The Blanco Lions Club will sponsor a community effort to help the kids who will be starting school in a couple of weeks. The Blanco ISD will provide a bus on Saturday, August 1. The bus will be parked on the Square across from the bank (north side on the courthouse) from 8:00a.m.

About 60 miles east of El Paso is, or was, the town of McNary. The town, which consisted of a general store and service station, was bypassed in the 1960s with the advent of Interstate 10 and fell into anonymity and ruin. Someone has said that the interstates make it possible to drive from New York to California and not see anything.

Defiance is based on true events that happened during WWII and one must focus on the survivors to create a workable film about the Holocaust. It’s only through the eyes and ears of the survivors (and their tales of suffering) that we can appreciate the enormity, and the scope of what occurred to the victims of the Holocaust. The movie focuses on three brothers and their survival; and the survival of others they chose to help escape the inevitable doom that was in store for them.

COLLEGE STATION – During the next few decades this year's summer of 100-plus temperatures and parched soils may represent the norm, not the exception, for much of Texas, said a climatology expert. However, this winter could be wetter, thanks to an El Niño currently building in the Pacific, but the long-term trend suggests more hot and dry summers, said Dr.

AUSTIN - A month-long weather system producing triple-digit temperatures and no rain has much of Texas suffering. The high-pressure system centered over Texas caused Gov. Rick Perry to declare 167 counties disaster areas because of the threat of wildfires. Bastrop County in Central Texas lost 12,000 head of cattle to the drought, and Texas farmers are facing more than $1 billion in losses this year.

Singer and storyteller Joe McDermott of Austin, who has won both national and international awards for his children’s music, will entertain Friday, July 24, at the finale for the Youth Summer Reading Program at the Blanco Library at 10:30 a.m. A songwriter, educator and performer, McDermott has adapted 10 of the Berenstain Bears books to song.

Two groups of Art Camp kids had an exciting time at Uptown Blanco Art Center this summer in June and July. Children in the Art Camps came from throughout the nearby Hill Country including Spring Branch, Driftwood, Johnson City and Blanco. Among the numerous projects the children created were: ·Banjos that they could really play made of recycled materials ·Papier mache-head puppets used in writing and producing their own puppet plays plus they even made their own puppet theatre ·Several cera ...

Every month, the Tejas Art Club has a local member’s contest featuring a first, second and third place winner. Entry paintings must be original work and judges rotate monthly. June winners are: First Place - Jack Betz, Second Place - Joyce Alsup and Third Place - Hazel Hanvey. If you love art, we invite you to join the Tejas Art Club!

McDonald’s and Fischer’s Neighborhood Market, located at 7765 Hwy 281N in Spring Branch held a combined Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting on Saturday July 18th. Saturday’s event was preceded by daily specials and free items all week. Manager/Owners of McDonald’s Tina Salazar, her parents Joe and Lita Salazar co-sponsored the big event with Ed Dempsey, Ops Director Fischer Markets, and Fisher Market Managers Jennifer Krueger and Delia Alegria.

Wildseed Farms announces it’s third annual Gourmet Chili Pepper and Salsa Festival this summer on July 24, 25 & 26. Wildseed Farms, known for its flowers, has planted several fields of peppers: chilis for ristras and drying, specialty and ethnic peppers, sweet and hot peppers, southwestern style chilis, ornamental peppers and more. Some of the great music lined up include The Fabs on Friday at 7:00pm and Rotel & the Hot Tomatoes on Saturday at 8:00pm.

When a Johnson City woman died last weekend, she left 50 or more cats and 1 dog in the hands of fate. As you approach the now abandoned house, cats seem to come from everywhere. They emerge out of the squalid house, jump from trees and scamper out of the bushes hoping for their next meal.

In the [[http://www.blancocountynews.com/news/article/18038 last article I shared my views]] about how we are all interconnected in this day and age and how we cannot become indifferent to the suffering of others. Well, we can’t turn a blind eye to injustices either, especially when they occur in the United States. If we are to live up to our standards as Americans, we must actively seek to right the wrongs occurring in our legal system.

Ten little buckaroos attended Blanco Cowboy Church's first beginner's horseback clinic under the leadership of Shannon and Jody Sutherland, and Rene and Ryon Krause. Opening with prayer, Shannon set the pace by circling the children around her and taught them how to put on the Armor of God from the Word of God in Ephesians 6:10-18.

Former UCLA football coach, Pepper Rodgers, said that once when he was going through a terrible season, he told his wife that at times he felt like his dog was his only friend and that he really needed two friends..... he said his wife proceeded to go out and buy him another dog!

Last week we started to look at the different forms of judging. We learned from Scripture that all judging is not wrong. We should judge what is right (Lk 12:57, Jn 7:24). We can and should judge in the sense of discerning between right and wrong. We saw last week that when the Bible tells us not to judge, that it is speaking in a hypocritical way.

Thank YOU LORD, for Your Holy Spirit indwelling in our hearts! Thank YOU that Your Holy Spirit speaks to us in our minds and hearts, way down deep in our spirits; guiding us, and as it is written in Romans 8:26, praying for us when we don't know how. "As for God, His way is perfect, the word of the Lord is tried.

Norman J. Weaner, Sr., 79 passed away on Friday, July 24, 2009 at his home in Blanco, Texas. Norman Weaner was born on November 19, 1929 to Peter and Theresia Weaver Weaner on their farm in Sherwood, Ohio. He was the 11th child of 12 children. As a teen he worked in his mother’s restaurant before enlisting in the U.S.

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.

Emil Edward Beckmann was born June 3, 1931, to Alwin and Eva Beckmann and has the honor of being the first Klappenbach great-grandchild. Emil died July 18, 2009, after fighting a courageous battle with cancer. Emil graduated from Blanco High School in 1949 and worked with his dad for several years on the ranch before entering the Army on July 14, 1954, and was honorably discharged on January 18, 1956. Emil was preceded in death by his parents, Alwin and Eva Beckmann; one son, Bruce Bryan Beckma ...

Jose Raul “Tony” Meza, 71, was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, on May 25, 1938. He passed away suddenly on July 15, 2009. He was a kind and generous person, who never turned away someone in need. He was always there to give a hand with a smile and he was loved by all who knew him.

Dear Editor, About two weeks ago, I drove up to the mail box at the Super S parking lot to deposit some mail only to find the mail box was gone. Seems as though our post office has determined that we don’t need it. As the postal service cuts back on service, and is even considering a “mail less” day, I am wondering where does it end.

Dear Editor, Are they terrorist or criminals? This is the talk going around two small towns in Central Texas. I can tell you I don’t know either of these two young men personally or their families, but, I have seen both young men and their parents during sporting events and school functions at Blanco H.S over the past few years.

Five members of the Blanco FFA spent this past weekend exhibiting their steers at the Texas Club Calf Association prospect steer show in Boerne. The TCCA sanctioned show proved extremely competitive as 137 steers from across the state competed. Kaleigh Anderson took home the highest placing as her first place light weight Simbrah was named Reserve Champion of the Simbrah breed.

Registration for Blanco ISD’s Pre-K program for the 2009 – 2010 school year will begin on Wednesday, July 29, at the Elementary School. To be eligible for Pre-K, students must be four years old by September 1, 2009. According to state requirements, students who fall in the following categories are eligible to enroll in Pre-K tuition free: Economically disadvantaged, English language learners, homeless, previous or current foster care, and military families. In addition, for the first time, ...

The Blanco County 4-H Shooting Education BB Gun Team competed at the International BB Gun Championship Match (IBBGCM) held July 3-5, 2009, at the Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The event, sponsored by Daisy, has become a tradition of excellence in shooting sports. The team consisted of Chelsea Dowdy, Ryan Sultemeier, Layne Lassberg, Cliff Jones, Colton Barrow, Caleb Dowdy, and Ross Sultemeier.

I walked along River Run this evening after the rain. The air was cool, the sun had set and the landscape was idyllic. The bats were out by the dozens; the moisture had brought mosquitoes. Deer grazed in a meadow as three children, in sharp relief against the western sky, hopped across flat rock dam.

Williams completes training July 25, 1980 Seaman Recruit Williams, son of Billy H. and Jo Williams of Blanco, has completed recruit school at the Naval Center. During the eight week, training cycle, he studied general military subjects designed to prepare him for further academic and on the job training in one of the Navy’s 85 basic occupational fields. Included in his studies were seamanship, close order drill, Naval history and first aid. He joined the Navy in April 1980. Blanco Band Vies ...

You probably know what's been going on in the real estate market the past few years. After all, you see the news stories. But there's something you may not realize. Those reports are meaningless. OK, so that’s a bit of an overstatement. The truth is, though, that many of these stories use too broad a brush on the real estate market.