Dear Editor, There is a very big problem in this county that everyone should be made aware of. There is a very poor prosecution for juvenile sex offenders. There is one case that is conformed of a juvenile sex offense and it was thrown out “due to lack of evidence,” nevertheless, when someone admits to doing something illegal, as this juvenile did, they are guilty.

Dear Editor, Well, I didn’t think I could be amazed again after the Veterans Parade, however, this community and it’s great people have completely astounded and blessed me. We appreciate all who came out to participate in the Christmas Parade and those who lined to street in the rain to watch it.

Dear Editor, Dennis and Kelly Moore are much appreciated for the wonderful dinner and program they provided for the community on Monday night. For those of you who missed it – the campfire stew and chili were a taste of the west. It would have been impossible for the Moores to produce enough cobbler – it was so good you just wanted more.

Dear Editor, I am writing to express our heartfelt thanks to the residents of Blanco and Johnson City for the wheelchair ramp that was built for me on Veterans day. I am a disabled veteran who has had to undergo numerous surgeries to try to preserve my mobility which has deteriorated severely this last year.

Dear Editor, Seize this moment… My heart is heavy as my mind searches for some sort of positive to come out of the recent tragedy that has washed over the community of Johnson City and outward throughout the surrounding areas. I was driving to pick up my daughter from a weekend stay in a nearby town when a dialogue started playing in my mind.

Dear Editor, I am writing to express displeasure with the manner in which water rate increases by Investor Owned Utilities (IOU) in Texas are regulated by the state of Texas. Since the 1990s, the Texas Environmental Quality Commission (TCEQ) has not only regulated water quality, which reasonably should be regulated, but water rates as well. Unfortunately, for anyone who is a customer of one of these IOUs, the TCEQ is not well equipped to regulate water rates or adequacy of supply.

Dear Editor, We were very pleased and proud of our science department at the BISD Elementary when the “Weather Bug” station for our zip code, 78606, was Blanco Elementary School. We appreciated having the forecast and the stats right on our door-step… not to mention the valuable earth science lessons provided for the students. Sadly, that station is no longer in service.

Dear Editor, The federal government could learn a lot from the Blanco Independent School District (BISD). I was pleased to read that the BISD has again earned a superior financial integrity achievement rating from the Texas Education Agency. I want to commend all of the BISD faculty and teachers who have worked to make that achievement possible.

Dear Editor, The public should acknowledge, with thanks to all Pedernales Electric Cooperative directors, the approval in August of a resolution by the PEC board of a commitment to protect the beauty of the hill country night skies. PEC has pledged to work with land owners, businesses, communities and public entities to reduce and modify the use of outdoor lighting that is starting to produce such glare that we are losing the beauty of our night skies here in the hill country.

Dear Editor, I just want to alert the citizens of Blanco that there is a lot of breaking and entering going on – some in the daytime, some at night. Someone I know very well just had their home broken in. The thieves threw a rock through a window on the back side of their home and entered.

Dear Editor, I'm not sure what a lengthy ordinance of 39 pages will do to enhance life in Blanco. Most of what Ms. Conn says in her letters makes sense. People come to a town for all kinds of reasons. We have been here over 11 years and have owned property in the Blanco area for 13 years.

Dear Editor, As I was mentioned by name in Ms. Conn’s Letter to the Editor in last week’s edition of the Blanco County News, I feel compelled to respond, at least to issues relating to night sky preservation. First, I’d like to applaud Ms. Conn for taking the initiative and becoming involved in community issues.

Dear Editor, I typically read Letters to the Editor with amusement as I follow the many varying opinions and ideas related to such hot topics as, most recently, the new sign ordinance. However, I feel compelled to respond to the letter from Penny Conn (Letters to the Editor, 21 September 2011) whereby she declares a “take it or leave it” stand, using words such as “arrogant” to describe newcomers to Blanco, of which I am one.

To the Editor, Regarding my letter last week, I had quite a bit of feedback. People called, stopped me on the street, and came by my shop to speak to me about it. I also spoke to a lot of people when I took the petitions around town. The overwhelming consensus was that people and businesses just want to be left alone.

Dear Editor, I just read the letter from Mr. Everett in regard to the trucks Al Niece volunteered to take to the Bastrop State Park. We wish to thank him for his help and generosity in assisting with this devastating fire. Our grandson, Tyson Brussel, was one of those TP&W people there that night.