December 26, 2018 Issue

Each year, the Veterans of Foreign Wars selects teachers within the school system to receive recognition for teaching citizenship principles to their students to further their patriotic senses to our great country and on December 10, we rewarded two teachers our Citizenship Education Awards to a 3rd grade teacher, Mrs.

The United Way of the Concho Valley held a raffle drawing on December 12th for a big screen television set donated by Texas State Bank. Anyone who made a donation to the 2018 United Way of the Concho Valley Campaign was eligible for entry into the drawing. The winner was Darla Pape of Mason. The 2018 Campaign theme is "Imagine the Possibilities."

Last Tuesday the Mason Study Club celebrated its annual Christmas party at the newly redecorated home of Jan Appleby. The mood was unusually happy and festive for this stately group of ladies whose club actively supports the Mason Library. The ladies displayed their usual Mason cooking abilities in their dishes and desserts, some of which were quite exotic and delicious, and definitely caloric!

The Mason County Livestock Show & Expo will be held Friday and Saturday, January 4-5 at the Fort Mason Park Community Building. Come join us for a great event and show your support for the youth of our community! This year’s event is dedicated to long-time supporters of the stock show, Jimmy and June Scripps.

RECENTLY, THE OPERATION ROUND-UP Board of Directors at Central Texas Electric Cooperative approved a grant to the Hill Country Community Actions Meals on Wheels Program. Hill Country Community Action Association’s Meals on Wheels program, which provides meals to senior shut-ins in Kingsland, Buchanan Dam and Sunrise Beach. The program includes senior nutrition and home delivered meals as well as someone to check in and talk to the seniors once a day.

The Mason Punchers brought home their second state title in eight years on Thursday, defeating the New Deal Lions 44-6, leaving no doubt that the 2018 season was theirs for the taking, ending the season 15-0. Some estimates placed the number of fans at the stadium just under 8,000, and many more watching on television.

Agricultural leaders from Mason County Farm Bureau attended the 85th Texas Farm Bureau Annual Meeting Dec. 1-3 in Corpus Christi. Will and Rita Frey and Brandon and Morgan Willis joined more than 850 voting delegates from County Farm Bureaus across the state to discuss the latest agricultural issues, including eminent domain, food labeling, feral hog control and better transportation needs for agricultural commodities; the recognition of top county Farm Bureaus, their leaders and individual ...

This time of year is always one of the busiest, and there has been no doubt about that for the past week!! An opportunity to see the Punchers play in AT&T Stadium again for a State Championship, many gatherings of family and friends, and of course the highlight of the season with Christmas and all of the joy of that blessed day.

Members and guests of the American Legion Fort Mason Post 285 & Auxiliary recently enjoyed their Christmas festivities at Nacho’s Restaurant. Amidst the good food, gift giving and fellowship, the drawing was held for this year’s rifle raffle. Garrett Lindsay, son of Clay & Mindy Lindsay, with the help of Tommy Koepke, drew the winning ticket.

The Mason County Livestock Show & Expo will be held Friday and Saturday, January 4-5 at the Fort Mason Park Community Building. Come join us for a great event and show your support for the youth of our community! This year’s event is dedicated to long-time supporters of the stock show, Jimmy and June Scripps.

The Mason Punchers brought home their second state title in eight years on Thursday, defeating the New Deal Lions 44-6, leaving no doubt that the 2018 season was theirs for the taking, ending the season 15-0. Some estimates placed the number of fans at the stadium just under 8,000, and many more watching on television.

High school students in the Central Texas Electric Cooperative service area can now submit an essay to be one of three winners for the 2019 Government-in-Action Youth Tour, an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., June 12-21. The Electric Cooperative Government-in-Action Youth Tour has brought together high school students from across the U.S.

The Mason County Livestock Show & Expo will be held Friday and Saturday, January 4-5 at the Fort Mason Park Community Building. Come join us for a great event and show your support for the youth of our community! This year’s event is dedicated to long-time supporters of the stock show, Jimmy and June Scripps.

San Angelo, TX Dec 21, 2018 Busy holiday schedules and travel plans make it more challenging for regular donors to give, and many businesses and organizations postpone hosting blood drives during the holiday season for these same reasons. This can lead to a decline in blood donations, but the need is constant. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood.

The Heart of Texas New Years Celebration will be held on Sunday, December 30 and Monday, December 31, at the Brady Civic Center in Brady. Tickets for the dances are now on sale at www.heartoftexascountry.com or by calling (325) 597-1895. The events benefit the Heart of Texas Country Music Museum. On Sunday, December 30, Johnny Bush and Justin Trevino will headline the dance at the Brady Civic Center.

High school students in the Central Texas Electric Cooperative service area can now submit an essay to be one of three winners for the 2019 Government-in-Action Youth Tour, an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., June 12-21. The Electric Cooperative Government-in-Action Youth Tour has brought together high school students from across the U.S.

Twas the day after Christmas and Great Grandma is entertaining new great grandson Tanner. Well, I hope I am. As I write this a week early due to early press times next week, I hope that everyone had a Blessed Christmas. We expect family at our Christmas celebration and hope that everyone gets to celebrate with those they love. Happy New Year.

Elizabeth “Lisa” Jaunice Ellebracht was born on May 4, 1964, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She went home to heaven on Sunday, December 16, at the age of 54. Lisa is survived by her husband, Daniel Ellebracht, of Mason, her parents Samuel and Lawana Joyce Avritt of Lawton, Oklahoma, her children: Josh Rains of Boulder, CO, Jason Dirks of Albuquerque, NM, Joey Marquez and wife Jasmine of Yukon, OK, Monica Rylant and husband Caleb of Alamosa, CO, Robin Anderson and husband Adam of Albuquerqu ...

Preparing for 2019 It's Friday, December 21, and I'm still recovering from the incredible game and long road trip. Additionally, we are having to send our paper to press today rather than waiting till Tuesday, which would be Christmas Day!!! Mixed in with the elation of the day is stress and fatigue. I can not say enough great things about the Mason Punchers.

State Winners (Editor's Note: the following message was sent to the Mason I.S.D. website yesterday afternoon. Contact with him since that time has confirmed that he is a sincere fan of the Mason Punchers!) I just wanted to send a short note to congratulate the Mason Punchers on their state championship game against New Deal.

Whipping Cream Biscuits courtesy: COOKS.COM If you've followed my column for long, you've noticed that I publish a lot of biscuit recipes. There are two reasons for this: 1) I love biscuits with butter, with gravy, or under a nice fried egg; maybe with a piece of sausage wedged into the mix.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and we wish you Happy New Year!! DVDs: The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 2 Beautifully Broken God Bless the Broken Road Mission Impossible: Fallout Fancy Nancy Longmire: Season 6 Dog Days Hook Audiobooks: The Library Book by Susan Orlean (CD 027.4794 ORL) Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (CD F MOR) Non-Fiction: The Whole Damn Cheese: Maggie Smith Border Legend by Bill Wright (T 921 SMI) Judge Roy Bean Country by Jack Sk ...

Best seat in the house There’s an old joke about a young family moving to Refugio, Texas, and sending their six-year-old son to school there on his first day of first grade. After school his mother asked him what he learned at school, and he said, “I learned I’m gonna be a tackle.” The story probably isn’t true.

Uncle Mort: Go Fund Me…. “I don’t think he’s avoiding thoughts about the true meaning of Christmas, but his mind seems to wander off into the tall weeds about gifts that might be coming his way,” said Aunt Maude,” who has been “hitched” to Uncle Mort for more than 80 years. He prefers that others experience the true “joy of giving,” and then tell him about it.

Twas the day after Christmas and Great Grandma is entertaining new great grandson Tanner. Well, I hope I am. As I write this a week early due to early press times next week, I hope that everyone had a Blessed Christmas. We expect family at our Christmas celebration and hope that everyone gets to celebrate with those they love. Happy New Year.

‘Twas the night after Christmas. And all through the house. Everyone slept. Even the mouse. The stockings that were hung Now lay on the floor. Santa’s gone. There’ll be no more. So many guests. So many laughs. So much food. Might have to fast. Paper and ribbons And boxes galore. TV on. What’s the score? Leftover ham. Hmmm, a sandwich. Jell-o salad. Some more pie. Hot cocoa. Tamales and frijoles. Hot toddy. Angels soar. Watch the little o ...

We are in the season of Winter. And as the gardens slow down and produce our cold weather plants there are many unfinished jobs to do. Let's look at Pruning. I often will add a book and this one is an excellent book I found in our Llano LIbrary in the Back to Basic section.