January 8, 2015 Issue

Surrounded by friends and family, Brett Bray was sworn in as the new Blanco County Judge on Monday, Jan. 5 in the county courtroom. He took the oath from retiring county judge Bill Guthrie, who is stepping down after decades of public service, first as a justice of the peace, and then as judge. "Judge Guthrie has been kind enough to offer assistance whenever I need it, but I wouldn't mind having him 'right there' for a while, at least at first,"

The City Council met on Jan. 6 for their regularly scheduled meeting. All members were present. JCPD Report was presented by Randy Holland. JCPD had 129 calls for service in December. There were 8 citations, 140 written warnings, 1 traffic accident, 1 out of city call, 18 arrests, 11 cases filed with the City Attorney, 6 cases filed with the County Attorney, 1 case referred to Austin Parole.

Saturday January 17, 2015 is the date for the 6th Annual Blanco County Youth Show Salsa Contest. Winner will have year-long bragging rights as the best Salsa maker in Blanco County and will receive an engraved Cutting Board by Creative Awards in Fredericksburg. The winner of the 5th Annual BCYS Salsa contest was Brenda Haynes. You must live in Blanco County, or have a child who qualifies to show in the Blanco County Youth Show, to enter.

Welcome the new year of 2015 with sixty paintings by the Bunkhouse Gallery Artists of Cypress Mill. It is presented by Hyde Park Bar & Grill at 4521 Westgate Boulevard in Austin from January 11th to February 22nd. There will be a reception on Monday, January 12th from 5 to 7 pm. Congratulations to Pat & Cynthia Smith on their 60th anniversary on January 3rd!

The crime rate is the lowest it has been in the 8 years that Randy Holland has been police chief. The only property crime that has been reported to JCPD in 2014 was a burglary of a building and a theft under $500 and both cases have been solved. Holland said that these great statistics were attributed to the diligence and awareness of the good citizens of JC who contact JCPD whenever they observe suspicious circumstances.

By Charles McClure Blanco County Emergency Services District #2 [ESD #2] began the process of looking at its options during a special session held Monday, Jan. 5 in the Blanco Volunteer Ambulance Corp Training Room as it prepares to assume the operational responsibilities of the Blanco Volunteer Fire Department [BVFD]. Last December, BVFD submitted a letter handing over its operations to ESD #2 beginning March 1 and now have been offered a helping hand from the North Blanco County Emergency Ser ...

Question: A few months after I started receiving my Social Security retirement benefit, my former employer offered to take me back. It is a great offer. Can I withdraw my retirement claim and reapply later to increase my benefit amount? Answer: Social Security understands that unexpected changes may occur after you begin receiving retirement benefits.

December of 2014 was a time of celebration for Alan Dean, President of the JC Library Board, as he presented a check for $30,000 to Cubby Hudler, president of the Johnson City Bank. This is a payment on the library loan. The Friends of the Library gave Hudler a check for $2,000.

The Johnson City Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for four director positions. Three positions are for three years' service, and one position is for one year. Terms of service start February 28, 2015. Meetings are held monthly, currently from 6-8pm the second Tuesday of the month at the Withers Spaulding building @ 100 E.

The room was abuzz with excitement as over 70 moms, dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles and siblings, crowded into the Johnson City Library to see the LEGO creations the Discovery Academy students had built. And what fantastic creations they are! The LEGOs program was all part of a wonderful grant from LEGOs.

The Blanco County Farm Bureau (CFB) family is getting larger. This year, over 50 people joined the local chapter of the non-profit farm and ranch organization to bring Blanco County to a total of 1650 members. "We welcome all of our new members and encourage those who are unfamiliar with Farm Bureau and the work it does to visit our office at 63 Main Street, in Blanco"

The Johnson City boys played in Comfort over the Holidays and won the Comfort Tournament. The Eagles defeated Mason 54-45 in Pool Play and were 2-1 in their pool and advanced to the Championship Game based on the tie breaker points. The Eagles were led by Gage Schnitz, Will Rutherford and Wade North with all 3 players scoring 12 points.

A Fredericksburg jury convicted Blanco resident Brandon Harber on Wednesday, Jan. 14, for tampering with physical evidence while disposing Trey Allen Noah's body in November of 2009. Noah, 20, died of a single gunshot wound on Nov. 30, 2009; his body was not discovered until April 18, 2010. The jury sentenced Harber, 24, after a short deliberation, to a 10-year probated sentence.

The 76th Blanco County 4-H and FFA Youth Show begins Thursday, January 15th at the Blanco County Show Barn in Johnson City. This year there are more than 525 entries. These leaders of tomorrow put in many hours, and often times, a lot their hard-earned money working towards a successful project and show.

The Johnson City boys played in Comfort over the Holidays and won the Comfort Tournament. The Eagles defeated Mason 54-45 in Pool Play and were 2-1 in their pool and advanced to the Championship Game based on the tie breaker points. The Eagles were led by Gage Schnitz, Will Rutherford and Wade North with all 3 players scoring 12 points.

Norma Gene Barnwell Waugh, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, died Jan. 2, 2015, just in time to miss the worst of cedar season but not before visiting with dear friends and family. Gene was born Oct. 7, 1920 in Johnson City, Texas in the small country hospital owned and operated by her parents, Dr.

Albert Kroll of Johnson City, Texas passed away at the Kerrville VA Hospital on January 2nd, 2015, three days after his 96th birthday. Born December 30, 1918 on the Robinson Ranch in Round Mountain, Texas to Charlotte Pauline "Lottie" (nee Wilke) and Wilhelm Heinrich Gustav "Willie" Kroll, Albert lived and worked nearly his whole life in and around Johnson City.

I think most of us have heard the story about the man who encountered a little boy while walking along the seashore. The boy was picking up starfish that he found stranded on the beach and was throwing them back into the ocean one at a time. "What are you doing?"

Dear Editor, Sustainability is one of those words that is used prolifically and questionably as an advertising adjective. It is so over used that it ceases to have meaning. However, it is a very important concept in boom times. Texas and the Hill Country are now in the middle of an economic boom.

Dear Editor, Like many faithful readers, I always enjoy your "year in review" special section. Reminds us of where we've been as a community, while inspiring us to move forward into the New Year with gratitude and hope. Please accept an addendum to the photo on p.7 which shows the gateway to the property owned by the Pleasant Hill-Rocky Community Club (PH-RCC) captioned "The court battles begin between Pleasant Hill/Rocky Community and Trent Lindig over the rightful ownership of the property."

Statistics indicate that foodborne illness continues to be a health issue in the United States. Each year, 1 in 6 Americans will become sick, 128,000 will become hospitalized, and 3,000 will die due to a foodborne illness. If under the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) jurisdiction each food establishment is required to have one certified food manager on site. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Llano County, is offering a professional food manager certification training co ...