July 17, 2009 •Blanco Library Youth Summer Reading Program: July 17 - Snakes with Jeff Holmes, July 24 - Singer & Storyteller Joe McDermott July 18, 2009 •Market Day on the Old Blanco County Courthouse Square will feature Harvey Trahan, a well known member of Zydeco Blanco, sharing the joy of his music with shoppers and vendors.

When you are remodeling or updating your home, apart from what color you want your bathroom to be or what style of lights you want to install over your kitchen island, the most important question you can ask yourself is whether or not you should tackle this project by yourself. Knowing what you shouldn't do yourself is key to avoiding serious complications and disasters with your home improvement projects.

Here's a small time film that kinda slipped through a lot of cracks cause it didn't have big time names in it unless you listen to Adam Corolla on the radio or have seen his stint as a TV funny guy over the years on Comedy Central. This is just a small film that had me laughing within the first five minutes and pulled me in and kept me laughing.

COLLEGE STATION - The drought has made hay scarce in some areas. But before producers buy, they should remember drought can also make any warm-season sorghum forages toxic, said an Texas AgriLife Extension Service forage expert. "With the hot, dry conditions we are currently experiencing in most of Texas, producers should be aware that their warm-season annual grass hays could have nitrates accumulated in them to a toxic level,"

State Comptroller Susan Combs has said tax collections in June were more than 11 percent below collections in June of last year. That could translate into a budget shortfall of $550 million if the economy continues to falter, with only two months left in the fiscal year. About half the state’s general fund budget is derived from sales taxes on consumer spending, and Texans aren’t spending like they have in recent years.

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park invites the public to view a Hollywood version of the war in Vietnam on Saturday, July 18 at 9:00pm by attending a screening of The Green Berets, co-directed by and starring John Wayne. Wayne plays Colonel Mike Kirby, who handpicks two crack teams of expert Green Berets for a very tough mission that includes kidnapping a North Vietnamese general.

The Blanco County Cat Coalition is out there Trapping, Neutering and Returning cats in a program known worldwide as TNR. TNR is a comprehensive plan where entire feral colonies are humanely trapped, then evaluated, vaccinated and neutered by veterinarians. Kittens and cats that are tame enough to be adopted are placed in good homes.

The Blanco Historical Commission recently sent 196 letters to owners of structures over 50 years old within the city limits of Blanco. These letters were to inform owners their property could possibly qualify for the new Blanco Landmark Program. But the work on the survey which made this possible is still not complete and will be an ongoing project as structures reach 50 years of age, the structure will be added to this survey. Around town right now, Commissioner Becky Greathouse, Joe Walsh and ...

The Kendall County Area Democratic Women will host a wine-tasting event on Saturday, July 25, 2009, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Hampton Inns and Suites (located in Boerne near Hwy 46 and IH-10). The keynote speaker will be Tom Schieffer, candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Texas.

At the quarterly meeting of the Blanco Good Samaritan Center on July 8, reports for the previous quarter and fiscal year by Lucy Uselton, Treasurer, showed that the center had provided help to more Blanco County citizens during the current terms than in 2008. Aid for special emergencies had also been increased, even allowing a small net balance to be carried to the following year. President William Uselton appointed a nominating committee, composed of Darlene Kiernan, chairman, Ruby Barnard, Al ...

Summer is a time to enjoy water activities and be safe. Cindy Loeffler, RN, is the trauma nurse coordinator for Hill Country Memorial Hospital. She said emergency room employees see risks of water activities first-hand and are compelled to share tips with the public. “The ER staff is exceptionally trained and experienced, and we’ll do everything we can for those who have water accidents, but the first line of defense for anyone is to make smart choices for themselves and their children when ...

Stonewall, Texas – On June 15, the Friends of Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park accepted $25,000 from the Lower Colorado River Authority to offset the cost of replacing the heating and cooling system in the famed “Texas White House” on the LBJ Ranch, which is now open for public touring.

Saturday, July 18 Market Day on the Old Blanco County Courthouse Square will feature Harvey Trahan, a well known member of Zydeco Blanco, sharing the joy of his music with shoppers and vendors. Harvey’s guitar and harmonica music will include Cajun as well as a wide variety of other rich rhythms. Visitors can stroll the grounds to shop for a number of craft items including candles, wooden bowls, various types of jewelry, furniture, bags and other accessories, and paintings.

Blanco County retired educators have been without a voice at the state level for several years since the local chapter folded less than a decade ago. To address this lack, a handful of Blanco County educators have been at work behind the scenes gathering names of other retired educators living within the county with hopes of forming a new local chapter. Several retired educators gathered in the Johnson City Library community room on April 10 to hear a presentation from Ruth Spear and other memb ...

(BOERNE, TX) July 13, 2009 - The START Center for Cancer Care has expanded the range of cancer therapy services at its Boerne location to include full time oncologists and high-quality chemotherapy for patients living in and around Kendall County. Now, in addition to state-of-the-art radiation therapy, patients also have Monday-through-Friday access to chemotherapy and infusion therapy and no longer have to travel to the Medical Center in San Antonio to receive these treatment services.

Wylie, a 3-legged sheep who lost one of his limbs to a predator a few months ago now wheels about the Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation sanctuary in Kendalia in his custom built wheelchair. Wylie was a tiny lamb when he first arrived at Wildlife Rescue. After several months of care by our veterinary staff, he grew into a robust and healthy sheep whose three legs were unable to support his 80 pounds of weight and he became increasingly immobile.

Twin Sisters Herman Sons Lodge # 138 held their regular meeting on Sunday, June 7, 2009. President Rebecca Howerton opened the meeting by leading everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Vice President Phil Hartmann gave a report on the convention that he and Karen Steiger attended as our delegates. Rebecca Howerton was recognized by the State Legislature for putting flags on the graves at the local cemeteries and the Lodge received a nice thank-you note from the Twin Sisters Catholic Cemetery Boa ...

1) Their confession of Jesus: “1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world ...

It is said that in 1773 King George II stated that American colonies had little stomach for revolution. Niel Bohr the physicist said, "prediction is very difficult art, especially when it involves the future". One of the great evidences of the Bible as a divine product is it's many prophecies.

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ~Elie Wiesel Elie Wiesel is one of my favorite authors for many reasons. He writes darn well, has a lot of wisdom and survived unspeakable horror during the Nazi Holocaust against the Jews and other “undesirables”.

Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 1Co 6:1-2 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Joshua Ray Farris, age 22, was called to be with his Heavenly Father on July 9, 2009. Joshua was a bright light in the lives of anyone he touched; this light shone brightest in the light to his mother, Marla Farris-Calhoun. Joshua enjoyed all the many things life offered to the fullest.

J.W. “Dub” Wells, 76, passed away July 14, 2009 at his home in Johnson City. He was born in Rocky Creek, TX to Virgil Wells and Clara Felps Wells. Dub was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Nancy Tilley and brothers, Ray and Henry Wells. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sally Moreland Wells; daughter, Dianne Brussel and husband Terry of Johnson City; two grandchildren, Brandi and Tyson Brussel; sisters, Loetta Wilson of Johnson City, Florine Stanford of Euless, TX, Anna Ruth o ...

Albert Frank Cruz, Jr., a Spring Branch resident, went to be with the Lord on July 14, 2009 at the age of 66. He was born February 15, 1943 to Myrtle Mangum and Albert Frank Cruz, Sr., in San Antonio. Al married Janet LePori on November 27, 1965. Albert is survived by his wife, Janet; children, Travis Riggs, William Cruz, Stefanie Singletary and Brian Cruz; 8 grandchildren; 3 great grandchildren; and his sister, Betty Martinez.

Barbara Jean Swierc passed away in Fredericksburg after a long illness on July 9, 2009. She was born on September 5, 1933 in San Antonio to Alfred and Frances Slavin. Barbara was a bookkeeper for music instrumental sales for many years. She had a love for children and had many friends.

Dear Editor, It is with a sickened heart that I write this letter, in regards to the crimes committed against our community, our state and our precious natural resources by Dustin Garrett and Stephen Howells of Blanco County on July 4th weekend. Having just elevated Blanco County’s drought stages to level two for the northern half and level three for the southern half, it can be described no less as a bitter bile that sits in the back of my throat over the loss of hundreds of thousands of ga ...

Dear Editor, For 20 years I have lived in the Hill Country near Blanco. For 20 years I have enjoyed watching the three major TV stations from San Antonio (ABC, NBC and CBS). Plus, I’d get PBS and more recently, channel 2 (I think from Fredericksburg). This was about the only entertainment I had out here and I was happy with these stations.

Dear Editor, There is no excuse for the act of draining the water systems in Blanco and Johnson City. Stupid or terrorist? I thought “terrorists” were out to destroy lives and property. It makes sense to have a law about tampering with city water supplies. God forbid someday we may need it to punish someone who tries to poison us or destroy the water systems.

The Blanco FFA Chapter spent last week in Dallas attending the 81st Texas FFA Convention. This year’s convention set the all-time attendance record with over 11,000 FFA members from across the state in attendance. Eleven members from the local chapter attended the convention, where Blanco was fortunate to have several students recognized on stage for outstanding accomplishments over the past year. On Tuesday, Kaleigh Anderson, Keaton Dodd, John Pepper and Brooks Wyatt were the first to be rec ...

How is your summer? Are you watering, adding mulch, spraying spider mites, white flies, aphids, grasshoppers, fire ants and now chinch bugs in your St. Augustine lawn? Chinch bugs cause brown, dry spots in your lawn. The apots are usually near walks, driveways and the hottest parts of the lawn. Control with a contact insecticide.

Wonderful readers: Hooray and Happy Birthday to our wonderful second-in-command at the Newspaper - Jennifer!!! Her spirits have perked up at least 25% in the past year :) Even though it is hot, hot, hot, lots of things are going on this weekend. First and foremost is Charles and Rachelle's wedding reception at 5:00 PM at BUMC, which will include barbecue from Riley's and a Dorothy Troppy cake, as well as other sumptuous desserts, I have been told.

Births July 18, 1969 Mr. and Mrs. James M. Parker Jr. of Bishop are the proud parents of a baby girl, Melissa Kaye. Born July 8th, she weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces. Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Lester C. Cobb of Blanco and Mr. and Mrs. James M. Parker Sr. of Corpus Christi. David Harder Distinguished July 13, 1979 College Station – David A.

As a seller, you can set the price of your house as high as you want. The challenge is to avoid going so high as to drive away potential buyers. Homebuyers can adjust many of their requirements for a new place to live. They might make do with two bedrooms instead of three, or be willing to live five miles farther from the office.