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Some History of the Ledbetter Fire Department as it Turns 75

The Ledbetter Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate its 75th anniversary at the department’s annual Firemen’s Feast this Saturday, Oct. 8. Back in 1997, when the department celebrated its 50th anniversary, several members compiled a history of the local fire department. The following was researched and compiled in 1997 by the late Rodger Matthijetz in collaboration with Kermit Blume. Edited by H. Margaret Eaves and Jan Matthijetz.

Archeology Day at Kreische Brewery And Monument Hill this Saturday

Kreische Brewery & Monument Hill State Historic Sites will host their second annual Archeology Day on Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year, staff and volunteers are excited to share even more family activities and behind the scenes information to community members curious about the field of Texas archeology. During Archeology Day, a special $1 admission fee will apply to local students. Regular admission fees apply to parents, guardians, and other visitors. This year’s activities will include mock excavations, pottery making and mending, lessons on the archeology of trash, and more. Archeological tours and partner-led bioprospecting walks (guided expeditions to collect yeast samples from the brewery grounds) will also be offered for curious visitors, young and old alike. “We are excited to host these hands-on activities and tours not only to share the history of our sites, but also to highlight the science involved in investigating the past,” sites educator Jenny Townzen says. “Archeology starts with a research question and involves field methods to lead to a better understanding of the people before us, from 50 years to thousands of years ago. It follows the scientific process and concludes with informed guesses based on the data you collect.” To mimic the methods of an archeologist, young community members will receive a special Field Notebook to guide them through the various activity stations. Each station will encourage visitors to think outside of the box about how the material culture of the past, as well as the present, define them. Once visitors complete these stations, they’ll receive a “Junior Archeologist” badge as a reward for their investigatory and critical thinking skills. In addition to these activities, visitors will have a chance to speak with THC Archeological Stewards who can provide more information about the archeology of Fayette County and beyond. If community members have an unknown artifact at home, they are welcome to bring it to archeology day where stewards can attempt to identify it and provide information about the object’s history. “Kreische Brewery is one of the premier archeological sites of the Texas Historical Commission,” says Townzen. “The material culture found from the excavations by Texas Parks and Wildlife in the 1970s and 1980s provides a voice to the Kreische family that would have been lost without the careful recording of the information. Now that we have these reports, it’s our job to continue to share the Kreische story and teach others about the importance of preserving the past too.”

Africanized Honey Bees – What You Need to Know

Africanized honey bees are a hybrid of our normal honey bee and an African honey bee. They have a mixture of genetics from both types of bee and the amount of mixing varies. It is possible for a honey bee colony to have only a small amount of Africanized genes and not be aggressive. But a different colony may have a lot and be very aggressive and dangerous. Our normal honey bees are referred to as European honey bees because they were brought here from Europe, beginning in the 1600s. Genes can be mixed when a European honey bee queen mates with an male “drone” honey bee that is Africanized, or vice versa.

For the Record

The Central Texas Food truck has changed their delivery date for Fayetteville. The next delivery will be Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 10-11 a.m. This will replace the 1st Thursday date from previous distribution. Inform your friends of the change.

LG Police Investigating Auto Thefts

La Grange Police are looking for information regarding two vehicles that were stolen in town on Wednesday, Sept. 28.

Old Bealls Still Awaiting its Transition to Training Center

Back in March, Region 13 Education Service Center announced they had purchased the old Bealls building in La Grange at 215 Ellinger Rd. Initially, they hoped to begin educator training services in the building as early as this year.

Muldoon Museum/Courthouse to Be Renovated

Fayette County Commissioners accepted and awarded a bid for renovations to the Muldoon Museum. The museum is housed in the old Muldoon Justice of the Peace Courthouse.

4-H Week Proclaimed

Fayette County Commissioners signed a proclamation last Wednesday, Sept. 28, designating the week of Oct. 2-8 as National 4-H Week in Texas. Representatives from each 4-H club in the County (pictured above) appeared at the meeting. Leaders of those clubs gave the court an update on their activities throughout the year. See pages B2-B3 for more.