January 15, 2020 Issue

Fifty-five years is a lot of time spent in the saddle, but that’s just how long the Hill Country Trail Ride has been an annual tradition for many Central Texans. The 55th annual ride is set to begin in Blanco on Jan. 31, with the 100-mile meandering adventure ending on Feb.

As mayor of Blanco, I’d like to take a little time to lay out some facts concerning the city’s new wastewater treatment plant, the city’s application for a discharge permit, and the Blanco River. First, let me say the City of Blanco values the Blanco River as much as anyone. It is one of our most precious natural resources and is a source of pride for every citizen.

Surveys are slowly coming in. Participating in the survey is the citizens’ opportunity to voice their opinions on the direction they would like to see the City of Blanco grow. The committee working on the comprehensive master plan update needs the information from the citizens to develop a viable document to guide Blanco’s growth.

The Blanco County Appraisal District is reminding the public that 2019 property taxes must be paid by Jan. 31, 2020. Taxes paid after Jan. 31 become delinquent and incur penalty and interest charges, according to the appraisal district. Property taxes may be paid in person at 615 N Nugent Ave. Johnson City or by mail at P.O.

Audrey Arnold, an English language arts and reading teacher at Blanco Middle School, wrote a grant last year requesting funds for a classroom set of Chromebooks. She wanted to use the technology directly in her classroom to enhance individualized learning. The program used on the Chromebooks would provide differential instruction to meet individual needs, support the Google Classroom, enhance the new ELA adoption online support and develop stronger research capabilities. It was observed a ...

Sometimes life gets too busy and it’s hard to keep up with all the city ordinances and their updates. In July 2019, an amendment to the Unified Code of Ordinances (UDC) was adopted by the city council. The UDC plays an important role for the city, therefore a summary of each chapter will be provided throughout the next few months. There are eight total chapters of the UDC.

Trey Priour is the current vice chair of the P&Z commission and has been a commissioner for over two years. The vice chair will step in and run the meeting if the chair is not present. Priour grew up in Kerrville, but has been in the Blanco area since 2013. The commissioner briefly left the Hill Country to attend Texas A&M University in College Station.

Have you heard of TerraCycle? Tom Szaky founded the company in 2001 in Trenton, New Jersey with a mission to eliminate waste. In fact, the company is so dedicated to the cause that even their offices are made entirely from upcycled waste including meeting rooms made from bottles and vinyl records. “To date, over 202 million people in 21 countries have helped to collect and recycle enough waste to raise over 44 million dollars for charities around the world,” according to the TerraCycl ...

The Panther basketball team put themselves back in the hunt for the district title with a victory over the Jarrell Cougars Friday, Jan. 10, 72-55 and a decisive win against the Johnson City Eagles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 70-28. The district standings just got crowded at the top spot with four teams with one district loss, including Blanco (5-1), Jarrell (4-1), Georgetown Gateway (4-1), and Lago Vista (5-1).

The Lady Panthers split district games this past week with a 59-21 win Tuesday, Jan. 7 against the Johnson City Lady Eagles and a 45-33 loss to the Jarrell Cougars Friday, Jan. 10. Blanco and Jarrell were both undefeated in district prior to last week’s game. Blanco’s season record is 17-6 and its district record is 4-1.

David Lee Gibbons, age 68, passed away on Jan. 6, 2020. David was born in Austin, on Aug. 15, 1951 to Pete and May Dell Hanna. He moved to Blanco in 1961 to live with his forever family, Willard and Annabelle Gibbons, along with his brother Wayne and sister Cindy also survive him. David is survived by his first wife, Donna Price Lux of Blanco, and their two sons, Heath Gibbons (Jeanne) of Blanco and Caleb Gibbons (Leslie) of Canyon Lake.

Leona Hohenberger Smylie was born in her childhood home in Blanco, Texas on Sept. 17, 1925 and went to be with our Lord and Savior on Jan. 5, 2020. She was raised in Blanco where she helped on the farm and rode her horse to school. As a young child she took piano lessons.

Thomas G. Mills of Johnson City, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. He was born March 10, 1930 in Franklin, Indiana, to Homer Gilbert Mills and Alice Maude (Dragoo) Mills. Tom retired from the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant Commander after 26 years of honorable service. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sons, David Mills and Thomas Mills; brother, Glenn Emerson Mills; and sister, Nancy Louise Mills. Tom is survived by his loving wife of ...