July 29, 2009

The Annual Blanco County Fair and Rodeo is quickly arriving, August 13-15, at the Blanco County Fair Grounds in Johnson City. Every member of your family can participate. Special thanks to Johnson Sewell Ford Lincoln Mercury, proud sponsors of the Blanco County Fair and Rodeo for another year. The rodeo always brings excitement to participants as well as attendees.

Blanco Director of Public Works Nathan Cantrell announced on Tuesday that the amount of water in the Blanco River for water use by the city of Blanco is only enough for two to three more weeks, based on current usage. Although the city has taken only 20 to 30 percent of its water from Canyon Lake so far this summer, as of now all its water will come from the lake.

Hard times and unfortunate events usually bring out the best in people. Those are the times we are cast into the churning-pot to see what we are made of, and the cream of the crop rises to the top. Respect, honor, and tribute, these are the measures by which a person is examined at the end of their life.

At a special July 28 meeting, County Commissioners examined preliminary plans for a proposed Law Enforcement Center, as well as a new County Annex Facility. The Law Enforcement Complex would include an upgraded jail that would meet Jail Commission standards. The present county jail is purportedly inadequate in terms of capacity and meeting security standards.

The Blanco County Association of Retired Educators (BCARE) met on July 23rd at the Blanco Methodist Church. District 13 Vice-President Ruth Spear was on hand to preside in the election of officers for the newly formed local unit of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA). Elected were Ernest Hoffman of Kendalia, president; Mary Nabers of Blanco, first vice-president; Henrietta Smith of Johnson City, second vice-president; Norma Kinchen of Johnson City, secretary; and Cindy Sultemeier of ...

July 31, 2009 •Gem of the Hills Free Foot Clinic: Friday, July 31; sign in 9:30, clinic 10-12. For more info, call Liz Marek at 833-2713 August 1, 2009 •Blanco State Park – Texas Fish School: Fishing Basics for Children and Families. Learn the basics of fishing safety, fish identification, knot tying, and casting through hands on practice and fun with park staff.

Several ladies have gotten together to lend support to each other in our goal of leading a healthier lifestyle, including reducing our weight, increasing our exercise and learning how to eat the proper foods to help reach this goal. We want to spread the word to other ladies in the area who desire a program like this, but don’t have the funds to join a more formal weight loss group.

Thanks to the Lions Clubs of Texas, many children with physical disabilities can look forward to an experience that all children dream about - going to summer camp! The Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville offers special camping programs that serve children who have physical disabilities and type 1 diabetes. This summer, Dayna Alston attended Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville, Texas.

We kicked off the month with our annual TAMU Horsemanship Clinic on June 5 and 6 at the Blanco County Fairgrounds Arena. Instructors Amy and Alyssa came to help us out with our horsemanship skills and we had a blast doing it. A total of 22 riders participated. The first day focused on side passing, two tracking, and roll backs.

Gabriel (Gabe) A. Ramirez, a 2005 graduate of Blanco High School, accepts his diploma for completion of Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University in New York on May 24, 2009, where he will continue to further his education. Gabe is the son of Anita Ramirez of Blanco.

Judaism has impacted the world with its Bible, especially through the 10 Commandments. Embodied in the 10 Commandments are the universal truths of humanity. Respect for Creator, one another, matters in business and much more. There are people that aren’t practitioners of the three faiths of the book; Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but yet they have some of the very same truths framed within the context of their own use of language and cultural understanding. I’ve heard humanity compared t ...

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” John 1:12 Some believers think their joint inheritance through faith in Jesus gives them a certain “right” to things. One day someone told me they believe we should demand our inheritance from God or “claim” things we need or want.

This week will be our final week in this lesson on New Covenant ministry. While the subject is inexhaustible, I pray that what was covered was beneficial to you, and that you will be able to put it into practice in your own life. There are major differences between the Old and New Testaments, and we must understand them in order to relate to God - and to people - properly.

Concerning Adam and Eve, it is said that they had the perfect marriage. He didn't have to hear about all the men she could have married -- and she didn't have to hear about the way his mother cooked. In the first chapters of the Bible, we read of the entrance of sin into the world.

Dear Editor, This letter is in reference and support of Steve Klein’s letter to the editor last week, in which the punishment of the young men involved in the opening of local water hydrants, was discussed. Let’s face reality here; there are young men and some older adults in this town that get away with much worse criminal acts and misconduct.

Dear Editor, To the good citizens of Blanco County and those who will ultimately decide the fate of Dustin Garrett and Stephen Howells: We agree wholeheartedly that a serious crime was committed against the residents and business owners of Johnson City and Blanco. We understand that because of the nature of the offense (tampering with a municipal water supply system) that the Feds are now involved under Homeland Security statutes.

Working with a contractor to come up with home plans is the best way to start your home building project. Here are some things you should think about when finding a contractor and working with that contractor when coming up with your home plans. You should choose the right contractor first.

Several weeks ago, LCRA gave the city and Keep Blanco Beautiful 50 trees; 40 crape myrtles and 10 oak trees, Burr oak and Mexican oak. We have found homes for them. Many of the trees are blooming now. The first year is the most stressful, for the trees and the owners.

Anyone who raises goats will sooner or later find themselves foster parents to a newborn kid. This might happen if a nanny, or mother goat, dies. Or, being temperamental, a nanny may decide she doesn’t want to be a mother after all and abandons her baby. Goats seem to choose the most brutally cold, damp days of the year to bear their young.

This week we review an excellent series based on the Novels of Robert Parker . Tom Selleck plays Chief Jesse Stone in this series of movie's about a small town Police Chief that has escaped the big city of LA for the town of Paradise. The first four installments are just down to earth mysteries and the Chief's no nonsense approach of how to handle the small town duties.

It is almost August, gentle readers, and just about time for the kids to go back to school!! I am sure some of you (and you know who you are) are breathing a sigh of relief... Well, the big news is that I finally heard from Ada Cooley... she and Ronnie went to Arkansas!

Births August 1, 1969 Lt. and Mrs. David P. Leese proudly announce the birth of their bouncing baby boy, David Patrick Leese, Jr. who was born July 19 at Sr. David’s Community Hospital in Austin. David weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces and was 21 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Roy H.

AUSTIN — The U.S. Department of Education has approved Texas' plan for spending $3.2 billion in federal stimulus funds. Of that amount, $2 billion must be used for elementary, secondary, post-secondary, early childhood education and for other services to improve student achievement. Those funds, along with more than $30 billion from other sources, will finance the non-local portion of funding for about 1,200 school districts and charter schools. School districts must spend the stabilization f ...

You’ve probably heard about the first-time homebuyer tax credit, which is an attractive tax credit for first-time buyers, made available as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Under the program, a home must be purchased by a qualifying buyer before Dec. 1, 2009. This generous tax credit doesn’t, however, provide for immediate help at the closing table—participants must wait until tax time to realize the substantial benefit.