The Blanco Youth Football and Cheer will host an end of the summer bash on Friday, August 21, at Yett Memorial Park from 5:00 to 11:00pm. The Michael Meyers Band will be performing and Riley’s BBQ will be providing the meal. Tickets include a BBQ plate, drink, admissions to the dance and one raffle ticket.

August 13 and 27, 2009 •Blanco State Park – Toddler Time in the Park: Early exposure to and good experiences in nature are key to a child's future relationship and stewardship of our natural resources. This class is a relaxed and inviting experience for parents and toddlers, ages 1-3, to enjoy nature together.

WASHINGTON —The Internal Revenue Service reminds consumers to avoid identity theft scams that use the IRS name, logo or Web site in an attempt to convince taxpayers that the scam is a genuine communication from the IRS. Scammers may use other federal agency names, such as the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In an identity theft scam, a fraudster, often posing as a trusted government, financial or business institution or official, tries to trick a victim into revealing personal and financial ...

Where do you start when looking for a Realtor or Builder? Both are similar in so many ways. So here are some simple steps and questions you might want to keep handy. What to look and ask for when shopping for a Realtor; check out at least 3 different agents. If your property is local, the local agents know the area better than an outsider.

When my grandmother, Almeda Day, married my grandfather little did she realize that she would end up living in Mexico in a little Mormon settlement that banned the drinking of coffee. Well, she drank it anyway. My father said that when he was a little boy he would find her brewing coffee early each morning and never failed to warn her: “Grandma, that coffee will kill you!” “Well, she just wouldn’t listen,” he said.

This type of film isn't groundbreaking by any means. Films such as Fatal Attraction, Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Sleeping with the Enemy and Enough are all examples of dealing with crazy women or a woman taking matters into her own hands, and this movie has both. Obsessed is about your typical American family.

Are we alone, or are "they" out there somewhere? While we can only guess how long humans have wondered about life beyond Earth, such curiosity surely predates recorded history. In 1994, Terence Dickinson and Adolph Schaller published Extraterrestrials: A Field Guide for Earthlings which features amateur astronomer Dickinson's fascinating text and artist Schaller's dazzling illustrations.

AUSTIN -- Texas school officials have plans to carry out if the H1N1 "swine flu" influenza virus hits schools this fall. Here’s a brief version of a set of federal/state guidelines schools are to follow if flu conditions are about the same as they were last spring: 1. Stay home when sick 2.

The David Key Grand Champion Award was presented by Armando Pena at the Florida State Championships held from July 28th to August 2nd at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Sarasota. This was the 37th year of this event which is open to the world and attracted thousands of entries. Larry and Dianne Dean, long time friends of David are the organizers.

SPRING BRANCH, TX –Imagine driving into a rock and landscape yard to purchase your garden materials and being swept away by a breathtaking boutique and a unique home furnishings store nestled amongst old-growth live oak trees. It’s the thrilling feeling of unearthing hidden treasure, and it’s exactly what customers experience when they stop at Thomas Stone & Materials and discover Choices & More.

Some of the works of Artist Lotus McElfish are currently on display at the Bulverde/Spring Branch Library. McElfish is self-taught and focuses on native and endangered species of plants and flowers. She is one of a growing community of artists dedicated to the revival of botanical art that was historically significant in documenting plant discoveries of the New World.

AUSTIN, Texas – Texans still looking to take a summer trek amid a sputtering economy without breaking the bank need look no further than a nearby Texas state park for an affordable and enjoyable vacation destination. To help you plan and make the most of a visit to many of the state’s natural and cultural gems, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offers two new, free publications. The 112-page, sixth edition of the Texas State Park Guide puts at your fingertips all you need to know to d ...

Sheriff Bill Elsbury to Speak on the State of the County Criminal Justice By Genelle Montooth What do you know about the criminal justice system in Blanco County? On August 18 at 7:00pm at the Pedernales Electric Auditorium in Johnson City, Sheriff Bill Elsbury will speak and present a law enforcement training video about terrorism.

One of the first friends I’ve had the joy of meeting here in the Hill Country has been my friend Lori. Our friendship has become proof that people from different places of faith can get along and even grow in their beliefs. Lori has enriched my life in many ways.

Well, let us play a game with Bible Book Names. This is very challenging and I must admit I did not do well on it. My wife got them all. Some folks got and some don’t. But it is fun and educational. This might be a good family project. You could maybe take one sentence an evening and work on it as a family.

Developing one’s spirituality and learning how it can provide stress relief and hope during a time of illness seems most relevant to those who are currently sick and injured. However, Alan Matthies, Director of Pastoral Care at Hill Country Memorial Hospital, will teach why it’s important to develop a strong spirituality before sickness and injuries occur. The class will be Tuesday, August 18, from noon to 1:00pm.

Three kids were bragging on their fathers. The first one said, "my dad is so smart he can talk for one hour on any subject". The second one said, "my dad is so smart he can can talk for two hours on any subject". The third one said, "my dad is so smart he can talk for three hours and doesn't have to know what he's talking about". It certainly is true, that it's not so much how much we say, but what we say that's important.

The Lord is still calling to all who have ears to hear, and eyes to see. He’s calling to you, and He’s calling to me! Are you worried about our president? As you will see, he’s there for a reason, and it’s not really because of you or me. God put him there, it’s all in His perfect plan, to set the stage to fulfill the rest of prophecy, that is still to come.

Cheryl Day-Conaway, age 58, of Pleasanton, Texas passed away on Tuesday, August 4, 2009, in Pleasanton, Texas. She is survived by her daughter, Laura Day of Blanco, son, Richard W. Day of Pleasanton and grandchild, Jacob Boubel. She is also survived by her sisters and brother, Jean Trucks and husband Gary of Dilley, Wanda Bodiford and husband Larry of Floresville and Tommy Avants and wife Roxanne of Blanco; special friend, Jon Griswold; nieces and nephews, James Tapp and wife Karen, Todd Tapp a ...

Maxine Wagner, 80, passed away on August 7, 2009 at Live Oak Medical Center. She was born March 14, 1929 at Twin Sisters to Rudolph Liesmann and Erna Jonas Liesmann. Maxine loved to sew and was an excellent seamstress. She made most of Connie’s clothes when she was young. Maxine loved to cook, dance and go to parties.

Opal Rae Petersen was born in Blanco, Texas, March 14, 1927. She passed from this life, August 13, 2009 at Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg, Texas at the age of 82. Opal is survived by 3 sons, Glenn, Darrel, Warren and their spouses, Diane, Jenny, Teresa, 5 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Opal was a hard working, strong, independent individual.

Blanco ISD was named a “Recognized” district by the Texas Education Agency in accountability ratings released last Friday. The District’s designation was led by Blanco Elementary, which was honored with an “Exemplary” rating—the state’s highest performance standard. Both Blanco Middle School and Blanco High School were rated “Acceptable.” Each year, TEA designates both school districts and campuses with performance ratings based upon students’ performance on the TAKS test, a ...

The Blanco High School Varsity and Junior Varsity cheerleading squads, along with the Varsity mascot, attended the Texas A&M UCA Cheerleader Camp from July 25 thru July 28. The Varsity squad, which consists of Sydni Kipp (captain), Alyssa Warner (assistant captain), Morgan Johnson, Morgan Petri, Briar Koehl, Hillary Calzoncit, Sidney Oliver, Chelsea San Miguel, Kaitlyn Walla and Presley Savarino, received one excellent and six superior evaluations for their chants, cheers and dance routines.

The Blanco Panther volleyball teams got an early start on the season with a scrimmage on Friday, August 7 at 10am in Blanco. The freshmen and JV played in the middle school gym, and the Varsity played at the high school. The teams honed their volleyball skills against teams from Lago Vista, Canyon Lake and Center Point.

August suggests much of the same weather and activities as July, except we are one month closer to cooler weather. In the last article, I mentioned chinch bugs. I have seen many yards that have insect damage. If the patches have thick dead grass, it is necessary to remove the dead grass.

Gentle Readers: I must apologize for the lateness of this announcement. My wonderful reader, Ada Cooley, submitted it about her 90th birthday party and somehow it never got put in the Potpourri. Anyway, here it is - and I still wish I had been able to be there. The Children and Grand-children of Ada Cooley in Blanco hosted a beautiful 90th Birthday celebration for her at the Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday, March 28, 2009. Her son, Bill, and grand-sons Kevin and Jason all traveled from Hunt ...

Football Practice Begins August 13 August 8, 1969 Coach B. R. Gloore has announced a meeting for the football boys at 7:00pm on Wednesday, August 13, at the gym. He said football shoes would be issued at that time and the practice sessions would be discussed. Actual practice will begin on Monday night, August 18, at 7:00 o’clock. Enjoy old-time fiddlin’ music August 10, 1979 The old-time fiddlers contest is once again coming to the Blanco County Fair and Rodeo. It will be one of the highli ...

There are a lot of different factors that go into the accurate pricing of a house – some you can control, others you can’t. Asking too much may cause the home tosit on the market, which can lead to people assuming that something’s wrong with the home. Price the home too low, though, and you’re pulling money out of your own pocket – never a sound financial decision. So how are you supposed to find that target price that will attract the right buyer and successfully complete the sale? U ...