October 2, 2019 Issue

Riata members held their September 24, 2019, meeting in the Stribling Room of the Mason County M. Bevins Eckert Memorial Library. Delicious salads were prepared by members and enjoyed by all. As this was our first meeting of the year, we did not have a program, but did discussed business and future plans of our club to serve our community. Our new officers are: President-Pam Scott, Vice President-Rene Ince, Secretary- Susan Coe, Club Treasurer-Tony Hurlbut, Service Treasurer-Kay Evans, Re ...

On Friday night, the small number of Mason fans who had made the long drive up to Comanche watched the transformation of the Mason Puncher varsity football team. They began the night as the good team they've been all this season, and they ended the night by becoming the great team they have had the potential to be. During the first quarter, the Punchers kept the Indians from moving down the field, shutting them down time and again.

I am happy to announce real property owners in the City of Mason will be paying the same dollar amount of city property taxes in 2020 that you owe for 2019, and this is true even if your property values went up this year. I pointed out to my fellow commissioners that the mayor had stated in his city corner column, that the city was doing so well financially, that there were no proposals to raise city taxes this year.

Boss Lion Michael Murphy gaveled the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m. at Nacho’s Café on Tuesday September 24. Program Chairman this week was Lion Don Day. Don spoke about the history of photography and his hobby of working with old style cameras. When I talked to the Lions club last year, I showed you some pictures of old buildings that I had scanned and retouched to remove all traces of Christmas bulbs, telephone and internet wires, and all the conduits alongside to an impression wha ...

The Board of Trustees of MISD met for their regular meeting on September 23, 2019 at the MISD Administration Office. Board President Jeff Durst called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with members Jim Bob Smith, Cole Farmer, Tina Cantu-Navarro, Ryan Jordan, Mary Donaldson and Kathryn Martin in attendance.

On Friday night, the small number of Mason fans who had made the long drive up to Comanche watched the transformation of the Mason Puncher varsity football team. They began the night as the good team they've been all this season, and they ended the night by becoming the great team they have had the potential to be. During the first quarter, the Punchers kept the Indians from moving down the field, shutting them down time and again.

The JV White took on Fredericksburg JV last Thursday. The Punchers marched the opening drive down the field which ended with a 18 yard touchdown pass from Isaiah Bishop to Brody Comey. Landon Jentsch ran the ball in for the two-point conversion. The Punchers were able to keep the Billies out of the end-zone for the first half. Late in the fourth quarter the Punchers found themselves down by 7 with 1:18 left in the game.

Last week, the Purple team welcomed the Comanche Indians to the Puncherdome. Mason started off really well on defense with the help of Jaden Scantlin and Cason Jacoby. The offense was firing on all cylinders as the Punchers took a half time score of 14-0. After half time, the scoring continued and the defense pitched a shut out.

7th grade The 7th grade Punchers won a nail biter against Comanche on Thursday as they pulled out a victory against the Indians, 26-20. It was a back and forth battle throughout the entire game as Punchers came out on top and got themselves another win. Scoring for the Punchers were Hunter Bradley on a reception from Cannon Jacoby, Caeleb Carter on a rushing touchdown, Matthew Norman on a reception from Cannon Jacoby for a 2 point conversion and Caeleb Carter on a touchdown reception from ...

Mason ISD is accepting nominations for the Gifted and Talented program. All nominations are due by 3:30 p.m. this Friday, October 18, 2019. If you would like to nominate your child for the Gifted and Talented program, please go to Mason Elementary/Junior High for the necessary paperwork. For more information, please call Mason Elementary/ Junior High office at (325)347-1122.

Miles Cross Country Meet , Wednesday , 9/25 Girls Varsity Individual Results: Ana Segura 1st, 13:00; Kinsley Jordan 3rd 14:00; Alex Row 14th 14:44; Kate Taylor 18th 15:07; Eliza Cope 32nd 16:02; Courtney Hanscheck 33rd 16:02; Girls Varsity Team Standings: (1)Mason 68, (2)Sonora 79, (3)Water Valley 117, (4)Eden 124, (5)Veribest 145, (6)Grape Creek 152, (7)Miles 157, (8)Blackwell 160, (9)Reagan County 172. Upcoming Meets: Wednesday 10/2 Mason CC Invitational Wednesday 10/9 Llano CC Me ...

Save the date for Mason High School's Annual Coronation Event, The Great Gatsby, on Saturday, November 2, 2019, doors open at 7:00pm and the celebration begins at 7:30. Purchase your tickets in advance for $10 each starting on October 7th. Tickets availabe at the School District Office on the square, Mason Bank or The Commercial Bank, and Benjie’s (open on Saturdays). If you would like to volunteer with set-up and decorations, food donations or preparation, and/or clean-up, please conta ...

On Saturday evening, October 5, LBJ State Park and Historic Site and Hill Country Astronomers will host a free, public event to view the moon and planets through telescopes. The event will start at sunset, 7:15 p.m., in the parking lot northwest of the park headquarters building. October 5 is “International Observe the Moon Night,” sponsored by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission and the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

On Storytime Mondays in September, kids heard stories, played games, chased bubbles, made puppets, and created a take-home book. They even “roasted” marshmallows over their own campfire! Storytime continues in October. Join the fun with more stories and activities every Monday morning at 10:30 A.M. in the Kid’s Zone of the Mason Co.

The Board of Trustees of MISD met for their regular meeting on September 23, 2019 at the MISD Administration Office. Board President Jeff Durst called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with members Jim Bob Smith, Cole Farmer, Tina Cantu-Navarro, Ryan Jordan, Mary Donaldson and Kathryn Martin in attendance.

Hill Country Astronomers (HCA) will meet at 6:30 PM, Monday, October 7, in the HEB Activity Room at Hill Country University Center in Fredericksburg. HCA member Ryan Behrends will present a program on sky directions. Determining sky directions in a telescope is often confusing and not intuitive compared to terrestrial directions.

Did you miss me last week? John took another little helicopter ride and stayed in the hospital a week. We are now home. He is doing well. I am recovering from stress and dirty laundry piled up. The best part was a visit this weekend from granddaughter Amber and great grandson Tanner.

All the way from the Netherlands, Janne Schra has been invited to perform on the Odeon stage in Mason, Texas Saturday, October 19. Showtime is 7:00PM. Janne has toured around the world from Montréal to Johannesburg, from Amsterdam to Tokyo. Described as a soulful vocalist whose sound reflects jazz, country and R&B influences, she has earned gold and platinum albums and received a Silver Harp.

The Llano Country Opry will feature the Ambassador of Western Swing Billy Mata on Saturday, October 5, at the Lantex Theater in downtown Llano. The show begins at 2:30 PM and admission is $15 per person. Tickets are on sale now at www.heartoftexascountry.com or by calling (325) 247-5354. Billy Mata started his recording career in the 1970’s singing Billboard charted, Top 40 Country music.

The Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library is offering computer classes October 15, 16, and 17. Deann Gregg will be the instructor. The classes are free. The specific program and time will be set depending on interests of those who register. Please register by calling the library at 325-347-5446 by October 9th.

Mason ISD is accepting nominations for the Gifted and Talented program. All nominations are due by 3:30 p.m. this Friday, October 18, 2019. If you would like to nominate your child for the Gifted and Talented program, please go to Mason Elementary/Junior High for the necessary paperwork. For more information, please call Mason Elementary/ Junior High office at (325)347-1122.

Let’s keep them that way! “Dark Skies and Why They Matter” Electric lights were introduced less than 150 years ago. In that short time, star-filled night skies have largely disappeared from all populated areas, including Fredericksburg. However, with prudent use of non-glare lighting, it is possible to have both dark night skies and safe streets.

Save the date for Mason High School's Annual Coronation Event, The Great Gatsby, on Saturday, November 2, 2019, doors open at 7:00pm and the celebration begins at 7:30. Purchase your tickets in advance for $10 each starting on October 7th. Tickets availabe at the School District Office on the square, Mason Bank or The Commercial Bank, and Benjie’s (open on Saturdays). If you would like to volunteer with set-up and decorations, food donations or preparation, and/or clean-up, please conta ...

The Mason Community Choir will begin rehearsals for our Christmas Cantata on Monday, October 7th at 6:00 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church. If you have never sung with us, please consider coming to our first rehearsal and check us out. If you’ve ever enjoyed singing hymns in church or singing anything in the shower or anywhere, you probably would do fine in our choir, many of whom do not read music but still add much to our music! We will be singing “Love Made a Way,” the journey of Ch ...

Patricia (Patsy) Louise Waddell Behrens went to her Heavenly home with Jesus on September 26, 2019. She was surrounded by beloved family who prayed her all the way home. Patsy was born to Dan and Lillie Mae (Robertson) Waddell on November 16, 1934, in Mason Texas. Mature beyond her years, she started working at eleven years old in the ticket booth of the Odeon Theater.

Kenneth Lee Adams passed away on Sunday, September 29, 2019, in Round Rock, Texas, at the age of 70. He was born on October 26, 1948, to R.L. Adams, Jr. and Nell (Rogers) Adams in Fredericksburg, Texas. Kenneth was a lifetime resident of Llano, Texas and a lifetime member of the First Christian Church in Llano and most recently attended Journey Fellowship.

Anyone who cares about the City of Mason’s property taxes should give Commissioner Sue Pledger a pat on the back. In the September 16 City Commission meeting, the agenda contained the proposed city budget as well as the City of Mason’s share of proposed property taxes for the coming year. In the public comments section at the start of the meeting, several citizens spoke of their desire to hold the city’s property taxes flat.

Fall Activities Heating Up While Weather Cools Down... In Mason, football and cross country are in full swing. Last weekend, we had Old Yeller Day and the Lions 5K/10K. We've had dove season, and the archery season has started. All it takes is a quick glance around the Mason square to know that we've got a steady flow of visitors taking advantage of the attractions that Mason County has to offer.

Welcome, October. Welcome. Or make that Oktober…with a k. If you’re speaking German. Swedish. Danish. Norwegian. Or Indonesian. No matter how you say it, it’s here. Good ol’ Autumn-leaves-falling-crisp-morning-air-October. Well…sorta. Welcome, Fall. No matter where, it’s the same. Cooler. Colorful. The heart of Fall. The beginning of the decline into Winter. Although for some that’s already here. Octubre. Ottobre. Shi yue. Yep, even in C ...

Did you miss me last week? John took another little helicopter ride and stayed in the hospital a week. We are now home. He is doing well. I am recovering from stress and dirty laundry piled up. The best part was a visit this weekend from granddaughter Amber and great grandson Tanner.

Legal Problems Another Lawsuit for the City I’ve attended nearly all the city commissioner meetings since 2016, including the hastily called “special meeting” on Sept. 24 convened for the purpose of engaging legal counsel to respond to the lawsuit brought by Blue Oak Engineering for non-payment of $60,000. Because Daniel Hinckley is a principal in Blue Oak Engineering, Mayor Hinckley recuses himself from all matters concerning Blue Oak and Commissioner Pledger, as Mayor Pro-tem, t ...

Driver Responsibility This morning (Friday 9/27) I was walking my dog on Pecan St., just north of Bryan. A little white dog came running out from a house on the east side to meet/greet us. We kept walking. When we hit the creek, we were passed by a small white car traveling slowly south.

Climate Change I have kept silent as long as I can. If you listen to the rhetoric coming from the so-called climate change crowd, we are all going to be dead in 12 years, so why should we look to 2050 for their policies to save all of mankind, according to them we only have until 2038?

U.T. Coach and 20-20 Memory… Coaches who take their teams on the road to face storied football opponents usually tip-toe into town, feeling that the less said, the better. This is particularly true when they’re fortunate enough to win, and doubly so if they’re scheduled to meet the same foes the next year at “their place.” A prime example of what NOT to do occurred a few weeks back in Austin, where Louisiana State University bested the University of Texas, 45-38.

The Climate Cult Quite frankly I’m getting tired of being lectured. I can’t turn on a news program on television or the radio, I can’t go to a news site or social media site on a computer, I can’t drive down the road and read the billboards, without being bombarded with lectures about what a horrible person I am, and how I’m destroying the planet, melting the icebergs, wiping out the rainforests, polluting the air and water, and leaving the toilet seat up.

Old Yeller Day has come and gone, and what fun we had! Roper Kevin Fitzpatrick and Pistol Packin’ Paula Saletnik put on great shows getting the audience involved. The dog judges did a wonderful job, and we had some terrific vendors. It’s also so good to re-visit films from our childhood like Old Yeller, and we had a sizeable crowd.