November 25, 2015 Issue

Volunteers invited to help On Saturday, December 5, Keep Kingsland Beautiful will clean up the two-mile stretch of FM 1431 between Kingsland Hills Care Center and the Lake LBJ bridge. All interested volunteers are invited to participate. Please call 830-385-6833 or email [email protected] to let us know you’re coming or if you have questions. Starting from a meet-up at the corner of 1431 and 2900 at 9:30 a.m., volunteer ...

By Judy Miller Board members of the Llano County Historical Museum, led by Charles Wendt, recently met to discuss new and exciting changes coming to our local museum. Denise Kennedy, head of the newly formed planning committee, presented several choices to the board concerning a traveling exhibition to be showcased at the museum in January.

CANYON LAKE—Already there’s improvement and a fire upon which to build. The Llano basketball boys made one impressive comeback and stayed close for a while but dropped a 59-40 decision to the Hawks, November 23. It was the last athletic contest for the school before December 1. “Played well in spurts,” said first-year head coach, Blake Sieck.

The Lady Jackets have concluded the pre-Thanksgiving schedule with four losses in four games. Three were not too close, but the defeat to visiting Harper, November 17, was painful because the Longhorns, who won 49-44, were never in front till the fourth quarter. “We don’t know how to play with a lead,” lamented head coach Joe Downey.

SAN ANTONIO—The score was lopsided, and the better team won and may beat a few more folks in the next couple of weeks, but the emotional and dignified farewell comments by the Llano High seniors showed how this sport can transcend its tough character on the gridiron. Please check that out in a companion story. “{We} knew they were extremely good,” acknowledged head coach Craig Slaughter, discussing Sinton, the last foe for 2015.

SAN ANTONIO—If you win a state championship, playing in your final high school game is not a difficult time. The tears and remembrances will be put on hold for days, maybe months. But they will come at some point. Of course it is tougher when they are coupled with a no-playoff season or even one that ends after a bi-district or area contest. Such was the case for Llano.

This time of the year, my thoughts drift back to memories of my maternal grandmother. The Thanksgiving season brought all her special culinary talents to the forefront. My grandfather had the most important part — he stayed out of grandmother’s kitchen. I have always appreciated that quality of my grandfather. As November made its debut, everyone in my family eagerly awaited Thanksgiving Day. One year, contrary to her usual good sense, grandmother allowed grandfather to watch the turkey whi ...

For nearly a year, our church had been preparing for a week-long youth outreach headed by a well known speaker. Then, shortly before the kick-off date, I discovered there was another event scheduled in our community on the same dates as our planned youth meetings. Concerned that this conflict would slash attendance and reduce the impact on the youth we wanted to reach, I called the speaker to alert him to the problem.

Glendon Lawrence “Sonny” Houston, 79, of Wichita Falls, died on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 A memorial service was held at 2:00 pm Saturday, November 21, 2015 at Anchor Baptist Church. Honorary pallbearers were Jim Arnold, Brent Price, Craig Helm, Jimmy Tucker, Tim Dunn, Keith Jenkins, and Jim Shaw. Arrangements were under the direction of Owens and Brumley Funeral Home of Wichita Falls. Larry was born on May 27, 1936 in Llano, Texas to the late T.G.

Wanda Grace Rousser Newton was accepted by the Lord into heaven on Thursday, November 19, 2015 in Cedar Park, Texas from Alzheimer’s disease. Wanda was born on February 27, 1939 in Tulia, Texas to her Parents Orman Grady and Nellie Gertrude Stuckey “Nell” Rousser.  Her father Orman came from a long line of farmers in the Plainview, Texas area.

Richard Ray Neudek, 66 of Llano, passed away on Saturday, November 21, 2015 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born on December 6, 1948 to Carl Albert and Gayle Charlene (Smith) Neudek. Richard served in the U. S. Army and later became a police officer in 1967 at the age of 19 in Corpus Christi, Texas moving then to Wharton, Texas and resuming his duties as a policeman.

Nell was born on July 3, 1942 and went to join her Lord and Savior on November 21, 2015. In 1958 she married Arnold Herridge and had four beautiful children; Roger, Carl, Nelda and Glenda. Nell pursued a career in nursing and spent 46 years as an LVN, serving the Llano, Odessa and Kerrville areas. Nell was a loving mother, sister and wife.

John Wesley (Wes) McComb, born February 18, 1954, passed away on November 10, 2015 in Kerrville, Texas from ongoing health issues. Services were held 10 AM, Monday, November 23, 2015 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Burial was atl Llano City Cemetery in Llano, Texas at 1:00 P.M. Stockton Williams, Rector, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, officiated both the church and graveside services. Wes is survived by his three sons, Robert Christian McComb, William Lee McComb, bo ...

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (AgriLife Extension) is committed to “Improving Lives, Improving Texas” through relevant, research-based education. One of AgriLife Extension’s high priority issues is helping Texans improve their health. Research shows at least 50 percent of health status is due to lifestyle factors such as not using tobacco, being physically active, maintaining a normal weight and good nutrition, among many others.

The annual Highland Lakes Democratic Women (HLDW) holiday party will be held at the Meadowlakes Restaurant (formerly called Hidden Falls), 220 Meadowlakes Dr., in Marble Falls, on Saturday, December 12th. Reservations are required, but the social hour begins at 11 a.m. A scrumptious buffet of Chicken Breast Florentine with risotto or Cranberry Pork Loin with dressing will be offered, along with vegetables, salads, hot bread with butter, non-alcoholic beverages, and a dessert bar and coffee bar.

LHS Counselors Terrie Smarr and Nita Fields have felt truly blessed to work with the students at Llano High School this fall. We have shared some unique experiences with them and provided them with ongoing support to reach their full academic potential here and beyond. The counselors have been busy with the activities listed below. House Bill 5 has redefined the meaning of college to include ANY postsecondary training, with less emphasis placed on the traditional four-year college route and mor ...

Dear Editor, City of Llano “Wild West” event organizers relegated political parties and candidates to the courthouse square – the least active area of the entire weekend. Perhaps lost on these organizers is fact that elected officials, i.e. political office holders, are the nucleus of our community, our state and our nation.

Exciting news! The Llano Red Top Jail will be OPEN FOR TOURS and celebrate it’s birthday on December 5, 2015 from 10am to 4pm. The Red Top Jail opened in early December of 1895, and the Friends of the Llano Red Top Jail are throwing Llano’s wonderful historic treasure a 120 Year Old Birthday Party! The Friends invite you to come join in on the birthday celebration, take a tour of the jail and see the progress of the ongoing renovations, and have a piece of birthday cake.

The Castell School will host an Old Fashioned Christmas Open House on Sunday, December 6, 2015 from 1 - 3 pm. The Castell School will “Deck the Halls” and provide the refreshments, so please come join in for an afternoon of holiday fellowship and fun. The winning silent bid for the beautiful one-of-a-kind hand made quilt by Vera Honig will be announced as well as raffle ticket winners.

On the same day that Llano native Patty Pfister was honored by the Llano County Commissioners Court for her tireless efforts to fight FEMA to redraw error-filled floodplain maps, she addressed Dale Hoff, FEMA representative, at a public meeting held on Nov. 23. After Hoff talked attendees through a PowerPoint slide show about the timeline of the appeals process, citizens asked specific questions regarding the mapping of their property within the floodplain. While Hoff was unable to pinpoint why ...

Llano County Commissioners were presented with a draft of the Llano County Transportation and Economic Development Plan, which is the result of a collaborative effort between citizens of Llano County, CAPCOG, TxDOT, the State of Texas, and Texas A&M Transportation Institute. The study was conducted over the last several months, and the information gathered has been used to analyze Llano County’s economy and transportation situation. Growth, appeal to industry, and road improvements were a ...

All year they plan and finally, after countless hours and lots of work, the Llano Christmas Lighting Committee will throw the switch on for this year’s Starry Starry Nights! On Wednesday, November 25, the switch will be flipped on at the Llano County Courthouse on the square at 6pm. Beginning on Friday, November 27, the annual walkway of lights at Badu Park that highlight Starry Starry Nights, will be lit up.

On November 6, the City of Llano received a ‘Demand and Default Notice’ demanding payment for the Minimum Annual Rent for the Groundwater Rights Lease between the City and Will Leverett, also known as the ‘Riley Mountain Well Lease’. Leverett is asking that the City issue the annual payment of $12,500, which was due on October 1 of this year. At the June 15, 2015 meeting of the City Council, Council discussed terminating the lease, since the well project had been abandoned in April.

HARTH Foundation (Healing and Recovery Thru Horses) representatives, Sherry Atherton and Jennifer Banton will be guest speakers at the Lake Buchanan Conservation Corp (LBCC) monthly meeting on November 17. The HARTH Foundation, founded in 2015 as a 501(C)(3) organization, provides free horse assisted counseling and programs to veterans and active duty service members and their families to help them adjust to post war lives.  The use of horses in the rehabilitation process is fascinating an ...

The Llano Jr. High Daubers finished off an outstanding season with a clean sweep of the Navarro Panthers as the 7th Grade A and B teams and the 8th Grade A and B teams all recorded victories over the Panthers. With the victories, the Daubers brought home four championship trophies as each team clinched the 13-4A District Championship.

On April 19 of this year, Americans saw firsthand a reality that has been confronting Christians around the world for generations. On that date, a shocking video that showed at least 30 Christians being beheaded, was released by ISIS. Unfortunately, that event is not an isolated incident for Christians. In over 52 countries around the world, Christians face government policies or practices that lead to Christians being harassed, imprisoned, killed or deprived of possessions or liberties because ...

Cecil Joe Scott, 80, passed away November 4, 2015 at his home near Johnson City, Texas. He was born July 15, 1935 in Llano, Texas to Marion Clifton Scott and Ethel Delilah Scott (Smith). Cecil Joe started his career working with J.D. and Eric Slator gathering cattle before going to Arkansas to work on one of the Slator Ranches.

Floyd Dwayne Goad, 76, of Buchanan Dam, Texas passed away on October 30, 2015. He was born to Lester and Terra Mae (Campbell) Goad on September 2, 1939. Mr. Goad was a plumber by trade and worked also as a building maintenance superintendent. He was a member of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters.

Get your dancing shoes on, brush up on your black jack skills, and get your tickets to join Llano Parks Project at their first formal fundraising event, The Antler Drop Ball, at Horseshoe Bay Resort on December 31, 2015, from 7 pm – 12:30 am. This first-class event will include dinner, dancing, casino tables, silent and live auctions, as well as a champagne toast to ring in 2016.

There are only 5 more weeks until the Holiday Home Tour, which is an annual event of the Women’s Culture Club of Llano. The proceeds will benefit the Llano County Scholarship Fund for worthy Llano High School students in attending the college of their choice. The Tour attracts many visitors each year, showcasing a variety of homes and lifestyles, from historical Llano homes to homes with interesting interiors all festively decorated for Christmas. The homes will be open to visitors on Decembe ...

The Llano Jr. High Daubers finished off an outstanding season with a clean sweep of the Navarro Panthers as the 7th Grade A and B teams and the 8th Grade A and B teams all recorded victories over the Panthers. With the victories, the Daubers brought home four championship trophies as each team clinched the 13-4A District Championship.

LHS Counselors Terrie Smarr and Nita Fields have felt truly blessed to work with the students at Llano High School this fall. We have shared some unique experiences with them and provided them with ongoing support to reach their full academic potential here and beyond. The counselors have been busy with the activities listed below. House Bill 5 has redefined the meaning of college to include ANY postsecondary training, with less emphasis placed on the traditional four-year college route and mor ...

SAN ANTONIO—If you win a state championship, playing in your final high school game is not a difficult time. The tears and remembrances will be put on hold for days, maybe months. But they will come at some point. Of course it is tougher when they are coupled with a no-playoff season or even one that ends after a bi-district or area contest. Such was the case for Llano.

SAN ANTONIO—The score was lopsided, and the better team won and may beat a few more folks in the next couple of weeks, but the emotional and dignified farewell comments by the Llano High seniors showed how this sport can transcend its tough character on the gridiron. Please check that out in a companion story. “{We} knew they were extremely good,” acknowledged head coach Craig Slaughter, discussing Sinton, the last foe for 2015.

The Lady Jackets have concluded the pre-Thanksgiving schedule with four losses in four games. Three were not too close, but the defeat to visiting Harper, November 17, was painful because the Longhorns, who won 49-44, were never in front till the fourth quarter. “We don’t know how to play with a lead,” lamented head coach Joe Downey.

CANYON LAKE—Already there’s improvement and a fire upon which to build. The Llano basketball boys made one impressive comeback and stayed close for a while but dropped a 59-40 decision to the Hawks, November 23. It was the last athletic contest for the school before December 1. “Played well in spurts,” said first-year head coach, Blake Sieck.

Floyd Dwayne Goad, 76, of Buchanan Dam, Texas passed away on October 30, 2015. He was born to Lester and Terra Mae (Campbell) Goad on September 2, 1939. Mr. Goad was a plumber by trade and worked also as a building maintenance superintendent. He was a member of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters.

Cecil Joe Scott, 80, passed away November 4, 2015 at his home near Johnson City, Texas. He was born July 15, 1935 in Llano, Texas to Marion Clifton Scott and Ethel Delilah Scott (Smith). Cecil Joe started his career working with J.D. and Eric Slator gathering cattle before going to Arkansas to work on one of the Slator Ranches.

John Wesley (Wes) McComb, born February 18, 1954, passed away on November 10, 2015 in Kerrville, Texas from ongoing health issues. Services were held 10 AM, Monday, November 23, 2015 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Burial was atl Llano City Cemetery in Llano, Texas at 1:00 P.M. Stockton Williams, Rector, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, officiated both the church and graveside services. Wes is survived by his three sons, Robert Christian McComb, William Lee McComb, bo ...

Nell was born on July 3, 1942 and went to join her Lord and Savior on November 21, 2015. In 1958 she married Arnold Herridge and had four beautiful children; Roger, Carl, Nelda and Glenda. Nell pursued a career in nursing and spent 46 years as an LVN, serving the Llano, Odessa and Kerrville areas. Nell was a loving mother, sister and wife.

Richard Ray Neudek, 66 of Llano, passed away on Saturday, November 21, 2015 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born on December 6, 1948 to Carl Albert and Gayle Charlene (Smith) Neudek. Richard served in the U. S. Army and later became a police officer in 1967 at the age of 19 in Corpus Christi, Texas moving then to Wharton, Texas and resuming his duties as a policeman.

Wanda Grace Rousser Newton was accepted by the Lord into heaven on Thursday, November 19, 2015 in Cedar Park, Texas from Alzheimer’s disease. Wanda was born on February 27, 1939 in Tulia, Texas to her Parents Orman Grady and Nellie Gertrude Stuckey “Nell” Rousser.  Her father Orman came from a long line of farmers in the Plainview, Texas area.

Glendon Lawrence “Sonny” Houston, 79, of Wichita Falls, died on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 A memorial service was held at 2:00 pm Saturday, November 21, 2015 at Anchor Baptist Church. Honorary pallbearers were Jim Arnold, Brent Price, Craig Helm, Jimmy Tucker, Tim Dunn, Keith Jenkins, and Jim Shaw. Arrangements were under the direction of Owens and Brumley Funeral Home of Wichita Falls. Larry was born on May 27, 1936 in Llano, Texas to the late T.G.

On April 19 of this year, Americans saw firsthand a reality that has been confronting Christians around the world for generations. On that date, a shocking video that showed at least 30 Christians being beheaded, was released by ISIS. Unfortunately, that event is not an isolated incident for Christians. In over 52 countries around the world, Christians face government policies or practices that lead to Christians being harassed, imprisoned, killed or deprived of possessions or liberties because ...

For nearly a year, our church had been preparing for a week-long youth outreach headed by a well known speaker. Then, shortly before the kick-off date, I discovered there was another event scheduled in our community on the same dates as our planned youth meetings. Concerned that this conflict would slash attendance and reduce the impact on the youth we wanted to reach, I called the speaker to alert him to the problem.

This time of the year, my thoughts drift back to memories of my maternal grandmother. The Thanksgiving season brought all her special culinary talents to the forefront. My grandfather had the most important part — he stayed out of grandmother’s kitchen. I have always appreciated that quality of my grandfather. As November made its debut, everyone in my family eagerly awaited Thanksgiving Day. One year, contrary to her usual good sense, grandmother allowed grandfather to watch the turkey whi ...

Dear Editor, City of Llano “Wild West” event organizers relegated political parties and candidates to the courthouse square – the least active area of the entire weekend. Perhaps lost on these organizers is fact that elected officials, i.e. political office holders, are the nucleus of our community, our state and our nation.

Dear Editor, Electric utility bills spiked last January. Half the residents had their Llano utility bill double, some triple, and more. City Council initiated a committee to investigate the spike, with Allen Hopson appointed Chair. That committee has been stalled for months waiting for correct information and proper leadership. The committee, a cross-section of citizens with varied knowledge and honorable intent, has dwindled because of this lack of leadership. Preliminary analysis indicates th ...

Llano County Commissioners were presented with a draft of the Llano County Transportation and Economic Development Plan, which is the result of a collaborative effort between citizens of Llano County, CAPCOG, TxDOT, the State of Texas, and Texas A&M Transportation Institute. The study was conducted over the last several months, and the information gathered has been used to analyze Llano County’s economy and transportation situation. Growth, appeal to industry, and road improvements were a ...

On the same day that Llano native Patty Pfister was honored by the Llano County Commissioners Court for her tireless efforts to fight FEMA to redraw error-filled floodplain maps, she addressed Dale Hoff, FEMA representative, at a public meeting held on Nov. 23. After Hoff talked attendees through a PowerPoint slide show about the timeline of the appeals process, citizens asked specific questions regarding the mapping of their property within the floodplain. While Hoff was unable to pinpoint why ...

The Castell School will host an Old Fashioned Christmas Open House on Sunday, December 6, 2015 from 1 - 3 pm. The Castell School will “Deck the Halls” and provide the refreshments, so please come join in for an afternoon of holiday fellowship and fun. The winning silent bid for the beautiful one-of-a-kind hand made quilt by Vera Honig will be announced as well as raffle ticket winners.

Volunteers invited to help On Saturday, December 5, Keep Kingsland Beautiful will clean up the two-mile stretch of FM 1431 between Kingsland Hills Care Center and the Lake LBJ bridge. All interested volunteers are invited to participate. Please call 830-385-6833 or email [email protected] to let us know you’re coming or if you have questions. Starting from a meet-up at the corner of 1431 and 2900 at 9:30 a.m., volunteer ...

On November 17, Hill Country Memorial was recognized as a “Top Performer” by The Joint Commission for outstanding performance in surgical care. As the accrediting body for U.S. health care organizations, The Joint Commission analyzed how well hospitals performed across 49 quality measures. This marks the third consecutive year HCM was recognized among the best hospitals in the nation for quality and safety in surgical care.