Xander Charles Darling would like to announce the arrival of his baby brother! Keegan Lee Darling was born on September 10, 2009, at 6:46 pm at Seton Medical Center in Austin , TX . Keegan weighed 8 lb 6 oz, and was 20 ½ inches long. Keegan’s parents are Jeremy and Tuesday Darling of Austin, TX.

Jeannette Walls’ newest family memoir has been labeled a ‘true life novel’ and may be found in the fiction section of the Blanco Library. Her best-selling The Glass Castle was based on surviving a uniquely dysfunctional rearing by parents who frequently ‘skedaddled’ to avoid bills, debtors, and sometimes the police. The prequel (book publisher talk for it was written last, but actually happened first), Half Broke Horses, centers on Walls ...

The Twilight Saga: New Moon I've never read the Twilight books, but after trying the new Twilight movie maybe I should give them a shot. Watching the Twilight movies just feel strange to me; like I'm missing the emotional involvement that is being thrown at me through the screen in these teenage melodramas.

The old adage about cockroaches and coyotes inheriting the earth should be amended to include feral hogs. Of the three, past history indicates pigs will ultimately triumph because they are capable on consuming roaches and are bigger, smarter and more prolific than the wily coyote. Domesticated strains of hogs were an important food source when brought to the country by Spanish explorers more than 300 years ago and later by European settlers spreading ever westward from the Atlantic Co ...

AUSTIN — Governor Rick Perry on March 16 ordered the activation of what he called a “spillover violence contingency plan” to address recent fatal attacks on American citizens in Mexico. The plan increases surveillance, intelligence sharing and ground, air and maritime patrols. U.S. consular officials Lesley Enriquez and Arthur Redelfs, both of El Paso and stationed in Ciudad Juarez, were murdered in that city on March 13. Perry had penned a letter to U. ...

Attorney Jim Andrews, who hails from the Houston area, is delighted to announce that he, wife, Bonnie, and Vizsla pup, Rosebud, have become residents of the Blanco Community. Jim and Bonnie have purchased a home on Divide Pass Road and are enjoying the lovely view and the friendliness of their neighbors and fellow Blanconians. Jim’s legal practice, which specializes in Social Security Disability law, was founded over thirty years ago in Houston.

Three Blanco Boy Scouts visited the offices of the Blanco County News on Wednesday, March 17 to get answers about the newspaper business and earn a badge. Accompanied by Denise Wagner, Jill Hunter, and Terry Neill, Joshua Neill, Brady Hunter, and Skylar Wagner learned about the process of laying out the paper, how the paper gets its stories, and got a chance to look at issues dating back to 1960. The boys answered questions about events that happened the year they were born, th ...

March is National Social Work month, and Hill Country Memorial (HCM) is inviting anyone who has received care from an HCM social worker to write the hospital about the care he or she received. Social workers help patients find financial assistance for care and medicine. They offer patients emotional support and grief counseling, guidance to pay household bills, and they help provide a safe harbor for children and elderly suffering from abuse and neglect.

On Tuesday, March 30th, the Fredericksburg chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will host Steve Nelle who is the Regional Wildlife Biologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in San Angelo. He will be speaking about “Riparian Plants – the Key to Healthy Creeks and Rivers”. Mr. Nelle’s primary responsibility is helping landowners understand their important role as stewards of natural resources and how to integrate sustainable management int ...

Re/Max Genesis is sponsoring the RE/Max Hot air Balloon on Friday, March 26, 8:00 am., at the Blanco Elementary School. The Re/MAX balloon is one of the most recognized corporate images iin the world and has become a symbol of the leading real estate network. The balloon is one of more than 100 hot air balloons in the world that carry the distinctive red, white and blue RE/MAX trademark.

The last of the 2009-10 Texas Water Symposium series will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 25, in the ballroom of the Floyd & Kathleen Cailloux Campus Activity Center at Schreiner University. Winners of the “Kids, Water and Science: Perspectives from Our Future” essay contest will be announced. Elementary and middle school winners will receive prizes such as books and science kits; high school winners will receive scholarships to Schreiner. Cindy Loeffler, water resources ...

With the great winter rainfall we have experienced and continued wet spring, we are set for a good growing season for our desirable plants as well as those pesky weeds. Individuals who would like to attend a weed management program or hold a Private, Commercial or Non-Commercial Pesticide applicators license will want to mark March 29, 2010 from 6:00 p.m.

I can’t believe it’s time for Passover already! Passover begins on March 29 and lasts for eight days for most Jews, seven days for Reform Judaism. On Passover, we remember the Israelite Exodus from Egypt. I would say that Passover is one of my favorite holidays because of it taking place during spring.

Most of the time I try to print more of God’s Word than my own, and that’s because I’ve learned that we’re living because of Him, for His glory, and for His pleasure. He created us so we could enjoy this beautiful world He created, and if it weren’t for Him creating our bodies the way He did, we wouldn’t even be alive.

Stan Meyer of Jews for Jesus will speak at First Baptist Church on Easter Sunday morning. Jews for Jesus uses creative methods and contemporary issues to present the message that Jesus is the Messiah to Jewish people around the world. Meyer is the leader of the Los Angeles branch of Jews for Jesus.

As I pondered and prayed over what to write on for this Palm Sunday and Easter, I thought it would be good to concentrate our attention on some clear, powerful revelation of Jesus, the Son of God. His coming as Messiah is the focus of Palm Sunday. His dying to deal with sin is the focus of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Lev 23:4-6 These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

Arnold, an eight-year-old boy, ran up to the preacher after his sermon on the love of God and said, “I know that God loves everybody but I don’t believe He ever met my sister.” The truth is that God does love us, even as He loved His people during Jeremiah’s day, but their ungodly ways would have consequences and would bring upon them the discipline of the Lord. Jeremiah, who prophesied during the time of Judah Alone (about 600 B.C.), was told by God to ...

Aline Inez Atkinson, 91, passed away on March 22, 2010 in Blanco, Texas. She was born on December 17, 1918 in Beaumont to Lee and Pearl Jackson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Russell, a daughter, Mary Lynn Atkinson, her brother, “Buddy” Jackson and her sister, Marjorie Nobles. Aline is survived by three daughters: Roselyn Young of Warren, Carolyn Moore of Blanco, and Lynda Campbell of New Braunfels.

Dear Editor, As a concerned citizen of Blanco, I encourage everyone to start attending City Council Meetings the second Tuesday of every month at 6pm. You will be informed and surprised at what is happening in your town. You can attend these meetings, even if you don’t live in the city limits.

“But, I declare to you,” said J. Reuben Clark, “that it (the Constitution) is what Gladstone said it was, the greatest document ‘ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man,’ a document which, according to my belief, the Lord himself ‘suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles,’ established ‘by the hands of wise men whom the Lord rais ...

The Panther varsity baseball team picked up their tenth win of the season over spring break, but failed to get number 11 as Blanco heads into district play at 10 and 6 on the year. On Monday, Blanco hosted the Marion Bulldogs. Blanco scored 11 runs on 7 hits through 4 innings to claim an 11 to 5 win.

On Friday, March 19, during spring break, the Blanco Panther softball team narrowly defeated the Natalia Lady Mustangs 1 to 0. In a strong pitching and defensive display by both teams, hits were difficult to make. In the 4th inning with the score still tied at zero, Leslie McClinton hit a hard fly ball down the left field line for a triple.

Happy birthday, Tommy Vallone! This particular note should have been in the Potpourri a couple weeks ago, but I failed to check out the information properly - here it is now. Andrew (Drew) Daughdril, grandson of Bob Daughdril, well-known volunteer at the Blanco Library, inveterate poker player, and raconteur, came home to Sulphur, LA, before heading to Kuwait and then Iraq, having just finished training with the Louisiana National Guard.

How does one determine what bid to go with? First off, you should always get at least 3 bids on any job. Once the bids come in, you should review them carefully and ask each bidder/contractor to explain their bids. However, before you get to the bid process, it is critical that you give all bidders/contractors detailed and accurate plans and specifications.

Doris Schmidt Chosen as FFA Sweetheart March 24, 1961 Doris Schmidt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Schmidt, was elected as the 1960-1961 FFA Sweetheart of the Blanco Chapter. She will compete for district sweetheart this spring. Doris is a senior at Blanco High School. Local Girl on UT Honor Roll March 20, 1970 Barbara Gail Moore was listed on the honor roll for the fall semester f ...