August 19, 2010

Have you always wanted to make a difference in your community, but didn’t know where to start? All around the Texas, women are finding that a crown can serve as a megaphone to promote a cause or issue. If you are married and will be between the ages of 21 and 56 as of July 1, 2011, applications are now being accepted for the title of 2011 "Mrs.

George Culp was presented with a Hometown Hero award by the Johnson City Community Education Foundation board for his many years of service. George was a JCCEF founding member. Since 2006, he has donated numerous hours of volunteer time and talents towards raising money for higher education scholarships and teacher grants.

On Tuesday, August 31st, the Fredericksburg chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will host Brian and Shirley Loflin, photographers, authors and teachers. Brian is a biologist and a photographer whose work has been published in various national and international magazines, book and other publications. Brian’s photography has been displayed by several galleries and has won many awards.

Highland Lakes Porcelain Art Guild meets at 10:00 at the Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce, 916 2nd St. in Marble Falls. We are one of 52 federated porcelain art clubs in Texas and we are an "area" club for all interested persons. The following are our meeting dates. September 13 October 4 November 1 January 3 February 7 March 7 April 4 We always have an artist demonstrate, either local or from out of tow ...

The Round Mountain Extension Education Association Club gathered at the pavilion of Walnut Methodist Church on Friday, Aug. 13, for their Ice Cream Social Night. Twenty members, family and friends enjoyed the many flavors of ice cream and the goodies that go so well with it. Visiting and catching up on what we did this summer was also enjoyed.

Another weekend of heat and it makes you wonder, where is the rain? Things are drying up and beginning to look a little drab. Tuesday, we had CAFB here, along with Catholic Charities. These are two wonderful services for anyone in Blanco County. I do not know what we would do without these services. This Friday is our 3rd Friday Luncheon.

Well, this week started out like any other, almost. My Monday plans got cancelled and then they got better. My sister called and needed someone to ride to Utopia with her. I’m your girl, let’s go. We went thru San Antonio and stopped at a quilt shop on the other side of town.

*****Get well wishes to Cayson & Cassandra Braun, children of Monty & Shanna Braun, who had tonsil & adenoids out this past week in Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg. *****Congratulations to Tim Gonzales, son of Minnie Gonzales, who auditioned for American Idol in Austin last Wednesday. He made it to the second round.

Where should I begin, let me count the ways. 1.Never ask how much land a person owns. This is just not done in Blanco County, but rather it applies to anywhere in Texas. You might as well ask a man, "how much money do you make," or if he beats his wife. 2.Speaking of money, it is not wise to ask at which bank a person keeps his money because there are definite lines drawn there.

Texans are no strangers to snakes, especially during the summertime when many of them are out and about. Copperhead, Coral, Cottonmouth, and Rattler: these are the names given to the four species of venomous snakes in Texas. It is a good idea to educate others as well as yourself about these snakes, and how to avoid them as best as possible. "Snakes tend to follow their food source,"

On Tuesday, August 17th the City Council of Johnson City met during their regularly scheduled meeting to discuss a myriad of agenda items. The major issue discussed this evening was in relation to the council’s possible consideration of closing the Johnson City Recycle Center. Johnson City Recycle Center Discussion City Manager, David Dockery, stated that "In the beginning the Recycling Center was done with the help of volunteers&h ...

JOHNSON CITY – The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is rolling out preliminary plans for its new Pedernales River Nature Park and seeking feedback from the local community. LCRA will host open houses on Saturday, Aug. 28, from 9 a.m. to noon, and Monday, Aug. 30, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., to present a conceptual design of the park and take public questions and comments.

They are the silent angels in the world, the people who devote themselves to the unpaid care of chronically ill or disabled family members. They are also the people more prone to burnout. The demands of being a caregiver can often be tremendous, especially when that individual is an Alzheimer’s caregiver. Alzheimer’s caregivers often have a hard time, especially since the Alzheimer’s patient in their care cannot be left alone.

At its regular meeting on August 10, the Commissioners Court of Blanco County voted to approve the Proposed Budget for fiscal year 2010-2011. The budget is designed to raise more total property tax revenue than last year’s budget by $26,901 or 0.8%. It is expected that tax revenue to be raised from new property that will be added to the tax roll will raise $44,077. The total of all revenues to the County should be approximately $7,394,053.

When we think of disaster shelters, we usually think first of hurricanes, and in Blanco County, we’re far enough from the coast that we don’t think much about those at all. As the events of July proved, inland counties are more likely to need American Red Cross shelters than coastal counties! When Tropical Storm Alex came ashore in northern Mexico June 30th, followed by a tropical depression a week later, the demand for shelters in the valley was small and those t ...

On August 27th, the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Park will celebrate what would have been LBJ’s 102nd birthday. National Park Tours of the Texas White House will begin at 9:30 a.m. Visitors will be able to enjoy refreshments of old fashion lemonade and watermelon at the LBJ State Park Visitor Center and are encouraged to enjoy the movie "Hill Country, LBJ’s Texas"

No offense intended to admirers of Romantic poetry, but someone should have planted something in that Grecian urn Keats wrote about ("Ode on a Grecian Urn") in 1819. Then he would have had even more fodder for his pen. Imagine a fine green vine with tiny flowers trailing over the side, and an explosion of blooms and foliage within. For centuries, potted plants – often called by the prettier name "container gardens"

SAVE THE DATE PEDERNALES WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT CO-OP 7TH ANNUAL MEETING AND LECTURE. PUBLIC INVITED. FREE. 4:00 P.M. SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH. FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH ACTIVITY CENTER IN JOHNSON CITY. AGRITOURISM, ECOTOURISM, NATURE TOURISM, WILDLIFE AND NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY, HUNTING, FISHING AND ADVENTURE OPERATIONS: ARE THEY THE FUTURE OR JUST A HILL COUNTRY DREAM? Todd Swift, our Blanco County Agrilife Agent, has arranged to have Miles Phillips, the "s ...

Daniel Joseph Koch, 60, passed away August 15, 2010 in Temple, TX, formerly of Round Rock, TX. He was born in Belgium, Wisconsin to Joseph Frank Koch and Rosa Margaret Martinez Koch. Daniel proudly served his country with the U.S. Marine Corps (Company B, 1st Battalion 9th Marines 3rd Div.

Dear Editor The Recycling Center provides needed services to both Johnson City and Northern Blanco County. Since people in the county also use the Recycling Center, why aren’t the operating costs shared between Johnson City and Blanco County? With the Recycling Center closed I can visualize refrigerators, water heaters, old computers, rusted metal, plastic bottles, broken glass bottles, soda/beer cans, broken toys, and assorted junk scattered around Johnson C ...

Dear Editor: I wish that we could spend more time trying to prosecute the felons that have dumped cats at various locations throughout Blanco County, rather than pursing the charitable acts of persons that have been feeding and caring for these victims of human irresponsibility. Animal abuse is a felony in the state of Texas and the dumping of animals is surely animal abuse.

Dear Editor: The Hill County 100 Club has received reports that some telephone solicitation contractors for the Texas State Troopers Association (TSTA) have been claiming that the 100 Clubs spend 95% of their money on marketing. In the case of the Hill Country 100 Club and others we are familiar with, they have it backwards.

Blanco County Sheriff’s Office Reports These reports were filed between Jul. 23 and Jul. 29. Jul. 23 • 3 miles south of Blanco. 1:41 AM. Livestock Complaint • 104 W. Dawn Dr., Johnson City. 1:59 AM. Medical Emergency • 119 E. Dawn Dr., Johnson City. 6:06 AM. Civil Matter • Speedy Stop. 7:48 AM.

Stepping up to the counter in a fast food restaurant, I found myself face to face with a smiling middle-aged woman. "You look happy today," I said. "Well I’m not," she snapped, her smile quickly fading. And immediately, I knew why I had stopped there to eat. Each morning I stock my shirt pocket with a variety of printed mini-messages (most are condensed columns) that I hope will make a difference in the lives of people I meet. I’m lookin ...

Searching for success.... what is success? Well to answer that question, success is anything you want it to be. Two Johnson City FFA Officers, Kendra Smith (Chaplain) and Ashley Bargsley (Reporter), set out on a mission for success by attending the 2010 Area VII Leadership Camp at McKinney Roughs Nature park in Cedar Creek, Texas. The camp was hosted by the 2010-2011 Area VII FFA Officers (David Holland, Shelbie Thames, Daniel Haverlah, Kylie Bradley, Taylor Wetz, and Bobb ...

Orthopedic surgeons are teaming up with rehab specialists to offer free orthopedic and physical therapy evaluations to middle and high school athletes on Saturdays beginning August 28. The Saturday clinic takes place in Fredericksburg at Hill Country Memorial (HCM), 1020 S. State Hwy. 16, through the admissions entrance (front-left automated doors), from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. The physicians from Texas Hill Country Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine, PA are volunteering their time ...

The Lady Eagles have jumped right into district play with 2 matches and one tournament. The Lady Eagles began pre-district play against Lago Vista last Tuesday night. Although they lost in three games 14-25,20-25, and 9-25 the girls started to get their feet wet for the season. Meredith Neely led the team with 4 kills with the help of setter Kourtney Smith. The Lady Eagles also participated in their first tournament of the season in Copperas Cove.

Focus, precision, determination, courage, excellence - these are the attributes of three hometown girls who begin their 2010 USA Gymnastics competitive season this month. Rylee Weirich, Reagan Weirich, and Grace Kester train 10-12 hours a week at GymAct - Gymnastics Achievers of Central Texas in Marble Falls. The girls train on the competitive team under the expert direction of GymACT founders Coach Troy Brown and Coach Ann Brown.