The Marion Education Foundation has set up an endowed scholarship to honor the memory of a wife of a former Marion High School teacher.

Frost San Antonio Region President Don Frost (left) and Larry Anthis, Frost vice president (right), present Dr. Eric Reno, president of Northeast Lakeview College, with a check for $10,000 to be used for the restoration of the Lower Valley School District 33 school house, which now rests on the Northeast Lakeview College campus. Submitted Photo

By Steve Davidson
Contributing Writer

For one, the saying goes, “We’re from here.” For the other, it is, “Preserving the Past to Ensure the Future.” With a resolute concern for the welfare of education, the two individual brands, representative of two distinct institutions, have joined together.

As part of their Oct. 20 ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new branch office located at IH-35 at Schertz Parkway, Larry Anthis, vice president for the Frost Bank branch, presented Dr. Eric Reno, president of Northeast Lakeview College (NLC), a check in the amount of $10,000. The gift is to be applied to the college’s ongoing campaign to raise funds for their Lower Valley School-house project.

Once restored, the two-room schoolhouse, once serving the area community from 1877-1966, will serve as a museum for the public and fieldtrip destination for local schoolchildren in search of the area’s educational roots.

“We’re a good fit,” said Larry Anthis, regarding the relationship between Frost Bank and NLC. “Frost Bank has deep roots in Texas. Both institutions are heavily invested in the community and appreciative of how the past influences the future. Like the college, we recognize how important education is to this future. We too, look toward the future and becoming a part of creating a vision for what can be done to enrich the people of the community.”

Anthis first became aware of the Lower Valley school-house as he toured the Metrocom area as a result of the planned branch office. “When I first saw the Schoolhouse, I was very intrigued by its historical significance,” said Anthis. According to Anthis, it was at this point that he began looking into how Frost Bank might become connected to the project. “Because Tom Frost has always been a big advocate for education, I knew this would be a great fit,” added Anthis. “Any time we (Frost Bank) have a historical connection to roots - that interests us at Frost. Because this involves education, we have roots to the past. Some of the Schertz founding families were educated in the schoolhouse.”

For Anthis, the Frost Bank legacy of “stewardship” centers the institutions business and philanthropic vision. According to Anthis, the legacy of stewardship the Frost family is associated with regarding education is “obvious,” especially as it applies to Tom Frost. “I feel an obligation to be a good steward of this reputation,” said Anthis. “If we’re (Frost Bank) going to have a successful future in the community, we have to have a real educated workforce. Northeast Lakeview College is on the cutting edge of this.”

Recently hosting a NLC advertising class at the new Schertz branch office, Anthis appears committed to this sense of stewardship. The NLC advertising class, taught by Mayor John Williams of Universal City, has been charged with a name branding project associated with the schoolhouse project. Along with serving the 12 students with barbecue meals, and making available one of the branch office’s meeting rooms, Anthis and staff shared with the class the bank’s history of branding and how it relates to promotion and its place in the community.

Sharing the bank’s philosophy of stewardship, and how it applies to the schoolhouse project, is Dr. Martha Trevino, grants development director for NLC. According to Trevino, it is critical that everyone associated with the NLC campus and the schoolhouse project remain appreciative of the responsibilities left to their charge. “We need to be good stewards of what we’ve been given,” said Trevino. “To me the schoolhouse is a gift. I need to take care of it. I need to bring to it as much as I can and make sure it stays in the community and has the opportunity to tell its great story. We are so appreciative of this gift from Frost Bank.”

Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD trustees Oct. 16 took the first steps in renaming the old Wiederstein Elementary School campus after a beloved educator and its district stadium for its current athletic director and his spouse.

On two separate votes, trustees recommended that the old Wiederstein campus be renamed the Marion Dolford Learning Center and SCUC ISD Stadium be renamed Robert and Glenda Lehnhoff Stadium.

Under district policy, trustees must wait at least four months before taking a final vote on renaming both facilities so that the district will have a chance to notify the public about it.

Trustee Terry Hinze submitted Dolford’s name for the old Wiederstein campus. Hinze said he admired and had a lot of respect for Dolford, who spent 35 years in the district as a teacher and principal before retiring last year. “He led by example,” Hinze said.

Trustee David Pevoto, who was a principal at Wiederstein before retiring and running for the board, said he had the pleasure of working with Dolford, who was principal at Dobie Junior High when it was an intermediate and eventually Jordan Interme-diate School.

“Mr. Dolford left an indelible imprint on this district,” Pevoto said. “He epitomized the all-around educator; he has that aura around him. I couldn’t think of anybody else we could name this school after.”

Board Vice President Scott Harrod said Dolford “epitomized student-centered service” during his career in the district.

“This is a good reflection on him,” Harrod said.

The old Wiederstein Elementary School, which was vacated after the new Wiederstein Elementary School opened on Borgfeld Road in August, will house the district’s alternative and adult education programs once renovations to the campus are completed.

Robert Lehnhoff has been with the district for over 30 years, starting out as a teacher and coach. For 22 years, he was the head football coach at Clemens, leading the Buffaloes to numerous playoff appearances, district titles and two state semifinals appearances before becoming the district’s athletic coordinator after the 2004 season.

Glenda Lehnhoff, who serves as the district’s athletic secretary, has put in countless hours working at numerous athletic events and functions since her husband started with the district in the mid 1970s.

Superintendent Dr. Belinda Pustka said the Lehnhoffs were deserving of having the district’s stadium named after him.

“In my 32 years in education, Robert and Glenda Lehnhoff are the kindest, gentlest people I have known,” Pustka said. “They have worked tirelessly. It is a rare thing for a district to have committed employees as them. We are truly blessed.”

Board President George Ricks said the Lehnhoffs have truly cared about the kids who have participated in athletics.

“They preside over the biggest classroom (athletics) in size,” Ricks said. “So many (kids) have needed a father (and parental) figure to get them through. Coach Lehnhoff and his wife have done that.”

The vote for renaming SCUC ISD Stadium after the Lehnhoffs was not unanimous though. Trustee Gary Inmon voted against because he felt the district should not rename a facility after a person who is still employed by the district. Inmon said the Lehnhoffs were deserving of the honor, but that the stadium should be named after them once they have retired.

Trustee Edward Finley echoed Inmon’s comments, but abstained from voting on renaming the stadium.

In other business, trustees:

Approved an additional $250,000 for the new Schertz Elementary School campus. The change in the contract will be funded through Proposition 1 of the 2006 bond issue.

Approved the purchase of over $199,000 for new computers at the new Schertz Elementary campus.

Approved the hiring of three new bus drivers and two bus monitors for this year, which cost the district over $84,000.

Floats

First place: Red Hats — Rita Creswell; Second place: CCPAAA; Third place: Cheer Xtra.

Marching Units

First place: Wagner High School Band and Color Guard; Second place: Judson JROTC; Third place: Sweet Sensations.

Peformance Groups

First place: Ballet Folklorico; Second place: Cheer Xtra; Third place: Ti-Gon Martial Arts.

Mascot

First place: Red Hat — Gracie Beane; Second place: Link New Tech; Third place: Blue Knights.

Vehicle

First place: Converse, Selma, Live Oak and Universal City PD; Second place: Rosalie Borland; Third place: La Petite Academy.

Equestrian

First place: Oak Valley 4H.