February 26, 2020 Issue

SAN ANGELO, TX (02/21/2020)-- More than 200 Angelo State University student-athletes and student-athletic trainers, including Weston Bauer of Brady, have been named to the ASU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for their academic performance during the 2019 fall semester. To be eligible, students must post at least a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) for a semester, or have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 during their time at ASU. Overall, the ASU Athletics Department posted a 2.99 GPA for the ...

New officers for the upcoming year were recently elected at the annual meeting of the Seaquist House Foundation. Paul Branch was elected President, Pat Dixon, Vice President, Laura Tallent, Secretary and Gerry Gamel, Treasurer. Also serving on the Board are Jan Appleby, Kathy Hardin, J.D. Kidwell and Jane Titus. Thom Canfield, Lee McMillan and Brent Hinckley serve on the Advisory Board. Several existing projects are planned for the year, with the major one being the conversion of the garage ...

This month, the University Interscholastic League announced that Jacki Maenius, the Theatre Teacher for both the Mason Junior High and High School, has won the prestigious 2019 UIL Sponsor Excellence Award. With this award, UIL seeks to honor the careers of educators who have “enabled students to develop and refine their extracurricular talents to the highest degree possible within the education system.” Recipients of the award receive $1,000 and a symbolic memento from the State of Tex ...

Let me start out by admitting I haven’t seen that much of the museum since this already not-new year began. The better part of January was spent driving my husband to California for a poetry reading he did near San Luis Obispo, the central coast town where he was born and lived with his grandmother for a short while during his early childhood.

Boss Lion Michael Murphy called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m. at Nacho’s Café on February 18. Mason Independent School District Seniors Hannah Fisher, Kenzie Zahradnik, and Annissa Fluhmann were introduced. It was Hannah’s birthday, so the Lions sang “Happy Birthday” to Hannah. Guests were Joe Lancaster and Homer Martin. The Program Chairman was Lion Gayland Thorn.

Some days it is Spring and some days it remains Winter! It is hard to know from day to day, but certainly the season is changing and the budding spring flowers are one sign that soon we will have warmer weather, colorful landscapes and more visitors in our part of Texas.

Mark your calendar for the first public performance of the 2020 Mason High School One Act Play. This Sunday, March 1 at 5 p.m., the cast and crew will present their competition piece at the MHS auditorium. The students have been attending rehearsals after long days of school and sport practices, sacrificing free time on Sunday afternoons while keeping up with school work to prepare their production.

Boys Team: 399 Aaron Reardon 83 Third Place Medalist Conner Leifeste 84 Derek Ontiveroz 112 Sutton Graves 120 Colby Brown 123 Boys Medalist: Jorge Lopez-Ibarra 122 Girls Team: 471 Second Place Team Kenzie Ake 115 Isela Rodriquez 117 Madison Martinez 119 Kyleigh Ake 120 Sydney Hardin 124 Girls Medalist: Taylor Hardin 155

This month, the University Interscholastic League announced that Jacki Maenius, the Theatre Teacher for both the Mason Junior High and High School, has won the prestigious 2019 UIL Sponsor Excellence Award. With this award, UIL seeks to honor the careers of educators who have “enabled students to develop and refine their extracurricular talents to the highest degree possible within the education system.” Recipients of the award receive $1,000 and a symbolic memento from the State of Tex ...

The deadline to apply for Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) scholarships is fast approaching. Mason County Farm Bureau President Will Frey urges high school seniors and enrolled college students to complete their applications. Scholarship applications are due online by March 2 at midnight. “Scholarships are an excellent opportunity for Farm Bureau families to earn money to pursue their education,” Frey said.

Cowgirls vs. Sabinal, Bi-District @ Boerne Tuesday, 2/18 Mason 27—23—18—11 = 79 Sabinal 9—10—4—5 = 28 Scoring—Smith—15, Stockbridge—5, Elliott—4, Brooks—3, Keller—12, Hanscheck—2, Guice—7, Olson—11, Armstrong—9, Cano—11. Rebounding—Smith—6, Stockbridge—2, Elliott—3, Brooks—5, Keller—2, Hanscheck—2, Guice—4, Olson—7, Armstrong—5, Cano—7. Assist—Stockbridge—4, Elliott—1, Adams—2, Keller—5, Hanscheck—1, Cockerham

Hill Country Astronomers (HCA) will meet at 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 2, in the HEB Activity Room at Hill Country University Center in Fredericksburg. HCA president Bruce Barton will present a program on Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a 60+-year collaboration between the United States and Chile. Barton will discuss its history, major discoveries and current efforts.

Sometimes things that you think could go unsaid, need to be said!  The City of Mason Recycle Center would like to make you aware of an issue we have been having at the Recycle Center for the past few months.   We have gotten in a number of syringes with uncapped needles, and a number of screw on needles like ones used with insulin pens or allergy pens.  We would ask that you place such items in a sharps container and dispose of them properly. They are not recyclable!   I would al ...

All early voting will be held on the first floor in Mason County Courthouse. You have to show a photo ID and bringing your Voter’s registration card will help speed up the process. This year the cards are orange. Early voting began February 18 and goes through February 28. The last day to request a ballot to be mailed to you is February 21st.

Mark your calendar for the first public performance of the 2020 Mason High School One Act Play. This Sunday, March 1 at 5 p.m., the cast and crew will present their competition piece at the MHS auditorium. The students have been attending rehearsals after long days of school and sport practices, sacrificing free time on Sunday afternoons while keeping up with school work to prepare their production.

Three of the state’s most celebrated Latina musicians will grace the stage at the Odeon theater in Mason as the Texicana Mamas Saturday, February 29 at 7:00 PM. The newly-minted trio—Tish Hinojosa, Stephanie Urbina Jones, Patricia Vonne—has already created a buzz from Washington, DC, New York, Nashville and now the Odeon.

The MCF is now accepting applications for our spring grant cycle. In the past thirteen years, the MCF has awarded over 135 grants for more than $360,000. We have provided grants for upgrades in medical services in our community, area fire departments, school programs, city beautification, and many other areas.

The Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Library is excited to bring Sofia Talvik to perform in the Stribling Room on Thursday, March 5th, at 6:00 P.M. Admission is free to the public. Sofia is a rare artist and an avid storyteller. The Folk/Americana Magazine NoDepression called Sofia “a singer/songwriter who is able to evoke the essence of Laurel Canyon circa the ‘60s as expressed in the work of Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and others who were able to paint beautiful tapestries ...

Hochheim Branch 160’s Annual Board Meeting will be on March 5th at 5:30 p.m. In last week’s Mason County News, the announcement of the meeting date was shown as March 3rd. The correct date of the meeting is March 5, 2020. The meeting will be at the Community Room of Mason Bank at 5:30 p.m.

Hochheim Branch 160’s Annual Board Meeting will be on March 5th at 5:30 p.m. In last week’s Mason County News, the announcement of the meeting date was shown as March 3rd. The correct date of the meeting is March 5, 2020. The meeting will be at the Community Room of Mason Bank at 5:30 p.m.

The deadline to apply for Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) scholarships is fast approaching. Mason County Farm Bureau President Will Frey urges high school seniors and enrolled college students to complete their applications. Scholarship applications are due online by March 2 at midnight. “Scholarships are an excellent opportunity for Farm Bureau families to earn money to pursue their education,” Frey said.

Today is Ash Wednesday. Join us for an Ash Wednesday Service at the Art United Methodist Church at 5. When we count down to Easter, I really get the spring feeling. I was out in my yard today and have a number of bluebonnet plants that are rapidly growing. I didn’t see flowers but it won’t be long. The Men’s Choir postponed their practice to March 3 at 6. Class Meetings continue at the parsonage on Wednesdays with soup served at 6 and the meeting begins at 6:30. Lenten lunches b ...

The March 2020 meeting for the Hill Country CattleWomen will be on March 17, 2020. 10 am social. 10:30 am meeting. Lunch at noon. It will be held at the home of Teri Stone in Fredonia, TX. No guest speaker this month. We’re going to spend the morning visiting and planning the Spring Round Up, Women’s Ranch Seminar and Ag Days. Lunch will be catered.

Aaron Farmer, President of The Retail Coach, will be in Mason next month to present an in depth study of Mason County business opportunities. The Retail Coach is a national retail consulting, market research and development firm that combines strategy, technology and creative expertise to develop and deliver high impact retail recruitment and development strategies to local governments, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations.

On February 14, 2020 Margaret Susan Mason passed over into the place where there is death no more. She is preceded by all who have died before her, and survived by all who are living. Jer 33:3 “Call unto me and I will answer. I will tell thee of marvels and mysteries thee knowest not.” Having lived life with a zest for the unknown, she was happiest learning and exploring, travelling and meeting new cultures and people and places. Every music her violin played was undertaken in the spi ...

Harold Kimsey Shearer, 89, of Corpus Christi died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, February 16. He was born June 20, 1930, in Brady, Texas to Sydney Kimsey Shearer and Jessie Mae Roark Shearer. He grew up in Mason County where the Shearer family had lived since 1896. Harold graduated from Mason High School and earned two degrees from Texas A&M University in College Station; the first in agriculture and the second in civil engineering.

And, On a Lighter Note! During the last few weeks, as I've sat down on Tuesday morning to write my weekly column, I've been moved by the rancor and disquiet occurring locally and nationally have been at the forefront of my mind. It's difficult to step away from all that negativity and to try to focus on the positive, so for the last two weeks I addressed those feeling head on. But, I think I've gotten my system fully cleansed and have, if not exhausted my string of commentary, I've at lea ...

Mason’s Scarlet Punchers, those intrepid women “of a certain age,” who absolutely insist on enjoying life to the fullest, meet monthly for food, fun, and fellowship, and sometimes a game or two. Last month was our celebration of love (think candy!!) in conjunction with Valentine’s Day, which is always at the home of Lenore Newsom.

There's Good Grazing in the Pasture "Don't you ever feed your 1ivestock?" Tex Luther almost had to holler to be heard over bawling cows, bleating goats, and a braying donkey. "Sounds like they are starving to death." Tex had come along with me for a short visit at the ranch. As we drove up to the pens, animals came noisily running from every direction when they saw the pickup. Now that we had stopped, cows lined the fence and goats milled about the truck.

Another Take on Potato Bread courtesy: Kathy Nowell Last week I shared with you a recipe for delicious potato bread. And, while the end product was good, the making of the bread required a bit of time and some kneading work that is not particularly attractive to many busy bakers. This recipe will take care of that: Potato Bread in the bread machine!

For the week of February 24th Bring the kids in to try out the new bean bags in the Kids’ Zone! They are bright, comfy, and fun! Thanks to all of you who’ve already donated books for the sale scheduled for March 27th, 28th, and 30th. This sale is the biggest fundraiser for the Friends of the Library, so we want to have a great selection.

Reaching New Heights… Locals already were “big-eyed” by massive oil discoveries in the Wichita Falls area about a century ago. Money flowed, and for many folks, life was good, might near the land-of-milk-and-honey status. For the oil people, it was even better. If they wanted milk and honey, they could yawn while signing checks to buy cows from a thousand hills.

A Non-"Recipe", Lye Soap When I was a young girl, I spent a lot of time at our neighbor Aunt Alice Doyal’s house. Her farm was about halfway between our ranch and my grandparent’s ranch, which was about three miles. She wasn’t my really my aunt, but everyone called her “Aunt Alice” or “Miss Alice”.

Today is Ash Wednesday. Join us for an Ash Wednesday Service at the Art United Methodist Church at 5. When we count down to Easter, I really get the spring feeling. I was out in my yard today and have a number of bluebonnet plants that are rapidly growing. I didn’t see flowers but it won’t be long. The Men’s Choir postponed their practice to March 3 at 6. Class Meetings continue at the parsonage on Wednesdays with soup served at 6 and the meeting begins at 6:30. Lenten lunches b ...