Gainesville Staff Help Solve Mysteries While Raising Money for Local Food Bank

Several staff members from Gainesville State School participated in murder mystery theater event benefiting the Visto food bank last week.

The food bank assists more than 17,000 people in crisis in the Cooke County area and has raised more than $140,000 for these families.

The Visto (Volunteers In Service to Others) Vintage Murder Mystery posited a crime in which “Barry Underwood” met his doom somewhere in wine country. The mission: Sniff out the perpetrator.

Team Gainesville was on it, interviewing Underwood’s fiancé “Tina Bubbles,” his cousin “Ralph Rottingrape,” beauty queen “Marilyn Merlot,” Hollywood movie star, “Hedy Shablee,” owner of a neighboring vineyard and “Papa Vino,” who helped develop the Underwood Wine Estates. There’s more, but you get the idea.

Game participants each got to interview two suspects and then came together with their respective teams to deliberate and try to solve the murder. After putting on their Colombo hats, (but not really) the team determined that it was Papa Vino who had committed the dastardly deed, in an effort to restore his family name.

Gainesville team members report that Visto food pantries organizers were thrilled to have their participation, and they’ve vowed to bring two teams next year to help give back to the community in such a fun way.

McFadden Sends Youth Home with Backpack of 'Hope'

By Y. Denise Caldwell Community Resource Coordinator, Northern District Parole Office FLOWER MOUND, Texas - Larry Bossaler, McFadden volunteer McFadden Ranch Volunteer Larry Bossaler enjoys his assignment: Making sure that every youth who leaves the McFadden halfway house knows that people are praying for him and wishing him the best in his future. He is the man who brings them their “Good-Bye” backpack. When he delivers the backpacks, he makes sure to do three things – visit with the youth, show the contents of the backpack (because staff put them in the lockers until the youth leaves), and lastly close the visit with a heartfelt prayer. The youth enjoy and appreciate the backpack, the visit and the prayer. Many are a little anxious and scared to leave but knowing that the McFadden volunteers care enough to send them off in this special way, helps them feel a bit less worried. “I always bring an extra backpack,” Larry said. ...

IN MEMORY AND APPRECIATION: Trayce Haynes Alexander

Trayce Haynes Alexander, of Cat Spring, Texas passed away in April. She was a JCO IV at the Giddings State School and began her employment with the Texas Youth Commission on January 5, 2009, as a JCO III. She was promoted to a JCO IV on April 1, 2010. Trayce was a hardworking, loyal and dedicated staff member and friend. Her number one priority was the youth in her dorm and she would drive one hour and forty minutes everyday (even in ill health) to try to make a difference in the lives of the youth she worked with. She was well respected by both staff and youth due to her extraordinary work ethic. The boys could always depend on her to hold them accountable. She is survived by her husband Geoff Alexander and two daughters, Kristyn and Robyn Alexander. Trayce was born on September 3, 1952. She earned a BS from Southwest Texas State University in Law Enforcement.

Canyon Lake Evening Reporting Center

When Comal County Juvenile Probation Chief Kris Johnson joined the department in March 2011, he brought with him a long-term vision to open an Evening Reporting Center (ERC) in the county. ERCs, which require youth offenders to report to specified locations during evening hours for programming, skills building and community service, were first used in Chicago, where juvenile justice advocates needed after school programs to keep their higher risk kids from getting involved in the gang scene. They also serve as an alternative to detention pending a youth’s hearings. ERCs have become common detention alternatives in many communities throughout the United States and are based on research and best practices recognized by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Johnson believed implementing an ERC in Comal County would reduce juvenile crime by providing supervision during the hours crime is most likely to occur. Additionally, it could significantly reduce the cost of deten...

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