November 9, 2016 Issue

   Ever send a postcard while on a trip or receive one from some traveler? Getting mail—that’s not a bill—is always fun, and postcards have been a popular way to share an experience with one’s friends and family. Mag Spaeth owns a fascinating collection of postcards from the early 1900’s and has loaned some of them to the Mason Co.

   Another successful Blue Ribbon Service Day is in the books. We are so grateful to our community for allowing us to be a part of so many worthwhile projects that make Mason such a wonderful place to grow up. A special thanks goes to the members of the churches who prepared and served us lunch.

10-01-16@0833-Criminal Mischief-Deputy Stafford responded to the golf course for criminal mischief. 10-01-16@1035-Civil Standby-Deputy Stafford responded to Merrill St. for Civil Standby. 10-01-16@1236-EMS and Deputy Stafford responded to Ranck St. for 93 year old female with difficulty breathing. 10-02-16@0722-Traffic Hazard- Deputy Stafford unable to locate vehicle in roadway on Hwy 29 @ 377. 10-02-16@0724-Vehicle Unlock-Deputy Stafford was on another call but was able to respond to later at ...

   Central Texas Electric Cooperative (CTEC) is collecting toys again this holiday season. A free koozie will be given to individuals that bring in donation items.    CTEC is working with Bluebonnet CASA for this toy drive. The ages served range from one month to 18 years of age. Some of the items they are looking for are books, infant toys, baby dolls, Legos, board games, footballs and soccer balls.    CTEC will be collecting until December 11th.

   This Veterans Day, our office will be handing out free cookies as a small way to say thank you to those that have served.

   The Family Shelter in San Angelo has a new Outreach Program. Victim Advocates are now available to serve victims of family violence in the following counties: Coke, Edwards, mcCulloch, Reagan, Sterling, Concho, Irion, Mason, Runnels, Crockett, Kimble, Menard, Schleicher and Sutton.    If you, or someone you know, is a victim of family violence, please call 325-655-5774, or 800-749-8631 to contact your local Victim Advocate for services.

   Paying for college could soon be a lot easier for Mason County students.    Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) offers more than $80,000 in scholarships to eligible members.    “Our local, district and state scholarships provide a great opportunity for students to earn money to further their education,” Shannon Worrell, Mason County Farm Bureau president, said.

   In 2005, I inherited my mothers jewelry. While most of it was not something I would wear, it held so many memories, I couldn’t bear to part with it. I decided to take some of the pieces apart and refashion them into something more modern. Designing and creating jewelry became an obsession; when I had more jewelry than I could wear, I started selling it and Peters Creek Creations was born.

   The Afterschool Program of FBC Mason is accepting applications for Teachers.    Please pick up applications from the FBC office and return by November 18th.

   Mason ISD provides many educational programs to meet the needs of our students. One of the programs offered is the Gifted and Talented Program, which has been planned for young, able learners. Listed below are a few characteristics of children who may benefit from the program. Please review these characteristics to see if they describe your child.

   It is time for the Mason County Habitat for Humanity Warehouse Sale. The doors will open at 8:00 am on Saturday, November 12th, and the sale will last until 4:00 in the afternoon or until everything is gone, whichever comes first! The warehouse sale benefits the local Habitat affiliate, but it also benefits you!

   Every year a handful of Texas teenagers die suddenly due to sudden cardiac arrest that can be caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.    Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a rare condition that causes part of the heart muscle to stiffen, trapping blood in the heart and producing an abnormal cardiac rhythm. It is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death for active teens, affecting approximately one in 500 young people each year in the US.    To catch this potentially ...

   Individuals affected by acute and chronic pain are invited to a free pain management presentation with dinner at Nacho’s Café in Mason on Thurs., Nov. 17.    A complimentary dinner will be provided at 6:00 p.m. with a presentation to follow. Nacho’s Café is located at 621 Fort McKavit St.    The presentation includes a participant-guided question-and-answer session with Ralph Menard, M.D., a nationally recognized pain management physician with the Hill Cou ...

   The JV Purple took the field for the last time this season in Wall.    The Punchers fought hard the entire behind most of the first half the Punchers were able to rally and come away with the win, defeating the Wall Hawks 18-12.    The win makes the JV Purple record 9-1 for the season.

   The JV White team played their final game of the season last week against the Sabinal Yellowjackets.    The Punchers played their most complete game to date and took a 46-0 victory.    Being able to pass the ball effectively was something that eluded the Punchers for much of this season but the quarterbacks did a successful job of getting the receivers the ball.    With a passing game that was working, it allowed for opportunities to open up the run ga ...

   Donna Ingham, “The Biggest Liar in Texas,” will be the featured speaker at the Friends of the Library Annual Membership Meeting. Ms. Ingham will present “Texas Myths, Mysteries, and Legends” at 6:30 P.M. in the Stribling Room of the Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library, 410 Post Hill St.

   "It's morning again in America...."    As I write this column, the polls have been open on the east coast for over two hours, and more than an hour here in the central United States. By this time tomorrow, the election of 2016 will be in the record books, and no matter the result, we will have a new president-elect.

   Johnny Rodriguez and Dottsy will headline the Llano Country Opry on Saturday, November 12, at the Lantex Theater in Llano. There will be two performances with an afternoon show at 2:30 PM and an evening show at 7:30 PM. Admission is $20 with tickets on sale at www.heartoftexascountry.com or at the Llano Chamber of Commerce at (325) 247-5454.    Juan Raul Davis Rodriguez was born December 10, 1951, in Sabinal, Texas.

   Go Punchers    To the Mason High School Puncher Club:    During the 2011 football season, I began (with 5 other people) to haul the tunnel the players run through to the football games. 5 years later, I’m still doing it, and it’s one of the highlights of my life in Mason.    This year, at the Iraan game, I had truck problems on the way up, and a complete mechanical breakdown on the way back, resulting in a tow, and an overnight stay in Ozona.

   More than 200 students from around the state came to Mason this past Saturday to hone their skills in Livestock Judging. The competition was sponsored by the Mason County AgriLife Extension Office, Micah Walker, Agent for Ag and Natural Resources and Jamie Osbourne, Agent for Ag and Natural Resources in Llano County.

   The game last Friday between the Mason Punchers and the Sabinal Yellowjackets started with a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown by Haddon Hudson. It was an omen for the rest of the rather lopsided game.    After Fernando Torres added the PAT, the clock still had 11:58 left in the first quarter of play and a score of 7-0.    Sabinal didn't hold on to the ball for long after Mason's kick.

   Norma R. Stahl, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away on October 31, 2016. She was 79 years old.    Norma was born October 15, 1937, in Seadrift, Texas, to the late Earl S. Coward and Margaret C. (Hall) Coward. Norma was a secretary employed by the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters of the United States and Canada for a period of 27 ½ years.

   The Mason County Republican Women will hold their bi-monthly meeting at noon on Wednesday, November 16th in the Stribling Room of the Mason County Library.    The guest speaker will be the mayor of our fair city, the honorable Brent Hinckley. Members will gather at 11:30 for a meet and greet with the luncheon starting promptly at noon.    Please R.S.V.P.

   On October 25, 2016, Riata members met in the Stribling Room of the Mason County Library. Hostesses were Amy Capps, Tess Geistweidt and Laura Tallent.    Laura Tallent introduced Tess Geistweidt as the speaker. Tess talked on the legacy of the Riata Service Organization, which was organized in 1950 with 16 members.

   Mason’s Scarlet Punchers, those intrepid “women of a certain age,” know how uncertain life can be. Many of us have lost persons we cherish, have had health issues, and can be just plain tired and crabby at times. However, we try to keep an “attitude of gratitude,” suit up, show up, and paint on our game faces for our monthly gatherings for fun, fellowship and food.    This month we are gathering at the home of Joan Williams on Monday, November 14th, 11:30 AM, fo ...

   The Mason Study Club will be hosting Chili on the Square this Thursday November 10 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on the south side of the Courthouse.    A $5.00 donation is suggested. Sodas and dessert will be sold for $1.00 each.    All proceeds to benefit the Mason Library.

   The City of Mason will be closed Thursday and Friday November 24 and 25 for the Thanksgiving Holidays. Trash trucks will pick up as usual Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (21st, 22nd, and 23rd). Thursday will be on Tuesday 22nd and Friday will be on Wednesday 23rd. Trash will resume back on normal Monday.

   You are invited to join local veterans and their friends & families on Friday, Nov. 11th to recognize the sacrifice of all veterans at the Mason Veterans Day Ceremony & Rifle Salute. This ceremony, sponsored by The American Legion Fort Mason Post 285 and VFW Post 8554, will take place at the Mason County Veterans Memorial on the Courthouse lawn, beginning at 11:00 am and including patriotic songs by the Mason 3rd Class, recognition of currently serving military personnel an ...

   Be our Guest!    The fourth grade faculty and students at Mason Elementary would consider it a great pleasure if all of our Mason County veterans would join us for a luncheon on Friday, November 11th at the Mason Elementary Library immediately following the Veteran’s Day Service on the courthouse lawn.    Please come and let us thank you in person for your extraordinary service to our country!

   Recently the Mason Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 8554, suffered the great loss of its Commander, Lawrence Spell. Since I, Bill Hight, was the Sr. Vice Commander, am now Commander of the Post and announcing that we will continue our meetings on the 3rd Tuesday night at 6:30 of each month.    The next scheduled meeting will therefore be on Tuesday, November 15 at 6:30 PM at the Veterans Center and I am expressly inviting each member of the VFW Post to be presen ...

   The game last Friday between the Mason Punchers and the Sabinal Yellowjackets started with a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown by Haddon Hudson. It was an omen for the rest of the rather lopsided game.    After Fernando Torres added the PAT, the clock still had 11:58 left in the first quarter of play and a score of 7-0.    Sabinal didn't hold on to the ball for long after Mason's kick.

   More than 200 students from around the state came to Mason this past Saturday to hone their skills in Livestock Judging. The competition was sponsored by the Mason County AgriLife Extension Office, Micah Walker, Agent for Ag and Natural Resources and Jamie Osbourne, Agent for Ag and Natural Resources in Llano County.

   The JV White team played their final game of the season last week against the Sabinal Yellowjackets.    The Punchers played their most complete game to date and took a 46-0 victory.    Being able to pass the ball effectively was something that eluded the Punchers for much of this season but the quarterbacks did a successful job of getting the receivers the ball.    With a passing game that was working, it allowed for opportunities to open up the run ga ...

   The JV Purple took the field for the last time this season in Wall.    The Punchers fought hard the entire behind most of the first half the Punchers were able to rally and come away with the win, defeating the Wall Hawks 18-12.    The win makes the JV Purple record 9-1 for the season.

   Mason ISD provides many educational programs to meet the needs of our students. One of the programs offered is the Gifted and Talented Program, which has been planned for young, able learners. Listed below are a few characteristics of children who may benefit from the program. Please review these characteristics to see if they describe your child.

   Paying for college could soon be a lot easier for Mason County students.    Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) offers more than $80,000 in scholarships to eligible members.    “Our local, district and state scholarships provide a great opportunity for students to earn money to further their education,” Shannon Worrell, Mason County Farm Bureau president, said.

   Another successful Blue Ribbon Service Day is in the books. We are so grateful to our community for allowing us to be a part of so many worthwhile projects that make Mason such a wonderful place to grow up. A special thanks goes to the members of the churches who prepared and served us lunch.

   Individuals affected by acute and chronic pain are invited to a free pain management presentation with dinner at Nacho’s Café in Mason on Thurs., Nov. 17.    A complimentary dinner will be provided at 6:00 p.m. with a presentation to follow. Nacho’s Café is located at 621 Fort McKavit St.    The presentation includes a participant-guided question-and-answer session with Ralph Menard, M.D., a nationally recognized pain management physician with the Hill Cou ...

   The Art United Methodist Church was a busy place Sunday. We remembered Ruby Toeppich and Lynn Sikora on All Saints Day; Rev. Virgilio Vazquez-Garza, assistant to the bishop, brought the message; we celebrated communion; followed by our annual charge conference. We were treated to take-out Mexican dinners from St.

   Central Texas Electric Cooperative (CTEC) is collecting toys again this holiday season. A free koozie will be given to individuals that bring in donation items.    CTEC is working with Bluebonnet CASA for this toy drive. The ages served range from one month to 18 years of age. Some of the items they are looking for are books, infant toys, baby dolls, Legos, board games, footballs and soccer balls.    CTEC will be collecting until December 11th.

   This Veterans Day, our office will be handing out free cookies as a small way to say thank you to those that have served.

   The Family Shelter in San Angelo has a new Outreach Program. Victim Advocates are now available to serve victims of family violence in the following counties: Coke, Edwards, mcCulloch, Reagan, Sterling, Concho, Irion, Mason, Runnels, Crockett, Kimble, Menard, Schleicher and Sutton.    If you, or someone you know, is a victim of family violence, please call 325-655-5774, or 800-749-8631 to contact your local Victim Advocate for services.

   Paying for college could soon be a lot easier for Mason County students.    Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) offers more than $80,000 in scholarships to eligible members.    “Our local, district and state scholarships provide a great opportunity for students to earn money to further their education,” Shannon Worrell, Mason County Farm Bureau president, said.

   In 2005, I inherited my mothers jewelry. While most of it was not something I would wear, it held so many memories, I couldn’t bear to part with it. I decided to take some of the pieces apart and refashion them into something more modern. Designing and creating jewelry became an obsession; when I had more jewelry than I could wear, I started selling it and Peters Creek Creations was born.

   The Afterschool Program of FBC Mason is accepting applications for Teachers.    Please pick up applications from the FBC office and return by November 18th.

   Mason ISD provides many educational programs to meet the needs of our students. One of the programs offered is the Gifted and Talented Program, which has been planned for young, able learners. Listed below are a few characteristics of children who may benefit from the program. Please review these characteristics to see if they describe your child.

   It is time for the Mason County Habitat for Humanity Warehouse Sale. The doors will open at 8:00 am on Saturday, November 12th, and the sale will last until 4:00 in the afternoon or until everything is gone, whichever comes first! The warehouse sale benefits the local Habitat affiliate, but it also benefits you!

   Every year a handful of Texas teenagers die suddenly due to sudden cardiac arrest that can be caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.    Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a rare condition that causes part of the heart muscle to stiffen, trapping blood in the heart and producing an abnormal cardiac rhythm. It is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death for active teens, affecting approximately one in 500 young people each year in the US.    To catch this potentially ...

   Recently the Mason Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 8554, suffered the great loss of its Commander, Lawrence Spell. Since I, Bill Hight, was the Sr. Vice Commander, am now Commander of the Post and announcing that we will continue our meetings on the 3rd Tuesday night at 6:30 of each month.    The next scheduled meeting will therefore be on Tuesday, November 15 at 6:30 PM at the Veterans Center and I am expressly inviting each member of the VFW Post to be presen ...

   Donna Ingham, “The Biggest Liar in Texas,” will be the featured speaker at the Friends of the Library Annual Membership Meeting. Ms. Ingham will present “Texas Myths, Mysteries, and Legends” at 6:30 P.M. in the Stribling Room of the Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library, 410 Post Hill St.

   Ever send a postcard while on a trip or receive one from some traveler? Getting mail—that’s not a bill—is always fun, and postcards have been a popular way to share an experience with one’s friends and family. Mag Spaeth owns a fascinating collection of postcards from the early 1900’s and has loaned some of them to the Mason Co.

   Johnny Rodriguez and Dottsy will headline the Llano Country Opry on Saturday, November 12, at the Lantex Theater in Llano. There will be two performances with an afternoon show at 2:30 PM and an evening show at 7:30 PM. Admission is $20 with tickets on sale at www.heartoftexascountry.com or at the Llano Chamber of Commerce at (325) 247-5454.    Juan Raul Davis Rodriguez was born December 10, 1951, in Sabinal, Texas.

   The Mason County Republican Women will hold their bi-monthly meeting at noon on Wednesday, November 16th in the Stribling Room of the Mason County Library.    The guest speaker will be the mayor of our fair city, the honorable Brent Hinckley. Members will gather at 11:30 for a meet and greet with the luncheon starting promptly at noon.    Please R.S.V.P.

   Mason’s Scarlet Punchers, those intrepid “women of a certain age,” know how uncertain life can be. Many of us have lost persons we cherish, have had health issues, and can be just plain tired and crabby at times. However, we try to keep an “attitude of gratitude,” suit up, show up, and paint on our game faces for our monthly gatherings for fun, fellowship and food.    This month we are gathering at the home of Joan Williams on Monday, November 14th, 11:30 AM, fo ...

   The Mason Study Club will be hosting Chili on the Square this Thursday November 10 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on the south side of the Courthouse.    A $5.00 donation is suggested. Sodas and dessert will be sold for $1.00 each.    All proceeds to benefit the Mason Library.

   The City of Mason will be closed Thursday and Friday November 24 and 25 for the Thanksgiving Holidays. Trash trucks will pick up as usual Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (21st, 22nd, and 23rd). Thursday will be on Tuesday 22nd and Friday will be on Wednesday 23rd. Trash will resume back on normal Monday.

   You are invited to join local veterans and their friends & families on Friday, Nov. 11th to recognize the sacrifice of all veterans at the Mason Veterans Day Ceremony & Rifle Salute. This ceremony, sponsored by The American Legion Fort Mason Post 285 and VFW Post 8554, will take place at the Mason County Veterans Memorial on the Courthouse lawn, beginning at 11:00 am and including patriotic songs by the Mason 3rd Class, recognition of currently serving military personnel an ...

   Be our Guest!    The fourth grade faculty and students at Mason Elementary would consider it a great pleasure if all of our Mason County veterans would join us for a luncheon on Friday, November 11th at the Mason Elementary Library immediately following the Veteran’s Day Service on the courthouse lawn.    Please come and let us thank you in person for your extraordinary service to our country!

   Norma R. Stahl, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away on October 31, 2016. She was 79 years old.    Norma was born October 15, 1937, in Seadrift, Texas, to the late Earl S. Coward and Margaret C. (Hall) Coward. Norma was a secretary employed by the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters of the United States and Canada for a period of 27 ½ years.

   The Afterschool Program of FBC Mason is accepting applications for Teachers.    Please pick up applications from the FBC office and return by November 18th.

   "It's morning again in America...."    As I write this column, the polls have been open on the east coast for over two hours, and more than an hour here in the central United States. By this time tomorrow, the election of 2016 will be in the record books, and no matter the result, we will have a new president-elect.

   Go Punchers    To the Mason High School Puncher Club:    During the 2011 football season, I began (with 5 other people) to haul the tunnel the players run through to the football games. 5 years later, I’m still doing it, and it’s one of the highlights of my life in Mason.    This year, at the Iraan game, I had truck problems on the way up, and a complete mechanical breakdown on the way back, resulting in a tow, and an overnight stay in Ozona.

   Lava Cakes    Individual chocolate cakes with pudding centers    Courtesy, Challenge Butter    Since we’re rapidly approaching the “season of overindulgence,” I thought this recipe would be appropriate. I found this recipe on the inside of a Challenge Butter box. The biggest “challenge” is to make sure you don’t bake them too long.

   I want to brag on Mr. Kahan, Karla Imery, Evelia Lopez, Sydney Anderson, and Bailey Taylor for their hard work at the library on Blue Ribbon Service Day. They did a super job inside and out, and what a great program! I’m very grateful for their service! Remember, we’ll be closed on Friday for Veterans Day, and we owe a great debt to all our men and women who are serving or have served in the armed forces.

   Who shot Pedals?    Regular readers will have noticed that I’ve avoid writing about the presidential election as if it were a political event, or something. Now that the election is over, assuming there aren’t several weeks of recounts and whining and such, I’m still not going to write about the election.

   I’ve often thought of going to the store with Post-it’ and writing Good and Bad on them. When I come to a good item, stick the “Good” post-it’ on that item and on the bad items stick on the “BAD” post-it’! This could be a way of being a consumer advocate!    Let’s face it, there are a lot of the Good and Bad things in this world.

   Comments on This and That...    Two successful football figures who seem “unperturbable” are TV sports analyst Tony Dungy and Kansas State University Coach Bill Snyder. At ages 61 and 77, respectively, they remain vibrant, respected and poised. (Someone said when common sense, values and fairness were handed out, these two men may have gone through the line twice.)    No argument here.

   From time to time, fate offers some form of relief from the cruel remarks made during the election campaigns, war news and general uprisings and worst of all, the killing of our COPS on the streets of America and those who perpetuate such violence, as you witnessed in Ferguson, Missouri, which elevated due to remarks made by an individual whose initials are A.

 Sign. A four-letter word. But a good one. A sign can be so many things. Sign off. Stop sign. Sign on the dotted line. Sign language. Sign up and join. The zodiac. Hey man, like what’s your sign? If we were learning to speak English we might pronounce it “siggin.” Or “sigh-gn.” How we got to “sine” (rhymes with “fine line”) is a mystery to me. Seeing as how the word comes from the Latin signum. Maybe signum got silenced as it wandered through Old French. By the time it re ...