September 14, 2016 Issue

    Travel Time in Texas - Distance Not a Factor     Texas is the second largest state in the nation. For Texans, we don't measure our distances in miles; but, rather, we talk about our trips in terms of travel times. Therefor, we don't travel 120 miles, we tell people that our destination is two hours away.

   The Heart of Texas Historians and Storytellers will be hosting their 4th annual event on September 18, 2016 at the Heart of Texas Event Center. This year the group is sponsoring two men who have a special connection to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas.

   The Mason Lions Club met Tuesday, September 6th, for it’s weekly luncheon meeting. There were 39 members and no visitors in attendance. “Boss” Lion Jess Irwin stated that this is day number 250 for the year 2016. Jess then read a series of very funny red neck jokes. (You might be a red neck if there are 12 vehicles parked in your yard and only one of them runs). “Boss” Lion Jess then read the schedule for the hamburger cook at the cross country meet to be held at the Maso ...

   I have to tell you what fun we had creating the community painting last Thursday! We had a great turnout of people who painted. The art truly is uniquely Mason, and it’s strikingly beautiful. Just wait ‘til you see it! Vickie McMillan, the artist and guide for this journey, will come back for the unveiling on Old Yeller Day—we hope you come, too!    DVDs:    The Nice Guy    4 War Film Favorites: Von Ryan’s Express, Twelve o’c ...

   Open wide. Arrrrgh    September is a busy month. You got football season starting up, the opening of dove season, the World Championship Barbecue Goat Cook Off in Brady, Texas, scouting and getting ready for deer season, and of course the World Championship Squirrel Cook Off in Bentonville, Arkansas. The tagline for that august event is ‘Squirrel, it’s what’s for supper.’    Having been a judge at the goat cook off in Brady for several y ...

   On September 5,1980, “Down the Drain With Jane,” was first published. So, where have the last thirty years gone? Well, they haven’t. I still write about Stupidity, Kids, Mr.’s, Stuff, Poinsettias, Peddlers and of course Dogs.    Nothing has changed in the Stupidity department. They are just more of them.

   Seniors Want ‘McJoe’...    As a group, senior citizens are docile, taking in stride whatever comes next. The majority “tsk, tsk, tsk” at the world, perhaps adding such comments as, “Oh, well, it’s a new day.”    Ray Croc, the late mastermind who introduced McDonald’s with a single store near Chicago, believed strongly in the “golden arches”--perhaps fast foods’ most recognized icon.    The company initially bragge ...

   Open-Faced Vegetable Omelette    I don’t do breakfast recipes often but this was so good I had to share. I have found that pretty much any recipe with “Lipton” soup mix is flavorful. I don’t even know how many recipes I put “Lipton’s Onion mix in, from roast, chicken spaghetti, dips, hamburgers, roasted potatoes...I could go on and on.

   CTEC District Meeting    I attended the Gillespie County CTEC District meeting on June 16, 2016 and was disappointed by the lack of response from CEO Bob Loth to issues raised by a candidate for the board. Heinrich Boenig called for more accountability and transparency in the Co-op.    He stated that public corporations and some Coops (unlike our Coop) publish in their annual report the salaries of their senior executives and board directors. &n ...

   From time to time, I run out of wise sayings and have to resort to issues that are somewhat foreign to my usual stuff. The last issue was a good example of this change but it created some results, some may say, insults, but all in all, we all gained.    I guess most of my readers are familiar with a long time, I MEAN, a long time resident,(You might even consider him as a character of London) even longer than me and that is Awbrey Kothmann ( I even know how to spell his n ...

   Many of the City projects continue to move ahead as we work to improve and serve our community. We have received the mosquito insecticide and started some spraying last week and will continue this week to reduce that pesky population in our neighborhoods. Look for another article in this paper that will state the exact schedule and pattern of our mosquito spraying.

   Were you outside Saturday morning when the cold front blew in? It almost felt like fall. I am ready for cooler weather.    For your calendar: The Art-Trinity United Methodist Women will host the District Meeting on September 17th at Castell. On September 18, we will have a church lunch to honor our newlyweds, Quinton and Sterling McKinney.

   It’s a bird.    It’s a plane.    It’s confetti with wings.    No.    It’s little butterflies.    Or moths.    Hundreds of them.    Aloft in the wind.    Like ashes blowing hither and yon.    Never alighting.    Perpetually flying.    And flitting.    And fast, too.    Moths, as compared to butterflies, are generally smaller.    And less ...

   The members of the American Legion Fort Mason Post 285 and Ladies Auxiliary opened the September meeting with the pledge of allegiance and a prayer. The pledge was led by Commander Joaquin Velez and a prayer was offered by Legionnaire Bruce Fowler.    Post Adjutant Holly B. Gilmore reported that the fundraiser for the Remington 30-06 Rifle Raffle is still continuing and member volunteers are needed to help sell the tickets.

   Micah Walker, CEA and Sheree Hardin, CEA have announced the date for this year's 4-H Enrollment meeting. 4-H enrollment will take place on Monday, September 19 from 5:30 to 7 pm at the Mason County Library. The library is located at 410 Post Hill St. The meeting is come and go.

   JAZZ!!!    5 Month Old Male    Border Collie / Terrier Mix    Second Chance rescued Jazz from the pound not quite a month ago. He joined his foster family around the middle of August, and had no problem at all adjusting to his new home. We had a difficult time determining exactly what breed(s) Jazz is, and we have come to the conclusion that he probably has some Border Collie and some Terrier in him.

   We would like to invite the community to join us for our 5th Annual Celebration & Fundraising Dinner to benefit the ministry of Mason Young Life! The dinner will be held at the Mason Community Building on Tuesday, September 27th starting at 6:30 p.m.    Guests are invited to enjoy appetizers, a prime rib dinner, and a delicious dessert while getting to hear more about what Young Life does in our community.

   In spite of some rather ominous weather forecasts earlier in the week, all we had was cool temperatures, a bit of wind, some sunshine and a few threatening-looking clouds on Saturday for the Annual Mason Bank Fundraiser Tournament. A good crowd of 34 golfers showed up, as well as several friends and family members of golfers to cheer them on and enjoy an excellent fajita supper that followed the Tournament.    The competition between the 7 teams was fierce but friendly.

   Kenneth Lester will be the Mason Star Gazers speaker at their meeting on Friday, September 23. Kenneth has been active in astronomy since 1997 and brings a wide scope of knowledge and experience which he can simply explain to beginners and yet hold the attention of PHDs in the field.

   In their third outing for the 2016 football season, the Mason Punchers chalked up their second victory of the year by defeating the Comfort Bobcats 34-14 at home in Puncher Stadium.    The Punchers kicked off to Comfort to start the game, but in the first of three turnovers in the game, the Bobcats handed off control of the ball to Mason.

   We will start spraying between the hours of 5:30 pm and 9:30 pm. Please stay indoors during these and times. We want to thank everyone for their cooperation in advance in keeping Mason safe!!!    Wednesday September 14, 2016 we will be spraying the south side of Mason, streets are:    Austin, Fuchsia, Willow, Hackberry, Schuessler, Fir, Oak, Pine, Orange, East Rainey, Post Oak, East Kettner, South Live Oak, Schmidt, Magnolia, Smith, Steapp Ln, Hofman, City park, ...

   Charlie Reid    Charles “Charlie” A. Reid, Jr., born on June 21, 1930, in Boston, MA, passed away on September 7, 2016, at his home in Schertz, TX at the age of 86.    He is preceded in death by his parents Charles A. Sr. and Helen Reid; and brothers Paul and Raymond.    Charles is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Jo Beth Reid; sons, Charles Scott and Chad H.

   Geneva Rogers Keller    Geneva Rogers Keller passed away on Monday, September 5, 2016, in St. Louis, Missouri.    She was born and raised on Honey Creek Ranch in Mason, Texas. Her parents were the late John Luther and Minnie Eckert Rogers. She graduated from Mason High School and the Johnson Academy of Beauty in San Antonio.    After her marriage to Charlie Christie Keller, they made their home in St.

   Horace Francis Thomas    Horace Francis Thomas went to be with his Lord on Tuesday, September 7, 2016, which was his 86th birthday.    A native Houstonian, Horace was predeceased by his parents, Simpson Matthews Thomas and Maurine Marguerite (Haste) Thomas; wife, Mary Lee (Kothmann) Thomas; and, brother, Lawrence Ruben Thomas.    He is survived by his son, Kenneth Thomas and wife, Vicki; daughters Bonnie Faltin and husband, Stephen; Lo ...

   The Old Yeller Day Celebration to be held Saturday, September 24th from 10:00-1:00 on the Mason County Courthouse Lawn, will honor the life of the frontier times and its literary heritage Mason author Fred Gipson.    Sponsored by the Mason County M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library, the event will include some of the following booths and activities: storytellers; reenactment and demonstrations emphasizing the 1870’s time period; starving artists; spinning and weaving demon ...

   Old Yeller Day, held on the courthouse lawn on Saturday, September 24, 2016, is a local tradition, honoring Mason County author Fred Gipson (1908-1973) and celebrating Mason County during the period his children’s books took place.    Approximately 12 years ago, when our family first moved to Mason, Old Yeller Day was a pet parade at Heritage Park, led by Doodlebug the Clown, followed by 4 pet contests and a few games for the kids.

   Vendor applications for Old Yeller Day are now available at the Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library located at 410 Post Hill Street and the Chamber of Commerce on the square. Local vendors only may apply. Old Yeller Day takes place on Saturday, September 24th, on the Courthouse lawn.

   The Puncher Club is hosting complimentary weekly Varsity game film screenings every Tuesday at 6:30 PM during the football season at the Odeon. Screenings are approximately 45 minutes in length and provide a fantastic opportunity to relive spectacular plays or perhaps catch a game that you were not able to attend!

   The Mason County Republican Women will hold their bimonthly luncheon meeting on Wednesday September 21st at noon in the Stribling Room of the Mason County Library. The guest speaker will be State Representative Mark Keough of District 15 in The Woodlands.    Representative Keough is a member of CrossPac, a group of state legislators whose purpose is to “call citizens to act in the common cause of restoring the sovereign power of the separate states and of the people.” ...

   Teens in the Driver’s Seat is an organization that promotes safe driving in high schools throughout America. Mason High School has won third place in TDS Drive Home the Message contest, which includes a $500 dollar prize. We are hoping to win second or even first place this coming year.    The Mason TDS members put in countless hours planning and presenting activities to involve the whole school.

   We would like to invite the community to join us for our 5th Annual Celebration & Fundraising Dinner to benefit the ministry of Mason Young Life! The dinner will be held at the Mason Community Building on Tuesday, September 27th starting at 6:30 p.m.    Guests are invited to enjoy appetizers, a prime rib dinner, and a delicious dessert while getting to hear more about what Young Life does in our community.

   Teens in the Driver’s Seat is an organization that promotes safe driving in high schools throughout America. Mason High School has won third place in TDS Drive Home the Message contest, which includes a $500 dollar prize. We are hoping to win second or even first place this coming year.    The Mason TDS members put in countless hours planning and presenting activities to involve the whole school.

   The Puncher Club is hosting complimentary weekly Varsity game film screenings every Tuesday at 6:30 PM during the football season at the Odeon. Screenings are approximately 45 minutes in length and provide a fantastic opportunity to relive spectacular plays or perhaps catch a game that you were not able to attend!

   In their third outing for the 2016 football season, the Mason Punchers chalked up their second victory of the year by defeating the Comfort Bobcats 34-14 at home in Puncher Stadium.    The Punchers kicked off to Comfort to start the game, but in the first of three turnovers in the game, the Bobcats handed off control of the ball to Mason.

   Micah Walker, CEA and Sheree Hardin, CEA have announced the date for this year's 4-H Enrollment meeting. 4-H enrollment will take place on Monday, September 19 from 5:30 to 7 pm at the Mason County Library. The library is located at 410 Post Hill St. The meeting is come and go.

   The high school and junior high Punchers and Cowgirls competed in the Mason Invitational this past Wednesday. We had a total of 18 teams come in to town to compete, and overall, we competed very well!    The Cowgirls and Punchers would like to thank everyone who came out to the park and helped in any way, big and small.

   7th vs. Comfort    The seventh graders began their season with a good start with a win over Comfort, 6-0. It was a defensive battle from the beginning kickoff to the last down. Gabriel Ortiz scored late in 2nd quarter on a 30 yard pitch play to give us a lead.

   On September 7th, First Baptist Church Mason Youth Ministry kicked off the new school year with MUD Dodge ball! Middle school and high school students enjoyed getting muddy at the rodeo grounds and are excited about the growing Wednesday night youth program at FBC.    Starting this year, the Wednesday night youth group at FBC will be called C.R.E.W.

   Kenneth Lester will be the Mason Star Gazers speaker at their meeting on Friday, September 23. Kenneth has been active in astronomy since 1997 and brings a wide scope of knowledge and experience which he can simply explain to beginners and yet hold the attention of PHDs in the field.

   The Heart of Texas Historians and Storytellers will be hosting their 4th annual event on September 18, 2016 at the Heart of Texas Event Center. This year the group is sponsoring two men who have a special connection to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas.

   The regular meeting of the Mason Garden Club will be on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 2 p.m. at the Mason County M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library, Stribling Room.    This is the first meeting of the new garden club year. Featured speaker will be Bridget Langdale of Mason who will speak on “Ecology of A Dark Sky.” Bridget, an artist and owner of The Painted Tree, is involved with the Hill Country Dark Sky Reserve and will discuss how darkness and lightness affect peop ...

   It’s almost time for the fall version of the Mason County Farmers Market.    If you have a fall garden, come out and sell your extra vegetables! We are also looking for handcrafted items, canned goods, baked goods, and musicians. There is no fee to participate.    The market will be held on the west side of the courthouse lawn on Saturday mornings, 10:00-12:00.

   Individuals interested in women’s health are invited to a free Well Informed Woman presentation and discussion at Nacho’s Café on Tues., Sept. 20.    A complimentary dinner will be provided at 6 p.m. with a presentation to follow.    The presentation is designed for women who are considering pregnancy, who are trying to conceive and who are already pregnant.

   It has been said “It takes a village to raise a child”. It can also be said “It takes a village to make a success of the Community Thrift Store!”    In addition to the quality donations and multitude of purchases that make the non-profit Thrift Store so successful, it also takes hardworking store personnel (Wendy Fisher, Hortencia Cardoza and Angela Davis) ...

   The members of the American Legion Fort Mason Post 285 and Ladies Auxiliary opened the September meeting with the pledge of allegiance and a prayer. The pledge was led by Commander Joaquin Velez and a prayer was offered by Legionnaire Bruce Fowler.    Post Adjutant Holly B. Gilmore reported that the fundraiser for the Remington 30-06 Rifle Raffle is still continuing and member volunteers are needed to help sell the tickets.

   Micah Walker, CEA and Sheree Hardin, CEA have announced the date for this year's 4-H Enrollment meeting. 4-H enrollment will take place on Monday, September 19 from 5:30 to 7 pm at the Mason County Library. The library is located at 410 Post Hill St. The meeting is come and go.

   JAZZ!!!    5 Month Old Male    Border Collie / Terrier Mix    Second Chance rescued Jazz from the pound not quite a month ago. He joined his foster family around the middle of August, and had no problem at all adjusting to his new home. We had a difficult time determining exactly what breed(s) Jazz is, and we have come to the conclusion that he probably has some Border Collie and some Terrier in him.

   We would like to invite the community to join us for our 5th Annual Celebration & Fundraising Dinner to benefit the ministry of Mason Young Life! The dinner will be held at the Mason Community Building on Tuesday, September 27th starting at 6:30 p.m.    Guests are invited to enjoy appetizers, a prime rib dinner, and a delicious dessert while getting to hear more about what Young Life does in our community.

   We will start spraying between the hours of 5:30 pm and 9:30 pm. Please stay indoors during these and times. We want to thank everyone for their cooperation in advance in keeping Mason safe!!!    Wednesday September 14, 2016 we will be spraying the south side of Mason, streets are:    Austin, Fuchsia, Willow, Hackberry, Schuessler, Fir, Oak, Pine, Orange, East Rainey, Post Oak, East Kettner, South Live Oak, Schmidt, Magnolia, Smith, Steapp Ln, Hofman, City park, ...

   The Old Yeller Day Celebration to be held Saturday, September 24th from 10:00-1:00 on the Mason County Courthouse Lawn, will honor the life of the frontier times and its literary heritage Mason author Fred Gipson.    Sponsored by the Mason County M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library, the event will include some of the following booths and activities: storytellers; reenactment and demonstrations emphasizing the 1870’s time period; starving artists; spinning and weaving demon ...

   Old Yeller Day, held on the courthouse lawn on Saturday, September 24, 2016, is a local tradition, honoring Mason County author Fred Gipson (1908-1973) and celebrating Mason County during the period his children’s books took place.    Approximately 12 years ago, when our family first moved to Mason, Old Yeller Day was a pet parade at Heritage Park, led by Doodlebug the Clown, followed by 4 pet contests and a few games for the kids.

   Vendor applications for Old Yeller Day are now available at the Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library located at 410 Post Hill Street and the Chamber of Commerce on the square. Local vendors only may apply. Old Yeller Day takes place on Saturday, September 24th, on the Courthouse lawn.

   The Puncher Club is hosting complimentary weekly Varsity game film screenings every Tuesday at 6:30 PM during the football season at the Odeon. Screenings are approximately 45 minutes in length and provide a fantastic opportunity to relive spectacular plays or perhaps catch a game that you were not able to attend!

   The Mason County Republican Women will hold their bimonthly luncheon meeting on Wednesday September 21st at noon in the Stribling Room of the Mason County Library. The guest speaker will be State Representative Mark Keough of District 15 in The Woodlands.    Representative Keough is a member of CrossPac, a group of state legislators whose purpose is to “call citizens to act in the common cause of restoring the sovereign power of the separate states and of the people.” ...

   At our regular monthly meeting on the 20th of September, we will hold a remembrance of these 2 days. We invite all interested persons to attend. Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Post on Post Hill St. All questions about Mason VFW Post 8554 may be directed to Lawrence Spell, Post Commander, at 325-429-6224.

   Horace Francis Thomas    Horace Francis Thomas went to be with his Lord on Tuesday, September 7, 2016, which was his 86th birthday.    A native Houstonian, Horace was predeceased by his parents, Simpson Matthews Thomas and Maurine Marguerite (Haste) Thomas; wife, Mary Lee (Kothmann) Thomas; and, brother, Lawrence Ruben Thomas.    He is survived by his son, Kenneth Thomas and wife, Vicki; daughters Bonnie Faltin and husband, Stephen; Lo ...

   Geneva Rogers Keller    Geneva Rogers Keller passed away on Monday, September 5, 2016, in St. Louis, Missouri.    She was born and raised on Honey Creek Ranch in Mason, Texas. Her parents were the late John Luther and Minnie Eckert Rogers. She graduated from Mason High School and the Johnson Academy of Beauty in San Antonio.    After her marriage to Charlie Christie Keller, they made their home in St.

   Charlie Reid    Charles “Charlie” A. Reid, Jr., born on June 21, 1930, in Boston, MA, passed away on September 7, 2016, at his home in Schertz, TX at the age of 86.    He is preceded in death by his parents Charles A. Sr. and Helen Reid; and brothers Paul and Raymond.    Charles is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Jo Beth Reid; sons, Charles Scott and Chad H.

    Travel Time in Texas - Distance Not a Factor     Texas is the second largest state in the nation. For Texans, we don't measure our distances in miles; but, rather, we talk about our trips in terms of travel times. Therefor, we don't travel 120 miles, we tell people that our destination is two hours away.

   It’s a bird.    It’s a plane.    It’s confetti with wings.    No.    It’s little butterflies.    Or moths.    Hundreds of them.    Aloft in the wind.    Like ashes blowing hither and yon.    Never alighting.    Perpetually flying.    And flitting.    And fast, too.    Moths, as compared to butterflies, are generally smaller.    And less ...

   Were you outside Saturday morning when the cold front blew in? It almost felt like fall. I am ready for cooler weather.    For your calendar: The Art-Trinity United Methodist Women will host the District Meeting on September 17th at Castell. On September 18, we will have a church lunch to honor our newlyweds, Quinton and Sterling McKinney.

   From time to time, I run out of wise sayings and have to resort to issues that are somewhat foreign to my usual stuff. The last issue was a good example of this change but it created some results, some may say, insults, but all in all, we all gained.    I guess most of my readers are familiar with a long time, I MEAN, a long time resident,(You might even consider him as a character of London) even longer than me and that is Awbrey Kothmann ( I even know how to spell his n ...

   CTEC District Meeting    I attended the Gillespie County CTEC District meeting on June 16, 2016 and was disappointed by the lack of response from CEO Bob Loth to issues raised by a candidate for the board. Heinrich Boenig called for more accountability and transparency in the Co-op.    He stated that public corporations and some Coops (unlike our Coop) publish in their annual report the salaries of their senior executives and board directors. &n ...

   Open-Faced Vegetable Omelette    I don’t do breakfast recipes often but this was so good I had to share. I have found that pretty much any recipe with “Lipton” soup mix is flavorful. I don’t even know how many recipes I put “Lipton’s Onion mix in, from roast, chicken spaghetti, dips, hamburgers, roasted potatoes...I could go on and on.

   Seniors Want ‘McJoe’...    As a group, senior citizens are docile, taking in stride whatever comes next. The majority “tsk, tsk, tsk” at the world, perhaps adding such comments as, “Oh, well, it’s a new day.”    Ray Croc, the late mastermind who introduced McDonald’s with a single store near Chicago, believed strongly in the “golden arches”--perhaps fast foods’ most recognized icon.    The company initially bragge ...

   On September 5,1980, “Down the Drain With Jane,” was first published. So, where have the last thirty years gone? Well, they haven’t. I still write about Stupidity, Kids, Mr.’s, Stuff, Poinsettias, Peddlers and of course Dogs.    Nothing has changed in the Stupidity department. They are just more of them.

   Open wide. Arrrrgh    September is a busy month. You got football season starting up, the opening of dove season, the World Championship Barbecue Goat Cook Off in Brady, Texas, scouting and getting ready for deer season, and of course the World Championship Squirrel Cook Off in Bentonville, Arkansas. The tagline for that august event is ‘Squirrel, it’s what’s for supper.’    Having been a judge at the goat cook off in Brady for several y ...

   I have to tell you what fun we had creating the community painting last Thursday! We had a great turnout of people who painted. The art truly is uniquely Mason, and it’s strikingly beautiful. Just wait ‘til you see it! Vickie McMillan, the artist and guide for this journey, will come back for the unveiling on Old Yeller Day—we hope you come, too!    DVDs:    The Nice Guy    4 War Film Favorites: Von Ryan’s Express, Twelve o’c ...