June 24, 2020 Issue

The Community Thrift Store is planning to extend our shopping hours in the coming weeks to allow our customers more time to browse and find those special bargains. Starting next Monday, June 29, we will be open for our full hours of 9:00 in the morning till 4:00 in the afternoon.

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (June 10, 2020) - The students listed on the President’s Honor Roll at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, are undergraduates who have achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average in all work attempted while enrolled in not less than 12 semester hours. The university would like to recognize the following students for earning the honor for the Spring 2020 semester. Ryli Ruffin

These kids worked so hard on the 6th June with their dog wash on Lincoln Avenue and they were able to donate an amazing $1170 to Bluebonnet Casa here in Mason, TX. This could not have been possible without the generous support of our amazing community. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and donated.

Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden was notified late last week that Mason County has been selected for a Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP) grant to fund the restoration of the Mason County Courthouse. The THCPP conveyed to Judge Bearden that competition during this round of funding was rigorous. Of the twenty-one applicants, the commissioners selected three major construction projects, two emergency projects, and four planning projects.

The restoration and benefits of native grasses When German settlers first came to Mason County in the mid-1800s, they found a paradise of grasslands, with scattered oaks and other beneficial hardwoods. The tallgrass prairie was perfect for cattle, and ranches soon thrived. There are over a hundred species of grasses native to Mason County, as well as a few dozen more that have been introduced from elsewhere.

It is summer now, and life in Mason is flowing along pretty good. Last week the County found out that the Texas Historical Commission would be fully funding the grant to restore the Courthouse! After many years of efforts to secure this grant and restore this grand building, when the Judge called me to let me know he sounded like a little boy excited about a pile of birthday presents, not really sure what was inside but thrilled with the possibilities.

Summer is boring without all the usual activities. We have no weekend trips. There are no family reunions. Our church activities are very limited. My project of cleaning and reorganizing my sewing room is bogged down in tubs of material and pictures. That sounds like an excuse for my laziness in starting this project. Tonight, June 24, is the first class meeting since the virus protocol began.

The Mason County M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library’s second virtual program, Austin Reptile Adventures, is now available to watch online. Patrons can go to the library’s Facebook page and click the provided link to watch the program. The show features live reptiles including snakes, tortoises, and lizards, and children have a chance to learn about the animals’ environments and habits.

The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will take effect on July 1, ending a nearly three-year process to modernize the North American trade agreement. “The USMCA’s entry into force marks the beginning of a historic new chapter for North American trade by supporting more balanced, reciprocal trade, leading to freer markets, fairer trade and robust economic growth in North America,” a release from U.S.

Don’t forget to buy your lucky ducks this week! The first annual Mason County Llano River Duck Race will be held Thursday, July 2nd, 2020 at the James River Crossing at 6:30 PM. This is a new fundraiser for the local Chamber of Commerce where 200 rubber duckies will be let loose on the Llano River to race 100 yards!

Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden was notified late last week that Mason County has been selected for a Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP) grant to fund the restoration of the Mason County Courthouse. The THCPP conveyed to Judge Bearden that competition during this round of funding was rigorous. Of the twenty-one applicants, the commissioners selected three major construction projects, two emergency projects, and four planning projects.

Virginia Gail Fenton, 80, of Fredonia, Texas, passed away on Monday, June 8, 2020, in Fredonia. She was born in Fredonia, Texas, to Jesse Lee and Mildred Mavis (Murrah) Kuykendall on January 2, 1940. She was a lifelong resident of Mason County. She most importantly loved her children and grandchildren. She loved her church family and going to functions.

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Ervin Wayne Jordan of Art, Texas on June 15, 2020 at the age of 78. E. Wayne, as his friends and family knew him, was born October 8, 1941, to Rev. Ervin Max and Mable Sofia Ericson Jordan in Austin, Texas.

Dugless Carter passed away on Monday, June 15, 2020. He was born September 2, 1933, in Harper, TX, to Tom and Sophie Carter where he was raised and was a star athlete. He served in the U.S. Army 2 years at the end of the Korean war.  He married Leta Fay Daughtrey and lived in Junction, Texas.

Alva Clay Lindsay, the son of John Alva Lindsay and Jessie Gamel Lindsay, was born August 15, 1922, on the Lindsay Ranch in Mason, Texas; and, after living 97 years and 10 months, that is where he died on June 14, 2020.  Clay’s roots ran deep in Texas and Mason County.

Getting Wet in a Dry County! I get bemused glances from visitors to Mason County when I describe our home as the wettest dry county around. We have numerous bars around the square, and beer is available at the grocery and convenience stores, while wine is easily found at an increasing number of establishments in the area.

Summer is boring without all the usual activities. We have no weekend trips. There are no family reunions. Our church activities are very limited. My project of cleaning and reorganizing my sewing room is bogged down in tubs of material and pictures. That sounds like an excuse for my laziness in starting this project. Tonight, June 24, is the first class meeting since the virus protocol began.

Healthcare To those who would chastise Mason citizens for failure to wear masks in public, I ask that they consider these facts. Dr. Anton Fauci, the health care expert speaking from the White House as well as the head of CDC, told us three months ago not to wear masks because all masks except those required of professionals were ineffective and did not provide a seal on the face sufficient to keep out the tiny, tiny particles of COVID-19.

The Pros of Procrastination For years I have been meaning to write on procrastination. But I just kept putting it off. This says something about my personality. I am a pro-crastinator. There is nothing amateur about my "crastinating" at all. My proclivity and proficiency for procrastination is a proven factor. In fact, I have risen to the advanced level of the practitioners of procrastination who believe with Mark Twain, "Never put off till tomorrow what you can put off till the day after ...

Chocolate Brownie Cookies courtesy: HEB These cookies are easy to make and very delicious. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already, so there will be no need to run the grocery store to buy supplies. That’s what the Practical Baker calls “practical baking!” Try these beauties and I think you’ll agree with me that they deserve a place in your family cookie jar. Ingredients: 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided 3 tablespoons salted butter ¼ cup AP ...

Our second virtual program for kids, Austin Reptile Shows, is now available on our Facebook page. Your kids can learn about reptiles all while seeing live animals on the video! It will be available until July 1. We also have another round of craft packets this week and the theme is Dragons. New to the Library: DVDs: Arkansas Hallmark’s A Beautiful Place to Die The Hunt The Lodge The Rhythm Section Think Like a Dog Disney’s Zombies 2 Young Adult: The Rest of the Story ...

Kornegay Hall… “We’ve never done it that way before.” The expression was well worn before the pandemic came along. Lately, creative juices have been milked dry for new ways to conduct commencements, weddings and funerals. The late Roy Kornegay, a church leader who died recently in Amarillo, might well have observed, “So what?”… ***** Not much fazed this multi-talented theologian who often “found new ways.” When softball nudged against worship, he wore his uniform ...