December 10-14, 2009 •Events hosted by Blanco Verde: December 10, 6:00pm: Book Club discussion at Redbud Cafe. December 13, 5-9:00pm: Community Potluck at Old Blanco County Courthouse. December 14, 3:30-5:00pm: Eco-Club at the Blanco Library. All of these events will take place each month in or around the Blanco area. December 11, 2009 •Yucca Garden Club - Christmas Lights Contest: Deadline for entry is Friday, Dec 11, and jud ...

When my wife and I travel we like to frequent the “Mom & Pop” restaurants in the cities and towns we visit. In doing so, we meet some very interesting people along the way. About ten years ago we were passing through Gallup, New Mexico, and stopped at such a place to eat.

AUSTIN — Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott, in an Austin American-Statesman interview December 2, suggested the White House is moving toward a federal takeover of public schools. Scott said the Obama administration’s “Race to the Top” initiative to develop common math and English standards for the nation’s public schools is evidence of a takeover effort. He expressed fear that some day federal education funding for Texas could rely on the s ...

The Blanco Chamber of Commerce attended the last Blanco Lions Club meeting on Thursday, December 3. They presented the Lions Club with a program describing their latest projects. They reported that they have been busy with Blanco Lavender Lights and many other projects. They also expressed the many benefits of being a member, one of which includes weekly email advertisements about your upcoming events within your club, business, or organization.

Johnson City, TX – Kelly Carper Polden, a local author and communications consultant, will hold a book signing on Tuesday, December 15 from 3-5pm at the Closer Walk Christian bookstore, 316 E. Austin St. in Fredericksburg. She will sign copies of the newly released anthology entitled Christmas Miracles ($15), edited by Cecil Murphey and Marley Gibson and published by St.

Live Christmas music from a hammered dulcimer and a display of dollhouse miniatures will top a December 15 “Music and Miniatures” open house at the Hill Country Memorial Health, Hope & Healing Cancer Resource Center (CRC). The public is invited to have Christmas cookies and hear guest musician Carole Harrington who has mastered the technique of playing music on the hammered dulcimer, a trapezoidal-shaped instrument that has its origins documented in the 7th Century B.C ...

Members of the Pleasant Hill - Rocky Community Club are announcing the distribution of $4,350 raised at this year’s annual benefit dinner, the Smorgasbord, which was held on November 7. As in previous years, the major donations went to the North Blanco County EMS ($1,000), the Stonewall Volunteer Fire Department ($1,000), and the Johnson City Volunteer Fire Department ($1,000). And again this year, members voted to make donations to the Blanco County Youth Council, the Johnson C ...

The Blanco County Extension Office will sponsor a Private Applicator License training and testing program on Tuesday December 15 in Johnson City. The program will be held at in the Exhibit Hall beginning at 8:00am. The training will conclude at 12:00 noon and resume at 1:00pm with the testing. All farm and ranch operators who need a Private Applicators License to purchase “restricted use” pesticides are invited to attend this program. Please call the Extension offic ...

Rustic River Market Shoppes, located at 8685 US 281 North, in the Adobe Village in Spring Branch, held their Grand Opening on November 7. The Bulverde/Spring Branch Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the Ribbon Cutting. Rustic River boasts “a whole new shopping experience” providing a variety of exclusive gift items, collectibles, antiques and clothing for ladies, girls and babies.

The Easley Family of Austin, Texas are the proud new owners of Albert Ice House and the small town of Albert, Texas. Brandon Easley was unanimously nominated by the Easley family as Town Manager. Brandon is a Ranch Real Estate agent in Austin. They are excited to be there, and about the possibilities of the future.

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park will be increasing the fee to tour the “Texas White House,” President and Mrs. Johnson’s home on the LBJ Ranch, to $2.00 beginning on March 1, 2010. The current fee is $1.00, which went into effect on October, 1, 2008. The fee is charged only for individuals aged 18 years and older. At present, four rooms of the 28-room house are open to the public by guided tour: the presidential office, the living room, the dining room and ...

Pedernales Electric members Lois Masters of San Marcos and Dena Whisenant Torres of Blanco have each been named runners-up in the Texas Co-op Power Holiday Recipe Contest, sponsored by the Texas Peanut Producers Board. Recipes had to include peanuts or a peanut product, such as peanut butter. Masters and Torres each won $500, and their recipes appear in the December issue of Texas Co-op Power magazine.

Hill Country Memorial Wellness Center will offer H1N1 flu shots at a walk-in clinic December 10 and again December 17 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Dawn Bourgeois, Wellness Center director, said the shots will be $15 each and will be administered on a first-come first-serve basis while supplies last. Mark Rogers, RN, Hill Country Memorial Hospital’s director of care management, said the Center for Disease Control recommends the following high-risk population be vaccinated first: ...

Blanco Elementary School Artists celebrate their autumn educational and artistic accomplishments, with an exciting art exhibit of ten 6 foot tall totem pole sculptures. The totem poles made by children ages 5-10, are on display now at the Uptown Blanco Arts and Entertainment complex in downtown Blanco. The exhibit opened on November 27 and runs through January 6, 2010. Ms.

An older sister turned to her little brother in church and told him he shouldn't be talking so loud. He said, "why? Who's going to stop me?" She pointed to the back of the church and said, "see those two men standing by the door? They're hushers". We are often amused at the understanding of children.

I was listening to National Public Radio on Sunday morning and they did an interview with a gentlemen who'd written a book about Abraham Joshua Heschel. It's been awhile since I thought about Heschel, but I was pleased to hear his name again through this interview, learn more about him and was reminded of more reasons why Judaism is fascinating to me. But first, here are a few details about Abraham Joshua Heschel: (born 1907, Warsaw, Pol., Russian Empire — died Dec.

Rain poured and winds blew as a team from Ark Revival Ministries, (A.R.M.) Blanco, Texas, drove to Cuidad Acuña, Mexico, on Friday, November 20, 2009. The mission was to deliver donated goods, love, and hard work to a children’s home, Casa Hogar Manto Coahuila, across the border from Del Rio, Texas.

Over the next three weeks, I will be teaching on the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. We will be looking at the lives of the three main characters in this story: Mary, Joseph, and Emmanuel (Jesus). While some Christians debate on the date of the birth of Jesus, and others argue whether we should celebrate Christmas at all, one thing remains clear: No less than four chapters of the Bible are dedicated to the story of Christ’s birth.

She steps up to the mirror and studies herself. She smiles, and the image reflects back a smile. She extends her hand out, and the image extends a hand back to her. She picks up a glass of water and extends it towards the mirror, and the image extends a glass of water back to her.

In 1644, the English Parliament outlawed Christmas. No celebrations of any kind were to be tolerated that commemorated the season. What caused this revolt against celebrating the birth of Christ? Was there a conspiracy to do away with Christianity? Were political leaders so determined to be inclusive that they feared the wide recognition of one religious holiday might obscure others?

Josephine LaPrezioso Koenig, age 91, passed away on December 6, 2009 in New Braunfels, TX. She was born on July 4, 1918 in Paterson, New Jersey to Dominic and Teresa LaPrezioso. She is the fifth of nine children. She is survived by her siblings: Jenny Szczepanski (New Jersey); Emanuel LaPrezioso (New Jersey) and Philip LaPrezioso (New Jersey), daughter Carole Baker and husband Amil Baker, Blanco, TX, grandson Christopher Koenig and wife Laura, Frisco, TX, four great-grandchildren: Dav ...

Lola Inez Tumlinson Lucko lost her battle with lung cancer on Saturday, December 5 at the age of 84 years old in Spring Branch, Texas. Lola was born in Harwood, Texas on March 11, 1925 to the late Lola Belle and George William Tumlinson. She attended Harwood School. Lola was preceded in death by her husband, Wilfred Lucko, of 64 years; her 6 brothers, Homer, Wilson, Jimmy, Vernon, and Herbert; one sister, Zula; and one half brother, Hollis. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church ...

Walter Jay Lee, Jr., known as Buddy to friends and family, passed away on December 6, 2009 at Kirkwood Manor in New Braunfels at the age of 84. Buddy was born in Harlingen, Texas and worked as an engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. He was a veteran of World War II and of Korea.

Several Blanco FFA and Blanco Jr. FFA members did extremely well with their animals at the annual Dripping Springs Fall Classic Livestock Show held in Johnson City at the Blanco County Show Barn on Saturday, November 21. The Fall Classic is fast becoming one of the largest jackpot shows in the area with several hundred animals entered each year. Jr.

On December 5, the Lady Panthers placed 3rd in the Johnson City Basketball Tournament, defeating Johnson City and Lago Vista. The team suffered a loss to Faith Academy. In their first game against Lago Vista, Lacee Hunter pumped in 17 points and Alyssa Warner added 15. Leading rebounders were Lacee, Micaela Klein and Abbey Weaver, with four rebounds each.

For the second year in a row, the Blanco Panthers were matched against one of the state’s top ranked teams in the Refugio Bobcats to see who represented Region IV in the state 2A semi-finals. After falling to the Panthers 27 to 7 last year at the Alamodome in San Antonio, the Bobcats got their revenge on a cold night in Victoria as Blanco would commit a season high six turnovers and suffer just their second loss of the season by a score of 22 to 14. The first half of play was no ...

Christmas Tree Ornaments Needed December 5, 1969 Santa Clause will be coming to the Chamber of Commerce grounds for the Children’s Program on Saturday, December 13. Member of the Yucca Garden Club are asked to please bring in their ornaments for the decoration of the tree on Friday, December 12. A box has been placed on the front porch of the chamber building for the convenience of the club members. Julia Elliott ...