January 29, 2020 Issue

So far, the day hadn’t been a good one. Feeling down, Collin Gaskamp pushed away from her desk at noon and drove the short jaunt home to let her dogs outside for a break. In her back yard on Pecan Street, she watched them as she prayed. “I was struggling and talking to Jesus, asking for guidance,” she recalled.

The historic Old Blanco County Courthouse is going to look more like New Orleans at the height of its Mardi Gras festivities in a few weeks for the annual Blanco Chamber of Commerce Ball and Banquet. For the fourth year in a row, the theme is Mardi Gras and folks are encouraged to dress up. “The chamber has always held an annual banquet, but it seemed that attendance was dropping off,” said Libbey Aly, Blanco Chamber of Commerce executive director.

The Blanco County Commissioners Court was called to order at 9 a.m. Jan. 28 with Judge Brett Bray and Commissioners Tommy Weir, Emil Uecker, Chris Liesmann and Paul Granberg present. The minutes of the prior meeting were approved. Next, the court reviewed the line items. Judge Bray requested a $5,000 line item transfer to cover the overdraft due to the auditor employment ad in newspapers.

They originally met at the house of a friend. The young man entered the kitchen as the young woman was making a cup of hot chocolate, and it was love at first sight. It sounds so old fashioned and cozy. It makes it hard to believe that was the meeting of Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow, better know as Bonnie and Clyde. She had just lost her job because the restaurant she waitressed at was closed due to the depression.

The Blanco City Council meeting was called to order by Mayor Martha Herden at 6:01 p.m. on Jan. 21. All council members: Martha Gosnell, Keith McClellan, Mayor Pro Tem Martin Sauceda, Tony Vela, and Matt Lewis were present with Sauceda arriving at 6:24 p.m. Public comments were heard next. Gail McClellan took the floor to discuss the request for the city to abandon the portion of 15th Street and where it was located.

The Blanco County Child Protection and Family Advocacy Board is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that advocates for children in Blanco County. There are no fees to become a member, but there must be a vacancy to join. If someone is interested in joining, contact an officer and fill out an application (if there is a vacancy).

Kyle Gray, a 2015 graduate of Blanco High School, held a baseball clinic Saturday, Jan. 25 and Sunday, Jan. 26. Following outstanding baseball careers with the Blanco Panthers and the West Virginia Mountaineers, Gray was drafted by the New York Yankees in June of 2018. For the second year during his break from playing baseball, Gray ran a clinic to give back to the community, with the proceeds from the clinic donated to the Blanco baseball program. Gray finished this past baseball season ...

The Panther basketball team chalked up two more district wins this past week with a 65-44 victory against the Austin Achieve Northeast Polar Bears Friday, Jan. 24 and a 65-47 win over the Georgetown Gateway Gators Tuesday, Jan. 21. The Panthers’ overall record is 21-7 and their district record is 8-1. At the end of the first quarter against Achieve, the Panthers were behind 12-4.

The Lady Panther basketball team won a district game 51-13 against the Austin Achieve Northeast Lady Polar Bears Friday, Jan. 24. In a non-district game Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Panthers defeated the Cole Lady Cougars 53-44. Blanco holds a 20-6 season record and a 6-1 district record. Jarrell is undefeated in district.

The Lady Panther powerlifting team competed at a meet at the Texas Strength Systems gym in San Antonio Thursday, Jan. 23. Kiley Elrod won a third place medal in her division with a total lift of 670 pounds. The total is the combination of the lifters highest lift in squat, bench press and deadlift.

Deana Jo Bindseil Pepper went to be with the Lord on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020. Deana Jo was born to Robert Lee Bindseil and Clara Jo Bindseil on Oct. 13, 1967 in Fredericksburg. She was the youngest of four children and resided in Blanco, where she graduated in 1986. Deana Jo married Randall Handberry in 1988 and had three children, daughter, Ashley Handberry; son, Jordan Handberry; and daughter, Jacie Handberry.

USAF Retired Colonel John Stanley Kubin, 82, of Bulverde, went to be with our Heavenly Father unexpectedly after complications arose post-surgery performed on his heart, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020 in San Antonio. Johnny was born in Crosby on Oct. 21, 1937. He attended Crosby High School, where he met the love of his life, Nettie Fay Dahlquist.