Cedar Creek Lake Businesses, Charitable Foundations Struggle to Stay Afloat During Drought

by David Webb

David Webb is a veteran journalist who has written for the mainstream and alternative media for three decades. He is now a freelancer who lives in the Cedar Creek Lake area. He is a regular contributor to cedarcreeklake.com. E-mail story ideas to davidwaynewebb@yahoo.com.

SEVEN POINTS - Tiny raindrops fell on Cedar Creek Lake as Bernie Talbot, owner of Cedar Isle Restaurant and Baja Club, lamented the devastating impact of the Texas drought on the economy of the East Texas lake's business community this past summer. Through the large windows behind her, the piers of the club's boat dock were visible resting in the sand where water once lapped.

"It's been horrible, really horrible," said Mrs. Talbot as she prepared to help her husband and business partner Lew Talbot host a fundraiser for Happy Tails animal rescue group on Oct. 9. "You have to make most of your money during the summer, and no one has."

Every business on the lake that depends on revenue from sales and service to weekenders, vacationers and full-time residents has suffered as the year-long drought has persisted and the lake level has dropped to what could become a record low since its construction as a reservoir in 1965, Mrs. Talbot said. At the same time charitable contributions have declined, hence the need for special fundraisers that hopefully will raise much needed dollars for organizations and bring customers to the club, she said.

"It's been a domino effect for everybody," said Mrs. Talbot, who noted some lake businesses had failed this summer. "People are just tapped out."

Aside from more aggressive marketing strategies such as signs offering lunch and dinner to passing motorists, Mr. Talbot said little can be done to reverse the economic catastrophe until the lake level rises. It's also going to require a continued decrease in gas prices and a drop in the unemployment rate, he said.

"We've lost all of our summer business," said Mr. Talbot, who has not seen any boat visitors at the club in months. "Everybody out here has."

Retail stores are suffering similarly, said Bill Boyd, owner of Old Friends antique store in downtown Mabank. Some days, only two or three customers visit the store, and they often are just looking, Boyd said.

"I'm struggling to stay open," said Boyd, who also practices an aggressive marketing strategy by making personal phone calls to old customers asking them to visit him and by hosting lunches in the store for up to a dozen guests at a time. "I love getting up every morning and coming here, but it's taking everything I've got to pay the rent and utility bills."

It's been difficult to raise money to house and feed homeless animals, said Tina Hamilton, who is the founder of Happy Tails and has rescued and adopted out more than 550 pets since she founded the operation. The need was critical and the willingness of the Talbots to host one at Cedar Isle featuring dinner and entertainment by a volunteer band called BackRoads in exchange for a $20 donation per person is a blessing, she said.

About 40 people showed up for the benefit, and it raised $1,200 for the animal rescue group. The previous weekend a fundraiser for cancer research called "Bras for a Cause" was held at the club, raising more than $10,000, and a wedding was also hosted recently.

Hamilton said she struggled this summer to find a business that would host a fundraiser for her.
"I was asking everyone I knew if I could do it at their place," said Hamilton, who noted that the bad economy is resulting in large numbers of pets being abandoned because their owners can't afford to feed them. "Bernie and Lew were the only ones who offered to help."

The plight of hungry humans is just as critical, said Sue Ann Kosydar, president of Community Food Pantry in Tool that serves local residents. The organization now serves more than 300 clients, she said.
"There are so many people who are unemployed," said Kosydar, who noted the pantry is supported by several local churches. "We have people from all over the lake coming to us for help."

Local ranchers and farmers living and working in the rural areas adjacent to the lake are suffering severely as well. The drought has led to hay and other crop failures, dry water tanks, importing of hay from other states and livestock sell-offs.

"This is the worst I've ever seen it," said one rancher who has been running cows on his Cedar Creek Lake area ranch since the 1960s. "I don't know what we're going to do if it doesn't rain pretty soon."

Although scientists are predicting drought conditions in Texas could continue for years, the heavy rain in Fort Worth and to the west and the light rain on Cedar Creek on the weekend gave the Talbots and others hope that they could see substantial rainfall in the not so distant future. Cooler temperatures after a summer of blazing 100 degree-plus days has also sparked optimism.

"We just need to get the lake filled up now," Mr. Talbot said.

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