmassey.com.retiring from service next month after 16 years of volunteering her time as an elected councilmember.Local government also includes boards and commissions also comprised of volunteers. I would like to publicly thank our Board of Adjustment members Elizabeth Mendez, Charles Roberts, Bob Logue, Todd Compton, and Brian McKee; our Economic Development Corporation members Blaine Lopez, John Kodosky, Melissa Benevides, Jeff Felty, Greg Hayden, Joel Lutz, and newly appointed Austin Lane; Planning and Zoning commissioners Anne Carraway, Buck Russel, Jason Wightman, Alex Blue, and Gregg Michel; and our Ethics commissioners Michael Duff, Shawna Misiong, Maggie Scheuneman, Joseph Bohac, Derek Mathis, Jesse Saldana, and Robert Hoeppner. The list of former public servants is too long to list, but deserves our praise as well. Please take a moment to appreciate all our neighbors that continually give selflessly to keep Helotes the best it can be!Sincerely,Rich WhiteheadRich WhiteheadMayorThank You To My Helotes ConstituentsMy final term as your City Council representative, Place 4, ends May 6. It has been a privilege to serve the citizens of Helotes for 16 years, but I opted not to run for re-election for a ninth term. In my tenure as your representative, my sole desire has been to advocate for the desires of my constituents and to follow State and local law regarding what a City Council could do legally to either prevent something from happening or to make something happen. Sometimes these two desires were in conflict, and I voted for things that some constituents found objectionable, especially regarding development.In regard to development, as we all know, “you can’t stop progress,” if indeed you want to call expanded highways, more residential subdivisions, and commercial buildings progress. In that regard, Helotes is progressing rapidly. Whether you like it or not, that is where we are now in 2024. Maybe we did too good a job of promoting our historic town.In closing, I would like to acknowledge my full support for your new City Council representative, Sabrina McGowan, who will be taking my seat. Sabrina was raised in Helotes and, after several years away, returned with her husband Patrick to livein the town of her youth. She is smart, savvy, and understands the importance of communication. She will be a fine City Council member.Thank you again for allowing me to serve you, Helotes. It has been a highlight of my life and a great honor.Cynthia Leal MasseyCynthia Leal Massey4www.heloteshighlights.comMay 2024