April 7, 2021 Issue

The Johnson City Athletic Boosters have made it their mission to help provide funding for meals for the JC Eagles during away games this year. “Through the support of our JC Nation, we have had a tremendous amount of success this year and have paid out $9000 to the JC Athletics to feed our athletes,” JCABC said in a press release. The club has also been able to pay an additional $1000 to each the girls’ softball and boy’s baseball to help supplement their costs, as well as purchas ...

The Blanco-Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District (BPGCD) will have three director seats up for election this spring. The positions on the ballot are director at large, director for precinct 1 and director for precinct 2. Tom Murrah, the incumbent, is running unopposed for director for precinct 1. Three candidates are running for director for precinct 2.

Johnson City resident Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Andrew Wilson of the David Lee “Tex” Hill Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Composite Squadron in San Marcos was recently accepted into the Cadet Wings Program. Cadet Wings provides funded training to selected Civil Air Patrol cadets to earn their Private Pilot Certificate in the Airplane (Single Engine Land-ASEL or otherwise known as powered), Glider, or Lighter-than-air (Balloon) categories and classes.

April is child abuse prevention and awareness month, and the Hill Country Children’s Advocacy Center has added this display of blue to the Blanco County Courthouse lawn as a reminder. Eight blue pinwheels represent the eight children who were interviewed at HCCAC during 2020 from Blanco County. A total of 310 children from across the Hill Country were inteviewed at HCCAC that same year. HCCAC will host a luncheon benefit on Thursday at the Van Brocklin Bistro in Burnet from 11:30 a.m.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month  The latest report on child maltreatment fatalities and near fatalities, compiled by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, indicates 251 children in Texas died in fiscal year 2020 due to abuse and neglect. That figure includes 28 children who died after being left unattended in hot vehicles. During Child Abuse Prevention Month, DFPS is encouraging communities to increase awareness of resources available to help prevent child abuse ...

The Johnson City Womens’ Civic Club met March 22 for our first in-person meeting in many months. Vice President Cristol Corpus hosted the meeting with social distancing at the Texas Collective Wine Event Center for a Girls-Night-In movie night edition. The movie, When Last We Spoke, is based on a novel by local author and executive producer, Marci Henna.

Trinity Lutheran Church in Stonewall will host their annual Fish Fry on Sunday, April 18, 2021. Lunch will be served beginning at 11:30 a.m. and will be sold by donation. A drive-through line for To-Go Meals will be available as well. Meal includes fried fish, hush puppies and all the trimmings with dessert. Trinity’s Happy Quilters have been busy quilting a beautiful full-size quilt.

I frequently have conversations with people about plants. Plants they have on their property, or are considering growing, or the names or characteristics of plants. During the conversation I usually mention that this or that plant is a native or it is an exotic (introduced from far away). Very often my comment is greeted with a blank stare or a quizzical look as if to say, “What difference does that make?” Or, “Who cares?” Well, actually, it makes a big difference.

Community Plant Swap The Gem of the Hills will host a community plant swap on Sunday, April 11 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the pavilion. Representatives of the Highland Lakes Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will be available to offer landscaping and plant advice. Visit gemofthehills.org for more information. JCISD Board Meeting A regular board meeting is programmed for April 12 at 6 p.m. Cricut Craft The library will host a Cricut Craft tutorial on making a “Spring Time” bu ...

The 8th Grade Lady Eagles put an exclamation point on an already exciting Track season scoring 202 points to runner-up Goldthwaite’s 144 to win the District 29-2A Track Team Championship last Wednesday. Ava Craig earned four gold medals, winning the Long Jump, Triple Jump, 200 Meter Dash and anchoring the winning 4x200 Meter Relay with teammates Kat Johnson, Natalie Hernandez and Bo Crownover.

Chicken Express will sponsor the 5th Annual Basketball Classic Saturday, April 17th at Fredericksburg High School and the LBJHS Eagles’ leading scorer/passer/rebounder has been selected to play.  Blake Jenkins will take the court with outstanding Senior athletes from throughout the Hill Country.   The game’s goal is to raise money to provide scholarships to the Senior players.

The Johnson City Athletic Boosters have made it their mission to help provide funding for meals for the JC Eagles during away games this year. “Through the support of our JC Nation, we have had a tremendous amount of success this year and have paid out $9000 to the JC Athletics to feed our athletes,” JCABC said in a press release. The club has also been able to pay an additional $1000 to each the girls’ softball and boy’s baseball to help supplement their costs, as well as purchas ...

The LBJHS Eagles extended their romp through District 29-2A to 3-0 with a 16-0 walloping of the Junction Eagles last Tuesday in Junction. Freshman McCray Jacobs earned the no-hitter aided by his teammates’ twelve-hit offensive show and errorless defense. Jacobs struck out five and walked one. The Eagles took control in the first inning when Junior Colton Bean took a 1-2 pitch and sent it over the center field fence with two outs and two runners on base.

Trinity Lutheran Church in Stonewall will host their annual Fish Fry on Sunday, April 18, 2021. Lunch will be served beginning at 11:30 a.m. and will be sold by donation. A drive-through line for To-Go Meals will be available as well. Meal includes fried fish, hush puppies and all the trimmings with dessert. Trinity’s Happy Quilters have been busy quilting a beautiful full-size quilt.

Community Plant Swap The Gem of the Hills will host a community plant swap on Sunday, April 11 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the pavilion. Representatives of the Highland Lakes Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will be available to offer landscaping and plant advice. Visit gemofthehills.org for more information. JCISD Board Meeting A regular board meeting is programmed for April 12 at 6 p.m. Cricut Craft The library will host a Cricut Craft tutorial on making a “Spring Time” bu ...

John Thomas Watson of Hye, Texas passed away March 23, 2021, at the age of 93.  He was born in Hye to James Phillip Watson and Edna Pearl Brown Watson. On July 27, 1945 he married Dora Dell Summy in San Antonio, Texas, they were married 75 years until her death in 2020. Thomas is survived by three daughters, Edna Whisenant of Marble Falls, Barbara Bryant and husband Jim Bob of Austin, Deborah Gibson and husband Roger of Granite Shoals; brother James Porter and wife Juneth Watson of Hye.

By Pastor Richard Snyder He is Risen! He is Risen indeed! With these joyous words we introduce the good news of Easter. Our Savior Jesus Christ, who was crucified, died, and was buried, has arisen from the dead. Death has been defeated. Victory over death and damnation has been assured for all who believe that Jesus Christ is true God who became a true man, who died on the cross to suffer the penalty for our sins, and who has arisen to life again. We confess our sinful nature, that ther ...

A patch above the left shirt pocket on my Boy Scout uniform says, “National Jamboree, Colorado Springs, Fifty Years of Scouting, 1910-1960.” On my uniform belt buckle, engraved in pewter, are the words, “100 Years of Scouting, 1910-2010.” It recently dawned on me that I have been involved in the Boy Scout movement for more than sixty years! Except for a couple of years while I was in South America, I have been registered with the Boy Scouts in one capacity or another almost continuo ...

The Blanco County Commissioners have voted to adopt Countywide Voting. It would allow Blanco County registered voters to use any polling location in the county. You would not be turned away for going to the “wrong” voting location because there would be no wrong location. It would eliminate some provisional ballots that previously could only be counted after verification that the voter’s precinct was correct.

The Texas legislature is moving ahead to restrict current voting practices. The Senate has passed SB 7 which will restrict vote by mail, eliminate drive through voting, and reduce early voting schedules. The Blanco County Commissioners Court has approved a Countywide Polling Place Program which will allow registered voters to vote at any polling place in Blanco County.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month  The latest report on child maltreatment fatalities and near fatalities, compiled by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, indicates 251 children in Texas died in fiscal year 2020 due to abuse and neglect. That figure includes 28 children who died after being left unattended in hot vehicles. During Child Abuse Prevention Month, DFPS is encouraging communities to increase awareness of resources available to help prevent child abuse ...

I frequently have conversations with people about plants. Plants they have on their property, or are considering growing, or the names or characteristics of plants. During the conversation I usually mention that this or that plant is a native or it is an exotic (introduced from far away). Very often my comment is greeted with a blank stare or a quizzical look as if to say, “What difference does that make?” Or, “Who cares?” Well, actually, it makes a big difference.