May 3, 2017 Issue

Listening Dear Gerry, In your column regarding politicians NOT hearing what their citizens were saying- “People were talking: but the elected officials weren’t listening.” This is exactly what I witnessed at the City Commissioner’s meeting on April 24th when Commissioners Beaty and Nelson and the mayor voted for a Resolution, that went against the public opinion expressed to them before their vote. Numerous members of the public were UNANIMOUS in their opposition to thi ...

During your busy day have you ever given thought to what happens to the thousands of young lives who age out of the Texas foster care system? What happens to these 18 year-old’s after state services are discontinued? Statistics say that 85% of these young people will end up homeless, on-drugs, and/or in prison. A ray of light has shown through this darkness in the Hill Country of Mason, Texas.

My DNA results came in and I was like a kid on Christmas morning! Now, I know where my roots are. Mostly my genetic ancestry is from Western Europe and Ireland! Europe counts for fifty-nine percent and Ireland thirty-three percent. Now, I can celebrate St. Patty’s Day. I don’t know how they find this out with “Spit”!

Nature loves you (and by nature I mean mosquitoes) Unless you live in the panhandle of Texas, spring has pretty much sprung. Schools will be turning the young-uns loose shortly, and families will soon begin their annual American summer migrations to visit various attractions across the U.S., traveling hundreds of miles a day, the children fighting in the back seat and asking if we’re there yet, Mom navigating and refereeing, Dad with a death grip on the steering wheel, a stee ...

Okay. Today’s the day. The Great American Grump Out Day. The day (24 whole hours) to not be grumpy. That means no complaining, no being rude or catty, no frowning, no grousing, no being negative, no being sarcastic...can we do it? Sure we can, and the library can help! Get out of the house.

The Mason Lions Club met April 25 for its weekly luncheon meeting. 26 members and the speaker attended the meeting. “Boss” Lion Jess Irwin imparted the two “great rules of life” established by Samuel Butler, English composer, novelist and satiric author (1835 – 1902): The General Rule: every person can in the end get what he wants if he only tries; and The Particular Rule: every individual is more or less of an exception to the General Rule.

Cinnamon Roll Wreath courtesy: Tasty.com Sheila found this recipe while looking for something entirely different! It sounded quick, easy and practical, and the resulting cinnamon rolls were the best we’ve ever had! This is one you really need to try. Ingredients: 1 roll of refrigerated pizza dough 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon 4 tablespoons butter, softened For the icing: 4 ounces of cream cheese (optional) 4 tablespoons melted b ...

Regional Track Meet @ Kingsville - Thursday 4/20/17 Triple Jump--2nd, Shay Baker, 35’ 5 ½”; 800m--1st, Angelica Ramirez, 2:23.63; 100m Hurdles--4th, Victoria Baltierra, 16.52; 400m--4th, Angelica Ramirez, 1:03.01; State Track Meet--Mike Myers Stadium @ The University of Texas Shay Baker--Friday, May 12, 2 p.m.--Triple Jump Angelica Ramirez--Saturday, May 13, 12:20 p.m.--800m

Saturday April 29, 2017, 5 - 7 p.m. behind Santo’s. Even with the gale force winds and the cool front that hit Saturday afternoon, had 5 vendors and a good amount of friends and neighbors came out to check out what everyone had to sell. Buenna Tierra Farms had their great variety of fresh vegetables. Camps Nursery - with many Native Plants and cactus.

Last week, the Cowgirl golf team headed to the Regional Golf Tournament in Corpus Christi. The Cowgirl team was made up by seniors; Kym Danz, Jodie Evans, Margaret Graves, Steeley Smith and Freshman Kenzie Ake. The Cowgirls were hoping to play well enough to make it to State for the third year in a row. Margaret has been our tournament leader in past tournaments but faltered a bit on the opening round with a score of 101.

It’s that time again--Mason County Habitat for Humanity’s Spring Fundraiser will be held on Saturday, May 13 from 6 – 9 p.m. at the McHale Ranch. Thanks to the generosity of John McHale and Chris Mattsson, the event will take place in a pecan grove nestled between Honey Creek and the ranch headquarters. The evening will begin with a wine tasting and, for the first time, a craft beer tasting.

If you are interested in applying for the 2018 Habitat house, plan to attend the meetings scheduled for May 23, June 6 and June 13, 2017 at the Eckert Community Center. The meetings begin at 6:00 and you must attend a minimum of two meetings to be considered. If you have questions, contact Nanci Gibbons at 210-240-4299.

Nearly 100 people attended the Mason County Historical Commission presentation on Sunday, April 23rd at the Eckert Community Center. Guest speaker was Dr. Matthew Tippens of New Braunfels sharing from his book, “Turning Germans into Texans: World War I and the Assimilation and Survival of German Culture in Texas, 1900-1930). The meeting began with a flag ceremony led by local Boy Scouts of Troop 281, and the afternoon ended with a 21-gun salute and taps by local American Legion members. Charl ...

For the 13th year, Lamplight Design held their art competition reviewing art created by Mason High School students. This year’s judges included Rachel and Kyle Martin, Deborah Hofmann, Dayna Haines, and Elisha Vierus. Always impressed by the student’s creativity, the judges selected a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention. A junior in High School, Jill Donop was given 1st Place earning her a prize of $100.00.

The Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library is sponsoring a free showing of the documentary Symphony of the Soil at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, at the Odeon Theater. “Drawing from ancient knowledge and cutting-edge science, the film is an artistic exploration of the miraculous substance soil. The film also examines our human relationship with soil, the use and misuse of soil in agriculture, deforestation and development, and the latest scientific research on soil’s key role in ameliorating ...

Please mark your calendars now for 7:00 P.M., Monday, May 15th! The Mason Star Gazers and the Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library are bringing author and amateur astronomer Paul Derrick to guide us on “A Journey into Outer Space: What’s Out There to See?” Mr. Derrick will speak in the Stribling Room of the library, located at 410 Post Hill Street.

I'm Showing My Age - 18 Years Later! Every year, as we prepare to put together our annual Graduation Supplement, I am reminded of how long I've been doing this job. I remember seeing one of this year's graduates as an incoming freshman competing in sports. Or, I vividly recall the fifth grade field trip picture with the whole group of this year's graduates, albeit much younger.

Hazard Plan I moved to Mason five years ago and really like and appreciate our community. Over a year ago I became interested in our city government when the issue of forming a city police department surfaced with the intention of no longer using the Sheriff’s deputies for city law enforcement.

Spring time is an exciting time, especially for the Juniors of MHS. As many of you know, MHS exceeds the charts on many different levels. But during this time, MHS students are going above and beyond in the academic domain. And their hard work does not go unnoticed. Fifteen members of the junior class will be inducted into the National Honors Society at 6:00 p.m.

Nearly 100 people attended the Mason County Historical Commission presentation on Sunday, April 23rd at the Eckert Community Center. Guest speaker was Dr. Matthew Tippens of New Braunfels sharing from his book, “Turning Germans into Texans: World War I and the Assimilation and Survival of German Culture in Texas, 1900-1930). The meeting began with a flag ceremony led by local Boy Scouts of Troop 281, and the afternoon ended with a 21-gun salute and taps by local American Legion members. Charl ...

3/22/42 — 4/27/17 George Hale was a funny, spontaneous, and charming Texas gentleman who loved his wife, his dogs, his garden, his friends, and his life. William “George” Hale was born in East Bernard, Texas, the only child of Martin Hale and Alice Mae Thomas Hale. He spent his early years in Eagle Lake, Texas, his mother’s hometown, where his father was the high school band director.

]On April 19, 2017, Mason High School with its play production of scenes from Blithe Spirit was named Second Runner-Up at the State UIL One-Act Play contest held in Bastrop. Jackson Chapman was awarded All-Star cast while Steeley Smith was named Honorable Mention Cast. This marked the school’s fifth consecutive State appearance and the fifth consecutive top-three finishes with three gold, one silver and one bronze.

Second Chance – Mason Animal Rescue would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to all our supporters who helped make our PawTail Party fundraiser a success! The fundraiser was held on April 22nd, and all proceeds went towards our capital campaign fund for a no kill shelter and community dog park in Mason.

The Mason High School Pioneers, including Brooke Wheelock, Chet Weitz, Ethan Powell, Raegan Glentz, Sloan Townsend, and their teacher, Megan Bierschwale, are in the process of implementing a beneficial water conservation system to help our school, community, and aquifer. Our mission is to harvest rainwater in a large storage tank, which would be located near the junior high gym.

Members of Mason County Republican Women met Wednesday, March 15th, for their regular club meeting and for finalizing the April Home Tour. Guest speaker, David Heckert, gave an informative program on the South Texas border issues complete with an excellent power point presentation. Members were also given a brief update on issues which have come up during this Texas legislative session. In conclusion, Wendy Hudson, Home Tour chairperson, gave members a current overview of the upcoming April hom ...

The Texas Retired Teacher Association (TRTA), District 15 Spring Leadership Training Conference was held on Thursday, April 27, 2017, in Brownwood, Texas. There were about fifty retired educators representing nine local units within District 15. They attended training sessions for local unit officers and committee chairs. These training sessions reviewed duties and responsibilities for the coming year. “We had a great state convention and elected our new state officers,” said Nancy Byler, T ...

Thirty three Riata members met at the Stribling Room on April 25th. Hostesses were Rene' Ince, Deann Gregg and Kay Evans. Laura Tallent introduced our speaker, Mona Lois Schmidt, show spoke on the history of the Puncher Dome. Information was hard to find, and much came from the Mason County News.

Mason’s Scarlet Punchers, those intrepid women “of a certain age,” who absolutely insist on enjoying life to the fullest, are hitting the highway once again in May. After an April journey to the delightful country residence of Kacey Butcher, where we enjoyed wildflowers are received a lesson on the proper way to drive a washboard road - go faster!

Mason Cowgirls Varsity Drops Game To Ozona After Late Score Monday’s tie breaker game against Ozona was a heartbreaker for Mason Cowgirls Varsity, as they lost the lead late in a 6-4 defeat. The game was tied at three with Ozona batting in the bottom of the fifth when there was an error, scoring one run. Jesse Armstrong took the loss for Mason Cowgirls Varsity.

On Wednesday, April 26, the Mason Study Club was very fortunate to have Mason’s Artisan Gallery Owner and Study Club Associate Member, Sue Kaan, as this month’s featured presenter. After a scrumptious meal served by hostesses Judy Branch, Sherie Clarkson, Carole Holmes, Nancy Gibbons, and Pam Scott (for Phyllis Estill), Sue presented several pieces of her beautiful art including paintings and quilts.

Mason Cowgirls Varsity Drops Game To Ozona After Late Score Monday’s tie breaker game against Ozona was a heartbreaker for Mason Cowgirls Varsity, as they lost the lead late in a 6-4 defeat. The game was tied at three with Ozona batting in the bottom of the fifth when there was an error, scoring one run. Jesse Armstrong took the loss for Mason Cowgirls Varsity.

The Mason High School Pioneers, including Brooke Wheelock, Chet Weitz, Ethan Powell, Raegan Glentz, Sloan Townsend, and their teacher, Megan Bierschwale, are in the process of implementing a beneficial water conservation system to help our school, community, and aquifer. Our mission is to harvest rainwater in a large storage tank, which would be located near the junior high gym.

]On April 19, 2017, Mason High School with its play production of scenes from Blithe Spirit was named Second Runner-Up at the State UIL One-Act Play contest held in Bastrop. Jackson Chapman was awarded All-Star cast while Steeley Smith was named Honorable Mention Cast. This marked the school’s fifth consecutive State appearance and the fifth consecutive top-three finishes with three gold, one silver and one bronze.

Spring time is an exciting time, especially for the Juniors of MHS. As many of you know, MHS exceeds the charts on many different levels. But during this time, MHS students are going above and beyond in the academic domain. And their hard work does not go unnoticed. Fifteen members of the junior class will be inducted into the National Honors Society at 6:00 p.m.

For the 13th year, Lamplight Design held their art competition reviewing art created by Mason High School students. This year’s judges included Rachel and Kyle Martin, Deborah Hofmann, Dayna Haines, and Elisha Vierus. Always impressed by the student’s creativity, the judges selected a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention. A junior in High School, Jill Donop was given 1st Place earning her a prize of $100.00.

Last week, the Cowgirl golf team headed to the Regional Golf Tournament in Corpus Christi. The Cowgirl team was made up by seniors; Kym Danz, Jodie Evans, Margaret Graves, Steeley Smith and Freshman Kenzie Ake. The Cowgirls were hoping to play well enough to make it to State for the third year in a row. Margaret has been our tournament leader in past tournaments but faltered a bit on the opening round with a score of 101.

Regional Track Meet @ Kingsville - Thursday 4/20/17 Triple Jump--2nd, Shay Baker, 35’ 5 ½”; 800m--1st, Angelica Ramirez, 2:23.63; 100m Hurdles--4th, Victoria Baltierra, 16.52; 400m--4th, Angelica Ramirez, 1:03.01; State Track Meet--Mike Myers Stadium @ The University of Texas Shay Baker--Friday, May 12, 2 p.m.--Triple Jump Angelica Ramirez--Saturday, May 13, 12:20 p.m.--800m

300 H - Jackson Chapman - 39.74 1st place, Tad Kirby 42.71 5th place 110H - Caleb Hyatt - 15.34 2nd place 1600 - Cason Dudney - 4:59.21 6th place 3200 - Cason Dudney - 11:07.10 6th place Shot - TR Kerr 42’8.5” 9th place Discus - Xzavier Herrera 1st place, 135’11”, Bricio Balderas 4th place 134’10”, Sebastian Burke 132’ 4 6th place Congratulations to Xzavier, Jackson, and Caleb for advancing to the State Meet on May 19 and 20.

We invite the entire community to visit our Book Fair in the Mason Elementary/Jr. High Library. You will get the chance to purchase best sellers, Newbery and Caldecott Medal-winning books, chapter books, picture books and hundreds of other items only available at the Scholastic Book Fair. We also invite you to support the “Give the Gift of Reading” program at the Book Fair.

The Mason High School Pioneers, including Brooke Wheelock, Chet Weitz, Ethan Powell, Raegan Glentz, Sloan Townsend, and their teacher, Megan Bierschwale, are in the process of implementing a beneficial water conservation system to help our school, community, and aquifer. Our mission is to harvest rainwater in a large storage tank, which would be located near the junior high gym.

Please mark your calendars now for 7:00 P.M., Monday, May 15th! The Mason Star Gazers and the Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library are bringing author and amateur astronomer Paul Derrick to guide us on “A Journey into Outer Space: What’s Out There to See?” Mr. Derrick will speak in the Stribling Room of the library, located at 410 Post Hill Street.

The Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library is sponsoring a free showing of the documentary Symphony of the Soil at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, at the Odeon Theater. “Drawing from ancient knowledge and cutting-edge science, the film is an artistic exploration of the miraculous substance soil. The film also examines our human relationship with soil, the use and misuse of soil in agriculture, deforestation and development, and the latest scientific research on soil’s key role in ameliorating ...

For the 13th year, Lamplight Design held their art competition reviewing art created by Mason High School students. This year’s judges included Rachel and Kyle Martin, Deborah Hofmann, Dayna Haines, and Elisha Vierus. Always impressed by the student’s creativity, the judges selected a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention. A junior in High School, Jill Donop was given 1st Place earning her a prize of $100.00.

If you are interested in applying for the 2018 Habitat house, plan to attend the meetings scheduled for May 23, June 6 and June 13, 2017 at the Eckert Community Center. The meetings begin at 6:00 and you must attend a minimum of two meetings to be considered. If you have questions, contact Nanci Gibbons at 210-240-4299.

It’s that time again--Mason County Habitat for Humanity’s Spring Fundraiser will be held on Saturday, May 13 from 6 – 9 p.m. at the McHale Ranch. Thanks to the generosity of John McHale and Chris Mattsson, the event will take place in a pecan grove nestled between Honey Creek and the ranch headquarters. The evening will begin with a wine tasting and, for the first time, a craft beer tasting.

Saturday April 29, 2017, 5 - 7 p.m. behind Santo’s. Even with the gale force winds and the cool front that hit Saturday afternoon, had 5 vendors and a good amount of friends and neighbors came out to check out what everyone had to sell. Buenna Tierra Farms had their great variety of fresh vegetables. Camps Nursery - with many Native Plants and cactus.

It was a beautiful weekend. The front that came through Saturday evening was blustery, with no rain. Sunday was beautiful. The humidity was low. The temperatures were ideal. The wildflowers change weekly but are still putting on a show. On Thursday, May 4th, The Mason Ministerial Alliance will celebrate the National Day of Prayer with a service on the courthouse lawn at noon. The Art-Trinity United Methodist Women will have their spring luncheon on Tuesday, May 9th, at 11:30 at the Art Parsonag ...

We invite the entire community to visit our Book Fair in the Mason Elementary/Jr. High Library. You will get the chance to purchase best sellers, Newbery and Caldecott Medal-winning books, chapter books, picture books and hundreds of other items only available at the Scholastic Book Fair. We also invite you to support the “Give the Gift of Reading” program at the Book Fair.

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 May 3, 2017, 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, Landfill road. Thursday May 4, 2017, we ...

3/22/42 — 4/27/17 George Hale was a funny, spontaneous, and charming Texas gentleman who loved his wife, his dogs, his garden, his friends, and his life. William “George” Hale was born in East Bernard, Texas, the only child of Martin Hale and Alice Mae Thomas Hale. He spent his early years in Eagle Lake, Texas, his mother’s hometown, where his father was the high school band director.

I'm Showing My Age - 18 Years Later! Every year, as we prepare to put together our annual Graduation Supplement, I am reminded of how long I've been doing this job. I remember seeing one of this year's graduates as an incoming freshman competing in sports. Or, I vividly recall the fifth grade field trip picture with the whole group of this year's graduates, albeit much younger.

Hazard Plan I moved to Mason five years ago and really like and appreciate our community. Over a year ago I became interested in our city government when the issue of forming a city police department surfaced with the intention of no longer using the Sheriff’s deputies for city law enforcement.

Listening Dear Gerry, In your column regarding politicians NOT hearing what their citizens were saying- “People were talking: but the elected officials weren’t listening.” This is exactly what I witnessed at the City Commissioner’s meeting on April 24th when Commissioners Beaty and Nelson and the mayor voted for a Resolution, that went against the public opinion expressed to them before their vote. Numerous members of the public were UNANIMOUS in their opposition to thi ...

Cinnamon Roll Wreath courtesy: Tasty.com Sheila found this recipe while looking for something entirely different! It sounded quick, easy and practical, and the resulting cinnamon rolls were the best we’ve ever had! This is one you really need to try. Ingredients: 1 roll of refrigerated pizza dough 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon 4 tablespoons butter, softened For the icing: 4 ounces of cream cheese (optional) 4 tablespoons melted b ...

Okay. Today’s the day. The Great American Grump Out Day. The day (24 whole hours) to not be grumpy. That means no complaining, no being rude or catty, no frowning, no grousing, no being negative, no being sarcastic...can we do it? Sure we can, and the library can help! Get out of the house.

Nature loves you (and by nature I mean mosquitoes) Unless you live in the panhandle of Texas, spring has pretty much sprung. Schools will be turning the young-uns loose shortly, and families will soon begin their annual American summer migrations to visit various attractions across the U.S., traveling hundreds of miles a day, the children fighting in the back seat and asking if we’re there yet, Mom navigating and refereeing, Dad with a death grip on the steering wheel, a stee ...

My DNA results came in and I was like a kid on Christmas morning! Now, I know where my roots are. Mostly my genetic ancestry is from Western Europe and Ireland! Europe counts for fifty-nine percent and Ireland thirty-three percent. Now, I can celebrate St. Patty’s Day. I don’t know how they find this out with “Spit”!

Spouse Provides Ego Adjustment... It’s an opinion embraced by the masses and argued by few. There are only two kinds of people in the world. One is smaller--folks who have egos and admit it. Members of the much larger crowd likewise have egos, but argue “to the mat” that they don’t. This eternal truth came to mind recently when I mentioned that soon I will have written weekly columns for 15 years.... ***** My writing began when Burleson’s Kelly Clarkson was named the ...

It was a beautiful weekend. The front that came through Saturday evening was blustery, with no rain. Sunday was beautiful. The humidity was low. The temperatures were ideal. The wildflowers change weekly but are still putting on a show. On Thursday, May 4th, The Mason Ministerial Alliance will celebrate the National Day of Prayer with a service on the courthouse lawn at noon. The Art-Trinity United Methodist Women will have their spring luncheon on Tuesday, May 9th, at 11:30 at the Art Parsonag ...

While strolling in the pasture one day In the very merry month of May I was taken by surprise By a rattling over yonder And jumped a hundred feet the other way. Yes, tis the season. Earth is on the move. Freezes finished their tour. Warmer days. Like record-breaking 95. Cool nights. And some mornings...still. Merry weather for that with a feather. Nest-building madness abounds. Lizards languish in the sun. Snapping turtles and armadillos. Usually smashed on the road. May, May, May. The month of ...