Grand Opening of Angelina's Pizza & Bakery (Nov. 4)

Come out and welcome Flatonia's newest business - Angelina's Pizza and Bakery on East North Main Street!  (map: http://g.co/maps/ewzmw)

Flatonia ISD Public Auction November 12th

Flatonia ISD Public Auction

Flatonia ISD will be hosting a surplus sale on Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. at the Carl Smith Pavilion located at Flatonia ISD, 400 E. 4^th Street.  Preview of the auction items will be Friday, November 11^th at 3:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Carl Smith Pavilion.

The district has hundreds of items for sale, including chairs, student desks, office desks, cabinets, tables, equipment, machinery and many more items.   Most items are in working condition.  The auction will be a silent auction and items will be sold to the highest bidder on a CASH BASIS ONLY.  The bids will close at 1:00 p.m. 

Public agencies are required by law to sell their surplus equipment to the public before discarding it.  All proceeds from the sale will go to the District’s General Fund.

“Czeching” in at Czhilispiel 39 Will Bring More than Just Chili

For Immediate Release

“Czeching” in at Czhilispiel 39 Will Bring More than Just Chili

Barbecue, Texas music, and much more on the menu at this year’s festival

Flatonia, TX – October 14, 2011 – Flatonia, Texas is preparing for thousands of visitors to flock to their town for  Czhilispiel, its annual festival, set for the weekend of October 28, 29, and 30, 2011, in downtown Flatonia.

Czhilispiel hosts one of the largest chili cook-offs in Texas sanctioned by the Chili Appreciation Society International, along with barbecue competitions for brisket, ribs, chicken, and beans, and a jackpot margarita contest.  Teams come in from all over the state to compete at Czhilispiel. 

Festival gates open Friday night with live music, carnival rides, and the arts and crafts market.  Cook-off teams get their smokers smokin’ and prepare for a night and early morning of cooking.  Saturday morning kicks off early with the Lions’ Club pie auction, and the cook-off judging begins and last through the late afternoon.  Saturday will also introduce the finalists of “Czhilispiel Idle,” a singing competition with try-outs held every Thursday at Flatonia “hot-spot” Brenda’s until the week of the festival.  Tons of other activities are held throughout the day along with fantastic music.  The annual Czhilispiel parade starts Sunday, with more live music and fun and games rounding out the weekend. 

Czhilispiel’s main stage is housed in a huge tented biergarten and dancehall along Flatonia’s North Main Street.  Opening night features San Marcos’ Ross Brunner Band, and Flatonia’s Broke 60.  Saturday’s lineup starts with polka from the Dujka Brothers, followed by oldies from The Original Triumphs.  Chart-topping headline entertainment opens with Brandon Rhyder, and the evening will close with Wade Bowen, who will keep the party going until 1 a.m.  Czhilispiel Sunday will feature live music from the Charlie Lucas Band and The Delta Fins.  The biergarten is also where visitors will find tons of cold beer and margaritas, the pie auction, and big-screen televisions so you don’t miss that important college or pro football game!

Admission to Czhilispiel is free for all visitors both Friday and Sunday.  Saturday’s admission for those over 12 years of age is $7 before 2 p.m. and $12 after 2 p.m.  Proper ID is required for those 21 and up who plan on drinking alcohol.

For more information, contact the Flatonia Chamber at (361) 865-3920 or flatoniacofc@sbcglobal.net.   Cook-off teams and vendor applications are also still being accepted. Applications can be found on the Flatonia Chamber’s website at www.flatoniachamber.com.  Up to the minute news can also be found on the Flatonia Chamber Facebook page, www.facebook.com/flatoniachamber. 

About Czhilispiel:

Czhilispiel began as a fundraiser to help fund a local Flatonia student’s medical school education.  At the time Flatonia needed a doctor, so the residents organized the Czech heritage festival and chili cook-off, Czhilispiel.  The student agreed to serve the community for at least five years after completing medical school, but ended up staying longer.  Czhilispiel continues to use proceeds from the event to benefit local needs, whether they be for students or community services.  Czhilispiel 39 is sponsored in part by: Adams Flavors, Foods and Ingredients; Brown Distributing – Budweiser; DGI Beverages/Black Iguana Margaritas; Do713.com; Henry Benedict Real Estate Investments; KCTI 1450 – The Sound of Texas; The Outhouse Company; Texas Custom Grinding, Inc.; and Wright Distributing – Miller Lite. 

About Flatonia:

Flatonia is a town of approximately 1,800 residents located midway between Houston and San Antonio.  It was established in 1873 on the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio Railway and named for the pioneer merchant F. W. Flato.  Flatonia became a melting pot for English, German, Bohemian, Czech and Italian immigrants.  The City became the meeting place of two main railway lines in Texas in 1887, when the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway was built south from Waco.  Flatonia is still a well known and scenic spot for train watchers, boasting one of Texas’ longest standing, manually operated railroad switching towers with North-South, East-West cross rails. 

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NOTICE: CHANGES FOR CZHILI & BBQ COOK OFF DUE TO DROUGHT CONDITIONS

Due to Fayette County becoming a part of the Texas Drought Stricken Disaster Area, our Czhilispiel Committee is compelled to force additional rules for the Czhili and BBQ Cook-offs.

• There will be one exit for the Czhili and BBQ which will be the West Gate where you enter into the cook-off earlier that morning.

• All BBQ pits will be required to stop at a check point before exiting the premises. Fire Department Crews will check the pits and if needed will water down coals that may cause a problem.

• If you are cooking czhili with a propane burner you will still need to go thru the checkpoint. A sticker will be given to you by a committeeman if you have no Pit and no open flames or coals. This sticker will need to be placed on your windshield visible for the check point, on the vehicle using to pickup your equipment.
•  

We realize this will be an inconvience and we ask you to be patient. Our community and the areas around are important to us and we are striving to make it as safe as possible.
Looking to forward to seeing you at Czhilispiel 39. Czech Us Out!!

Sincerely, 

David Urban

Czhilispiel Chairman

Notice from the Flatonia Chamber

Dear Members and Friends of the Flatonia Chamber of Commerce:

The Flatonia Chamber of Commerce’s email has been hacked.  So If you have recently received an email from the Flatonia Chamber (flatoniacofc[@]sbcglobal.net) or Beverly Ponder stating “That I am in Scotland and need money,”  please do not respond to it, do not give them any personal information and please delete it.  

This is not a virus, they have just figured out my passwords and then sent out these ridiculous messages.  ATT is aware of the problem and it has been reported to ATT Abuse.  So, hopefully all this will be taken care of real soon and hopefully not happen again.  If you have any questions or concerns, just email me back.  Thank you for your time and have a great day. 

Sincerely,

Beverly Z. Ponder

Executive Director

Flatonia Chamber of Commerce

HELP - Families need rental homes

HELP

The recent fire in Bastrop 

has left many families homeless. 

A lot of people are in need of shelter to rent!

If you know or hear of anyone who may have a weekend home, farm house, deer camp or parked travel trailer that might be interested in renting out for a short or long term, have them call:  

DAWN KANA AT 512-413-3988   

Thank you very much.

Legislation Regarding Speed Limit Takes Effect

 ON BEHALF OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:

Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Corporations and Business Entities:

On September 1, new speed limit laws take effect, allowing TxDOT to increase the speed limit on state highways deemed safe and reasonable to 75 mph.  The increased amount will be for those areas now at 70 mph, and also eliminates\repeals the 65 mph nighttime speed limit and all truck speed limits.

** Caution:  The increase in speed limits is not effective until new signs are installed; replacing existing speed limits signage could take until early 2013.  To read the full story go to: http://www.dot.state.tx.us/news/032-2011.htm

For additional information please contact TxDOT Media Relations at 512) 463-8700.