July 11, 2018 Issue

Mr. Rio K. Schmidt, of Mason, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Studio and Economics during the 2018 Commencement Ceremonies of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, held on Sunday, May 13. Schmidt, the child of Mr. James K. Schmidt and Mrs. Mona L. Schmidt, graduated Cum Laude. The 2018 Commencement ceremony marked the 107th graduation for William Smith and the 193rd graduation for Hobart.

A Mason County student has returned from Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) 55th annual Youth Leadership Conference (YLC). Megan Canfield represented Mason County Farm Bureau at the conference this year. “YLC is a great opportunity for our students to gain the knowledge and skills they need to become the next generation of leaders,” Shannon Worrell, Mason County Farm Bureau president, said.

Recently the CTEC Operation Round-Up Board of Directors approved two grants, one for a local community organization as well as a family in need. A $500 grant was awarded to the Back to School Blast which is a nonprofit outreach program in Llano County that is designed to aid economically disadvantaged students by providing backpacks and school supplies as well as much needed items like shoes and socks.

06-01-18@0133 Mason EMS responded to Hwy 87S for a Lift Assist. 06-01-18@1254 Deputy Escobar responded to Stripes for a Suspicious Person. Subject was identified. No action taken. 06-01-18@1512 Deputy Escobar provided a Motorist Assist on Hwy 87S 06-01-18@2053 Deputy Kealer responded to Stripes for a subject in the parking lot with a Civil Matter. 06-01-18@2154 Deputy Kealer responded to Hwy 87N for a Welfare Concern. 06-02-18@1206 Deputy Escobar provided a Vehicle Unlock on at the ...

As everyone gets ready for another Round-up weekend I am sure that we will all have a great time with the many different activities. Parade, craft fair, music and dances, queen’s court, races and rodeo all add up to fun for everyone. Be sure and participate in everything that you can, and remember to offer a word of thanks to all of the many volunteers that make this a great family fun weekend.

It has been a whirlwind over the last 60 days. Many changes have occurred in the office. As would be expected with a new Chief in town. • Our 2019 proposed budget is an increase of $59,454.60. Of this amount $42,000 is to be allocated to contract with Western Valuation Consulting to assist in appraisals throughout Mason County.

A Mason County student has returned from Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) 55th annual Youth Leadership Conference (YLC). Megan Canfield represented Mason County Farm Bureau at the conference this year. “YLC is a great opportunity for our students to gain the knowledge and skills they need to become the next generation of leaders,” Shannon Worrell, Mason County Farm Bureau president, said.

Recently the CTEC Operation Round-Up Board of Directors approved two grants, one for a local community organization as well as a family in need. A $500 grant was awarded to the Back to School Blast which is a nonprofit outreach program in Llano County that is designed to aid economically disadvantaged students by providing backpacks and school supplies as well as much needed items like shoes and socks.

July 9th - 12th (M - TH) July 16th - 19th July 23rd - 26th July 30th - Aug 2nd 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. All incoming 7th through 12th grade girls and boys are highly encouraged to attend. There is no cost for this camp.

The float representing the Veterans will be sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars during the Round Up parade Saturday, July 14. We ask any veteran to arrive by 9:30 AM Saturday if they wish to be represented to the parade crowds on our float. All are welcome as hope to seat 18. This year, Parade Chairman Farmer has given the VFW permission to dress the float at the Table on the north side of Heritage Park (across from fire station) and leave over night if desired and that is where all a ...

Mason’s Scarlet Punchers, those intrepid women “of a certain age,” who absolutely insist on enjoying life to the fullest, had a peaceful and, thankfully, cool gathering in June at the home of Brenda Koepke. Everyone enjoyed a pot luck luncheon, door prizes, an after-lunch game, and, as usual, talking about people who weren’t there! Monday, July 16th finds us gathering at 11 AM at the Methodist Church parking lot for a road trip to scenic Llano, Texas.

7:00 a.m. - street closings for floats Westmoreland & Post Hill...jail Post Hill & Schmidt...library Post Hill & Bryan...swimming pool Bryan & Moody (east)...Historical Bldg. All float entries have to check in on Post Hill Street by the jail and will line up as they arrive. Float entries that are being towed may off-load at the library parking lot and leave those vehicles there to re-load. Those that are riding horses in the parade should park in the creek bottom just north of t ...

The Mason County Chamber of Commerce and the Mason Rodeo Association cordially invite you to come celebrate the 54th Annual Roundup Festival and Rodeo! To kick off this weekend long celebration, Dennis and Karen Townsend, with the support of Mason Bank and The Commercial Bank, will be sponsoring Mason County Team Roping on Thursday, July 12th.

The Llano Country Opry will be staged on Saturday, July 14, at the Lantex Theater in Llano, Texas. Tickets are now on sale at www.heartoftexascountry.com or by calling (325) 247-5354. Admission is $15.00 per person and the show begins at 7:30 PM. Darrell McCall and Tony Booth will be featured.

These award winning artists and former teachers, Rosemary Davis, Robin Clark, Marcy Holmes-Wheeler, Dayna Haines and Nan Loeffler are currently showing in the Teacher Art Show held annually at Kerr Arts and Cultural center, 228 Earl Garrett in downtown Kerrville, Texas. The show runs through July 28 and gallery hours are: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Rosemary is showing painting and collage.

On July 16, Hill Country Memorial will institute a new emergency alert notification procedure for the safety of patients, staff and visitors. The new “plain language emergency alerts” are the result of an initiative led by the Texas Hospital Association (THA) to improve the accuracy and usability of emergency communications throughout all Texas hospitals. The alerts are organized topically into four types: medical, security, weather and facility.

One in 6 children in America face food insecurity. Food insecurity is defined as “the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.” According to Feeding America, children in rural and farm communities are more likely to face food insecurity. To help combat hunger in our community, Fontera Healthcare Network will be holding a food drive at the Mason Clinic through the month of July.

July 9th - 12th (M - TH) July 16th - 19th July 23rd - 26th July 30th - Aug 2nd 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. All incoming 7th through 12th grade girls and boys are highly encouraged to attend. There is no cost for this camp.

July has been a pleasant surprise. We have had some cooler weather. Some have had rain showers. Some have not had rain. Hopefully, rain will visit your area soon. Roundup Weekend is this weekend. There will be lots of activities in town on Saturday, July 14th. There are no Class Meetings this month.

Graduates from all adjacent classes are invited to join the MHS Class of 1946 on Saturday, September 22nd, at 11:30 a.m. at Nacho's for a Dutch treat lunch and get together. Friends and family members of those classmates are all welcome to attend. Please let us know in advance how many will be attending by calling Jody Wallace at 325-347-8050. Remember to tell your fellow classmates and encourage them to attend.

The Castell Area Wildlife Management Association (CA WMA) will be meeting on Saturday, July 21, 2018 at 12:00 noon at the Trinity Methodist Church Fellowship Hall in Castell, TX. The CA WMA invites anyone to attend who is interested in the wildlife found in the CA WMA as well as sound management practices.

Dear Mason community, Many of you have expressed concern about the recent closure of the Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve (EJRBC). While we understand that visiting the cave has become a long-honored tradition, we have decided to temporarily close the preserve for the safety of our visitors. On June 29, a neighboring landowner treated their property with a fog pesticide while guests were gathering to view the nightly bat emergence at EJRBC.

Speaker: Dr. Elton Prewitt, Research Fellow at TARL, University of Texas, Austin Small painted stones found in dry rock shelters throughout the Lower Pecos Canyonlands have intrigued avocational and professional archeologists for nearly a century. Traditionally interpreted as ritual objects, they often are attributed to women’s roles in increase rituals involving fertility and water abundance, with specific motifs linked to natural phenomena relating to life cycles.

The members of American Legion Fort Mason Post #285 & Ladies Auxiliary invite other veterans, friends and family, and anyone interested in the American Legion to attend our regular monthly meeting to be held at 6:30 pm Thursday July 12, 2018 at the American Legion Post Hall on Post Hill Road (behind the Jail). For more information on this meeting or the American Legion please contact Joaquin Velez, 218-2049 or Tom Koepke 347-6021.

Longtime resident of Mason and Fredericksburg, Clayton Howell Kelso passed on December 2, 2017. Clayton was born near Brady, Texas, on March 16, 1927. He served overseas in World War ll. Clayton worked as a surveyor in Del Rio and an electrician throughout Mason and surrounding areas. He was a life long learner.

Saddle Up and Giddyup! Mason's annual Roundup is this weekend. For many, it's the event they've been waiting for all year. For just as many, it's just another weekend. This year marks the 54th celebration. That means that I am old enough to remember the first few years of Roundup. Those memories are a bit fuzzy and indistinct; but, looking at some of our old papers helps me to fill in the gaps. Back in the beginning, the Mason Jaycees were the driving force behind the celebration.

Canvassing Mason Thank You Kay Evans for reminding our Mason Citizens to pick up unwanted waste in front of businesses on our beautiful square. I would like to take this a step farther. It would be GREAT for all our Mason residents to “canvas their home curbs” as well! So much trash blows out of vehicles or is thrown down all over our town.

Celebrate the Odeon In October of 1928 the Odeon Theater opened its doors and played the pioneering movie of the science fiction genre Metropolis. Later in the week it hosted The Gulf Coast Hawaiian Novelty Trio. Last week they hosted music from half way around the world with Australian Kara Grainger.

Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots courtesy: damndelicious.net Delicious little bread knots like this can be used for everything from accompanying a main meal to being a star performer at a pot luck dinner. They only take about 20 minutes to prepare and put out on the table, so whup up a batch any time you feel inspired and would like to have a touch of garlic in your life! Ingredients: ¼ cup unsalted butter 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan ¾ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon dr ...

Tomorrow is the last day of summer reading, and it’s been a wonderful six weeks. I love seeing kids in the library! Ventriloquist and puppeteer Margaret Clauder’s “Reading Fiesta with Señorita Margarita” will bring our summer reading program to a close at 1:00 p.m. in the Stribling Room. Free admission.

Fire in the whole parking lot Fireworks have been part of our Independence Day celebrations for a long time, ever since they were invented by Chinese railroad workers in Utah. When I was a kid my friends and I used to see how brave we were by lighting a firecracker, and then holding it until the fuse had burned down pretty short before throwing it at someone.

Rain on Priceline Parade… The fingers of one hand are more than enough to count the disparaging columns I’ve written about online purchases that I feel warrant “red alert” warnings. There’s a current issue, however--intended to be a “let-the-buyer-beware” suggestion-- that could save travelers both money and grief. It concerns a respected company, Priceline©, best known for allowing us to bid on hotel rooms.

July has been a pleasant surprise. We have had some cooler weather. Some have had rain showers. Some have not had rain. Hopefully, rain will visit your area soon. Roundup Weekend is this weekend. There will be lots of activities in town on Saturday, July 14th. There are no Class Meetings this month.

Mother Nature. What a gal. What a wonderful world she gave us to live in. Just look up at the sky some dark night. Who would’ve guessed what Mira is up to…up there. Mira being a star. Not a movie star. Nope. There’s no comparison to movie stars when it comes to the red giant Mira. Astronomers from the 17th Century astronomers knew her well. They called her “a wonderful star whose brightness could change dramatically in the course of about 11 months.” Ah, the fi ...