November 29, 2017 Issue

Seven child residential and foster homes participated in the second hunt of the 2017 season with Operation Orphans Saturday, November 18. The 47 boys harvested 33 does, 6 spikes, 12 management bucks and one hog for a total of 52 animals. Kids came from Methodist Home, Waco; West Texas Boys Ranch, San Angelo; Boys and Girls Country, Hockley; Bluebonnet Youth Home, Yoakum; Boles Home, Quinlan; Foster’s Home, Stephenville; and Methodist Boy’s Ranch, Waco.

In October, Hill Country Memorial Home Care was named a 2017 HomeCare Elite™ organization for the twelfth consecutive year. The HomeCare Elite designation recognizes the top 25 percent of Medicare-certified home health care agencies in the nation. To determine the top organizations, HomeCare Elite examined publicly available data from more than 9,000 home care agencies in 2017. “To earn this recognition for more than 10 years reflects our team’s ongoing commitment to the long-term h ...

Varsity Cowgirls vs. Lago Vista Tuesday, 11/14 Mason 16—11—15—13 = 55 LV 5—12—4—13 = 27 Scoring—Sandra Duarte—5, Breana Nail—5, Presley Anastas—3, Victoria Baltierra—2, Courtney Hanscheck—9, Bridgit Herrington—1, Raegan Palacio—6, Peyton Anastas—8, Tessa Guice—9, Jesse Armstrong—7. Rebounds—Duarte—3, Pr. Anastas—1, Baltierra—2, Hanscheck—3, Herrington—2, Palacio—5, Pe. Anastas—7, T. Guice—5, Armstrong—4. Assists—Duarte—2 ...

The Thanksgiving weekend is behind us, although I hope that we all continue to remember and give thanks for the great number of blessings we enjoy in this community and this nation. After the family gatherings on Thursday with the abundance of food, and the hard won victory of the Punchers on Friday, the Light up Our Town festivities on Saturday were a wonderful addition to a full and enjoyable long weekend.

Laura Fulkerson with Mason County SOB Honey was the special guest at the Mason County 4H meeting on Monday, November 20. Ryli Ruffin, President of the Mason 4H Club called the meeting to order at 6 PM. A variety of topics were on the agenda including local service projects, the upcoming Mason County Livestock Show and Expo and the 4H annual concession stand fundraiser at the livestock show. Parliamentarian Will Ince introduced the special guest Laura Fulkerson.

For the first time in the 2017 football season, the Punchers had a game that had only one score all night long. It took the tough defense of the Shiner Comanches to set up just such a game last Friday, and it was a good warm-up for the teams still ahead of Mason in the 2017 playoffs. With the strong defensive games from both teams, there was relatively low yardage for the night.

For the first time in many years, the Mason Junior High will be competing in One Act Play contest. This Sunday at 4:30 pm in the MHS auditorium, the cast and crew needs your presence to help them prepare! Please join us for this delightful comedy. THE TALE THAT WAGGED THE DOG was written by Tim Kelly and highlights the life of Rudolph, the valet to Johann Strauss in the late 1800’s. Students involved are: Will Ince, Lauren Olsen, Kate Taylor, Linden Chapman, Sophia Peaden, Abbey Wallace, ...

Varsity Cowgirls vs. Lago Vista Tuesday, 11/14 Mason 16—11—15—13 = 55 LV 5—12—4—13 = 27 Scoring—Sandra Duarte—5, Breana Nail—5, Presley Anastas—3, Victoria Baltierra—2, Courtney Hanscheck—9, Bridgit Herrington—1, Raegan Palacio—6, Peyton Anastas—8, Tessa Guice—9, Jesse Armstrong—7. Rebounds—Duarte—3, Pr. Anastas—1, Baltierra—2, Hanscheck—3, Herrington—2, Palacio—5, Pe. Anastas—7, T. Guice—5, Armstrong—4. Assists—Duarte—2 ...

The announcement for the COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS PARTY at the Peter’s Prairie School on December 9th should have read “For guests bringing something to add to the meal; last names A -- I, bring Desserts & last names J -- Z, bring Sides.” Sorry for confusing everyone.

We invite you to support “Operation Christmas Greeting”; Mason County’s annual fundraiser for the EMS Association. For new participants, it works like this: A donation is made to the “Greeting” fund and your name is listed on a full page Greeting Card that appears in this paper’s Christmas edition on December 20th.

Come and celebrate the warmth and beauty of the season with St. Paul Lutheran Church and the annual presentation of The Journey to Bethlehem Drive-Thru Christmas Luminary. The Christmas Luminary is set for December 10 at Fort Mason City Park, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. There is no backup date this year.

Fletcher Clark is coming back to the Mason Co. M. Beven Memorial Library, located at 410 Post Hill St., to present a Christmas Sing-along program on Monday, Dec. 4th, at 6:30 P.M. in the Stribling Room. Admission is free. Fletcher is a veteran musician and songwriter from the earliest days of the emerging music scene in Austin and its famed concert hall Armadillo World Headquarters.

We will start picking up leaves on December the 4th. Please try not to put any limbs in the piles of leaves so our vacuum can pick up all leaves. Please put all leaves on side of street. If you miss us for any reason be assured that we will be back by the following week.

For the first time in many years, the Mason Junior High will be competing in One Act Play contest. This Sunday at 4:30 pm in the MHS auditorium, the cast and crew needs your presence to help them prepare! Please join us for this delightful comedy. THE TALE THAT WAGGED THE DOG was written by Tim Kelly and highlights the life of Rudolph, the valet to Johann Strauss in the late 1800’s. Students involved are: Will Ince, Lauren Olsen, Kate Taylor, Linden Chapman, Sophia Peaden, Abbey Wallace, ...

BROWNWOOD – November 27, 2017 – Howard Payne University’s Symphonic Band and Concert Choir will present a Christmas Celebration concert Thursday, November 30, at 7:30 p.m. This free concert will be held in the university’s Mims Auditorium and is open to the public. “We hope that many will make the walk over to Mims Auditorium after the Brownwood Christmas parade and join us for a fun evening of celebration through music at HPU,” said Corey Ash, associate professor of music and d ...

The Hilda Community Club will host their Annual Christmas Party and Business Meeting on Saturday, December 2nd at 6:30 p.m. at the home of Susan and Tom Doell, 23614 Salt Branch Loop, Mason, TX 76856. Please RSVP to [email protected].

Advent is both a celebration of awaiting Christ's birth and the anticipation of the coming of Christ's kingdom when he returns. As we celebrate this Advent season and the coming Christmastide, the First United Methodist Church invites you to join us on the next three Wednesdays (December 6, 13 and 20) from Noon until 1:00 o'clock for music and a short message in the Sanctuary; and, lunch in the Fellowship Hall. Music on December 6 will be provided by Scott Zesch and Lori Slocum.

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: Dec.

Central Texas Electric Cooperative will be collecting toys at all four of their offices in Fredericksburg, Kingsland, Llano and Mason until mid-December. Individuals that bring in a donation will get a free koozie. Our Mason branch office toy drive will benefit the Bluebonnet Court Appointed Special Advocates or CASA. CASA provides and supports trained community volunteers to advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children involved in the court system and find them safe and ...

The holiday season is moving fast. We had a great Thanksgiving at our house. We ended the week with a great football game in Pflugerville against Shiner. We enjoyed the company of nephew, Mitch Jordan, and niece, Mychel Jordan. Class meetings resume this week on Wednesday at 6 at the parsonage. The first Sunday of Advent is Sunday, December 3rd.

The Mason Community Choir, with the sponsorship of the Mason Ministerial Alliance, will present their Advent Music Festival on Sunday evening, December 3rd, at 6:00 p.m. in St. Paul Lutheran Church. The Choir will be presenting "When Earth Received Her King," a Christmas musical. Some of the selections from the evening are: Angels, From the Realms of Glory Do You Hear What I Hear? O Holy Night! Selections from Emmanuel and Joy to the World! Though there is no cost for the concert, ...

Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team are excited to return to Texas! They plan to film episodes of the hit series AMERICAN PICKERS throughout the region in WINTER 2018 AMERICAN PICKERS is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique ‘picking’ on History. The hit show follows Mike and Frank, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques.

Kenneth Don Gray, 81, passed away November 25, 2017, in Round Rock, TX. Ken was born to Lewis and Estelle Gray on March 10, 1936, in San Saba, Texas. Ken graduated from Llano High School in 1954 and married the love of his life, Shirley Jean Barber, in Cherokee TX on May 24, 1952.

Mr. Jerry Lester Itz of Fredericksburg passed away on Monday, November 20th at the age of 65 years Jerry Lester Itz was born on October 6th, 1952, in Fredericksburg, Texas to Lonnie A. and Velma Maria Bruns Itz. He married Carol Samford on June 26th, 1976, in Bethany Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, Texas. Mr.

Come and celebrate the warmth and beauty of the season with St. Paul Lutheran Church and the annual presentation of The Journey to Bethlehem Drive-Thru Christmas Luminary. The Christmas Luminary is set for December 10 at Fort Mason City Park, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. There is no backup date this year.

Advent is both a celebration of awaiting Christ's birth and the anticipation of the coming of Christ's kingdom when he returns. As we celebrate this Advent season and the coming Christmastide, the First United Methodist Church invites you to join us on the next three Wednesdays (December 6, 13 and 20) from Noon until 1:00 o'clock for music and a short message in the Sanctuary; and, lunch in the Fellowship Hall. Music on December 6 will be provided by Scott Zesch and Lori Slocum.

Studying Annual Migration Patterns I am not a scientist; but, I love science and find it fascinating. Astronomy, geology, biology, meteorology or zoology, it all fascinates me. Scientific study and observation allows all of us to understand how our world works, and how we can work within our world to move forward. I listen to TED talks.

Mason’s Scarlet Punchers, those intrepid women “of a certain age,” who absolutely insist upon enjoying life to the fullest, had a real treat in November, when we met at Sherrie Clarkson’s for our Thanksgiving pot luck (read: pie fest) - real china! (see picture). Now if some of you are saying, “what’s real china?” it means that Sherrie was such a gracious hostess that all ten of us ate off of something that you can’t use to start a fire in your fireplace!

Thanksgiving Dear Gerry, Thanksgiving has come and, sadly, gone. We have so many things to be thankful for. Our church, our country, our family, our health, and our City and County of Mason. Thanksgiving is an American tradition of giving thanks for the bounty of life and the earth; no other country has a holiday for giving thanks for the gifts of the Almighty. In Mason our children do not have to make an appointment to see Santa Claus as they have to do in Macy’s in New York this yea ...

Net Neutrality Dear Editor, Net Neutrality is NECESSARY! I urge that Internet Service Providers (ISP) continue to be regulated as Telecommunication services. The potential impact of treating them as Information services rather than Telecommunication services include stifling competition in the marketplace and stifling freedom of speech. Many businesses are dependent on the internet as a way to transmit information between locations in a secure and affordable way.

Packaging Editor: I think we should create a new recycle bin for "good as new" boxes of food products. The boxes, with little or no real damage could be sent back to the manufacturers for their use in packaging. I have spoken with a representative of Nabisco who has passed this idea along to the Marketing department.

I hope everyone had a deliciously wonderful Thanksgiving! Christmas is around the corner, and we have holiday DVDs and books in a special section so they’ll be easier to find. We also have a Christmas program next Monday, December 4, at 6:30 P.M. in the Stribling Room. Fletcher Clark will be here to sing holiday songs, and we can sing along if we want.

Second-hand vegan Last week, with Thanksgiving looming over the nation, I submitted a column about a guy who was missing in Papua New Guinea. The guy, Benedict Allen, had gone into the jungle three weeks before, alone, with no phone or GPS or even a rabbit’s foot, to see if he couldn’t scare up a batch of headhunters.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Okay, let's go with Broke Tuesday! The retailers really didn’t give old Tom the Turkey a full day! Hope you had enough turkey! The Great Thanksgiving Pig Out was over loaded with food. If anyone left hungry, it was their fault. Thank goodness for the ham, some of us just don’t do turkey.

Ups and Downs of 2017… Let us consider bits and pieces of the year to date, sadly remembering that at its beginning, much of the country’s tapestry was intact. Then, humankind got a hold of it. Much is now in shreds. Struck by implosions and explosions around the globe, it’s a wonder our planet isn’t woe-stricken by a worrisome wobble.

The holiday season is moving fast. We had a great Thanksgiving at our house. We ended the week with a great football game in Pflugerville against Shiner. We enjoyed the company of nephew, Mitch Jordan, and niece, Mychel Jordan. Class meetings resume this week on Wednesday at 6 at the parsonage. The first Sunday of Advent is Sunday, December 3rd.

The square is the hub of Mason. The third major spoke runs northwest. With lots and lots to discover on both sides of the road. Travel northwest out Highway 87 (and Highway 29). KHLB Radio. Lone Star Laundry. Valero Nu-Way. Studio 310 B&B. Mason Thrift Store. Mason Re-Sale Barn. Country Collectibles. Cherokee Rose. Capital Farm Credit. WT Appraisal. Ryan Jordan Real Estate. Harold Zesch & Co. Hill Country Inn. Whew, and we haven’t even gone half a mile. V ...