Gerald and Margaret Wilke of Pflugerville announce the arrival of a new grandson, Weston Lee Watkins, born April 17th, 2009 in Seton Williamson County Hospital at 2:32pm. He weighed in at 7 poundes, 4 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches in length. He is welcomed by his parents, Katherine and Jason Watkins, and by big helpers, Cash and Aspen. Other happy grandparents are Susie and Larry Schmidt of Bertram and Bobby Watkins of Hearne. His great grandparents are the late Alfred and Adela Wilke of Blanco. ...

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded individual and business taxpayers that many energy-saving steps taken this year may result in bigger tax savings next year. The recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) of 2009 contained a number of either new or expanded tax benefits on expenditures to reduce energy use or create new energy sources. The IRS encouraged individuals and businesses to explore whether they are eligible for any of the new energy tax provisi ...

This movie can be summed up in the words of someone who recently saw it and referred to the title as “The Two Hours My Brain Stood Still”. Now I didn’t know much about the 1951 classic, but it looked interesting enough. While there are a few good special effects, not even that can really save the movie.

Springtime is garden time. Spring is when we plant new plants and get our yards ready to shine. While you are preparing your outdoor areas for your family to enjoy just make sure you take the steps to ensure that it is safe for your pets to enjoy as well. “When planting your garden it is important to note that there are numerous house and garden plants which can be toxic to animals,” warns Dr.

Arizona is known as “the Grand Canyon state” and with good reason. The awe-inspiring beauty of the famous Grand Canyon is matched only by its unbelievable enormity. For millions of years the Colorado River has been carving the mile-deep canyon, and it’s not finished yet. But the state has another huge hole in the ground which, while not as large and well-known, is impressive in its own right — and it was blasted out in a matter of seconds.

AUSTIN - The Texas House and Senate on April 30 passed legislation to revise the accountability system for public schools. The legislation, SB 3 by Senate Education Committee chair Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, and HB 3 by House Public Education Committee chair Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, have long lists of amendments that must be agreed upon or discarded as the process moves forward.

Blanco Blue Bike Project is rounding up all the blue bikes for repair and project overhaul. There are blue bike racks around town and we are collecting the “blues” from those collection sites. If you have a blue bike or find one laying around, please return it to one of the following blue bike rack sites. Many of the bikes have been used for personal use and we’d appreciate it if those would be returned, too.

Joyce Knoll was the winner of Blanco National Bank’s last prize drawing celebrating Community Banking Month. The bank celebrated the theme, “Affordable Loans for Hobbies That Will Float Your Boat?” and Joyce won a scrapbooking kit including a scrapbook, paper and tools. Pictured with Joyce is Blanco National Bank employee Kim Gilbert.

May 9, 2009 •Tiny West Memorial - Bull Riding: Saturday, May 9th at 7:30pm; Yett Park, Blanco. $8 presale, $10 at gate, 12 & under free. Free dance from 9pm to 1am, Mike Cowen with Wooden Nickel Band. For more info, call 512-940-7073 May 9, 2009 •Blanco State Park - Second Saturday Program: Spring Nature Trail Walk - Join us as we enjoy the new green and flowers of spring.

The students of Merlene Flournoy presented their Spring Recital program on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at the Gem of the Hills. The program consisted of solo pieces performed by the students and Merlene Flournoy and duets with Mrs. Flournoy. Special Guest performer was Sam DeLong of Ft. Worth, nephew of Merlene and Ted Flournoy. The students performing were: Courtney Marshall, daughter of Loren and Kristan Marshall; Austin Van Pelt, son of Stacy and Larry Van Pelt; Anna and Maya Burkhart, daughters of ...

The Blanco County Economic Development Committee, appointed by Judge Bill Guthrie, announces the “Reach for the Future” fund-raising event on Friday, May 8, starting at 6:30pm at Miller Creek RV Resort. The event will help raise money to bring high-speed Internet opportunities to Blanco County, by enabling the Blanco County Economic Development Committee to hire a grant writer so that federal grants that are to be used for bringing higher technology to rural communities may be obtained.

On the morning of Wednesday, April 22, 2009 approximately 50 Blanco County citizens braved the wind on Whittington’s Mountain to join the Board of Directors of the Pedernales Soil and Water Conservation District for the 25th Annual Soil Stewardship Breakfast. Everyone was treated to campfire coffee, juice, donuts and breakfast tacos prepared by the Directors themselves.

(Fredericksburg, Texas) May 1, 2009 – According to Ricky Neffendorf, Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Gillespie-Kendall-Blanco County, livestock producers who incurred eligible livestock death losses due to adverse weather events on or after January 1, 2008, and before October 1, 2011, should begin gathering related loss documentation in accordance with FSA’s Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provisions.

I still intend on writing about the Jewish people of the Hill Country but that is still in the research process. I wanted to write about the everyday application of Jewish values in everyday life. I want to share some brief background on Jewish values as I have learned from my studies and home synagogue.

The Blanco Canyon Gospel Group, The Fraternal Order of Eagles and Jerry and Deanna Dosser appreciates our sponsors, support staff and volunteers for their help in making the 1st Annual Bluegrass & Country Gospel Music Festival a success. The event went on as scheduled, by the use of the upstairs of the Old Blanco County Courthouse in spite of the rainy weather.

On Saturday morning, April 25th, Yett Park was the beautiful setting for Blanco Cowboy Church’s 2nd Annual “Roping for Jesus” team roping. Early in the morning, trucks and trailers began driving through the big rock entrance gates filling up the entire parking areas on the grounds; leaving the parking crews scratching their heads and wondering outloud ...”Where are we going to park the rest of the trucks and trailers and what a wonderful problem to have!” At 10:00am, the Krause Cowboy ...

A man had piled up the bricks and the boards and a bucket and was ready to use this contraption as his stepping stone to reach a board that needed to be nailed more securely to the post. All it took was a few glances at this wobbly structure and his wife looking in and saying, “Remember the last time you did that?”, for him to give it second thought and go get the ladder that was only five minutes away.

In his widely read book, “None of these Diseases,” Dr. S.I. McMillan shares a personal experience about emotional distress and how he conquered it, writing: “The stresses of living are not nearly as responsible for a host of debilitating diseases as are our faulty reactions to these stresses. The office of a physician is filled with people suffering from nearly every disease in the book because their minds are beset by a thousand worries about their finances, their health or their childre ...

A long time ago, God created some really nice people who were born into slavery. They built a pretty little blue church in the country, so they could worship the Lord God and give Him thanks for every little thing He had given them. They raised children in homes constructed from left over materials from wealthier people, and some homes didn't even have a floor, except for the earth God provided them.

INTRODUCTION Theology This book is a great story and has sold over 6 million copies. It was the best selling book in America for many weeks and was called Christian Fiction. The problem is too many good stories about God influence people and they begin to believe the theology is correct. The theology is definitely incorrect in The Shack, and many people are misled by paying attention to the story line and not the theology.

The Steel Magnolias, a ladies singing group from San Marcos, Texas, consisting of women ages 38-91, will be presenting a fully choreographed program of gospel music at the First Baptist Church, Blanco, on Sunday night, May 17th at 6:00pm. The church is located at 1200 Fourth Street. You can reach the church office for more information at: (830) 833-4632. This is the fourth season for The Steel Magnolias who have traveled through Texas and Louisiana, and last year helped with disaster relief fro ...

Iola Pauline (Sheffield) Albritton Harty, 91 of Pearland, Texas passed away on Saturday, May 9, 2009. She was born in Joseph, Texas to William and Anna Sheffield. During Iola’s lifetime she worked for a variety of companies. She owned a grocery store in Friendswood, Texas for 21 years and also worked for the Shelby Biscuit Company.

This week, the city of Blanco is holding elections for Mayor and City Council. There are three candidates up for two council seats; Pamela Capps, Danny Ray and Bobby “Mac” McClung; and one candidate for mayor; Christina “Tina” Gourley. While not on a national scale, the election can determine, in part, what the future of Blanco will be.

Dear Editor, On May 9, 2009 an election will be held to choose two city council members from three candidates: Pamela Capps, Bobby McClung and Danny Ray. The mayor’s position is also open for election and only has one candidate, Tina Gourley, who is presently on the city council. When Tina moves into the mayor’s position on May 15, her place will be open for an appointment of a person by the city council.

Four Blanco FFA members were recently notified by the National FFA Association that they had been selected to receive a National FFA Scholarship. Seniors Katie Baker, Darin Dollahite, Austin Smith, and Aaron Thomson were each selected based on their academic and extra curricular achievements, in addition to their selected majors.

Thank You BISD Teachers - Teachers in Blanco and in communities across the nation will be recognized the week of May 4-8, 2008 during National Teacher Appreciation Week. Teacher Appreciation Day began in 1953 when Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day that would serve the purpose of celebrating teachers across the nation.

The Blanco Middle School tennis team traveled to Wimberley to compete in the Wimberley Middle School Tennis tournament. Participating in the tournament were: Blanco, Wimberley, Liberty Hill, Dripping Springs and San Marcos. Despite being the smallest school in the tournament, the Blanco team captured the second place team trophy. Results: First Place, 8th Grade Girl’s Singles - Kelsey Schwind; First Place, 8th Grade Girl’s Doubles - Mishelle Calzoncit and Joanna Delavan; Second Place, 7th ...

Last weekend was the Boy Scout Fishing Derby, held at Wolf Mountain Scout Ranch near Llano, Texas. The Derby was open to the entire Hill Country Boy Scout Area. Mark Kuebel won first place with the biggest fish, a 16 3/4 inch catfish. He was awarded a fishing pole and tackle.

Logan Dodd, a sixth grader at Blanco Middle School, and Alejandro Adan of Spring Branch won buckles for being in the top eight in the region at the Texas Wrangler Junior High Rodeo Association. They competed in team roping at twelve rodeos throughout the year, earning points to qualify for state. The top eight from each region get to compete at state, which will be held June 1st thru June 6th in Gonzales, Texas.

Many people are considering new landscaping, either for a new home or re-designing an existing yard. Whichever is your choice, you need an all over plan for the entire yard area. Don’t try to do the entire landscape the first year unless you can afford a designer and contractor. Often times it is better to let a portion of the yard grow for a couple of seasons before adding everything.

Gentle readers: On April 22nd, members of the Blanco Baptist Church came to host our monthly Monthly Birthday Party at Live Oak Medical Center. Angel Food Cake was served with strawberries and ice cream and punch. Everyone gathered in the dining room to enjoy refreshments and visit. Birthday honorees were Doris Kline and Donald Shugart, who received a gift from Blanco National Bank.

Band Boosters Club Meets May 2, 1969 The Blanco Band Boosters met last Thursday night and elected new officers for next year. They are: Bernice West, President; Irmgard Weber, 1st Vice President; Pat Goehmann, 2nd Vice President; Dolly Kneupner, 3rd Vice President; and Helen Waxler, Secretary-Treasurer. The high school band’s upcoming trip to Six Flags and the coming need for new uniforms was discussed.

Most homebuyers and sellers typically rely heavily on their real estate agents to give them advice and protect their best interests. Real estate is a complicated business, and hiring an expert is the key to a successful transaction. Right? But what if you think your real estate agent is deliberately misleading or deceiving you?