RK and Priscilla Seals of Fischer proudly announce the birth of a new granddaughter, Daisy Jane Sakowski, 8 pounds, 1 oz., to daughter Erin and husband Wil Sakowski of Wilmington, NC, September 24. She joins big sister Fiona, as part of the Sakowski family.

Texas Residential Construction Commission advises all home builders and remodelers to be aware of the new home inspection requirements for their projects starting September 1, 2008. All homes built or remodeled in unincorporated areas or in cities that do not offer municipal inspections must be inspected at least three times during construction.

Noel I really enjoyed the HBO series Sex and the City, but for some reason the movie lacked the same spark. Sex and the City is a follow up of where the TV series left off. We get to see what has happened to Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. But the characters seemed a little different to me; like the 5 years (or however many) gap from TV series to film caused them to forget their character.

Gentle readers: I wanted first to offer my condolences to the families of the Eickenloffs, Chester Goehmann, Ruth Ford, and so many others lately. I have only known a few of them, but the ones I have known were wonderful. They will be sadly missed. On a happier note, happy anniversary to Candi and Tony Floerke! Be prepared for MY photos of the Wild Game dinner - lots of candid shots of some well-known and some not-so-well-known Blanco-ites!

AUSTIN - With clogged credit markets and stocks zooming up and down, Gov. Rick Perry on Oct. 15 asked state agencies to limit travel and cut discretionary spending before the slowdown in the national economy hits Texas. On the same day, Perry sent out a news release quoting an Oct. 10 Forbes magazine story rating cities across the nation. The story says “the economic storm sweeping the country has left Americans with few places to hide.

A local Blanco family recently enjoyed an international celebration here in town. Luis Ramirez and family celebrated the marriage of his daughter, Laura, to Bruno Allegre of Cotignac, France. The celebration took place on Saturday, September 27th, at the Gem of the Hills. Guests from France, Venezuela, and Texas enjoyed a delicious dinner cooked by Dennis Moore and his family, and danced the night away to music by the R.

In response to the love of lavender and to enhance Blanco’s trademark as the Lavender Capital of Texas®, the Blanco Chamber of Commerce is hosting a new seasonal event called Blanco Lavender Lights. The season will run from Thanksgiving until New Year’s and is designed to give tourists and residents alike a unique Christmas experience.

Please join us on Wednesday, October 22nd at 12:00 noon for the monthly Brown Bag program. As voting day nears, the movie IRON JAWED ANGELS depicts the struggles of the early suffragette movement which eventually gave women in the United States the right to vote. This movie, starring Hillary Swank, is a fresh look at what these courageous women went through so women today can vote. For all you bibliophiles, our website, www.blancolib.org, now has a link to New Arrivals and Collections which li ...

October 24, 2008 •Spaghetti Dinner for Project Graduation 2009: October 24 from 4:30 to 6:30pm at the High School Cafeteria. Tickets available at the door. Have supper, then go to the football game. Support your Senior Class of 2009. October 25, 2008 •Marble Falls Ex-Students Homecoming: Saturday, October 25. Catered noon meal in high school cafeteria.

Uptown Blanco Art Center will host a Trick or Treat party and celebrate the Mexican cultural tradition of giving offerings or las ofrendas in honor of the deceased with a colorful traditional altar. The party will be on Friday, October 31st from 6-8:00pm with activities for the whole family. To enrich the cultural awareness of our children, the party will bring together Mexican and American culture with games, gifts, art, and ghost stories with Maggie Goodman, and of course, fun American tradit ...

Keep Blanco Beautiful (KBB) and the Blanco Chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) are excited to announce the proclamation of a CIGARETTE LITTER PREVENTION PROGRAM in Blanco, Texas. Representatives from both organizations were present at the City Council meeting this past Tuesday, October 14, 2008, to request the support of the citizens of Blanco to support the program.

Elementary age children are invited to join us this Sunday October 26th at The Blanco Library for FREE pumpkin decorating! The National Honor Society from The Blanco High School is sponsoring this event, and it will be at the library from 2-3pm. There will be lots of people on hand to help little ones, plus lots of paint, glitter and decorations to make your pumpkin awesome!

Government has the muscle and manpower for quick rescue in the crisis phase of a disaster, a regional panel agreed Saturday, but after that, it is our churches that have the greater power to care for people and to put them back on their feet over the long term. The regional panel on churches as disaster shelters was sponsored by the Blanco County Disaster Response Group, and met at the First United Methodist Church in Johnson City to review how church shelters worked in this and other hurrican ...

Warren Vilmaire and Susan Kirchman are pleased to announce the opening of their second location for Kirchman Galleries in Johnson City, Texas. Featuring art glass, one-of-a-kind jewelry and original painting, sculpture, photography and printmaking, Kirchman Gallery 2 is located at 305 Main Street (Hwy 290 W). The emphasis is on contemporary work by regional, national and international artists. The original location of Kirchman Gallery has been open for three years and is located across from th ...

On October 7th the Good Samaritan Center held its quarterly meeting which covered the months of July, August, and September. The following report reveals the number of bags of groceries dispensed, the number of families receiving those groceries, and the number of people involved. GROCERIES: MONTH No. of Bags No.

We are asking for the public’s assistance with any information on county road sign theft and/or criminal mischief that has been occurring in the above counties. The counties lose any where from $5,000.00 to $30,000.00 a year replacing signs. The county commissioners and Hill Country Area Crime Stoppers are asking for the public’s assistance for any information on the thefts and/or criminal mischief to county signs which is a recurring problem every year.

Mar 12:28-33 “ ......Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

The annual Gift Market returns to Wimberley Presbyterian Church on Saturday, November 8 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Sales of all the beautiful items, hand crafted by talented artisans from around the world, will directly benefit local and global charities and mission projects. The church receives no revenue from this event. The WPC Alternative Christmas Market provides a way to select attractive presents benefiting people who are struggling to make their way in the world.

Jesus said “9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 We Christians call ourselves children of God, but how many are truly “peacemakers”? Jesus said only the “peacemakers” will be called children of God. Have you ever said something to someone that wasn’t nice? Everyone wants peace, but we can't see we are disturbing it.

Devotees of Kermit the Frog are croaking with delight. They’ve had antennae up for months to see which presidential candidate first plays--or misplays--the “race card.” They claim that it was Barack Obama, never mind that his comment was not a “black/white” issue. What the frogs heard was “green,” and that was close enough for them.

October is named annually “PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH,” but some may wonder why pastors deserve an official time to be appreciated. What’s so special about the ministry? Frequently, I look back to my youth and give thanks for pastors who made positive changes in my life. Perhaps the primary reason for appreciating pastors is because of their important role of being life changers.

Stella Dechert Eickenloff, age 91, passed away on Friday, October 17, 2008 at the Live Oak Nursing Home after an eight year battle with cancer. She was born October 8, 1917 to John and Frieda Dechert who were long time farmers and ranchers in Kendall County. Stella married Arthur Eickenloff on October 6, 1937.

Early voting began this week. Please remember to go and vote! John McCain believes it is strategically and morally essential for the United States to support the Government of Iraq to become capable of governing itself and safeguarding its people. He strongly disagrees with those who advocate withdrawing American troops before that has occurred.

In 2002, as the conventional thinking in Washington lined up with President Bush for war, Obama had the judgment and courage to speak out against going to war, and to warn of an occupation of undetermined length, costs, and consequences. As president he is fully committed to ending the war in Iraq. Obama believes we must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in so immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new miss ...

CASA for the Highland Lakes Area suffered two significant grant cuts, totaling almost $34K as a result of federal funding cuts. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a nonprofit organization, provides an invaluable, mandated service to traumatized children that have been removed from their homes by the State due to abuse and neglect.

Using Microsoft Word Offered on Wednesday, October 30 at 11:00am and again on Thursday, November 6 at 2:00pm the public is invited to attend a workshop called “Using Microsoft Word” at the Bulverde / Spring Branch Library. Type along with the library staff and volunteers as they review with you basic operations of the nation’s most utilized word processing program, Mircosoft Word.

Hill Country Memorial Wellness Center will offer a two-part prostate cancer screening Tuesday, Oct. 28, to facilitate early detection and potentially increase survival rates among local men. A prostate specific antigen test (PSA), physical exam and a review of lab results will be provided by three participating urologists: William A. Freeborn, M.D.; Michael C.

GOLDTHWAITE, Texas — At around 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 in Mills County, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens apprehended two central Texas men and a resident of Louisiana for allegedly hauling eight whitetail deer believed to have been smuggled across state lines. Texas game wardens have been receiving information for several years about whitetail deer being brought across state lines.

AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry has appointed John Thomas Steen Jr. of San Antonio and Ada Brown of Dallas to the Texas Public Safety Commission. The commission is responsible for formulating and overseeing policies for the Texas Department of Public Safety, the state's chief law enforcement agency. John Steen is an attorney in private practice and former appointee to the Texas Commission on Economy and Efficiency in State Government, and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, where he served as ch ...

Citing health care industry trends and hospital economics, Michael R. Williams, D.O., M.D., chief executive officer of Hill Country Memorial Health System has announced plans to postpone the planned inpatient facility that had been projected to break ground next year. Dr. Williams recommended the move during an Oct. 14 joint meeting of the HCMHS Board of Trustees and members of the HCMH Foundation Executive Committee. “Although a private-room facility that takes advantage of advances in des ...

Bill Lindemann, area naturalist, will speak on “Native Plants From the Ground Up” on Tuesday, October 28, at the Gillespie County Historical Society, 312 West San Antonio Street in Fredericksburg, beginning at 7:00PM. The program, which is sponsored by the Fredericksburg Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, is free and open to the public. Lindemann, a retired exploration geologist, has served a president of the local chapter and the Native Plant Society of Texas.

At its Oct. 20 meeting, the Pedernales Electric Board of Directors took an important step in supporting environmental efforts, unanimously passing a resolution setting a goal for 30 percent of its power supply to come from renewable energy sources by 2020. The resolution, submitted by District 7 Director Dr. Patrick Cox, District 3 Director Kathryn Scanlon and District 6 Advisory Director Dr.

AUSTIN –Texas Secretary of State Hope Andrade is reminding Texans to vote early in the upcoming general election. Early voting takes place from October 20 – 31 in all 254 counties across Texas. “I encourage voters to take advantage of the convenience afforded by the early voting period,” said Andrade.

AUSTIN, Texas –– The Texas Historical Commission (THC) has established temporary satellite offices in Galveston and Beaumont to assist owners of historic properties in their efforts to rebuild after Hurricane Ike. Concerned property owners should contact the THC at 512/463-2192 for technical information and preservation assistance. “We have lists of many designated historic properties that we can assess for damage to historic materials, but unless we can contact the property owner we don ...

Philip Barbe will complete U.S. Army basic training on October 31, 2008. He plans to spend about a week at home in Kendalia, then he will go to Fort Drum in New York for his first assignment in the 1st Mountain Division. We salute Philip, and all our military members for their service.

Wimberley, TX — Extraordinary gourmet Mexican cuisine, an exceptional band to kick up your heels and dance to, a beautiful hill country venue and more, all for just $25? You heard right! That’s all it takes to come join the fun at the upcoming Wimberley Players’ sponsored Hurricane Ike Victim Relief Benefit Concert/Dance.

All A Honor Roll First Grade Mitchell Barnett, Luke Biggs, Laurel Blankenburg, Chandler Brewer, Maya Burkhart, Landon Burt, Adrian Campa, Malinda Campbell, Angel Daniels-Zavala, Kyla Davis, Jared De Los Santos, Christian Flores, Clarissa Forrester, Jonathan Gonzalez, Shelby Greene, Travis Grimes, Brayden Hodge, Adeena Houle, Jacob Kasberg, Maiya Keutz, Kade Kneese, Nuri Lopez Gonzales, Kelton Marek, Kolby Marek, Kinidi Moore, Mason O’Rear, Kevin Peyton, Maritza Ponder, Lindsay Reed, Rachell ...

A complete undergraduate college education is available for students living and working in the Hill Country region of Texas. Texas Tech University (TTU) offers the Bachelor of General Studies (BGS), an interdisciplinary degree program. The deadline to apply for spring semester is December 1. Students first complete the core curriculum at a community college like Austin Community College, Central Texas College, Howard College or another university.

The BYFL Varsity team played its final regular season game against the Bulverde Texans at Smithson Valley field on Saturday. The Panthers received the opening kick and marched down the field behind strong running from Devlin Moore, Carson Kipp, and Jake Breeding. Breeding connected with Logan Dodd on a 25 yard pass to set up the Panthers at the Texan 20 yard line.

Although they did not come out on top for this one, the Varsity Girls Volleyball Team fought a tough four game battle against Harper last Friday, October 17th. Final scores were 13-25, 20-25, 25-16, 17-25. The Lady Panthers will battle it out again this Friday, October 24th against Johnson City. Time for the first game is set at 4:00pm in Blanco. Come on out and show the ladies your support!

Things to do in October: 1. Continue to feed flowering plants with a high nitrogen fertilizer like you would your lawn. 2. October is the best month to do Fall fertilizing. 3. Don’t do heavy pruning until winter; only prune to shape and remove dead branches and limbs. 4. Plant some new roses; try Knock Out in reds and pinks. 5.

Our Servicemen October 18, 1968 Army private 1st Class Jerry L. Greenhaw, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jarl E. Greenhaw of Blanco, was assigned as an automatic weapons crewman in the American Division’s 55th Artillery near Chu Lai, Vietnam, September 23. Blanco Valley 4-H names officers for 1988-1989 October 19, 1988 The 1988-1989 Blanco Valley 4-H Club is off to a good start with 20 members and 4 new members present at the October meeting.

Get out there and vote! We’ve all heard it before: If you don’t get out there and vote, then you have no reason to complain. But while the complaints seem to be growing louder, voter turnout is still on the decline. If you rank the world democracies according to their voting record, America is at the bottom.