July 2, 2008

June was a hot one, with a record-setting number of days with 100+ temperatures and the Hill Country region is in extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The recent rain came from a cold front that moved into the area over the weekend, at a time when cold fronts aren’t common, notes LCRA chief meteorologist Bob Rose. Even with the rainfall, most grass and other plants that were growing have turned brown and significant rains are needed to reduce the wildfire threat ...

During a Special Meeting of the Blanco County Commissioners Court in Johnson City, Blanco City Councilwoman Rebecca Howerton made a special presentation of a framed piece of artwork to the Court. The artwork, created by local artist Suzette Connell to honor the Sesquicentennial celebration of Blanco County, is a hand painted rendition of the artist’s illustration that is being used extensively during the County’s 150th year.

On Friday, June 27th, two local arrowhead enthusiasts, Bill Davis and William Belleck, came to the library during the Summer Reading Program. Davis and Belleck were met with an enthusiastic crowd of nearly 70 kids and their parents. They brought many examples of arrowheads and drilling tools from the area, and passed around samples for the children to touch and even to smell!

Signs warn of the dangers behind the fence at the City of Blanco Wastewater Treatment Plant, located off Sunset Ridge, but the ones that need the warning most can't read. Bev Behrends lives nearby and says that she has pulled "at least twenty dogs out of there (tanks)." She said that she has also pulled out other small animals, and even rescued a small goat once.

It felt like Christmas when two large boxes of children’s books arrived at the Blanco Library from the Libri Foundation. The Libri Foundation is a nationwide, non-profit organization which donates new, quality, hardcover youth books to small, rural public libraries in the United States through its Books For Children program.

June 6-July 18 • Blanco Library Summer Reading Program: Texas Summer Reading Club Jubilee! 1958-2008. The library will host entertainers and storytellers every Friday @10 am for Blanco children to come and enjoy! In addition, if your child reads 5 books, they will earn a free ticket to The Ringling Bros.

A Nature Detectives Day Camp was held during the week of June 23 - 27. Eleven campers ages 4 - 7 participated in the camp, which was carried out by Wildside Education, a local non-profit organization, in collaboration with the Blanco State Park and the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife. Campers spent each morning learning about nature and conservation through exploration, ecology games, stories, and crafts.

Hill Country CattleWomen will award an additional scholarship in memory of Patricia Granberg. Donations to this scholarship fund were made by Texas CattleWomen members all across our state. Patricia was well known not only in the Blanco area, but statewide for her many years of dedication and work for the objectives of Texas CattleWomen...

Due to scheduling conflicts, Juneteenth was held a little later than usual, but my goodness – what a great time was had by all! All who attended were welcomed with open arms and treated as if they were family, reminiscent of a family reunion. Activities were planned throughout the day, music, games, food, speakers, just to name a few.

Four local educators joined more than 1100 key women educators from throughout the state for the 79th Annual Convention of the Texas State Organization of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International in The Woodlands, June 19-21. Members spent the convention time attending a business session, and educational and special interest workshops at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center.

Adult Grief Support Group - No one needs to suffer grief alone; everyone can benefit from care and support. CTMC Hospice Care provides a safe and comfortable environment through its grief support groups to express the feelings you may experience due to the death of a loved one. These services are available free of charge.

The public is invited to attend a presentation by Cathy Nordstrom, owner of Sans Souci Gardens Landscape Design of Austin on Tuesday, July 8th at 1:00 p.m. at the Blanco County Library. The topic of Cathy’s presentation is Creating Woodland Edge. The presentation is being sponsored by the Blanco County Master Gardeners’ Association. Most home sites are cut into an existing natural area to make space for the house.

Martha Mason from The American Red Cross came to the library June 23 and 24 to conduct their well-known Babysitting Course. The training lasted for 3 days and the attendees received instruction on various topics related to the business of babysitting. They all are now CPR and First Aid certified babysitters!

After only a week in its original location, the Welcome to Blanco sign that was displayed in front of Security State Bank, which was greatly appreciated, was tattered and had to be repaired. Rebecca Howerton took it back to the Johnson City sign shop and they fixed it right up.

Senior Blanco FFA members Alisa Guler and Sarah Isenberg were each awarded Texas FFA Scholarships following interviews at the state degree and awards check in Stephenville at Tarleton State University earlier this summer. Alisa will receive a $15,000 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Scholarship. She will be attending Texas A&M in the fall and majoring in Aerospace Engineering.

All Pedernales Electric offices will be closed Saturday, July 5, 2008. Beginning July 12, five of the 16 PEC offices will be open on Saturdays. The Canyon Lake, Cedar Park, Kyle, Lake Creek and Manchaca locations will be open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Weekday lobby and drive-through hours will remain the same. Members may contact Pedernales Electric by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-888-554-4732 for any type of business transaction or question.

Take a fast freedom final. Study a map of the world keeping in mind where freedom has flourished and you’ll find wherever the Bible has traveled it has carried freedom’s holy light, breaking bondages and setting people free. Why not? The central figure of this inspired Book promised freedom to His followers: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” He said (John 8:32).

God keeps me! Yes, He does! He gives me everything I need, and everything I secretly yearn for! He gives me so much, that I don’t even mind anymore, that I don’t have some things. Some “things” I used to work hard for, now they just don’t mean that much to me anymore!

1Ti 4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” 2Ti 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” We are living in a day of great deception.

It’s enough to make a grown man cry, diets that seem to scream at each other. Mostly, I don’t understand. I recognize, though, that opinions swing widely, depending on who is asked—and when. Supermarket isles are blanketed with ads trumpeting high proteins and low carbohydrates, and shoppers squint at the small print, focusing on fat content, yea, even different kinds of fat.

Vacation Bible School 2008 at Trinity Lutheran Church begins Monday, July 28 through August 1. This year's theme is Power Lab, where kids learn about God's miraculous power. Join us from 9 a.m. until Noon each day. Ages 4 through 6th grade are invited. Registration is limited to the first 60 paid students.

To The Editor Response to a letter to the editor regarding the Blanco Cemetery. This letter is to answer questions asked about our financial statement published recently for the Blanco Cemetery. The form used was our IRS Report Form that has many different items listed for the use of non-profit organizations. We of course do not have a need for all of them. The line that said membership dues and assets is the line we use for the money from plot sales, and fees we collect to set a stone or pu ...

These Blanco Middle School Cheerleaders made All Star Cheerleader at UCA cheer camp this past month. They will get to travel to Houston in November to join the other UCA All Star Cheerleaders from across the state and march in the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. They are trying to raise money to help cover the expense of their trip.

AUSTIN - Texas’ top officeholders spoke out in response to two hot-button cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court last week. In District of Columbia v. Heller, the high court on June 26 struck down a law that banned private ownership of handguns in the District of Columbia. “Texans have long held that it is a fundamental right of every law-abiding citizen to keep and bear arms,” Gov.

July and August is not a good time to start new landscape, but there are many things to be done this time of the year. There are some vegetables and flowers that can take the summer heat. Malabar spinach and okra can handle the heat. Harvest the okra pods when they are young and tender.

Noel- The idea to Jumper is a new and fresh idea, but it lacks a lot of things; one of which is explanation. The story goes that there are two groups of people: the ones that can jump and the ones that hunt after them. They don’t believe that the jumpers should be able to be where ever they want, whenever they want- so they kill them.

Monday, June 16th at 10am the Jubilee Singers came to Live Oak Medical Center. Darlene Kiernan was at the piano, Betty Courtney played her violin and Judy Dorsett sang an hour of wonderful spiritual songs for all to enjoy. Come again ladies. On June 25th the Lutheran Church hosted our Monthly Birthday Party at Live Oak Medical Center.

Economic uncertainty has caused a lot of people to step back and consider what’s really important and how they might weather a slowdown in the economy. Most experts agree that the best course of action is to get debt under control and have some money set aside for an emergency.

St. Ferdinand’s Invites Public To Dedication June 28, 1968 Services dedicating the additions to St. Ferdinand’s Catholic Church will be held Sunday, June 30, at 11:00 a.m. followed by Mass. Bishop Louis J. Reicher will preside at the service. An open house and reception honoring Bishop Reicher, who is celebrating his Golden Jubilee as a priest, will be held from 12:00 p.m.

What a difference a year makes. Handshakes, smiles and camaraderie filled the PEC Training Center at Saturday’s annual membership meeting of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative. Ranchers, environmental activists, board candidates and regular folks milled around the hall greeting one another and exchanging pleasantries. Last year, the room was lined with rows of prizes to be given away to those who showed up to vote.

KOCE-TV’s Mel Rogers Reveals the Top Five Things Americans Should Know about the DTV Transition At midnight February 17, 2009 television will undergo the biggest advance since the introduction of color: all over-the-air television stations will turn off their analog broadcast signal and switch over to 100 percent digital broadcast. With this change quickly approaching, consumers across the nation, are faced with confusion and misinformation about the digital television conversion. As a trus ...