August 3, 2016 Issue

Fifty Years and Counting...    A few friends from 50 years ago still remember our wedding day--August 12, 1966. The occasion is a conversation starter when we gather. Brenda and I smile, our memories quickly rekindled by unlikely occurrences at the ceremony. Friends and kin remember it for obvious reasons. It rained hard in Alpine, TX, that day.

   Vendor applications for Old Yeller Day are now available at the Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library located at 410 Post Hill Street. Local vendors only may apply. Old Yeller Day takes place on Saturday, September 24th, on the Courthouse lawn. Electricity is available. The Library is open Monday-Friday 10:00 A.M.

Watering Restrictions    Mayor Hinckley, in his City Corner column, regularly reminds us to be mindful of how we do landscape watering.    In his column of July 27, he advised that the City’s water system is struggling to keep up with demand. He stated that the City is establishing mandatory water restrictions during the hot dry weather we’re experiencing.

   Hill Country Productions will be producing th third annual Masonic Lodge Scholarship roping on August 6, 2016, at the Fort Mason Park. Books open at 5:00, rope at 6:30. There will be a #5+ cap enter up, $40/man and a #11 slide enter up, $40/man. Buckles to average winners. Cash only. Producer has the right to reclassify.

   Donna Byrd now volunteers on Wednesday afternoons at the Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library. She was born in Ranger, Texas, because Eastland did not have a hospital. Her grandparents had come to Texas in 1919 and settled in Gorman during the height of the oil boom. They lived in a tent for several years.

   To better provide information and awareness on various services, programs, and benefits that may be available for Seniors in the Concho Valley region, the Area Agency on Aging of the Concho Valley, along with La Esperanza Clinic and 2-1-1 Texas of the Concho Valley will be traveling to each of the rural counties that surround Tom Green County.

   Junior High football equipment will be issued in the junior high gym on August 16th at 7 p.m.    All incoming 7th and 8th grade football players may get their equipment at that time. If you are unable to make it then we can issue it on the first day of school.

   The Hilda United Methodist Church is happy to announce the appointment of our new minister, Rev. Michael Bell and his wife Joya. His first Sunday to begin as our minister was July 2nd. We welcome everyone to come and worship with us and meet our new pastor and his wife.

   It’s that time again! The first day of school is Monday, August 22nd! Parents of Mason High School students should receive a packet in the mail during the first week of August, which includes high school registration information and necessary forms to be completed and returned to school on the day of registration.

   The Mason Community Foundation would like to remind local non-profit groups that the deadline is just a few weeks away to apply for the next cycle of grants! Those organizations with worthy projects which benefit the citizens of Mason County are encouraged to apply. The necessary forms are available at the Community Thrift Store, at 206 Moody St, during regular business hours and are to be returned there by close of business on Thursday, September 1, 2016.    The recent C ...

   The Mason Lions Club met Tuesday, July 26th for it’s weekly luncheon meeting. There were 31 members and 6 visitors in attendance.    “Boss” Lion Jess Irwin announced that Jack Lee passed away Sunday, July 24th. Jack joined the Mason Lions Club in 1950 and had been the longest serving Lion in Mason.

ger/aug 3 col-library    Don’t forget to encourage your children to enter our Back-to-school Coloring Contest! We’ll judge two different age categories: Pre-K – 1st Grade and 2nd Grade – 5th Grade. We’re awarding first, second, and third place ribbons and cash prizes of $25, $15, $10, respectively, in each group.

NaClH2O    As our taxi/van was pulling out of our hotel, the driver stopped and picked up another guy, who was standing in the road. They were obviously friends, since the new guy calmly opened the door and got in the front seat, and the two started talking. Well, maybe talking is too weak a word.

Mason County 4-H Shooting Sports competed in the State 4-H shooting competition at the Austin Rifle Club in Manor, TX on July 11-15, 2016. Six 4-H members competed. Results for the members were: Graci Weber 5th place air pistol silhouettes metallic sights 2nd place air rifle silhouette Millie Marquart 1st place Sporter air rifle 2nd place BB 3rd place air rifle silhouette Marshall Marquart 1st place smallbore pistol silhouette any sight 5th running target 3rd place air pistol s ...

Jalapeno Sweet Potato Cups    This for my “Health” conscience friends out there. I was tired of everything I have been having breakfast and was looking for another healthy option to boiled eggs, breakfast drinks and breakfast bars. I actually found this on my “My Fitness Pal” blog. It originally came from the “Lean Green Bean”.

   As we all remember, we had general rains in May and I saw green in every direction from the top of the hill. Amazing how fast changes in vegetation occurs when the hot July winds take to the stage and devours what nature has provided.    However, not all things are to the bad, as I am seeing and hearing things that I have not seen or heard in some time.

   I’ve been told, “You can’t fix stupid.” I believe it, however, I want to believe you can reason with stupid. Wrong! I just get more agitated! Really, there is nothing I can do to prove a point to one of these folks. They’ve just made up their minds to remain in the la la land of complete stupidity!

   The weather continues to be hot and the skies are clear so that we have no expectation of rain in the near future. The City water department continues to also have some concerns about the ability of some of the well pumps to keep up with the high demand, and this past Sunday we had another problem with one of our primary wells.

   This past month sure was a busy one! The 52nd Annual Mason County Round-Up brought many people to our area. We had visitors come from all over the state of Texas to visit. They came from Seguin, Burnet, Saherty, Fairfield, Hey, Lakeway, Corpus Christi, Kyle, Kerrville, Granger, Bastrop, West and Georgetown, just to name a few.

   August snuck in. This summer is really going fast.    We had a family dinner Sunday to celebrate granddaughter Megan’s 13th birthday. Thanks to parents Scott and Crystal, we enjoyed a feast of wonderful food. Grands Amber and John returned Sunday from their summer visit with their dad and Megan had returned Wednesday from her summer visit with her mom.

Hot. Caliente. Chaud. Heib Wetter. Somehow hot is easier to handle when it’s supposed to be hot. Like summer in Texas. Or summer most places. The Midwest. The Deep South. The deserts of the Southwest. But some heat can be abnormal. Like when it’s 90 degrees in the mountains. You’re a mile high up in the sky. Cozied up to the scorching sun. No breeze. And often, no air conditioning. No relief. Unless there’s a lake nearby. People drop dead in San Francisco when it gets hot. No fog. No br ...

   The drawing for the 2016 Puncher Dome football home games will be held Tuesday, August 23 @ 10:00 am. The drawing will be held at the MISD Admin office on the north side of the square (200 Fort McKavitt St).    In order to be entered into the drawing, a check for $240.00 needs to be delivered to the Admin.

   MASON, TEXAS- The Antique Pickers Back Roads Tour will be conducting a special event Thursday & Friday August 4th & 5th. The event will be held at the M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library from 9 a.m. TO 5 p.m. Admission is free and no appointment is needed.    During this event local area residents are invited to bring in their antiques, collectibles, old coins, gold jewelry, broken jewelry, sterling silver and more.

 Preserving the night skies of the Texas Hill Country    Bill Wren recalls how fascinated he was by the night sky when he was a child. “I remember many evenings lying in the grass looking up at the stars and wondering about the world beyond my immediate surroundings.” A veteran astronomer at the McDonald Observatory, Wren is concerned that children of future generations may not be able to experience the wonder of a brilliant starry sky because of light pollut ...

What Do We Talk About Now?    When you're young, you learn lessons in civility and good manners. You are taught to open doors for ladies and to assist the elderly in crossing the street. You learn to say please, to always say thank you, and to not swear in public. Those are the lessons we're taught in kindergarten and Sunday school.

Mason County 4-H Shooting Sports competed in the State 4-H shooting competition at the Austin Rifle Club in Manor, TX on July 11-15, 2016. Six 4-H members competed. Results for the members were: Graci Weber 5th place air pistol silhouettes metallic sights 2nd place air rifle silhouette Millie Marquart 1st place Sporter air rifle 2nd place BB 3rd place air rifle silhouette Marshall Marquart 1st place smallbore pistol silhouette any sight 5th running target 3rd place air pistol s ...

   It is only $65.00 to participate for the whole season. ****Cost includes your cheerleading uniform and cheer practices that are held on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. For individual pieces of the cheerleading uniform you do not need to purchase, we will lower your cost. Shells are $35.00 and Skorts are $30.00 (make checks payable to MHS Cheer Activity Account).    Travel to games in surrounding towns to cheer for the Mason Youth Football teams.

   The drawing for the 2016 Puncher Dome football home games will be held Tuesday, August 23 @ 10:00 am. The drawing will be held at the MISD Admin office on the north side of the square (200 Fort McKavitt St).    In order to be entered into the drawing, a check for $240.00 needs to be delivered to the Admin.

   It’s that time again! The first day of school is Monday, August 22nd! Parents of Mason High School students should receive a packet in the mail during the first week of August, which includes high school registration information and necessary forms to be completed and returned to school on the day of registration.

   Junior High football equipment will be issued in the junior high gym on August 16th at 7 p.m.    All incoming 7th and 8th grade football players may get their equipment at that time. If you are unable to make it then we can issue it on the first day of school.

   It is only $65.00 to participate for the whole season. ****Cost includes your cheerleading uniform and cheer practices that are held on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. For individual pieces of the cheerleading uniform you do not need to purchase, we will lower your cost. Shells are $35.00 and Skorts are $30.00 (make checks payable to MHS Cheer Activity Account).    Travel to games in surrounding towns to cheer for the Mason Youth Football teams.

 Preserving the night skies of the Texas Hill Country    Bill Wren recalls how fascinated he was by the night sky when he was a child. “I remember many evenings lying in the grass looking up at the stars and wondering about the world beyond my immediate surroundings.” A veteran astronomer at the McDonald Observatory, Wren is concerned that children of future generations may not be able to experience the wonder of a brilliant starry sky because of light pollut ...

   MASON, TEXAS- The Antique Pickers Back Roads Tour will be conducting a special event Thursday & Friday August 4th & 5th. The event will be held at the M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library from 9 a.m. TO 5 p.m. Admission is free and no appointment is needed.    During this event local area residents are invited to bring in their antiques, collectibles, old coins, gold jewelry, broken jewelry, sterling silver and more.

   The 2016/­2017 Band Calendars will arrive this week and will be available for pickup starting Monday, August 8th at Benji’s Books and Gifts. They can also be picked up at the first Puncher scrimmage on Saturday, August 13th.    Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the next Band Boosters meeting on September 6th at 6:00 in the band hall.

   The drawing for the 2016 Puncher Dome football home games will be held Tuesday, August 23 @ 10:00 am. The drawing will be held at the MISD Admin office on the north side of the square (200 Fort McKavitt St).    In order to be entered into the drawing, a check for $240.00 needs to be delivered to the Admin.

   The Mason Community Foundation would like to remind local non-profit groups that the deadline is just a few weeks away to apply for the next cycle of grants! Those organizations with worthy projects which benefit the citizens of Mason County are encouraged to apply. The necessary forms are available at the Community Thrift Store, at 206 Moody St, during regular business hours and are to be returned there by close of business on Thursday, September 1, 2016.    The recent C ...

   Junior High football equipment will be issued in the junior high gym on August 16th at 7 p.m.    All incoming 7th and 8th grade football players may get their equipment at that time. If you are unable to make it then we can issue it on the first day of school.

   To better provide information and awareness on various services, programs, and benefits that may be available for Seniors in the Concho Valley region, the Area Agency on Aging of the Concho Valley, along with La Esperanza Clinic and 2-1-1 Texas of the Concho Valley will be traveling to each of the rural counties that surround Tom Green County.

   Donna Byrd now volunteers on Wednesday afternoons at the Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library. She was born in Ranger, Texas, because Eastland did not have a hospital. Her grandparents had come to Texas in 1919 and settled in Gorman during the height of the oil boom. They lived in a tent for several years.

   Hill Country Productions will be producing th third annual Masonic Lodge Scholarship roping on August 6, 2016, at the Fort Mason Park. Books open at 5:00, rope at 6:30. There will be a #5+ cap enter up, $40/man and a #11 slide enter up, $40/man. Buckles to average winners. Cash only. Producer has the right to reclassify.

   Vendor applications for Old Yeller Day are now available at the Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library located at 410 Post Hill Street. Local vendors only may apply. Old Yeller Day takes place on Saturday, September 24th, on the Courthouse lawn. Electricity is available. The Library is open Monday-Friday 10:00 A.M.

   The Hilda United Methodist Church is happy to announce the appointment of our new minister, Rev. Michael Bell and his wife Joya. His first Sunday to begin as our minister was July 2nd. We welcome everyone to come and worship with us and meet our new pastor and his wife.

What Do We Talk About Now?    When you're young, you learn lessons in civility and good manners. You are taught to open doors for ladies and to assist the elderly in crossing the street. You learn to say please, to always say thank you, and to not swear in public. Those are the lessons we're taught in kindergarten and Sunday school.

Hot. Caliente. Chaud. Heib Wetter. Somehow hot is easier to handle when it’s supposed to be hot. Like summer in Texas. Or summer most places. The Midwest. The Deep South. The deserts of the Southwest. But some heat can be abnormal. Like when it’s 90 degrees in the mountains. You’re a mile high up in the sky. Cozied up to the scorching sun. No breeze. And often, no air conditioning. No relief. Unless there’s a lake nearby. People drop dead in San Francisco when it gets hot. No fog. No br ...

   August snuck in. This summer is really going fast.    We had a family dinner Sunday to celebrate granddaughter Megan’s 13th birthday. Thanks to parents Scott and Crystal, we enjoyed a feast of wonderful food. Grands Amber and John returned Sunday from their summer visit with their dad and Megan had returned Wednesday from her summer visit with her mom.

   I’ve been told, “You can’t fix stupid.” I believe it, however, I want to believe you can reason with stupid. Wrong! I just get more agitated! Really, there is nothing I can do to prove a point to one of these folks. They’ve just made up their minds to remain in the la la land of complete stupidity!

   As we all remember, we had general rains in May and I saw green in every direction from the top of the hill. Amazing how fast changes in vegetation occurs when the hot July winds take to the stage and devours what nature has provided.    However, not all things are to the bad, as I am seeing and hearing things that I have not seen or heard in some time.

Jalapeno Sweet Potato Cups    This for my “Health” conscience friends out there. I was tired of everything I have been having breakfast and was looking for another healthy option to boiled eggs, breakfast drinks and breakfast bars. I actually found this on my “My Fitness Pal” blog. It originally came from the “Lean Green Bean”.

Fifty Years and Counting...    A few friends from 50 years ago still remember our wedding day--August 12, 1966. The occasion is a conversation starter when we gather. Brenda and I smile, our memories quickly rekindled by unlikely occurrences at the ceremony. Friends and kin remember it for obvious reasons. It rained hard in Alpine, TX, that day.

NaClH2O    As our taxi/van was pulling out of our hotel, the driver stopped and picked up another guy, who was standing in the road. They were obviously friends, since the new guy calmly opened the door and got in the front seat, and the two started talking. Well, maybe talking is too weak a word.

ger/aug 3 col-library    Don’t forget to encourage your children to enter our Back-to-school Coloring Contest! We’ll judge two different age categories: Pre-K – 1st Grade and 2nd Grade – 5th Grade. We’re awarding first, second, and third place ribbons and cash prizes of $25, $15, $10, respectively, in each group.

Watering Restrictions    Mayor Hinckley, in his City Corner column, regularly reminds us to be mindful of how we do landscape watering.    In his column of July 27, he advised that the City’s water system is struggling to keep up with demand. He stated that the City is establishing mandatory water restrictions during the hot dry weather we’re experiencing.