September 27, 2017 Issue

As the world turns, the drama being played out is anything but entertaining and peaceful. I do not have to wonder what brought so many evacuees to the Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve the past few weeks. The 3.2 million Mexican free tail bats that are currently inhabiting the cave gave nightly emergences that inspired a feeling of peace.

River of Life Church would like to thank the community of Mason for their overwhelming support at Sunday's fried catfish dinner fundraiser benefiting the town of Refugio. More than $7,000 was raised to send to the community of Refugio which suffered major damage to most of the town's homes and displaced many students from Refugio ISD. Special thanks to Tess Geistweidt, Dave and Rene Ince, Gary Johnson and their hard-working team for organizing and preparing the food for this event and the ...

“Boss” Lion Jim Heidelberg called to order the September 19 meeting of the Mason Lions Club Thirty-two Lions Club members were present along with the day’s speaker and two caged rattlesnakes as the club’s special guests. Samantha Lane and her two daughters volunteered in the concession stand at the recent Lions Club hamburger cook during the Mason Invitational Cross-Country Meet on September 6.

There are times that the City crews spend a great deal of time taking care of challenging problems that very few people are even aware of. This past weekend was a good example when our water and waste water crew, helped by other members of our staff, were working to clear a sewage blockage on Gooch St on the east of town.

I have just received the essay forms for the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen competition for the students of our local institutions of learning and I will be delivering to the school principals, or others, for your participation. The entries must be completed and turned in to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8554 of Mason on or before October 31, 2017. The Patriot’s Pen essay is open to any 6th thru the 8th grade students and the Voice of Democracy essay is open to the 9th thru th ...

7th vs. Comfort The 7th grade Punchers had their first game Thursday versus Comfort and they had a great showing. The defense played very well and did a good job of running to the ball. In the process they pitched their first shutout of the season. Offense had an effective game as well as they were able to score twice and ended the game with a 12-0 victory.

Friday night, the Mason Punchers racked up their fourth win of 2017 season, and avenging a close defeat to the Iraan Braves in 2016 by winning the game 58-7. Though Mason's offense was putting the points on the scoreboard, the defense is the standout story of the night. Rather than relying on fourth down conversions by Iraan, Mason's defense forced turnover after turnover.

The White team traveled to Comanche last week to take on the Indians. Comanche capitalized on Puncher mistakes and won the game 18-6. The Punchers played hard and wereable to get the ball in the endzone to avoid the shut out.

7th vs Eldorado (T) The 7th grade Punchers headed for Eldorado for their first road trip and came out with a win and a shutout, 20-0. The boys played hard on both sides of the ball and showed great improvement for last week. No big plays were given up which made it hard for Eldorado to move the ball.

On Monday, October 16th the Mason ISD Education Foundation is holding its 2nd Annual Cattle Roundup at Jordan Cattle Auction. The concept of first pen cattle profits going to local charities began at the O-D Ranch with Edna and Conda H. Wylie around the turn of the century. The first auction proceeds were earmarked for the Care of Crippled Children.

The high school varsity cross country teams competed in Irion County this past Wednesday, September 20th. The Cowgirls came out on top, placing first and bringing home the gold. The Punchers placed 5th as a team. They will compete September 30th at the Round Rock McNeil meet which is also where the state meet is run.

Second Chance – Mason Animal Rescue is hosting its third annual Halloween Soiree, an adult costume party on Saturday, October 21, 2017. The party will be held at the Seaquist House beginning at 7 p.m. and will feature spooktackular appetizers, deserts and drinks. Prizes will be awarded for the best solo, couple, scariest, funniest, sexiest and most unique costumes!

Mason County Chamber of Commerce’s Wild Game Dinner is just around the corner on November 11th. This year, the Chamber has over $50,000 worth of prizes with raffle tickets at just $1.00! That’s more than 50 guns and a customized 2017 Kawasaki Mule 4010 Crew with Hunters Package! Catch a glimpse of the Mule on display at Mason Feed Store and pick up your tickets every Friday 2-5pm and every Saturday 8-noon.

The Castell Area Wildlife Management Association will be meeting on Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. at the Trinity Methodist Church Fellowship Hall in Castell, TX. We will have two speakers: 1) Kaylee Hollingsworth, a PH.D. Student at Texas A&M, who is conducting a study on the available nutrition absent supplemental feeding for deer during their growing season.

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival, the nation’s premier environmental film festival, is returning to the Texas Hill Country this fall with screening events the whole family will enjoy. The theme of the festival will be “Celebrating Hill Country Rivers,” and the featured films will celebrate individuals and communities coming together and taking action for the protection and restoration of our natural resources.

I have just received the essay forms for the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen competition for the students of our local institutions of learning and I will be delivering to the school principals, or others, for your participation. The entries must be completed and turned in to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8554 of Mason on or before October 31, 2017. The Patriot’s Pen essay is open to any 6th thru the 8th grade students and the Voice of Democracy essay is open to the 9th thru th ...

I missed seeing you at the German Hymnfest on Sunday afternoon. The crowd was small but enthusiastic. Mark your calendar for next year on the last Sunday in September. Class Meetings continue at the Art United Methodist Church on Wednesday evenings. Choir practice has been changed to Tuesday, October 3rd, at the Art United Methodist Church. Happy Birthday to Faye Laykin on September 27th and Samantha Jordan on September 29th. Make yours a good week.

The Hill Country Memorial Wellness Center now offers weekly Turbo KickÒ classes that combine elements of cardio-kickboxing and body-sculpting dance moves. “Of all the classes I teach, I burn the most calories teaching Turbo Kick,” said group fitness instructor Christine McCown. “Between the fun music and learning combinations, you don’t fully realize how hard you are working.” McCown, a certified Turbo Kick instructor, will teach the class on Wednesdays from 11:15 a.m.

The Mason Square Museum is excited to share with the public some very special items that will be for sale at our booth at Old Yeller Days! We have a large selection of vintage magazines dating from the early 1950’s to the 1980’s. “Frontier Times,” “Horse Tales,” “True West,” and “Wanderlust” are among the titles available.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017 8:00 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. Murchison-Whitehead Complex on Highway 190 5 CEUs (3 IPM, 1 Drift, 1 Laws & Regulations) REGISTRATION $15.00/PERSON OR $20.00/COUPLE Please RSVP by Monday 10/2/17 to 325-396-4708 or 325-396-4787 Historical Impact of Brush Control on Menard County Agriculture— John Kniffen -- Local Producer and Historian Pesticide Laws and Regulations – Cory Pence -- TDA Inspector How to Rotate Grazing to Enhance the Growth of Both Cool an ...

Expert quilter Carolyn Thomas will begin teaching a new quilting class in the Stribling Room of the Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library. The class will include beginner and advanced quilters and will run from 10:00-6:00 on Fridays. Please call 325-347-5446 for more information.

The Mason County Library is pleased to once again welcome Celtic fingerstyle guitarist and storyteller Jerry Barlow. The program, entitled Voyage of Hope, will be presented on Thursday, September 28th at 6:00 PM at the Library, 410 Post Hill Road, in Mason. The performance is free to the community. Light refreshments will be served following the program.

The American Legion Auxiliary will have a rummage sale fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 7th, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Donations are gratefully accepted. To donate items or for more information, please contact Gail Coldiron, 347-2456, or Brenda Koepke, 347-6021. The rummage sale will be held at The American Legion Post Hall, 237 Post Hill St., (behind the Jail).

Youth who plan to show hogs in 2018 major livestock shows must place their tag orders for hogs by Thursday, September 28 at 5 PM in the Mason County AgriLife Extension Office located at 505 Moody. Each tag is $15.00. Tags should be paid for with a check when you place your order. For questions or additional information, contact Micah Walker, Extension Agent for Mason County at 325-347-6459.

Youth who plan to show hogs in 2018 major livestock shows must place their tag orders for hogs by Thursday, September 28 at 5 PM in the Mason County AgriLife Extension Office located at 505 Moody. Each tag is $15.00. Tags should be paid for with a check when you place your order. For questions or additional information, contact Micah Walker, Extension Agent for Mason County at 325-347-6459.

Hours of operation: the second Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of each month from 3 to 5:30 p.m. People whose last names begin with the letters A-G, pick up food on Mondays. People whose last names begin with the letters H-M, pick up food on Tuesdays. People whose last names begin with the letters N-Z, pick up food on Wednesdays. Distribution dates for remainder of 2017: Oct.

On Monday, October 16th the Mason ISD Education Foundation is holding its 2nd Annual Cattle Roundup at Jordan Cattle Auction. The concept of first pen cattle profits going to local charities began at the O-D Ranch with Edna and Conda H. Wylie around the turn of the century. The first auction proceeds were earmarked for the Care of Crippled Children.

Sue Ann Keller Forestello, age 80, the daughter of the late Emeth and Susie Keller, died on Friday, August 4, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas after a long battle with cancer. She spent her growing up years in Mason, Texas and graduated from Mason High School. She moved to San Antonio, Texas after graduation and worked for Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Juanita Torres, age 91, of Mason, Texas passed away Tuesday, September 19, 2017, in Fredericksburg, Texas. She was born September 3, 1926, in La Cuestita Michoucan, Mexico, to Leacadio Pimentel & Catarina (Ramirez) Pimentel. Juanita married her childhood sweetheart, Ezequiel Torres Sr., in June of 1943. She was a homemaker and a member of St.

Diana Swartz of Mason, Texas (formerly Erie, PA) passed away peacefully at her home in Streeter on September 22, 2017. She moved to Texas 5 years ago after her husband retired to be closer to her daughter. She was born in Sharon, PA, on August 26, 1946, and raised her family in and around this area.

Allan Crocker, of Menard and formerly of Mason, passed away on Thursday, September 21, at the age of 74. Mr. Crocker is survived by his wife Alva Keith Crocker of Menard, a son Burl Crocker and wife Krystal of Smyrna, Tennessee, a daughter Raquel Crocker and wife Angela of Henderson, Nevada, step-son Keith Ray Crisp of Menard, two sisters Glenda Overbay and husband Ted of Myrtle Creek Oregon and Carol Fellom and husband Bob of Gilroy, California, 6 grandchildren: Mallisa Crocker, Cannon Cro ...

Halloween Is A Day, Not A Month! We have so many holidays on the American calendar. New Year's Day, MLK's Birthday, Presidents' Day, Valentine Day... On into Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day. As fall approaches there are really only a small handful of celebrated holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve...

I missed seeing you at the German Hymnfest on Sunday afternoon. The crowd was small but enthusiastic. Mark your calendar for next year on the last Sunday in September. Class Meetings continue at the Art United Methodist Church on Wednesday evenings. Choir practice has been changed to Tuesday, October 3rd, at the Art United Methodist Church. Happy Birthday to Faye Laykin on September 27th and Samantha Jordan on September 29th. Make yours a good week.

ger/sep 27 ltr-chris keating Climate Let me count the ways. I have no desire to get into a duel of letters with Kendal Hemphill. It’s clear that nothing will ever educate him concerning the facts of science, so I’m not interested in trying. But, as it was pointed out to me, there might be some people out there who actually believe what he’s saying.

Recycle! Dear Editor, I am writing to you again to remind everyone of our recycle center. If we as citizens, become mindful of our community, we can save time for our landfill, when we recycle we save space and help our environment at the same time. I never gave recycling a second thought until I became aware or our landfill and what it takes to maintain it, and be accountable for it.

I want to remind everyone that Celtic guitarist and singer Jerry Barlow will perform Voyage of Hope tomorrow night at 6:00 in the Stribling Room! “I have always been intrigued by the Irish immigration,” says Barlow. “One million strong…leaving their beloved homeland to escape English oppression and the Potato Famine.

Say banana To begin with, I’d like to acknowledge that I owe a huge debt of gratitude to peta for their selfless dedication to this column during the past twenty years. No other group or organization has exerted itself to such an impressive extent to provide me with column material. The global warming cult has made efforts, and good ones, in that area, but peta is still Number One when it comes to giving me easy topics to write about. Now, if you’re normal, you probably look at peta

I’m looking forward to the new television shows. Had enough of the re-runs! I’m a fan of the Punchers and not the NFL. If they can’t stand and put their hands on over their hearts, I don’t have to watch them. Too, the players seem to think that their nasty long hair is appealing?

Say What?... Rarely do I make promises that I do not intend to keep. I am quick to make ‘em, though, if they’re likely to be forgotten by the person to whom they’re made. Examples of the “likely-to-be-forgottens” include the promise to avoid chocolate for 60 days or to chew each bite of food 28 times. In neither case is there any “telltale” evidence of whether pledges are honored, unless spouses retrieve candy wrappers from pockets, or watch our chewing to count the number ...