July 1, 2020 Issue

"Why DID I serve? To honor those who came before For those who didn't volunteer And still got shipped off to war For those who gave it all And can't see the sun anymore I served my time in the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, Marine Corps And I can honestly tell you I'm a better American for it I know what freedom means At least what it means to me I can only hope that all I've sacrificed Helps you see what makes you feel free.” “Why DO I serve? Because it's i ...

JCVFD President Ray Bible called the June Business Meeting to order at 6:08 p.m. on June 24, and a quorum was established. There were no public comments. Annual Fish Fry Update “Now that COVID numbers are going back up a lot of places are scaling back on reopening plans, and the Fair and Rodeo were cancelled.

The Science Mill has reopened to visitors, carefully following the latest Phase 3​ state guidelines​ for reopening and CDC ​recommendations​ for public health and safety. To space out visitors and allow plenty of room for social distancing, the Science Mill is now open six days a week, with two entry times (10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm) Tuesday through Saturday, and from 12-4pm on Sunday.

COVID-19 cases in Blanco County continue to increase, mirroring trends from across the state of Texas. Numbers released Tuesday by the Blanco County Department of Emergency Management showed the county with 32 active cases of COVID-19 and 59 cases under investigation, along with eight recoveries. The number of active cases and cases under investigation are a stark increase since the month of June began. In Blanco County, there were just three active cases and 15 under investigation as of ...

A trip by car from Fredericksburg to San Antonio in the early 20th century was not undertaken on a whim. In fact trip was too simple a word to describe the experience. It was a journey filled with surprises around every turn, attempted only by eccentric adventurers who enjoyed living dangerously. Before WWI most Hill Country roads were horrible.

FREDERICKSBURG— Signor Vineyards & Joanna’s Market will be hosting a Hot Dog Stand Fundraiser for the 4th of July weekend to benefit the Stonewall Volunteer Fire Department. The vineyard & market will be grilling hot dogs on their sprawling estate and invite guests to stop by to enjoy on the property or pick up to go. Last year’s fundraiser raised $836.

Canyon Bass, 16, has won the title of 2020 Texas High School State Champion Bull Rider and will go on to compete for the National/World title in July. Bass is a sophomore and new resident of Johnson City. At the State Finals, Bass won first in Round 1, second in Round 2, first in the Short Round, first in the Average and took home the high score of the week.

AUSTIN– The Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) is seeking qualified applicants to serve on its advisory committees. Advisory committees serve the TVC by making recommendations and/or providing key information and materials to the Commission. The Texas Veterans Commission has established the following three advisory committees which have member positions available: • Fund for Veterans’ Assistance (FVA) Advisory Committee This committee evaluates grant applications and provides recomme ...

There’s a container of hand sanitizer sitting on my desk as I write this today.   Four months ago that space would have probably been taken up by yesterday’s coffee mug. Not anymore. COVID-19 shows no signs of going away anytime soon. What had been unthinkable now appears to be the new normal. Perhaps it’s time to revisit a few tips for helping people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementia practice safe hygiene. People with Alzheimer’s and other dementia may forget to wa ...

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state to slow down the reopening process for bars and other venues as coronavirus-related infections, hospitalizations and deaths continued to increase in Texas last week. “As I said from the start, if the positivity rate rose above 10%, the State of Texas would take further action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Abbott said.

Gene Zesch refers to himself as the “definitive sculptor of Texas ranching life” although many consider this talented 88-year-old to be the nation’s premiere cowboy woodcarving caricaturist. Zesch’s expressive works will be on display from until August 1 at The Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, Texas. ‘Looks Like We’ll Just Have to Tighten Our Belts Again’ is a collection of 62 pieces including 57 wood/mixed media and 5 bronzes, all inspired by ranch life as Zesch knew it ...

The raven nest was the big news this spring. Our neighbor, Joe, who belongs to every social organization in town, found himself with very little to do. So, every afternoon, Joe parked himself in his Adirondack chair and watched the ravens—frequently with a cocktail. This pair of ravens got a late start, I thought.

AUSTIN– After six years of growth, Texas small land sales volume declined in 2019, while median price increased, according to the 2020 edition of the Texas Small Land Sales Report released today by Texas Realtors. The number of small land sales declined 2.8%, with 7,813 tracts sold across the state. The average price per acre grew 7.32% to $6,232 an acre. "This comparison of 2018 to 2019 would have been an invaluable trending tool just a few months ago, but given the potential market sh ...

BLANCO- On June 29, the Swiss Lodge motel became the first recipient of night sky friendly outdoor lighting fixtures paid for with Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funds. The 29 fixtures purchased for the motel were Ellicott Portfolio galvanized, gooseneck wall lanterns, approved as “Good Neighbor Lighting” by the International Dark Sky Association. Thanks to a lot of hard work done in the last legislative session, Blanco, Johnson City, and Dripping Springs received legal authorization to spen ...

AUSTIN– The Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR) Foundation recently awarded 32 local high school seniors and college students with a combined $62,000 in higher education scholarships. Recipients, who were selected based on academic merit, leadership and financial need, must reside within the association’s 18-county Central Texas service area and have committed to a Texas higher-education institution in order to receive the scholarship. “While the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way ...

Lexi Nicole Nevarez died Monday, June 15, 2020 in Blanco, TX. She was born September 1, 2005 in Fredericksburg, TX to Rhonda Romero and Ronnie Nevarez. Lexi left us all too soon. She was preceded in death by her Great Grandmothers, Eva Nevarez, Fanny Lerma, and Juanita (Janie) Romero, her Great Grandpas Antonio (Tony) Nevarez, Ramon Lerma, her Grandpa Rosendo Nevarez, and her cousin, Jaley Brown. She is survived by her mother, Rhonda Romero; father, Ronnie Nevarez; brother, Beck Nevarez ...

Mary Ann was the daughter of Howard Milton and Anna Mae Casparis, born August 19, 1935 in Johnson City, TX. Mary Ann went to be with the Lord on June 25, 2020. She graduated from W.B. Ray High School and attended Del Mar Jr. College in Corpus Christi. She retired from Pedernales Falls State Park after 22 years of service.

George Washington, unlike Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, and Hamilton, was not a learned man. He was not an intellectual. Nor was he a powerful speaker like Patrick Henry. What he was, above all, was a leader—he was a man people would follow. He was not chosen by his fellow members of the Continental Congress to be commander-in-chief because he was a great military leader.