Page 4 - HH_9_25

Did You Know?The Browns moved to Scenic Loop Playground in December 1954, and Lucy saw in Helotes a perfect place to fulfill her dream of starting a newspaper. From the start, Lucy was the driving force behind the publication. Charlie continued his day job and helped with Echo business after he returned home.Lucy Perkins Brown died of a heart attack on November 7, 1988, after serving as editor of the Helotes Echo for 27 years. Heartbroken, Charlie sold the Echo to Marie Hicks of the Hill Country Recorder in February 1989. The Echo has been in continuous publication as a monthly, biweekly or weekly under various editors and publishers, changing in 2015 to a primarily digital format.A new historical exhibit about the Helotes Echo founders and the early days of the newspaper can be viewed at Helotes City Hall.good job of building sales tax revenues, and property manage our funds, we end up with a surplus savings. These savings allow us to pay for 1-time purchases such as fire trucks, buildings, and police cars.But what happens with excessive savings after debts and purchases have been made? In my opinion, this is where we have an obligation to return monies to The People in the form of reduced property taxes, most specifically from the Maintenance and Operations (M & O) portion of property tax. There are some that would demand that we keep taxing and just increaseTBy Cynthia Leal Masseyhe Helotes Echo newspaper started as a weekly in September 1961 by Lucy Perkins Brown(1916-1988) and her husband, Charles O. Brown (1916-2000). When Lucy got a position teaching journalism at Holmes High School soon after, she suspended publication. Six years later, in 1967, they resumed the newspaper as a monthly.Lucy was born with “ink in her blood,” in Sioux City, Iowa. Her father, Sam Perkins, was editor of the Sioux City Journal, founded by her grandfather, George D. Perkins, who had once been an agent of the Northwestern Associated Press. A member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa from 1891-1899, G. D. Perkins had a long and illustrious career in politics and asa newspaperman.After her father’s death in 1925, Lucymoved with her mother, twin brother Douglas, and sister Drusilla to San Antonio. She attended Edison High School, where she met her future husband, Charlie. Lucy was valedictorian and Charlie was salutatorian for the class of 1933.The couple married after graduation and moved to Austin where they both received degrees in journalism from the University of Texas in 1938. In the Air Force during the war years, Charlie edited a base news publication in Sioux City.The couple transferred to San Antonio and both became teachers, she at Marshall and Holmes High Schools, he at Jefferson High School and St. Mary’s University. Lucy also worked as a San Antonio News reporter and on the Texas Livestock Journal.The first Helotes Echo office was located in a small cabin in Old Town on Bandera Road. Photo circa 1970.Cynthia Leal Masseyis the author of several books on the historyof Helotes. For more information, visit her website, cynthialealmassey. com, and her Facebook page, CLM Books.government services, wages, and other special interest projects. In my opinion, and what I will continue to lead towards, is a balanced approach to increasing services while diligently honoring you, the taxpayer, with reduced taxes. Who knows, we may eventually reach the goal of being TAX FREE!Sincerely,Rich WhiteheadRich Whitehead MayorMayor’s CornerLong Term Goal - No TaxesDStrategic management of a business or a municipality includes long- term goals and planning. Over the past 4 years I have implemented, and achieved, my short and medium-term goals of restoring fiscal management of city funds as evidenced by restoring financial reserves from 2.3 months to 15 months, enhanced city employee wages by 21%, and enhanced public safety with 8 additional police officers, all while reducing property taxes 4 consecutive years.So what could be next? What could we accomplish as a city to make our citizens even more proud of their hometown? How about a debt free city and NO PROPERTY TAXES? Well, for one thing, due to a negotiated deal with our Economic Development Corporation, we are well on our way to becoming debt free and will do so in 9 years, if not sooner. By default, this will reduce, and eliminate, the Interest and Sinking (I & S) portion of your property tax, aear Residents,significant step towards my long-term goal of becoming a property tax free city.While I am confident we can become debt free, becoming property tax free maynotbeareality,butitisagoalanda target for which I am incorporating in my administration of the city. In my opinion, The People pay taxes, both property and sales, to pay for necessary public services through wages and raises. When we do aResidents Opposing Wastewater In Helotes Creek Garner Global AttentionRBy Lesli Hicks Leeesidents opposing the prospect of 1 million gallons a day of treated wastewater coursing through theHelotes Creek watershed are shining an international spotlight onto what is more than a local issue.The yearslong effort in summer alone has meant attention from KSAT TV, the local ABC affiliate, and Texas Public Radio, part of National Public Radio – in coverage of a proposed residential development called Guajolote Ranch by Florida-based Lennar Corp., west of Scenic Loop and Babcock roads, that would discharge the wastewater. The role of the “fourth estate” or free press in civic discourse is on full display with this cause.In July, the effort to stop the development notably drew attention in publications in Spain, Germany and France, with the latter publication Les Actualites emphasizing scientific caution. Scientists and area residents alike warn of pollutants from the wastewater, from fecal matter not fully treated to harmful PFAS “forever chemicals”and pharmaceuticals not treatedat all.In addition, Guajolote Ranch’s ownersare seeking a so-called Public Improvement District, or PID, from the county that would allow Lennar to finance the wastewater plant and other infrastructure to the tune of $138 million from taxes paid by new homeowners in the development.“Essentially, the county would be authorizing public dollars to finance the pollution, and for private profit,” said Steve Lee, a member of the steering committeeHelotes Creek - continued on page 11 September 2025your local geico agent makes bundling simple.Home + Auto = easyLOCAL OFFICERod Musslewhite210-673-2391¡Hablamos Español!Limitations apply. See geico.com for more details. GEICO & affiliates. Washington, DC 20076. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2022. © 2022 GEICO. 21_6333121294www.heloteshighlights.com