Some libraries in the heart of co-op country have the Tocker Foundation to thank for helping them better serve their communities. Fort Hood, an Army camp activated as the U.S. was thrust into World War II, turns 75 years old this month.
Book Cents
January 15 is the next deadline for public libraries to apply for grants from the Tocker Foundation, which considers requests from libraries serving populations of 12,000 or fewer. Past grants have supported outreach and shut-in programs, adult reading classes, after-school projects and bilingual materials.
In Quitman, home of Wood County Electric Cooperative, the library installed an outdoor digital sign that has rallied the community and spurred new activity.
In Denver City, the library, served by Lea County EC, is developing the Reading Rocks Book Club.
In Sinton, home of San Patricio EC, the library is digitizing its newspaper archives.
The foundation is also taking applications for travel stipends to attend the Texas Library Association’s annual conference April 19–22. That deadline is February 1. Visit tocker.org.
The Dawn of Fort Hood
Camp Hood, now called Fort Hood, was activated 75 years ago to help bolster U.S. efforts during World War II.
The temporary camp was named for Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood when it was activated January 14, 1942, barely a month after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. By 1950, it was a permanent Army post and renamed Fort Hood. The 340-square-mile base near Killeen is one of the largest military installations in the world.
Did You Know?
Gen. John Bell Hood graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1853 and served on the Texas frontier. Dissatisfied with his native Kentucky’s neutrality in the Civil War, he declared himself a Texan and joined the Confederate Army.
By the Numbers: $109.51
That would be the monthly cost for one 1,500-watt space heater used 24 hours a day if the electric rate were 10 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Worth Repeating
“If it weren’t for electricity, we’d all be watching television by candlelight.”
— Comedian George Gobel
Farm Teams
This year, the Super Bowl returns to Texas—February 5 at Houston’s NRG Stadium. Texas leads the nation in farms and ranches, with 248,800 total, covering 130.2 million acres. That’s the equivalent of 100,153,846 football fields. A football field, including the end zones, is 360 feet long by 160 feet wide and covers 1.3 acres.
