Saturday, May 3, started out just a normal weekend day and ended with a hurried trip to the emergency room for one Blanco girl. Emily Torre, a fifth grader at Blanco ISD, was at home with her parents and two older siblings on Saturday when the accident occurred. Emily’s dad had cut her some wood and given her a hammer and some nails so that she could build a house for her cat.

You may have seen bicyclists on the Hill Country roads and in town. It's a popular sport and the scenic byways of this region are a draw for many, even from across the United States. Those bicyclists carrying packs full of supplies aren't local. The Adventure Cycling Association is one organization that brings people through Blanco.

As we celebrate and acknowledge our roots during this year of Blanco County’s 150th anniversary, it is natural for some of us to turn our minds to the future, perhaps wondering “Our past is interesting, but what’s next? Where are we headed? Is our future secure and bright?” The future is important, no doubt, but it hinges on the quality of life right now.

George Byars knew the rules of good health care and maintenance. When you are in your fifties, you should begin the basic screenings for colon cancer. This meant routine check-ups, colonoscopies and such. George had always been reasonably healthy, but as he crept into middle age, fate began to intervene. The first serious health condition that George experienced was a heart attack, that hazard of middle age.

Clyde Bartel visited Blanco last week on his 90th birthday. He was last in town in 1944 after the T-45 airplane he was flying in crashed south of town, near Twin Sisters. Bartel was in the Army back then; he and three others lifted off from Austin despite warnings about a thunderstorm.