GOVERNMENT MEETINGS: For the week of Dec. 19
Tuesday, Dec. 20 Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District 9 a.m. public hearing 607 N. Vandeveer…
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PEC won’t return in-person payment option to lobbies
An artist’s rendition showing what the Pedernales Electric Cooperative plans to do to the front lobbies of its regional offices helped convince five members of the Board of Directors to vote against reinstating in-person bill payments. Indoor bill-paying kiosks as shown in the image should be available in most regional offices in the next three months, staff reported. Courtesy image
In a rare 5-2 split vote, the Pedernales Electric Cooperative board rejected a resolution by Director James Oakley to reinstate in-person bill payments in co-op front offices. Director Travis Cox was the only board member to join Oakley in voting to reopen regional lobbies to accept cash or check payments.
“I went to the Marble Falls office and had two people come in within 10 minutes to pay their bills because the kiosk wasn’t working right,” said Oakley, adding that the kiosks are outside and are drive-through. “I think it’s important we focus on the members. This is a member-owned co-op. I think members ought to be able to come in and pay bills like they have in the past.”
The board closed front offices to payments in August, noting that members could pay via the outside kiosks, a SmartHub app on their phones, the PEC website, or automatic withdrawals.
Over 81 percent of all payments are handled through automated or self-service functions, PEC Chief Operations Officer Eddie Dauterive told the board. He explained why the change was made in the first place.
“We are trying to use this opportunity to encourage our members to go to paperless or autopay,” he said. “It’s a cost savings to members; it’s a cost savings to us.”
Oakley said the process has been bumpy and inconvenient for some members.
“I realize it’s a minority number of members (paying in person), but they are still members,” he said.
Director Travis Cox agreed with Oakley about the poor optics when it comes to member services. The transition in August caused enough trouble at front offices that PEC hired security guards, which now greet anyone coming in the front door.
“With security guards posted at each office, it doesn’t feel like a co-op anymore,” he said. “We say, ‘Think like a member,’ and we need to do that.”
The cooperative had “Think like a member” trademarked after adopting the phrase as a company-wide initiative.
In his slide show, Dauterive presented an artist’s rendering of the co-op’s final goal in terms of front office service. The picture depicts an indoor kiosk and an available employee who can help members operate it if they have trouble. The kiosks will take cash and checks, Dauterive said.
Having a person handle cash payments over the counter requires special security cameras, cash drawers, safes, employees who are trained to count out their drawers at the end of the day, and armed cash couriers, he continued.
Director Emily Pataki referenced the artist’s drawing as the ultimate goal and asked how long it would take to get each lobby to that point.
“It will be two to three months,” Dauterive said. “We are ordering the kiosks for the front lobbies. Each lobby will need to go through renovations, and we need to move staff around.”
Oakley reiterated that the process as it stands has not been seamless and that the co-op should revert back to its prior practices until all the problems have been solved.
“If you’re going to change boats, you need to make sure the other one floats before you get in it,” he said.
Director Milton Rister agreed the co-op had a problem that needed to be fixed but indicated he would vote no on the resolution.
“As a board member, I agree with what Judge Oakley is putting forward here,” he said. “We need to get on top of this and get it fixed. On the other hand, I can’t vote to actually instruct (CEO) Julie (Parsley) and Eddie (Daurterive) that this is how you should manage. That’s what we hire them to do, and they have to deal with the day-to-day. We deal with the few complaints. Eddie and Julie, I hope you have heard the message here.”
After Dauterive’s presentation, the board took a break for legal counsel to work with Oakley on wording his motion so everyone was clear on his objective.
“The purpose of this is to put the brake on and get more input from members before we change our business model,” Oakley said before his motion was voted down 5-2.
Burnet County Jail bookings for Dec. 9-15, 2022
The following people were arrested and booked into the Burnet County Jail during the period of Dec. 9-15, 2022, according to Burnet County Sheriff’s Office logs. City of residence and release information are listed when available. This list does not constitute an official court document, and all persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Jose Raymond Constancia, 66, of Eden was arrested Dec. 9 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO): failure to appear-sexual assault of a child. Released same day on $60,000 in bonds.
Vincent Philip Hernandez, 35, of Corpus Christi was arrested Dec. 9 by the Marble Falls Police Department (MFPD): indecent assault. Released same day on $5,000 bond.
Jo Lea Hill, 33, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 9 by MFPD: possession of a controlled substance.
Ashton Lee Ozuna, 22, of Kingsland was arrested Dec. 9 by BCSO: possession of drug paraphernalia. Released Dec. 14 on probation.
Jesus Manuel Palmas, 31, of Heartland was arrested Dec. 9 by BCSO: possession of a controlled substance. Released Dec. 11 on $7,500 bond.
Lori Denyse Pederson, 49, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 9 by the Granite Shoals Police Department (GSPD): possession of a controlled substance. Released Dec. 10 on $20,000 bond.
Kurtis Rion Smith, 33, of Kingsland was arrested Dec. 9 by BCSO: insufficient bond-possession of a controlled substance.
Sarah Elizabeth Tinsley, 20, of Spicewood was arrested Dec. 9 by BCSO: possession of a controlled substance.
Spivey Maurice Conwill, 39, of Odessa was arrested Dec. 10 by the Burnet Police Department (BPD): unlawfully carrying a weapon, possession of marijuana, failure to appear-driving while license is invalid. Released Dec. 15 to an outside agency.
Elizabeth Diaz, 43, of Granite Shoals was arrested Dec. 10 by GSPD: insufficient bond-possession of a controlled substance. Released Dec. 15 on $20,000 bond.
Gerardo Gonzalez, 47, of San Antonio was arrested Dec. 10 by BPD: parole violation.
Johnna Denay Johnson, 31, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 10 by the Bertram Police Department (BTPD): capias pro fine-failure to maintain financial responsibility. Released Dec. 13 with credit for time served.
Jacob Matthew Mullikin, 18, of Liberty Hill was arrested Dec. 10 by BCSO: unauthorized use of a vehicle, unlawfully carrying a weapon.
Szymon Jonasz Pirog, 24, of Austin was arrested Dec. 10 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): detainer. Released Dec. 12 to ICE.
Zoe Roxanne Robinson, 26, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 10 by BPD: driving while license is invalid, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance. Released Dec. 13 on $8,500 in bonds.
Dallas Storm Wood, 27, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 10 by BPD: public intoxication. Released Dec. 13 on personal recognizance.
Dawson Lee Barnes, 23, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 11 by BPD: theft. Released Dec. 12 with credit for time served.
Jeffery Bergeron, 40, of Kempner was arrested Dec. 11 by BCSO: unlawful restraint, assault by contact-family violence. Released Dec. 12 on $3,000 in bonds.
Jennifer Irene Eckles, 42, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 11 by the Cottonwood Shores Police Department (CSPD): possession of a controlled substance. Released Dec. 12 on $10,000 bond.
Gerardo D. Estrada, 54, of Granite Shoals was arrested Dec. 11 by BCSO: commitment-possession of a controlled substance.
Kimberly Lynn Thomas, 42, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 11 by MFPD: theft of property. Released Dec. 12 on $1,500 bond.
Krislynn Sarah Anne Thomas, 22, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 11 by MFPD: theft of property, child unrestrained in safety seat, failure to appear, capias pro fine-expired registration. Released Dec. 13 on $2,500 in bonds.
Ricardo Venegas-Velasquez, 46, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 11 by BPD: possession of a controlled substance, driving while intoxicated-open alcohol container. Released same day on $9,000 in bonds.
Jonathan James Watson, 40, of Bertram was arrested Dec. 11 by BTPD: criminal trespass.
Dominic Charles Bauer, 45, of Austin was arrested Dec. 12 by the Llano County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO): bench warrant.
William Kyle Dugan, 33, of Midland was arrested Dec. 12 by the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office (BLSO): bench warrant.
Emma Jean Mueller, 43, of Taylor was arrested Dec. 12 by BCSO: bond revocation-driving while license is invalid.
Joel James Reynolds, 34, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 12 by MFPD: motion to revoke-aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Sky Michael Smith, 44, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 12 by BCSO: SRA-violation of bond/protective order. Released same day on $25,000 bond.
Camden Michael Bauer, 23, of Jarrell was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: failure to appear-unlawfully carrying a weapon, failure to appear-possession of marijuana.
Mario Antonio Bueso-Bueso, 37, of Granite Shoals was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: injury to a child/elderly/disabled person.
James Ray Collard, 40, of Kingsland was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: tampering with/fabricating physical evidence.
Bonnie Kristene Edwards, 54, of Lakeway was arrested Dec. 13 by MFPD: criminal mischief. Released Dec. 14 on $5,000 bond.
Deven Wayne Elliott, 20, of Bertram was arrested Dec. 13 by BPD: capias pro fine-failure to provide proof of financial responsibility, capias pro fine-driving while license is invalid, minor in possession of tobacco.
Alicia Ann Isaack, 54, of Meadowlakes was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Isaac Isaiaa Medina, 41, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Michael Adam Morales, 41, of Cottonwood Shores was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: indecency with a child-sexual contact.
Jacob Matthew Mullikin, 18, of Liberty Hill was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Richard Gene Ray, 57, of Granite Shoals was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: bond revocation-possession of a controlled substance. Released Dec. 14 on $40,000 bond.
Miguel Troy Reyna, 56, of Granite Shoals was arrested Dec. 13 by GSPD: parole violation.
Jeffrey Paul Shelton, 43, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: credit/debit card abuse. Released same day on personal recognizance.
Anthony Manuel Silva, 52, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: driving while intoxicated, duty on striking fixture/highway landscape. Released same day on $4,000 in bonds.
Jeremy Sven Tipping, 45, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: sex offender’s duty to register-life.
Mark Edward Tolbert, 33, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: possession of marijuana. Released Dec. 14 on $10,000 bond.
Codie Anne Wellman, 28, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 13 by BCSO: violation of bond/protective order. Released Dec. 14 on $2,500 bond.
Travis David James Barnhart, 21, of Alice was arrested Dec. 14 by BCSO: unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Jacob Glenn Bender, 35, of Fort Worth was arrested Dec. 14 by MFPD: fraudulent use/possession of identifying information, forgery of financial instruments.
Megan Marie Edwards, 32, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 14 by BCSO: SRA-unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Holly Rae Groth, 48, of Spicewood was arrested Dec. 14 by the Attorney General’s Office (AG): parole violation.
Shane Adam Lucas, 40, of Ringgold, Georgia, was arrested Dec. 14 by BCSO: failure to appear-stalking, bond forfeiture-assault on family/household member, surety surrender-possession of a controlled substance.
Andres Lucero, 45, of Austin was arrested Dec. 14 by MFPD: forgery of a financial instrument, fraudulent use/possession of identifying information.
William Henry Oliver, 38, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 14 by BCSO: terroristic threat of family/household member.
Phillip Russell Ort, 60, of Granite Shoals was arrested Dec. 14 by GSPD: criminal mischief. Released Dec. 15 on $5,000 bond.
Travis Levi Pierce, 40, of Cottonwood Shores was arrested Dec. 14 by BCSO: insufficient bond-possession of controlled substance. Released Dec. 15 on $20,000 bond.
Robert Lane Shipp II, 47, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 14 by BCSO: aggravated assault of date/family/household member. Released same day on $50,000 bond.
Kayla Shea Stevens, 34, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 14 by the Burnet County Precinct 2 constable (CONST2): driving while intoxicated. Released same day on $40,000 bond.
Manuel Frias Vazquez, 26, of Bertram was arrested Dec. 14 by BCSO: abandoning/endangering a child.
Jerrod Anderson Cozby, 29, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 15 by BCSO: insufficient bond-possession of a controlled substance. Released same day on $80,000 bond.
Matthew Barrett Everett, 38, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 15 by MFPD: indecency with a child-sexual contact.
Darian Neal Garland, 28, of Kempner was arrested Dec. 15 by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS): possession of marijuana.
Rene Anthony Garza, 31, of Lampasas was arrested Dec. 15 by BCSO: bench warrant.
Joseph Bryant Gebhard, 24, of Burnet was arrested Dec. 15 by BCSO: insufficient bond-possession of a controlled substance.
Damon Lee Holloman, 23, of Copperas Cove was arrested Dec. 15 by BCSO: driving while license is invalid.
Jimmy Lee Lerma, 50, of Granite Shoals was arrested Dec. 15 by BCSO: insufficient bond-theft of property, insufficient bond-possession of a controlled substance.
Scott Fox Maurer, 63, of Jonestown was arrested Dec. 15 by BCSO: insufficient bond-manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.
Jacob Matthew Mullikin, 18, of Liberty Hill was arrested Dec. 15 by BCSO: burglary of a vehicle.
Karlie Grey Mykael Naifeh, 25, of Marble Falls was arrested Dec. 15 by MFPD: possession of a controlled substance, assault causing bodily injury-family violence.
Megan Renee Rodarte, 32, of Spicewood was arrested Dec. 15 by BCSO: insufficient bond-possession of a controlled substance.
Mark E. Skladany, 31, was arrested Dec. 15 by BLSO: detainer.
Clifford C. Wilson Jr., 39, of Mansfield was arrested Dec. 15 by BCSO: no driver’s license.
BIZ: Petco coming to Marble Falls
Construction workers began clearing the site for a new Petco at 3108 U.S. 281 earlier this fall. No timeline has been announced for when the national pet supplies chain store will open. Staff photo by Nathan Bush
A nearly 12,000-square-foot Petco is coming to Marble Falls, city officials confirmed. The pet supplies chain store will be located north of Walmart at 3108 U.S. 281.
Currently in the platting and site development phase, no construction or opening dates have been announced.
Petco Animal Supplies Inc. operates more than 1,500 locations across the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
Apply for LCRA community grants in January
The Lower Colorado River Authority is offering grants of up to $50,000 for community projects across its wholesale power, water, and transmission service areas. Applications for Community Development Partnership Program grants will be available online in January and must be submitted by midnight Jan. 31.
Most grants are for $25,000 or less, but several grants of up to $50,000 are awarded every grant cycle, according to an LCRA media release.
Eligible organizations include volunteer fire departments, emergency responders, local governments, schools, libraries, civic groups, museums, and other tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. The grants are not available to individuals, for-profit entities, professional associations, social service projects, or limited-use facilities.
Applicants requesting more than $5,000 in grant funding must supply matching funds of at least 20 percent of the total project cost. The projects must benefit or be available to an entire community and also improve the value of a capital asset through building, renovating, or purchasing equipment.
Area organizations in Blanco, Burnet, Lampasas, Llano, and Mason counties are eligible for the grants.
In the most recent round of grants this fall, LCRA awarded more than $985,000 to 46 projects, which included purchases of new vehicles, equipment, and protective gear for first responders; renovations to community centers, libraries, and arts venues; and improvements to parks, youth athletic facilities, and outdoor community trails and exhibits.
Visit lcra.org/cdpp for information about eligibility requirements and recently awarded grants. The online application will be available on the webpage beginning Jan. 1. Contact grants@lcra.org or 800-776-5272 ext. 3140 or ext. 1627 with questions.
Quest High School student killed in car accident; memorial Dec. 20
A vehicle accident claimed the life of 16-year-old Logan Hanson of Bertram, a student at Quest High School in Burnet. The wreck happened on Texas 29 in Buchanan Dam on the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 14.
A memorial service is at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, at Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home in Burnet.
Law enforcement have not shared details about the accident, but a media release from the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District stated that no other students were injured.
An investigation of the wreck is underway.
“We know that in a tight-knit school community such as BCISD, staff and students care for one another and for each others’ families, and many individuals may be dealing with feelings of shock and loss,” reads the BCISD statement on social media. “Counseling is available for students and staff at all campuses and will also be available tomorrow. We want to help our students and staff deal with and process through their emotions.”
Horseshoe Bay Nature Park gets grant for educational signs
Lower Colorado River Authority and Pedernales Electric Cooperative representatives on Dec. 7 presented a community grant check to the Horseshoe Bay Nature Park board to be used on educational signs. Pictured are park board Secretary Vicki Adcock (left), park board Treasurer Andy Thurman, PEC Community Outreach specialist Celeste Mikeska, LCRA board member Margaret Voelter, park board member Kyle Womack, LCRA board member Michael Allen, park board Vice President Johnny White, LCRA board member Carol Freeman, park board President Steve Jordan, and LCRA Regional Affairs representative Susan Patten. Courtesy photo
A $17,571 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Pedernales Electric Cooperative will help fund educational signs at Horseshoe Bay Nature Park.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with roughly $13,500 in matching funds from the park, will pave the way for 15 signs explaining wildlife, geology, water conservation, trees, and plants along a half-mile stretch of walking trail.
The money was presented on Dec. 7.
“We are very proud of our Horseshoe Bay Nature Park,” said park board President Steve Jordan. “We had the grand opening in December (2021) and have received very complimentary remarks and support. This grant is not only timely, but will also allow us to add what will be the crowning feature of the nature park.”
The community grant is one of 46 recently awarded through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders, and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water, and transmission service areas. PEC is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and a partner in the program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available online.
Local experts from the Highland Lakes Master Naturalists, Native Plant Society, and Highland Lakes Birding and Wildflower Society will help develop information for the signs.
Covering 11 acres, Horseshoe Bay Nature Park is designed to attract wildlife and birds and is home to hundreds of species of plants. Park features include a walking trail, a bird blind, an observation deck, rainfall harvesting tanks, and benches where visitors can observe the park’s natural aesthetic. (Stroll through Horseshoe Bay Nature Park.)
Jordan estimates about 2,500 people visited the park in its first year.
“We have not only received support from the local schools but also organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts, and the Phoenix Center, who are eager to have their field trips there once the interpretive signage has been installed,” he said.
Granite Shoals councilor arrested on felony criminal mischief charge
Granite Shoals City Councilor Phil Ort was arrested Dec. 14 on a charge of criminal mischief stemming from a 2021 incident in which he is accused of keying a car and causing over $2,500 in damages. File photo
Granite Shoals City Councilor Phil Ort was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 14, on a felony charge of criminal mischief. He is accused of keying a car in the Marble Falls H-E-B parking lot in October 2021. His case was raised from a class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony when prosecuting attorneys determined damages to the vehicle exceeded the $2,500 felony minimum.
At the time of this story’s publication, Ort was in custody at the Burnet County Jail on a $5,000 bond. His arraignment is set for Feb. 15, 2023. A status hearing is April 14.
Ort is officially charged with state jail felony-level criminal mischief with damage to property between $2,500 and $30,000, which carries a sentence ranging from 180 days to two years in jail and as much as $10,000 in fines.
Granite Shoals police arrested Ort at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, less than two hours after he attended the City Council’s regular meeting.
“We went out like we do with any other case and served the warrant,” GSPD Capt. Chris Decker told DailyTrib.com.
Ort’s original misdemeanor charge was dropped on Nov. 14 after prosecuting attorney Debbie Early referred the case to the 33rd and 424th District Attorney’s Office because damages to the car reached felony status.
The DA’s office took on Ort’s case and presented it to a grand jury on Dec. 6, at which point, he was indicted. A certificate of indictment was filed by Dec. 12 followed by the 33rd District Court issuing a warrant for his arrest.
The original criminal mischief charge stemmed from Ort allegedly keying a Mercedes-Benz in the H-E-B parking lot in October 2021. He turned himself in to the Burnet County Jail in December 2021 after an investigation from the Marble Falls Police Department named him as a suspect.
Pizza Hut clearing Marble Falls site for new building
Site clearing for the new Pizza Hut, 1000 U.S. 281, began in early December 2022. The property is the same location as the former Pizza Hut, which was demolished in December 2021. Staff photo by Nathan Bush
After a yearlong hiatus, Pizza Hut is returning to Marble Falls.
Site clearing on the property at the corner of U.S. 281 and RR 1431 began in early December after the city’s Development Services department granted building permits. No construction or opening date has been announced.
The new building will have enough space for an additional tenant. The second business is yet to be confirmed.
The new restaurant will be at the same location, 1000 U.S. 281, as the former Pizza Hut, which was demolished in December 2021.
Picayune People: It’s always a Fiestaware day for collector Kimberlee McLeod
(Story written by correspondent Shirlene Bridgewater)
For Burnet resident Kimberlee Allen McLeod’s family, Thanksgiving dinner pops with color. A second-generation collector of Fiestaware, McLeod carefully packs selected pieces, all color coordinated, for holiday dinner at her mother’s house.
Introduced to the United States in 1936 by the Homer Laughlin China Company, Fiestaware is “An American Icon” — the company’s tagline — and includes plates, bowls, pitchers, vases, platters, and other pieces in more than 50 colors and used to serve everything from breakfast to a feast.
“It’s now fun to unload the dishwasher,” McLeod said. “Fiestaware is just so happy.”
During and immediately after the Great Depression in the 1930s, Fiestaware collectors had the same sentiment. In “Fiesta: Then and Now,” an article on the company’s blog, then-President Joseph M. Wells Sr., declared: “People need to brighten up their table and need something to be happy about. Color is what’s going be good for the Depression.” Sales hit the roof.
McLeod agreed with the need to feel joy.
“Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down. We’ve all experienced radical adjustments in our lives,” she said. “Isolation, loss of loved ones, and changing workplaces have created fear, anger, and loneliness like never before in recent times, and we need something to feel happy about.”
McLeod is a longtime Fiestaware collector. She started her contemporary and vintage collection in 2007 when she moved into her first apartment near Texas A&M University, where she majored in English. At the same time, she started going on antiquing trips with her mother, aunt, and godmother to search for the colorful dishware.
“The thrill of the hunt” excites her.
“Who knows, I might even run into Whoopi Goldberg or Martha Stewart, who have been rumored to be Fiestaware fans,” she said.
Through the years, McLeod has learned the history of Fiestaware, its original colors, lines, and shapes, and how to distinguish the “real deal” from the fakes. She’s purchased from thrift and discount stores, estate sales, online dealers, Facebook Marketplace, and even out of the trunk of a car in a mall parking lot.
“There’s monetary value in vintage pieces, rarer shapes and colors, and exclusive decals,” McLeod said. “You could be sitting on a gold mine with pieces skyrocketing to the five-figure range.”
Originally, a place setting for eight retailed at $14.95.
McLeod’s collection is extensive, although she no longer counts how many pieces she owns. Instead, she records what she has in each color, where and when she bought it, how much she paid, and if she’s sold a piece.
Wherever she goes, McLeod’s keen eyes can spot Fiestaware. On a trip to Scotland with her husband in 2018, she ventured into a small, quaint antique shop in Edinburgh in search of a vintage elephant, another treasure she hunts.
In conveying the story, she gazes off and she is once again in that medieval town among gardens and neoclassical buildings.
“I turned around and looked up and ran to grab an evergreen pitcher high on a shelf,” she said.
The guy behind the counter said to her in his Scottish brogue, “Do you know what that is?”
McLeod challenged him.
“Do you know what this is?” she said. “This is American. What is it doing here?”
She learned the store owner had purchased someone’s estate collection that they didn’t want to ship back to the U.S. when they left Scotland.
“I bought the pitcher for 20 pounds, and that sticker is never coming off!” she said with joyful conviction.
This special piece joins her other Fiestaware treasures, especially those in her favorite colors: lilac and marigold.
“They’re harder to find, more expensive, and gorgeous,” she said of the colors.
McLeod’s least favorite is apricot.
“Who needs flesh-colored dishes?” she said.
In recent times, this take-charge high school English teacher created a thriving Instagram community — @captainfiesta2016 — with nearly 1,200 followers from East Coast to West Coast and even Canada, Nova Scotia, and England.
“The Fiesta IG community is fun and such a lifesaver,” McLeod said. “When there are fires, floods, and other natural disasters, as well as health challenges for members, the community sends prayers and cards and helps replace pieces of lost collections.”
Even when McLeod had the “Big Fall” — the time she lost 16 pieces of retired colors after a shelf collapsed — a friend came to the rescue. He skillfully built the two glass-and-oak cabinets that now store some of her collectibles.
“He stood on each shelf to make sure they could withstand more than 150 pounds,” she said.
The Instagram community sent pieces to replace what she lost.
“It’s such a sweet comfort that we share with each other,” she said.
One IG community member also assisted McLeod when she received a shipment of rare, footed salad bowls, all broken. She learned she could create a new work of art by gluing the broken pieces together with gold, a technique from the Japanese called lintsugi, and it made “beauty from the broken.”
In her kitchen, McLeod uses her Fiestaware daily. She mixes and matches the colors to create a picnic tablescape or a setting fit for “fajitas for the King of England and his entourage.” It’s definitely “a collection of love and one full of memories.”
The next step in McLeod’s crockery adventures is to visit the Fiestaware factory in Newell, West Virginia, where the dinnerware has been made since its American introduction. A tour includes a stop at the museum, which houses displays from the dinnerware’s history.
McLeod would also like to attend the Homer Laughlin China Collectors Association annual summer convention. Named after the creator of Fiestaware, the association is a nonprofit organization that hosts workshops, auctions, exhibits, sales, and networking events for collectors.
Until then, McLeod will continue to host her Instagram Fiestaware photo challenge each March, scope out the dinnerware in movies and TV shows, and help those in her community as she prepares to set an especially colorful table for her family Thanksgiving.
“Who would have thought that colorful dishes could bring people together?” she said. “For that, I am grateful.”
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Who would have ever thought it would come to this. Real or fake? Hahaha — bout to find out. #dji
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