January 7, 2010

A brand new year can bring alot of new beginnings, including a new business. Kim Hodge former owner of Johnson City Cleaners has launched a new business in the Texas Hill Country. Declutter 4 Good is a Professional Organization Service that organizes everything from closets, kitchens, offices, garages, seasonal decorations, to entire homes!

BLANCO, Texas – Visitors to Blanco State Park will have two opportunities to see live birds of prey up close when Save Our American Raptors comes to the park next week. The first presentation will be at 5:00pm Wednesday, January 13th. The second presentation will be especially for young children and their parents.

Make a difference in 2010! If you have never been married or given birth, and are between the ages of 19 - 29 years old, applications are now being accepted for the title of 2010 "Miss Blanco County International"! Miss Blanco County International will represent her area at the Miss Texas International Pageant, March 26 – 28, 2010, in San Antonio, Texas. The young woman ultimately selected as "Miss Blanco County International 2010"

The Johnson City Library is pleased to invite your child to enroll in the Johnson City Library Discovery Academy, an after-school enrichment program offered in partnership with the Johnson City School District. Into our third year, the Discovery Academy serves students in the 3rd through 5th grade with hands-on math and science enrichment activities through experiments, visuals, projects, and field trips.

Before my youngest was born people would call me and ask "What’s going on?" I would always answer "drama and chaos". This was in complete reference to my children, Michala was drama and Coy was chaos. When the little one came along it was always drama, chaos and disorder. Shay got that title by being a little tornado. Now that they are growing up (Coy 16, Michala 11, and Shay 6) I have become the queen of running around with my head cut off.

What a wonderful 2009 we had and now we are already into 2010. You know 2010 sounds so different than 2009. It has a ring to it that sounds authoritative and promising. Don’t you think? Here at the authority we still have deer and turkeys just visiting and making a sight for us like a good TV show.

Well, several ladies tried to get to the quilt display at The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum this past month. We did not make it. I understand there was a wonderful display of antique quilts and fabric. A Legacy of Quilts—The Briscoe Center’s Joyce Gross Collection included 29 quilts made between 1844-1950.

A shoplifter must be cool, must not be nervous, must not look like someone who might shoplift and must not really be a shoplifter but just casually walk out of the store holding an item and stopping to chat with the shopkeeper. Twas the day after Christmas and all through out Galveston not a creature was shopping except me and my daughter, Jenni.

*****Wendy Smith is working on the final details for this year’s Father/Daughter dance to be held on February 13th. The Gem of the Hills in Blanco has generously donated their facility for the Blanco County Relay for Life fundraiser. Ronnie Batchelor will once again furnish the music and entertainment for the family fun event.

Pedernales Electric General Manager Juan Garza has issued a report detailing PEC’s accomplishments in 2009, and he lauded the Board and the employees for helping the Cooperative meet an ambitious slate of objectives. Heading into 2010, Garza stated that it was important for him to inform PEC’s members about new measures the Cooperative has implemented while maintaining PEC’s high standards of customer service and reliability. "Our first responsibility is always to t ...

Add Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour and you know you’re on the right road to somewhere; throw in a camel and it can only be "The Road to Morocco", the best of the classic "road" comedies the trio made in the 40s and 50s. It’s also the first in this year’s Free Family Movie series at the First United Methodist Church in Johnson City, at 7 pm Monday, Jan 11.

Blanco County Youth Show 2010 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Saturday, January 9, 2010 9:00 AM Wednesday, January 13, 2010 3:00-5:00 pm. These projects will be classified into divisions by the Shop Judge prior to judging at 8:00 am on Thursday. Thursday, January 14, 2010 8:00 AM Judging of Shop Projects. 10:00 AM 12:00 noo ...

The 72nd Blanco County 4-H and FFA Youth Show begins Thursday, Jan. 14th at the Blanco County Show Barn in Johnson City. This year there are almost 600 entries. These leaders of tomorrow put in many hours, and often times, a lot of their hard-earned money working towards a successful project and show.

Chill Hours are Upon Us Getting the chill hours necessary for our fruit trees to produce will not be a problem this year. Different fruit trees require a different number of hours in the "Chill Zone". For instance some fruit trees require only 400 hours while others require 1,000 chill hours.

Matt Reidy, Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist, will speak on "Feral Pigs – Where Have We Been and Where Are We Headed" on January 12 at the Gillespie County Historical Society Building, 312 West San Antonio Street in Fredericksburg beginning at 7:00PM. The presentation is sponsored by the Friends of the Fredericksburg Nature Center as part of their monthly Nature Series programs held during the school year. Reidy graduated from Texas A&M University in wildlife ecology and ...

George Richard "Richie" Tanner, 68, of Albert, TX passed away January 4, 2010 in Austin, TX. He was born August 2, 1941 in Beeville, TX to James Othello Tanner and Della Arrington Tanner. Richie was preceded in death by his parents; baby sister, Dolores Tanner, and sister, Amydelle Tanner Jenkins.

Sterling B. Harwell was born in San Antonio October 9,1917 and passed gently on to be with his Lord on Sunday January 3, 2010. He was a much-beloved husband, father, grandfather, & great-grandfather. Sterling Harwell’s military career began as an Army Lieutenant in the last fully mobile Army Calvary unit stationed at Ft.

THE TOWN WE LIVE IN Dear Editor: In an economic downturn, you would expect that the merchants would be tightening their belts and declining requests for donations to charitable causes. It was uplifting to find that in our town, this just was not so. Each year the Tenant’s Association holds a Christmas Party for the residents of the Johnson City Housing Authority.

Johnson City Police Department Reports These reports were filed between Dec. 19 and Dec. 25. Dec. 19 • Old Mobil. 4:11 AM. Traffic Stop • Ave E. 5:32 AM. Traffic Stop • W Main Ave N. 5:46 AM. Traffic Stop • SS. 5:53 AM. Traffic Stop • EXXON. 6:40 AM. Traffic Stop • 300 Haley Rd. 7:58 AM.

One of my favorite object lessons in the sixth-grade Sunday School class I taught for many years was the "bad apples" demonstration. During a class at the beginning of the year, I brought some apples with me into the room—a beautiful, shiny red one that I called a "good apple"

The shop project show at this year’s Blanco County Stock Show has a record 35 entries. Students who are enrolled in agriscience classes at Johnson City or Blanco are eligible to enter projects built during class in four different categories at the stock show. In addition 4-H or FFA members under their parent’s supervision are also eligible to enter the show.

#3 Kris McDonald pushes the ball down court against Mason last Wednesday during the Llano Tournament. McDonald, along with London McQueen, was selected to the All-Tournament team.

The LBJ Eagle varsity boys basketball team opened up their 2010 district season this past Saturday afternoon, January 2, at LBJ High School gym against the Brooks Academy Bengals. Using a solid half court defensive effort and a tremendous defensive rebounding effort the Eagles were able to claim the win over the Bengals 52-33.

The LBJ Eagles captured 2nd place at the annual Llano Holiday tournament held on December 29 & 30, winning 3 out of 4 games including 2 games that were decided in the final seconds. In the contest that clinched 2nd for LBJ the Eagles defeated the Mason Punchers 47-45 in overtime.