March 4, 2010

It’s that time again for our Class of 2010 to have Senior Serve. It will be an enjoyable evening, with our seniors serving dinner and providing exciting entertainment. It will be held March 27th at 6pm at the high school commons. The money raised from this event will be used for project graduation, to provide a fun-filled evening for the graduates.

Counselors Jim Spruiell, Ph.D., and Pam Spruiell, Ph.D., will teach self-preservation during a free, four-week series for those who care for loved ones suffering from cancer or other debilitating diseases. "Creating a life while being a caregiver" will be on Wednesdays from March 17 through April 17, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Members of C Battery, 6th Battalion, 84th Field Artillery will muster in Johnson City on March 6-7, 2010. This unit was activated in August 1967 at Fort Irwin, California to train and prepare for deployment to South Vietnam. The training was completed in December, the unit was declared ready for combat, and departed from Long Beach, California in January 1968.

We invite you to join us on Sunday, March 21, 2010 beginning at 11am for a scrumptious homemade Mexican dinner. Plates include cheese enchiladas, tamale, taco, rice, beans, tortilla, homemade salsa and a dessert. You may dine in or to- go plates will be available. We are currently working to raise funds for our new religious education building, so all proceeds from this event will assist in this endeavor.

Looking for an alternative to your child sitting in front of the TV the entire week of spring break? Well, look no further. The Uptown Blanco Art Center, located on Third Street just west of the Blanco downtown square, is offering a spring break camp focusing on "The Basics of Art"

Anyone who hopes to find treasure in their trash is invited to the Gillespie County Historical Society’s "What’s It Worth?" event on Friday and Saturday, March 19 and 20, 2010, in Fredericksburg. The Pioneer Museum will have six independent appraisers on hand to appraise furniture, paintings, sculpture, art, prints, photographs, books, silver, glass, toys, guns, knives and western memorabilia.

On Saturday, March 6th 2010 Youth Community Assistance Program is having its 2nd Activity at the ASB Karate Studio. There will be Free Hamburgers, Chips and Gatorade. There will be Video Game Competition, Ping Pong and Fellowship with friends and classmates. Junior High ages from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The Johnson City Library is the hub of the JC community because imaginative programs and engaging activities occur there. Johnson City’s love affair with the library begins at first sight because the library’s attractive Hill Country exterior of cedar and limestone is so inviting. Patrons immediately feel comfortable just looking at the library: it is beautiful but not imposing.

The AARP Safe Driving Program course is being sponsored by the M&Ms class at the First United Methodist Church, 105 N. LBJ, on Saturday, March 13. The class will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Activity Building of the church at Avenue E and Pecan Street in Johnson City.

The next meeting of the Blanco County Aggie Moms is scheduled for Sunday, March 7th at 4 pm in the home of Nickie Cox. Please plan to attend this important meeting. We will be completing plans for our scholarship fundraisers, goody bags for spring finals, and posting nominations for officers. If you would like more information about our group you may contact Tricia Hartmann, President, at 833-1431; Nickie Cox, Secretary, at 833-5023, or Diana Blackburn, Treasurer, at 833-4990.

In February, the Blanco County Cat Coalition (BCCC) had a very successful month, in part by coming to the aid of many feral cats in the Johnson City area. A total of 23 cats were trapped, vaccinated and neutered. Nine were taken from behind the Johnson City Post Office on Avenue G.

What is the Friends of the Library? It is an organization dedicated to promoting community support of the Library and retiring the debt through fundraisers, donations and benefactors. On Tuesday, members of the Friends made their first payment toward this goal of retiring the debt, through the generosity of the community and members of the Friends, a check for $14,000 was paid to the Johnson City Bank. We have a long way to go, but we have begun and we will work to continue to pay th ...

By Emily Zbytovsky Editor Johnson City Record Courier I am the baby of the family. My parents had three stinky boys before they were blessed with a baby girl. All of my life I have been grateful that I was the only girl with the bonus of five years between my youngest brother and me.

My, February has left us rather quickly and March has come in with some rain. How is that for starting off March 1st, 2010? I love March mainly because it reminds that spring is on its’ way plus daylight savings time is coming. This year Day Light Savings comes on March 14th, 2010 and Spring will be here on March 20th, 2010. Tenants come and join in on Game Day sponsored by Texas Health Care Solutions on March 9th, 2010 @ 1:00 pm till ?????

Well, did we all enjoy the snow? I know four ladies that did. They were like the postman... neither rain, nor hail, nor sleet, nor snow would keep them from their appointed rounds. I had sent out three quilts to a lady to quilt for me and she called me on the Monday before the snow to let me know that she was coming through town on Tuesday to go to Creations in Kerrville with several other ladies.

For once, instead of a bunch of promises and hype the weather guys hit the nail on the head! They were telling us for a couple of days that it would snow right here in Blanco County and even how much we’d get. We got it! It snowed a bunch at our place out in the country, in fact most of the morning we couldn’t see across the river for the blowing snow.

*****On Tuesday when Johnson City had the blizzard of 2010, Janice Nebgen says she loved the imagination of kids. There is a young man who lives on her road, instead of a snowman he built a large mound of snow that was close to five feet tall. He climbed on top and then slid down.

Superintendent David Shanley inspects the scene after a 3 year old sent a car into the side of the elementary building.

On Thursday, February 25th, a public hearing was held to consider the Kirchman Gallery application for a beer and wine permit. The Kirchman Gallery, located at 305 E. Main, is owned and operated by Susan Kirchman and Warren Vilmaire. This property is the second gallery opened by Kirchman. The first gallery, located in Johnson City on Nugent Street across from Blanco County Courthouse, opened two years ago. In an effort to increase business and to maintain visitor interest in Johnson ...

With gorgeous blue Texas skies and mild temperatures, voters came out and the results are in, with a total sweep by Republican candidates. Some interesting facts: There are 6,827 total registered voters in Blanco County. 30% of them voted in this election, not what one would consider a strong turnout.

Last Thursday, February 25th JCISD Elementary school was going about classes as usual when a mini van bumped into the exterior of one of the classrooms. A parent went into the school and left a 3 year old child in the vehicle while it was running. The child put the car in drive and slowly coasted into the side of the building.

Hye, Texas – Garrison Brothers Distillery™, the first and only pure bourbon whiskey distillery in Texas, is pleased to announce a pre-release of 1,000 bottles of the first and finest Texas bourbon whiskey ever made! This unique pre-release of small batch bourbon is bottled from a few superior barrels that were personally selected by the proprietor from the distillery’s growing barrel inventory.

Pedernales Electric’s Board of Directors unanimously voted on Monday, Feb. 22 to place a member bill of rights on the 2010 ballot, giving PEC’s 196,000 members the power to ratify the document at the Cooperative’s annual meeting on June 19 in Johnson City. If ratified, the bill of rights would establish core rights, such as election safeguards, which could only be changed with a member vote. "The member bill of rights is a first-ever initiative that establishes the ...

Brenda Bryson, PT, is no stranger to Fredericksburg or to providing myofascial physical therapy. Ms. Bryson grew up in Fredericksburg and received her masters in physical therapy from Texas Tech University in 1997. She has since provided treatment to patients for over twelve years, and she received John F. Barnes training in myofascial release in 2002.

A flag presentation ceremony was held at the Middle School campus on March 2nd, Texas Independence Day. Johnson City Masonic Lodge members, Mike Park and Bennie Hudson, presented all three campuses with a Texas flag that had been flown over the Texas Capitol. Mike Park gave a brief history on the Texas State Flag and instructions of proper handling of the flag. Representatives from all three campuses accepted the flags: Elementary - Hugh Galloway, Middle School - Thom ...

Crazy Unpredictable Texas Weather Think it will freeze again before Easter? Of course it will. You know that Easter isn’t until April 4th and we always have a "cold snap" right before or on Easter morning. Didn’t it thunder in February? Have the Mesquite leafed out? No! The latest freeze on record for most of the Hill Country is April 15th (that’s appropriate, right).

The final report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the 2009 corn harvest is one for the record books. Despite poor planting conditions, a cool, wet growing season, and an abysmal harvest that still sees corn standing in fields, American farmers shattered records for both yield per acre and total production. In the January Crop Production report, released Jan.

The passage of Proposition 11 was a victory for private property rights last year but Blanco County landowners must not forget that it is just the beginning of eminent domain reform in the Lone Star State. "We need to remember that private property owners are still exposed to unfair practices when their land is taken,"

The local chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will hear botanical illustrator, Lotus McElfish, share her adventurous journey of finding endangered plants and creating their portraits on March 13 at 1pm in the Marble Falls Library meeting room. She expresses appreciation for the people who work at saving these plants and will focus on the watercolors of the special species which are part of her Hill Country Project.

JOHNSON CITY LIBRARY: "Friends of the Library" My "old-timers" must be getting worse. Having driven by the new Johnson City Library countless times on the way to the ranch, I had assumed that the mortgage for the Johnson City Library was completely paid. Where and when I obtained that assumption I’m not sure.

Johnson City Police Department Reports These reports were filed between Feb. 13 and Feb. 18. Feb. 13 • Ave J 290. 1:21 AM. Traffic Stop • Kunkels. 1:57 AM. Traffic Stop • 290 Caps. 2:23 AM. Traffic Stop • 117 Winding Oak Dr. 8:32 AM. Civil Process • Ronnies. 8:53 AM. Traffic Stop • 304 E Ash Dr.

Nothing makes news like crucial court cases. Consider the media coverage given to high profile trials that garner millions of dollars worth of television time and print space. Everybody loves a mystery. And there are few arenas of intrigue that compare to courtroom drama. An attorney friend of mine once told me he would like to write a book about a trial that took place two thousand years ago: the trial of Jesus.

The Hill Country Region offices of Capital Farm Credit (CFC) announce their 2010 scholarship program. CFC will award $10,000 in scholarships to students pursuing a degree in education or an agricultural-related field of study. Students from the following counties are eligible: Bandera, Blanco, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano and Mason. "We are proud to expand and increase our local scholarship programs to help these students develop their potential as future leaders in agricu ...

On Thursday, February 25th, students from Kerrville MS, Kerrville Home School, Centerpoint MS, Harper MS, and LBJ MS came to Johnson City where LBJ MS hosted a Honor Band Tryouts/Contest. Below are results for our LBJ MS students. Flute: Alexis Urbanovsky – 1st chair concert band Samantha Cross – 2nd chair concert band(1st year player!!!) Charlotte Strickland – 4th chair concert band Clarinet:

The Johnson City Eagle Baseball team won first place in the Navarro Tournament this past weekend. The Eagles beat Poth, Lago Vista, and Luling to win their first 3 games of the season. Johnson City’s first game was a 17-4 victory over the Poth Pirates. Cody Smith started on the mound for JC and went 3 strong innings scattering 3 hits.

The Johnson City Eagle tennis team traveled to Mason on Thursday to compete in the Spring Smash Invitational. There were 18 schools represented with nearly 200 matches played. In Singles play, Jacob Sisson, Jacob Barbieri, and Samantha Preece played on the doubles side while Chris Eddy and Sergio Alvarado teamed up in doubles.

The LBJ Middle School Eagles did a great job at their first track meet last Friday night. Individual athletes placing in the top 3 of their events were: •Garrett DeLeon - 2nd in Shot Put •Whitney Wood - 3rd in 300 hurdles •Tori Mahar - 3rd in Shot Put •Katelyn Barrientes - 1st in 100 meter dash •Tiffany Hulse - 1st in 100 meter dash •Haley Sharp - 3rd in shot put •Brooke Wood - 1st in pole vaul ...

Over the past two weeks, the world has been enthralled with the 2010 Winter Olympics. Many folks watched countless hours of television programming, much to the delight of NBC who has been struggling with ratings. It was a welcome distraction from the whole late night, Conan vs. Leno debacle. However, the Olympics is really a 24-7 experience and most folks are unable to sit and watch the tube for every sporting event. Thanks to one local resident, you don’t have to.