June 1, 2016 Issue

Twelve MHS students competed at the State UIL Academic Meet from May 23-25 at the University of Texas in Austin. By the end of the contest, four students had earned medals, and the full high school academic team had placed fourth overall. Jackson Chapman, a junior, won the Bronze Medal, 3rd overall, in Ready Writing.

On June 6, 1944, the Allies landed on the coast of France. This is a very historic date in our history. Mason VFW will hold a remembrance of this date on the 6th of June at 3 p.m. Location will be the Post on Post Hill St. Questions about Mason VFW may be directed to Lawrence Spell,post commander, at 325 429 6224.

A free health and wellness program offered by Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. Methodist Healthcare Ministries and the Texas A&M AgriLife County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences invite you to take part in U.S. Diabetes Conversation Maps, a free diabetic education program. If you have diabetes, are predisposed to diabetes, take care of someone with diabetes, or are just interested in knowing about diabetes, please join us this summer!

If you are interested in applying for the 2017 Habitat house, plan to attend the meetings scheduled for June 2, June 9 and June 16, 2016 at the Eckert Community Center. The meetings begin at 6:00 and you must attend a minimum of 2 meetings to be considered. If you have questions, contact Nanci Gibbons at 210-240-4299.

The Hill Country Astronomers (HCA) will meet at 6:30 p.m., Monday, June 6, at the Hill Country University Center, 2818 East US Hwy 290 in Fredericksburg. Club member Dan Posey will present a program on the Revolution imager, a real time viewing system for use at the telescope. It is like having a digital eyepiece, except that a group of people can all view at once. In 2010, after a 40-year career as an analytical chemist, Dan retired and took up amateur astronomy.

The Heart of Texas Country Music Association, based in Brady, Texas, is hosting our 20th bus tour to Nashville. The tour will be held July 14-19 and will include a stop at Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis, the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville Nightlife Dinner Show, Heart of Texas Roadshow, Joanne Cash’s Nashville Cowboy Church and Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree among other attractions. “We always enjoy the bus tours to Music City USA,” host Tracy Pitcox said.

Professional Service NOTE: One of the most dangerous jobs in this country is an electrical Lineman. In the past letters to the editor I have made jest of the City of Mason’s electrical department. I must now eat my words as they were without real substance. Today, Sunday the 29th of May I found myself without power due to a direct hit of lightning on my transformer.

I recently saw a Facebook post that said: “Only in Texas can you go from a burn ban to a no wake zone in less than 24 hours.” And we’ve all heard this many times: “If you don’t like the weather wait a minute.” These extremes pose a challenge for gardeners in Texas.

Last week Mason County Republican Women gave a donation to the American Legion for the purchase of replacement display cemetery flags. Every year the American Legion members and volunteers spend many hours in Mason county cemeteries placing American display flags on graves of veterans just in time to be honored on Memorial Day.

Our weekly Scramble got rained out last week, and the weather certainly looked a bit “iffy” for yesterday’s event. It drizzled on and off a couple of times during the day, but by late afternoon, the moisture quit falling from the sky and the only wetness we had to deal with was in the fairways and on the greens.

Summertime is here and we’re hoping to have lots of folks tour the fabulous Seaquist House located in Mason, TX at 405 Broad St. (just a block north of the Mason Courthouse). This 22 room home boasts 15 fireplaces, a solid black walnut staircase, numerous turn of the century stained glass windows and doors, original long-leaf pine flooring throughout the top three stories, and hand-carved limestone on the exterior of the house, as well as original wainscoting and bead-board ceilings.

On Friday, May 27th, Rudy and Lucy Rochat brought their grandparents, Kenneth and Pat Rochat, to the Mason Square Museum to see the large, uncut topaz. The Rochat Family spent a few minutes looking around the exhibits. Kenneth was impressed with the Mammoth tusk, having seen one on his property before the river washed it downstream. Kenneth and Pat are retired teachers.

Mason Young Life will be offering the community, free outdoor movies throughout the summer on Thursday nights. Movie Schedule: June 16-Frozen, June 30-Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, July 7-The Sandlot, July 21-Mr. Peabody & Sherman, August 4-Cool Runnings. Movies will begin at sundown, approximately 8:30 p.m. Bring your own blankets, chairs, snacks, and drinks and enjoy a free outdoor movie in Heritage Park! Refreshments will be available for purchase from one ...

What Were You Thinking? Don't Be Stupid! On Saturday night, a group of campers set up their tents and sleeping bags on the island where the Llano and James Rivers join. During the night, heavy rains, far upstream in the James River watershed, raised floodwaters that began covering the island. There were 12 people out on the island, and rescue units from Mason and Loyal Valley responded quickly to the situation.

JERSEY 1 year old male cat Neutered & current on vaccinations Jersey is a handsome male tabby cat with a great personality. He is a cat that really craves attention and wants to hang out wherever you are. Jersey likes dogs and other cats. He is playful and can be a total goof at times!

I’ll start by apologizing for not having an article for last week’s paper. With that being said, I just want to express my appreciation for all the hard work this team has put forth this year. They recaptured the state team championship and were the first team in the history of UIL to go 1-2 in all the doubles divisions at the state UIL championships.

Speedy No-Knead Bread variation on a recipe from popsurgar.com I continue to search for breads that are easy to make, and “quick to the table.” The original recipe for this bread had the baker mix up the dry ingredients and then add the water before allowing the mixture to sit, without kneading, for 4 hours.

The Mason Lions Club met Tuesday, May 24th, for it’s weekly luncheon meeting. there were 32 members and 7 visitors in attendance. Lion Marty Bentson, chairman of the 5K/10K event passed out sign up sheets for sponsor contacts. Lion Thom Canfield reported on the Lions Club scholarships that were given out at the Mason I.S.D.

Wednesday’s the day! Read to Swim and the Book Hounds Club start today at 1:00 P.M. Read with a Dog begins next Monday at 10:00 A.M. Story Time for preschoolers is also in the works—watch this column for the date and time—and Reading with Miss Diane starts on June 13 at 11:00 A.M.

Walking on the wild side For years peta has provided me with material, free of charge, for my columns. Whenever I’m in a bind to meet a deadline, I can generally do a Google search for whatever nonsense peta has been up to lately, and get a pretty decent column out of it.

I’m trying to take life in the slow lane, however or whatever happens, I seem to get caught up in traffic. This past weekend was a doozy! A lot of going and coming! Getting ready for company, I had to put stuff up and now I find myself wondering where did I put it.

Brotherly Love Lives On... It is a treasure these days to stumble, like blind hogs, upon “good news”--the kind that doesn’t come close to banner headlines or the “breaking news” teases that introduce TV newscasts. Had this one occurred in Philadelphia in other days, it may well have extended its claim to being the “city of brotherly love.” But in today’s culture, this “news” is little more than a blip on the screen of life for more than ten million folks in the Metroplex.

It has been a busy week at our house. Grandson, John Sanders, graduated from Mason Junior High on Friday. Congratulations John. We went to the Kensing Reunion on Saturday. This is my mother’s family. We had a great time. There were 47 family members there. This is about one third of the family.

O Beautiful For spacious skies For Mason County land. For coreopsis In the fields And tanks so full Again. For hills of green And coastal tall And rainfall Blessings be. We sow and reap And eat and sleep And give our thanks Deeply. Coreopsis. Or “Golden-wave.” Some call ‘em Black-Eyed Susans. (Actually, we only have Brown-Eyed Susans in the Hill Country.) Some call ‘em “those yeller flowers.” Whatever they are, those golden waves are risin’ and swellin’ this season. Our pastures ...

The Third Annual Castell Grind event took place earlier this year on April 2. Gravel ‘Grinders’ are long rides on unpaved county and ranch roads, and are increasingly popular around the US. The scenic, flowing, low-traffic back roads of Llano and Mason counties are ideal for gravel events. This year’s event was sold out, with 400 riders registered for 100, 75 and 50 km loops (yes, bike races are often measured in kilometers!) on gravel and sandy roads, passing through both Llano and Mason ...

The Mason Garden Club has almost completed its Spring project of funding, installing and planting native plants around the newly installed Blue Star Memorial Marker. The final completion will be the unveiling of the marker on Saturday, June 4th, 11:00 a.m. on the Fort Mason grounds. All veterans and the public are invited to attend this dedication. The Blue Star Memorial Program honors all men and women that serve in the United States Armed Services.

WACO, Texas (May 27, 2016) -- Baylor University conferred degrees on more than 2500 graduates during spring commencement exercises May 13-14 in the Ferrell Center on the Baylor campus. Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked liberal arts and research institution. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas.

I’ll start by apologizing for not having an article for last week’s paper. With that being said, I just want to express my appreciation for all the hard work this team has put forth this year. They recaptured the state team championship and were the first team in the history of UIL to go 1-2 in all the doubles divisions at the state UIL championships.

Twelve MHS students competed at the State UIL Academic Meet from May 23-25 at the University of Texas in Austin. By the end of the contest, four students had earned medals, and the full high school academic team had placed fourth overall. Jackson Chapman, a junior, won the Bronze Medal, 3rd overall, in Ready Writing.

It’s hard to believe another school year has just ended! Our wonderful mentors were celebrated with a luncheon held in their honor on May 13th at the High School Commons. A big thank you to the cafeteria staff for preparing a special meal for us and to Phyllis Almond for providing a delicious dessert. Our annual luncheon is a time to let our 46 mentors know how much they are loved and appreciated.

JERSEY 1 year old male cat Neutered & current on vaccinations Jersey is a handsome male tabby cat with a great personality. He is a cat that really craves attention and wants to hang out wherever you are. Jersey likes dogs and other cats. He is playful and can be a total goof at times!

The Mason Garden Club has almost completed its Spring project of funding, installing and planting native plants around the newly installed Blue Star Memorial Marker. The final completion will be the unveiling of the marker on Saturday, June 4th, 11:00 a.m. on the Fort Mason grounds. All veterans and the public are invited to attend this dedication. The Blue Star Memorial Program honors all men and women that serve in the United States Armed Services.

Mason Young Life will be offering the community, free outdoor movies throughout the summer on Thursday nights. Movie Schedule: June 16-Frozen, June 30-Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, July 7-The Sandlot, July 21-Mr. Peabody & Sherman, August 4-Cool Runnings. Movies will begin at sundown, approximately 8:30 p.m. Bring your own blankets, chairs, snacks, and drinks and enjoy a free outdoor movie in Heritage Park! Refreshments will be available for purchase from one ...

Summertime is here and we’re hoping to have lots of folks tour the fabulous Seaquist House located in Mason, TX at 405 Broad St. (just a block north of the Mason Courthouse). This 22 room home boasts 15 fireplaces, a solid black walnut staircase, numerous turn of the century stained glass windows and doors, original long-leaf pine flooring throughout the top three stories, and hand-carved limestone on the exterior of the house, as well as original wainscoting and bead-board ceilings.

I recently saw a Facebook post that said: “Only in Texas can you go from a burn ban to a no wake zone in less than 24 hours.” And we’ve all heard this many times: “If you don’t like the weather wait a minute.” These extremes pose a challenge for gardeners in Texas.

The Heart of Texas Country Music Association, based in Brady, Texas, is hosting our 20th bus tour to Nashville. The tour will be held July 14-19 and will include a stop at Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis, the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville Nightlife Dinner Show, Heart of Texas Roadshow, Joanne Cash’s Nashville Cowboy Church and Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree among other attractions. “We always enjoy the bus tours to Music City USA,” host Tracy Pitcox said.

The Hill Country Astronomers (HCA) will meet at 6:30 p.m., Monday, June 6, at the Hill Country University Center, 2818 East US Hwy 290 in Fredericksburg. Club member Dan Posey will present a program on the Revolution imager, a real time viewing system for use at the telescope. It is like having a digital eyepiece, except that a group of people can all view at once. In 2010, after a 40-year career as an analytical chemist, Dan retired and took up amateur astronomy.

If you are interested in applying for the 2017 Habitat house, plan to attend the meetings scheduled for June 2, June 9 and June 16, 2016 at the Eckert Community Center. The meetings begin at 6:00 and you must attend a minimum of 2 meetings to be considered. If you have questions, contact Nanci Gibbons at 210-240-4299.

A free health and wellness program offered by Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. Methodist Healthcare Ministries and the Texas A&M AgriLife County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences invite you to take part in U.S. Diabetes Conversation Maps, a free diabetic education program. If you have diabetes, are predisposed to diabetes, take care of someone with diabetes, or are just interested in knowing about diabetes, please join us this summer!

On June 6, 1944, the Allies landed on the coast of France. This is a very historic date in our history. Mason VFW will hold a remembrance of this date on the 6th of June at 3 p.m. Location will be the Post on Post Hill St. Questions about Mason VFW may be directed to Lawrence Spell,post commander, at 325 429 6224.

O Beautiful For spacious skies For Mason County land. For coreopsis In the fields And tanks so full Again. For hills of green And coastal tall And rainfall Blessings be. We sow and reap And eat and sleep And give our thanks Deeply. Coreopsis. Or “Golden-wave.” Some call ‘em Black-Eyed Susans. (Actually, we only have Brown-Eyed Susans in the Hill Country.) Some call ‘em “those yeller flowers.” Whatever they are, those golden waves are risin’ and swellin’ this season. Our pastures ...

It has been a busy week at our house. Grandson, John Sanders, graduated from Mason Junior High on Friday. Congratulations John. We went to the Kensing Reunion on Saturday. This is my mother’s family. We had a great time. There were 47 family members there. This is about one third of the family.

Brotherly Love Lives On... It is a treasure these days to stumble, like blind hogs, upon “good news”--the kind that doesn’t come close to banner headlines or the “breaking news” teases that introduce TV newscasts. Had this one occurred in Philadelphia in other days, it may well have extended its claim to being the “city of brotherly love.” But in today’s culture, this “news” is little more than a blip on the screen of life for more than ten million folks in the Metroplex.

I’m trying to take life in the slow lane, however or whatever happens, I seem to get caught up in traffic. This past weekend was a doozy! A lot of going and coming! Getting ready for company, I had to put stuff up and now I find myself wondering where did I put it.

Walking on the wild side For years peta has provided me with material, free of charge, for my columns. Whenever I’m in a bind to meet a deadline, I can generally do a Google search for whatever nonsense peta has been up to lately, and get a pretty decent column out of it.

Wednesday’s the day! Read to Swim and the Book Hounds Club start today at 1:00 P.M. Read with a Dog begins next Monday at 10:00 A.M. Story Time for preschoolers is also in the works—watch this column for the date and time—and Reading with Miss Diane starts on June 13 at 11:00 A.M.

The Mason Lions Club met Tuesday, May 24th, for it’s weekly luncheon meeting. there were 32 members and 7 visitors in attendance. Lion Marty Bentson, chairman of the 5K/10K event passed out sign up sheets for sponsor contacts. Lion Thom Canfield reported on the Lions Club scholarships that were given out at the Mason I.S.D.

Speedy No-Knead Bread variation on a recipe from popsurgar.com I continue to search for breads that are easy to make, and “quick to the table.” The original recipe for this bread had the baker mix up the dry ingredients and then add the water before allowing the mixture to sit, without kneading, for 4 hours.

What Were You Thinking? Don't Be Stupid! On Saturday night, a group of campers set up their tents and sleeping bags on the island where the Llano and James Rivers join. During the night, heavy rains, far upstream in the James River watershed, raised floodwaters that began covering the island. There were 12 people out on the island, and rescue units from Mason and Loyal Valley responded quickly to the situation.

Professional Service NOTE: One of the most dangerous jobs in this country is an electrical Lineman. In the past letters to the editor I have made jest of the City of Mason’s electrical department. I must now eat my words as they were without real substance. Today, Sunday the 29th of May I found myself without power due to a direct hit of lightning on my transformer.