July 20, 2020 Issue

The public water system of the City of Mason has reached a Critical, Level 2 condition recently, one of our wells is down for maintenance and the City Administrator John Palacio has implemented additional water conservation measures.  While we do not fear immediate water shortages, we feel it is necessary to move beyond voluntary measures to protect the water levels for everyone.  As the hot summer winds continue to blow and the dry conditions only worsen, the City of Mason will now begin e ...

This past March, it was clear that, due to the pandemic, the Mason library was about to be indefinitely closed. Local patron Ann Cornelison is a great fan of the Inspector Gamache mystery series written by Canadian author Louise Penny. She decided that re-reading all fifteen novels might be a good way to pass some of her stay-at-home time.

WHAT: Public Food Distribution WHEN: Saturday, August 1st, 10:30AM-12:30pm WHERE: First United Methodist Church, 224 Broad St, Mason *NO ID OR REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AND THE EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC REGARDLESS OF INCOME LEVEL * The Concho Valley Regional Food Bank, Mason County Food Bank, and community ‘volunteers will host an Open Food Distribution on Saturday, August 1st, lO:30am - 12:30 pm at First United Methodist Church parking lot, 224 Broad Street, Mason. The food ...

Last week, the Mason County Chamber of Commerce welcomed its newest member, Leifeste Law, with an official ribbon cutting ceremony. Leifeste Law is owned by Whitney Leifeste who is an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Texas for 25 years. Her practice covers a broad range of legal services, including family law, estate planning, probate, real estate, contract law, business transactions, and general litigation.

During a lengthy regular meeting on Monday, the Mason County Commissioners' Court dealt with several issues that will affect their operations going into the 2021 year. The assembly voted to move ahead with application for a $701,000 grant from the USDA to assist with non-construction related costs of the pending courthouse restoration. In another action, noting that the City of Mason had agreed at their meeting last week to negotiate a lease on the Richard P.

The Community Thrift Store continues to thrive even with the challenging retail environment and our requirement to wear face masks in the store. We are currently full of merchandise and there has been a regular stream of customers that have kept us busy, and thus we are looking for a part-time employee and extra volunteers to help keep up.

CITY 2021 BUDGET: The City commission will be holding a special meeting August 5th to discuss the proposed city budget for 2021. This year is going by so fast and with so many unexpected changes and events. The Commission will need to discuss and consider the best way to provide a budget that will allow for not only the normal items, but also leave room for unexpected expenses and happenings next year as well. WATER CONSERVATION PLAN: Just this week our city well No.

Although it is the last week of July, and August will soon be upon us, there is a “cool” spell in Mason with forecasts of daily temperatures in the nineties. However, we all know that the extreme heat will soon be with us again, and the rain predicted for last weekend seemed to find other areas to bless, and thus leave us with continued dry conditions.

Mason Community Kitchen’s frozen meals will be available to families with children on request at the office of St. Joseph Catholic Church during regular hours, Wednesday through Friday, 9 A.M. till 5 P.M., until the school lunch program resumes on August 18. The meals will include beef with macaroni and cheese (beef goulash), Santa Fe soup with beef, beans, tomatoes and taco seasoning, and lasagna soup with pizza sausage, penne pasta, spinach and tomato sauce.

Summer is ending and here we go…back to school! As we start our 35th year here at GCS,we move forward faithfully and without a spirit of fear. Grace Christian School is committed to nurturing growth in students through relationships, excellence, and service all to the glory of God. Grace Christian School uses a variety of curriculum, but we teach with an emphasis on individual development.

These are the results of the Fredericksburg Dr Pepper/Tennis Outlet Open that was played last weekend. Boys Singles 12 BS - Cade Dudney (Mason) def Marcus Gonzales (Wimb) 6-3,6-3 for 1st place 14 BS - Wyatt Terrell (Men) def Jack Gillespie (Mas) 6-2, 6-2 in semi’s 16 BS - Jerry Zermeno (Mas) def Matthew Limely (Dr.Spr) 8-2 for Consolation championship Girls Singles 12 GS - Tatum North (Fbg) def Heidi Smith (Mas) 8-3 for 1st place 14 GS - Jaky Zermeno (Mas) def Lucy Rochat (Mas ...

The public water system of the City of Mason has reached a Critical, Level 2 condition recently, one of our wells is down for maintenance and the City Administrator John Palacio has implemented additional water conservation measures.  While we do not fear immediate water shortages, we feel it is necessary to move beyond voluntary measures to protect the water levels for everyone.  As the hot summer winds continue to blow and the dry conditions only worsen, the City of Mason will now begin e ...

Sadly, we will be canceling Old Yeller Day this year due to the Corona Virus. This annual event brings together people from all over the state and we are disappointed to have to cancel, but we will continue to host Old Yeller Day next year. We would like to thank our vendors, performers, and volunteers who always make this event a success.

Mason Community Kitchen’s frozen meals will be available to families with children on request at the office of St. Joseph Catholic Church during regular hours, Wednesday through Friday, 9 A.M. till 5 P.M., until the school lunch program resumes on August 18. The meals will include beef with macaroni and cheese (beef goulash), Santa Fe soup with beef, beans, tomatoes and taco seasoning, and lasagna soup with pizza sausage, penne pasta, spinach and tomato sauce.

First let me say that all the landowners that filed a protest about Agricultural Valuations (Ag Values) on their properties are NOT opposed to paying their fair share of the tax burden. We ARE opposed to not being given a reasonable answer to why Proposed Values for Native Pastureland increased anywhere from 40% to 60% between 2019 and 2020. I started writing this article about our side of the story and realized Mason County News would need a whole lot more paper and ink!

Summer is ending and here we go…back to school! As we start our 35th year here at GCS,we move forward faithfully and without a spirit of fear. Grace Christian School is committed to nurturing growth in students through relationships, excellence, and service all to the glory of God. Grace Christian School uses a variety of curriculum, but we teach with an emphasis on individual development.

These are the results of the Fredericksburg Dr Pepper/Tennis Outlet Open that was played last weekend. Boys Singles 12 BS - Cade Dudney (Mason) def Marcus Gonzales (Wimb) 6-3,6-3 for 1st place 14 BS - Wyatt Terrell (Men) def Jack Gillespie (Mas) 6-2, 6-2 in semi’s 16 BS - Jerry Zermeno (Mas) def Matthew Limely (Dr.Spr) 8-2 for Consolation championship Girls Singles 12 GS - Tatum North (Fbg) def Heidi Smith (Mas) 8-3 for 1st place 14 GS - Jaky Zermeno (Mas) def Lucy Rochat (Mas ...

As I am writing this on Sunday afternoon, the hurricane weather event has not really extended to Art. We have had a few scattered showers. Maybe tomorrow will bring more rain. I am glad to see that most area schools plan to open in August. The world is ready to get back into a routine. Class meetings continue on Wednesday evenings at the church.

Our last virtual kids event was last week, but we do still have book logs available for “Read for a Treat” so drop by to sign your child up. We are also sad to announce that we will be canceling Old Yeller Day, but we will be back next year on September 25, 2021. New to the Library: DVDs: Father Brown Season 6 The Lost Husband Balthazar Series 1 Madam Secretary Season 6 Mr.

Mother’s Quick Easy Rolls courtesy: Henrietta Fritz I’m always looking for new ways to make biscuits and rolls, and this recipe sounded interesting so I made up a batch of them. I’m glad I did and I think you’ll be very happy with them as well! Simple, easy, requiring no special ingredients; they’re right in the Practical Baker’s wheelhouse. Ingredients: 1 cup milk ¼ cup shortening ¼ cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon salt 3 cups A/P flour 1 teaspoon salt Process: ...

Just Hang Loose! A city slicker went on his first deer hunt. One morning he came back to camp with his camo clothes in tatters, face and arms covered with scratches and bruises. He looked like he’d caught on fire and somebody had tried to put him out with a weed-whacker! When his buddies saw him they asked, “What in the world happened to you?” “A big black snake chased me,” replied the novice outdoorsman. “But a black snake isn’t poisonous,” one of the experience ...

Carol Jean Shroyer, age 74, passed away on Friday July 24, 2020, after a difficult two year battle with a Parkinson’s like neurological disease. Jean was born on September 26, 1945, in Texarkana, Arkansas, to Juedon and Tex Yuma Middlebrooks. Jean’s father was career Air Force so growing up she lived in many different locations.

Dec. 9, 1934 ~ July 3, 2020 Billy Bryan O‘Banion, age 85, of Valley Mills passed away on July 3, 2020, at his residence surrounded by family. A memorial service will be held on August 1, 2020, at the Valley Mills Church of Christ under the direction of Foss Funeral Home and Cremation Center.

After 20+ Years, a Major Change It's quite possible that most of us will mark 2020 in our journals as the year everything changed. It has, thanks to Covid-19, caused seismic changes to our economy. The social landscape looks completely different now that everyone is socially distanced and masked. We've had to rethink how to do our jobs, educate our children and worship our God.

Right to Disagree Dear Gerry, I am writing as a concerned citizen of the United States, Texas, and Mason. I do not recognize my country. The scenes in Portland remind me of a place I lived for a year as a Fulbright Professor. Watching the attacks on protesters by unaccountable government agents made my hair stand on end.

As I am writing this on Sunday afternoon, the hurricane weather event has not really extended to Art. We have had a few scattered showers. Maybe tomorrow will bring more rain. I am glad to see that most area schools plan to open in August. The world is ready to get back into a routine. Class meetings continue on Wednesday evenings at the church.

Laundromat Short-Cuts… Until the mid-twentieth century, most American women had every right to sing “washday blues,” because one day each week--for most, the longest day--was committed to washing, hanging out, ironing and folding the family duds. The day started with a trip to the laundromat, since most homes at the time were lucky to have indoor plumbing, much less washing machine and certainly not dryers. I recall my mother telling my brother and me to bring books along while sh ...

Our last virtual kids event was last week, but we do still have book logs available for “Read for a Treat” so drop by to sign your child up. We are also sad to announce that we will be canceling Old Yeller Day, but we will be back next year on September 25, 2021. New to the Library: DVDs: Father Brown Season 6 The Lost Husband Balthazar Series 1 Madam Secretary Season 6 Mr.

Mother’s Quick Easy Rolls courtesy: Henrietta Fritz I’m always looking for new ways to make biscuits and rolls, and this recipe sounded interesting so I made up a batch of them. I’m glad I did and I think you’ll be very happy with them as well! Simple, easy, requiring no special ingredients; they’re right in the Practical Baker’s wheelhouse. Ingredients: 1 cup milk ¼ cup shortening ¼ cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon salt 3 cups A/P flour 1 teaspoon salt Process: ...

Just Hang Loose! A city slicker went on his first deer hunt. One morning he came back to camp with his camo clothes in tatters, face and arms covered with scratches and bruises. He looked like he’d caught on fire and somebody had tried to put him out with a weed-whacker! When his buddies saw him they asked, “What in the world happened to you?” “A big black snake chased me,” replied the novice outdoorsman. “But a black snake isn’t poisonous,” one of the experience ...

How Do Scientists Use Models? During the current COVID-19 pandemic, you have probably read a lot about scientific models. Scientists rely on models of how systems work to take new data, add that information into a model, and then use the model and new data make predictions. The predictions may be about the future (things we haven’t observed yet), or about the past (things no one was around to record). You have likely heard someone downplay such predictions, by saying “it’s only a mo ...