January 15, 2009

Archie and Julie Roach are happy to announce the engagement of their daughter, Patricia Jane (PJ) Roach, to Kristopher Shane Heavner, son of Ruby and Lee Heavner of Johnson City, Texas. The bride-to-be is the granddaughter of Dorothy Lowden of Johnson City, Texas, and Patsy Roach also of Johnson City, Texas.

Tony Jr. and Katy Gonzales are proud to announce the birth of their baby boy Emery Antonio Gonzales. He was born on November 23, 2008 at 6:50 a.m. Emery weighed 6 lbs. 3 oz. and was 18 1/2 inches long. Emery is welcomed by siblings Bryanna, Tiffany and Dylan. Grandparents are Minnie and the late Tony Gonzales and Bill and Norhala Knopp.

Our little community is pretty neat because we have deer and turkeys all over the place. It is quite the sight when you look out at all the wildlife around here. It is beautiful. We have had some variety of weather lately. That is the neat thing about living in Texas.

Everyone who files a federal tax return must determine which filing status applies to them. It’s important you choose your correct filing status as it determines your standard deduction, the amount of tax you owe and ultimately, any refund owed to you. There are two things to consider when determining your filing status: First, your marital status on the last day of the year determines your filing status for the entire year.

Well, another Chili Cook-off has come and gone at First Baptist Church. It was great and there were lots of silent auction items, but the ones I like to focus on are usually quilted or hand made. There were several things of interest for me this year. One being a scarf made by Angie Stearns.

I guess you could say we are slow learners but slow is better than not ever learning. A new product has come on the $19.99 market and it is called MIGHTY MENDITS and hawked by the same Billy Mays who markets most of the $19.99 marvels on television. He’s done it again but this time I was wise and checked him and the new wonder thing on Google.

*****The Blanco County Child Protective Services Board made a donation of $500 to Johnson City Schools. These funds were from their Children of our Community account that is funded from jury duty donations and community donations. The school fund will create a resource closet of school supplies for school children in need. *****Wendy Smith’s Relay for Life Team, The Night Pray-ers, are finalizing plans for the second annual Father/Daughter dance for Blanco County.

James Vasquez representing Pedernales Electric Coop presented Mayor Kermit Roeder with a franchise tax check in the amount of $45,375.95 for 2% of the gross revenue of PEC users in the City.

By Emily Zbytovsky Long ago were the days that I showed my first hog, that’s right I showed hogs. It is just a part of growing up in a small town...joining 4-H or FFA and showing an animal. Things have changed since then, with shop projects and the Exhibit Hall there is plenty to take in at the annual Blanco County Youth Stock Show. There are 25 Shop Projects to be entered in the show this year.

AVENUE N PROJECT A FINANCIAL SUCCESS On Tuesday, January 6th 2009 the Johnson City City Council held their first monthly meeting of the New Year. The meeting began in a public hearing forum as Gandolf Burris discussed various grant projects the city is working on. Burris stated that the Community Grant Block Project for Waste Water Improvements had been completed on Avenue N and that he felt that the project was rather successful.

Johnson City, TX. Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park plans to hold two open houses to discuss the planning effort underway to update the 1999 park general management plan. The meetings will be held on January 27, 2009 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the LBJ State Park in the dining hall and on January 29, 2009 from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

ARTS Encounters at the Beninis begins its fifth year of popular cultural weekends - January 24th and 25th with a tremendous lineup of stars in the world of Texas music, a book-signing, a CD release party, a discussion on The Sustainability of Art by architect Marley Porter, and new sculpture installations.

The friendliest folks in the Texas Hill Country will host Blanco Cooks for the Cure Chili and BBQ Cook Off. Our event will take place in Blanco, Texas at Yett Memorial Park on February 6, 7 and closing the event on Sunday February 8 morning with a Cowboy Pancake Breakfast open to the general public for a cash donation.

EARLY BIRD 4-H CLUB meets second Tuesday, Pleasant Hill School. Call Texas Cooperative Extension, Blanco County for more information, 868-7167. HILL COUNTRY SPURS 4-H CLUB meets third Tuesday, Blanco County Fairgrounds Riding Arena, 6:30 pm and focuses on the 4-H Horse Project. You do not need a horse to participate. Call Texas Cooperative Extension, Blanco County for more information, 868-7167. JOHNSON CITY 4-H CLUB meets second Wednesday, Blanco County Courthouse Annex JP Courtroom, 5:30 pm ...

Crime Stoppers COLD CASE HOMICIDE 2/7/2008 Homicide Occurred LCRA Schaffer Bend Park Burnet County Sheriff’s Office and Hill Country Area Crime Stoppers are asking for the publics’ assistance with any information on the homicide that occurred February 7, 2008. The victim was Alan Wayne Huggins, a white male born June 18, 1963.

Prescribed burning is one of many tools that ranchers have available to them in order to manage their land. Keith Blair with Red Buffalo, LLC will be in Blanco County next month to educate landowners about this important land management tool. Topics to be covered are fire weather, fuel moisture, topographic influences, fire effects, burn plans, laws and regulations, safety in the field, smoke management, firing techniques and post-burn management.

The term of the Blanco County grand jury hearing evidence about possible criminal wrongdoing at the Pedernales Electric Cooperative ended last week without any indictments being issued. Tom Kelley, spokesperson for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, said, “This is an ongoing investigation and we are aggressively pursuing the case.” Citing the secrecy of the grand jury process, Kelley declined to make any further comment. The grand jury selection process is spelled out in the Texas ...

Pedernales Electric is once again offering scholarships to high school seniors in its service area. PEC encourages local students to continue their education by providing fifty $1,000 scholarships to use toward their expenses at any accredited university, college, junior college, technical school or trade school. Students must be a senior in high school, and their parents or legal guardians must be PEC members in order to be eligible. Scholarship recipients are selected based on application r ...

Noah Stone Swope, eight year old son of Zane and Ashley Swope and grandson of Kay Williams, shot and killed his first buck which had eight points while hunting on their family ranch in Paint Rock, Texas, Concho County.

Sally Armstrong of Donkey-Oaties Miniature Donkeys in Johnson City attended two 2008 Year-End Award Banquets recently. In the Gulf Coast Donkey & Mule Association, Armstrong’s three-year old gelding, Max, won Year-End Reserve Champion High Point in the Green Division. Armstrong was presented with an embroidered jacket for the win.

Blanco County Farm Bureau leaders are optimistic that an eminent domain reform bill will pass early in the next legislative session. “Both the Texas House and Senate overwhelmingly passed an eminent reform bill, HB 2006, during the last session,” said Blanco County Farm Bureau S&T Adrian Schulze “Unfortunately, the governor vetoed it.” Schulze stressed that there are three essential elements of any eminent domain legislation. The first, he said, is to require condemning authoritie ...

Olivia Weiershausen, 90, passed away Thursday, January 08, 2009 in Wimberley, TX. She was born in Blanco County to Otto and Lena Bauer Uecker. Olivia was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Harold Weiershausen; daughter, Joyce Dean Journey; two sons-in-law, John Journey and Vince Nuche; granddaughter, Joy Lynn Journey; one great granddaughter, and two brothers Buddy and Dart Uecker.

Donations to the Johnson City Community Education Foundation Letter to the Editor My name is Jake Bacon, and I am a 2007 graduate of LBJ High School. I am currently a sophomore at St. Edward’s University in Austin, and am writing this letter on behalf of the Johnson City Community Education Foundation. The JCCEF has been in existence since 2007, and is an organization comprised of business leaders and educators in Johnson City who provide scholarships to students to help offset the high ...

Blanco Police Reports These reports were filed between Dec 11 and Dec 17. Dec 11 • False Alarm. 4:04 AM. (with Blanco Co. SO) • Medical Emergency. 9:59 AM. An elderly individual had fallen at a location on Main St. The individual was taken to the hospital. • Suspicious Vehicle. 7:52 PM. A car was parked in front of The Vintage Cottage all day.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, saw a link between swearing and worrying; seeing them both as acts of unbelief. Yet many people of faith fret continually over present problems and fear the future. They worry about family members, financial security, health and a number of other supposed impending disasters.

2nd Grade A Honor Roll Ana Alvarez, Sierra Anderson, MaKayla Arvesen, Hunter Barrientes, Laina Deleon, Savannah Elkins, Bryan Evers, Willow Fowler, Bryce Fry, Carly Gravell, Fabiola Guzman, Chance Haley, Cheyenne Haynes, Claire Hedlund, Ethan Heinen, Johnny Hernandez, Victoria Hobbs, Colton Hurlbut, David Jordan, Wren Liesmann, Dylan Lorenz, Valerie Menchaca, Jaron Pearce, Skyler Roberts, Paige Rutherford, Katelyn Splude, Addisyn Stueler, Braden Stueler, Isabella Swafford, Avery Voron, Rylee W ...

In an effort to promote school spirit and to let the JCISD Board of Trustees know how much they are appreciated an Eagle art contest was held. LBJ Middle School art students participated in the Eagle contest by creating works of art that showed their Eagle spirit. The art students chose their favorite art medium to enhance their designs.

The LBJ Eagle varsity basketball team traveled to play their long time district rival the Harper Longhorns on Tuesday evening, January 6. The Eagles played an excellent defensive game and were able to control the tempo of the game for most of the contest but were unable to come away with a victory falling to the Longhorns 49-29.

LBJ Middle School Eagles Game Results Sport: Basketball Date of Game: 12/15/08 @ 5:00 pm; 6:00 pm Team: 7th Grade; 8th Grade Opponent: Harper 7th Grade, 8th Grade Final Score – 7th Grade Team Quarter 1 2 3 4 Final LBJ 4 5 2 4 15 Opponent 2 6 4 10 22 Notable Standouts: Anthony Capra was the high scorer with 6 points for the Eagle offense. Jeremy Polinard-Krause came up with several defensive rebounds.

LBJ Middle School Eagles Game Results Sport: Basketball Date of Game: 1/13/09 @ 5:00 pm; 6:00 pm; 7:00 pm Team: B, 7th Grade A, 8th Grade A Opponent: Comfort B, 7th Grade A, 8th Grade A Final Score – B Team Half 1 2 Final LBJ 6 9 15 Opponent 11 18 29 Notable Standouts: Trey Clifton was the high point player with 6 points.

The Middle School Lady Eagles had two games and a tournament this past week. Following are some of the highlight from the games. Thursday, January 8th, 2008 vs. Harper 7th Grade girls – lost 20-32 but saw great scoring in the first half by Brooke Wood (8 pts.), Whitney Wood (6 pts.).

Hill Country Memorial Hospital is welcoming Lance Love, M.D., to its medical staff. Dr. Love, a general surgeon, began practicing in Fredericksburg this week. He specializes in procedures of the chest, lungs, abdomen, abdominal wall, neck, breast and skin. “His expertise, particularly in thoracic surgical procedures, and others, will be beneficial to our patients, because he brings specialization in some areas we have previously had to refer to specialists outside of Fredericksburg,” Mi ...

Texas Healthcare Solutions, Inc. today announced that it has been named to the 2008 HomeCare Elite, a compilation of the most successful Medicare-certified home health care providers in the United States. This annual review identifies the top 25 percent of agencies, ranked by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, quality improvement and financial performance.