Ginny Stowitts-Traina, president of the San Antonio League of Women Voters, spoke to the members of the Blanco Woman’s Club at their October meeting, held at the home of Peggy Welch. In her presentation, which reviewed the League’s Voter’s Guide to Constitutional Amendments to be voted on in November, Stowitts-Traina explained that the League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization whose purpose is to provide voters with the information to make informed choices. A professor of Texas and American government at Palo Alto College, she has organized and accompanied her students on door-to-door registration drives, with the goal of getting students involved in the political process. She highlighted certain propositions such as Proposition 11, which she called “dear to the heart of the League” because it calls for recording votes of members of the legislature, a move which she said will make legislators more accountable to their constituents. Hostess Peggy Welch also called the attention of members to Proposition 4, which contains funding for state parks. Two other projects of the League include supporting a national initiative to correct computer errors which have plagued voting machines in the past two national elections and a revision of the Texas constitution, which was written in 1876 and contains many archaic provisions.

In other club business, Gwen Risinger, a member of the board of trustees of the Blanco Library, reported that a contract has been signed with the Lake-Flato architecture firm of San Antonio to design the new Blanco Library. “They’re higher (in cost), but they’re worth it,” asserted president Nell Krueger. The fund-raising portion of the project will begin after a two-month initial design phase; and the library is expected to be completed by 2010. “It’s a big step, ladies, and we’re very proud,” said Risinger. Lake-Flato is an internationally-known firm which specializes in sustainable architecture. Shirley Beck, a member of the library expansion committee, added that the committee was recently invited to a ceremony at UT where two of the students whose design studio was paid $20K by the Blanco Library to design preliminary studies of the library, were honored with awards.

Among upcoming club events is the club’s annual library fundraiser, the Silver Tea, which will be held this year on December 6 at the Old Blanco County Courthouse. A Town Meeting, sponsored by the club’s Civic Department, will be held February 15 at the courthouse to update members on events of importance in the community. President Nell Krueger also informed members that the Blanco County Historical Commission will meet on October 25 at 7 p.m. at the courthouse to assist in planning the 150th anniversary of the founding of Blanco next year.

In the social time, members welcomed visitors Suzette Connell and Linda Lyons. Hostesses for the meeting—Peggy Welch, Janet Payne, Deena Gardner, and Mary Nabers—served raspberry tarts, quiche tarts, two vegetable trays, coffee and punch, at a lovely table decorated with a centerpiece of maximilian sunflowers, purple hyacinth vine, goldenrod, and native grasses.