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*****Twenty-three lovely ladies helped Gertrude Whittington & Pearl Hedlund celebrate their ???th birthdays. Everyone met at Silver K on January 10 to help these beautiful women celebrate their January birthdays.*****Get well wishes to Sherry Jenkins who had surgery on Friday. She should be well on the way to recovery by the time you read this.*****The Johnson City Christian Food Pantry is making an extra distribution this month. As you might guess, that will strip the Food Pantry’s shelves and freezers bare, so any donations you can make to help replenish the stocks will be especially appreciated. A donation of food is good, but money is better, because they can get discounts to make a buck go farther than you can. One way to help is at the First United Methodist Church’s “Souper Bowl of Caring” fund-raiser lunch on Sunday, January 22, benefitting the Food Pantry. Join them for soup and dessert and drop a donation in the can for the hungry.*****The North Blanco Emergency Medical Services (NBCEMS) held their monthly business meeting on Thursday, January 12th at the station. After the business meeting, President Randy Brodbeck & Erik Neumann’s birthdays were celebrated with cake & ice cream. On Saturday, January 14th, they held another CPR class.*****The Johnson City Volunteer Fire Department (JCVFD) held a gigantic cleaning day at their station on Saturday, January 14th. They even cleaned the flower beds! They just paid off their building & are planning to celebrate!*****Saturday, Feb 4, is the date for the next Change the World chore day. Volunteers will do chores for people in the Johnson City area who can’t do them for themselves...cleanup, fixup, pickup, etc. If you’re inclined to give someone a hand, you’re welcome to join the group. If you know someone who has a need they can’t fill by themselves, we need to know that, too. Paul Axtell at the Deer Creek vet clinic (868-5600) is the point man on this, or call the First United Methodist Church office (868-7414).*****The North Blanco Emergency Services District (NBCEMS) held their regular monthly business meeting at the Johnson City Volunteer Fire Department (JCVFD) on Monday, January 16th. Directors Ed Hullum, Gene Yensten, Kay Odiorne, & Ingrid Moursund conducted the business of the district with members of JCVFD, NBCEMS, & Round Mountain Volunteer Fire Department (RMVFD) in attendance.*****Congratulations to Kristopher & Terri Ulrich who are expecting a new baby soon.*****Chili Cook-off Youth Fundraiser at the First Baptist Church on Saturday, January 14th was a success! The silent auction resulted in a bidding war for a coveted painting. And the chilis & desserts were awesome. There were so many that there was an impromptu lunch after church to finish up all the food!*****The Emergency Services Auxiliary (ESA) has been pricing & getting ready for their April Garage Sale for several weeks. It will be held on April 12-14th this spring at the EMS building. There is still plenty of time to bring donated items for the sale. They work most every Monday.*****Registration for the spring session of Discovery Academy at the Johnson City Library is happening now through January 23 with the first day of Discovery to be January 24. Register your 3rd, 4th, or 5th graders for this fantastic after school science and math enrichment program. Call the library at 868-4469 for more information.*****The Johnson City Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a Casino Night at the Blanco County Fair Grounds on February 23rd. Get your tickets at the Johnson City Visitor Center or call 868-7684.*****Dexter Haynes got hired for a scene on the ABC family show “The Lying Game” tomorrow. He was so excited! He was filming on January 17th.*****Congrats to Amanda Mize & Jesse Mize on the birth of their new baby girl Emma on January 16th!!*****Mark your calendars for the Texas State Men’s Chili Cook-off on March 31st at the Blanco County Fair Grounds.*****You might be a Johnson City native if you can remember when the Johnson City Library was located upstairs in the Blanco County Courthouse.*****Happy Birthday wishes to: January 20th – Mack Cantwell, Sonya Preston, Patricia Maulding, Emily Matjeka, & Henry Martinez II; January 21st – Andy Lee, Pam Sultemeier, & Jordan Wheeler; January 22nd –Dolly Bingham; January 23rd – Laura Meuerer, Kathleen Neeley, Andy Shanks, Jake Brodbeck & Kathryn Johnson; January 24th – Louise Paterson & Lynn Ortiz; January 25th – Matty Jones, Andrea Fox, Evelyn Dugan, Savanna Sultemeier, & John Price; January 26th – Rayette Bible, Krystal Flores, Gertrude Whittington, Randy Brodbeck, & Noel Porter; and on January 27th – Chelsea & Troy Anderson.*****Anniversary Congratulations to Terry & Joycelyn Carter and Bill & Mary Ann Swafford on January 20th; and to Michael & Iris Lane on January 22nd.*****Tip for the week: What have you been doing that you would have felt so much better about if you had just said NO? Perhaps you’re saying YES to every request for your time, even though you’re pressed for time as it is. Perhaps you’ve said YES to desserts, even though you resolved to eat healthier in 2012. Maybe you’ve RSVP’d YES to a social engagement that you really don’t want to attend. Do yourself a favor this week and say NO to three things.