Hipster Hangout

Urban homesteaders have new reason to haunt hip Gecko Hardware

Gecko Hardware is Lakewood's resource for urban homesteaders.
White Rock Local Market/Facebook
On February 8, Noble Coyote's Marta Sprague and her husband, Kevin, talk coffeeroasting at Gecko Hardware.
Photo by Spencer Jay
Learn how to pickle that at Gecko Hardware on February 15.
24 Carrot Health/Facebook

Urban homesteaders who like to make their own stuff will want to make room in February for a series of classes on cheese, coffee, canning, gardening and garbage. Organized by White Rock Local Market, the classes take place at Gecko Hardware, the hipster farm supply store in Lakewood.

The series begins on February 1, with a cheese demonstration by BethAnn Hooley of Rosey Ridge Farm, from 10 am to 1 pm. Hooley shares techniques and recipes on how to make feta, cheddar and mozzarella. Rosey Ridge Farm is a dairy farm south of Fort Worth that sells raw milk and raw cheese. The class is $40 per person and includes light snack and refreshments.

On February 8, the topic is coffee roasting. From 10 to 11:30 am, Marta and Kevin Sprague from Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters demonstrate how to roast beans in a small home roaster, cast iron skillet or popcorn popper. Cost is $20 per person and includes Noble Coyote coffee beans roasted in class to brew at home.

February 15, it's pickling and preserving. From 10 am to noon, Kathy Neumuller, of JJ&B Jellies Jams and Butters, and Lisa Staffelbach, from 24 Carrot Health, share their expertise in hot bath canning, making fruit preserves and shelf-safe pickling. Cost is $30 per person and includes JJ&B preserves and quick pickles made in class.

On February 22, the class covers garbage. Texas Worm Ranch's Heather Rinaldi instructs students to "love thy garbage" with a presentation on the benefits of vermi-composting, how to set up and care for worm bins, and how to use worm castings to improve organic and landscaping success. The class is from 10 to 11 am, and it costs $20 per person.

An additional class, called Keyhole Gardening with Garden Inspirations, takes place on February 23 at White Rock Local Garden, 10222 Galway Dr. Mother and daughter Marilyn and Donelle Simmons describe how to grow the maximum amount of food in a small space, as well as how to use refuse to create a "hot bed" of biological activity. The day-long class (9 am to 3 pm) is $50 per person and includes snacks and refreshments.

To purchase tickets, go to the White Rock Local Market website.

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Animal News

Wills Point, Texas man charged with cruelty for abandoning 18 animals

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Lucas Wayne Penrod, charged with animal cruelty

Another animal cruelty case has emerged from Van Zandt County, resulting in the arrest of a Wills Point man: Lucas Wayne Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

It began on Friday, October 24, when the Wills Point Police Department performed a welfare check at a mobile home within the city limits. Officers became concerned when they heard multiple dogs barking along with a foul odor of animal waste.

On October 25, after obtaining a search warrant, Wills Point PD and the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit entered the residence and found multiple animals living in deplorable conditions.

The mobile home was filled with trash and animal feces. The team discovered a total of 8 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 adult dogs, and 4 puppies, cruelly confined to the unsanitary living conditions on the property.

Two dogs were confined to filthy crates with no access to water.
Three puppies were in a small bathroom covered in urine and feces; one of the puppies was deceased and decomposing.
The guinea pigs were found in a cage without access to food or water.

Most of the animals showed signs of long-term neglect and were in dire need of urgent medical intervention. The animals were seized by the SPCA of Texas and transported to the organization's Dallas location for veterinary care.

Dog in cage Wills Point Lucas Wayne Penrod Dog abandoned in Wills Point by Lucas Wayne Penrod.SPCA

On October 26, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the owner of the animals, contacted an SPCA of Texas Investigator regarding the animals. The Investigator determined that Penrod had unlawfully allegedly abandoned the animals, failing to provide them with proper care, resulting in the death of one of the puppies and the critical state of the surviving animals.

On October 28, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Penrod, who was apprehended by Tyler Police Department and booked into the Smith County Jail with a $50K bond. Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

On November 1, at a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Penrod relinquished custody of the 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA.

"The squalid conditions these beautiful animals were living in were abhorrent--locked in spaces without food or water, in their own excrement," said SPCA of Texas ACI Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns, CAWA. "This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I've seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations. In no small part, these pets owe their lives to the Wills Point Police Department. If it wasn’t for their quick thinking to involve us right away, I don't think the animals would have made it."

"This case perfectly illustrates the team effort that investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases in Texas is," Burns added. "We are extremely thankful to the Tyler Police Department for their efficient assistance in apprehending Penrod so that he can be brought to justice in the timeliest manner possible. And we are especially grateful to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and court system with whom we continue to partner to get justice for abused animals in their jurisdiction."