September 1, 2021 Issue

Folks likely have not seen a lot of bustling activity at the Mason County Courthouse recently, but that does not mean that nothing is happening. With construction set to begin toward the end of next month on the historic courthouse, county officials are in the process of seeking contractors. “We’re still on schedule and we’re ready to get started building,” said Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden on Monday. At the upcoming September 16 commissioners court meeting, commissioners and ...

An old proverb states, “Don’t change horses in midstream”. The Edmiston family, proprietors Bronco Sue Custom Hats, did just that. They left their life in Georgetown, Texas, for Mason County to bring up their daughter in the ranching tradition established by Chip Edmiston’s family in the 1890s. Raised in Katemcy and Lampasas respectively, Chip and Tracy lived in Georgetown where Chip was involved in real estate and Tracy taught school in Liberty Hill.

The Mason County Queen’s Court took home two more ribbons this August! Round Up Queen O’Brien Underwood, Duchess Esme Lugo, and Duchess Eliza Cope won first place in Johnson City and second place in Fredericksburg riding on the Chamber of Commerce float. Thank you so much to our parade sponsors. Underwood Antique Mall cheered on the sidelines at the Blanco County Parade and Mason Bank drove our girls during the Gillespie County Parade.

August 31, 2021, is the start date to renew you brands. You can find the application online at co.mason.tx.us under County Clerk. The cost per location is $26.00 for Cattle and $26.00 for horses. You must complete a separate application for these two species of animals. If you have more than one location the charge is an additional $26.00 per location.

Approval of the 2022 budget for Mason County and the setting of the 2021 tax rate dominated the lengthy Monday meeting of the Mason County Commissioners Court. The unanimously approved budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $355,692. Of that amount $83,952 is tax revenue from properties added to the tax roll this year.

The Mason High School varsity football team started its 2021 season in a big way on Friday, Aug. 27 with an impressive 34-13 victory on the road against Comanche High School. After forcing a quick three-and-out on defense, the Punchers’ offense went to work and marched its way downfield behind junior starting quarterback Ivan Wofford.

The Mason High School girls’ and boys’ varsity cross country teams competed on Wednesday, Aug. 25 in the first meet of the 2021 season at the Stride on the Divide hosted by Eldorado High School. The Cowgirls varsity squad did very well in their two-mile race as five Mason runners placed in the top 20.

August 31, 2021, is the start date to renew you brands. You can find the application online at co.mason.tx.us under County Clerk. The cost per location is $26.00 for Cattle and $26.00 for horses. You must complete a separate application for these two species of animals. If you have more than one location the charge is an additional $26.00 per location.

Erminia C. Reyes, of Brady, passed away on Tuesday, August 24, at the age of 76. Mrs. Reyes is survived by her husband, Augustine Reyes of Brady, and nine children: Irma Martinez of Brady, Florina M. Hernandez (George) of Fort Worth, Delores Miranda (Joey Petty) of Stephenville, Jo Ann Flores (Jesus) of Brady, Noe Martinez (Angelica) of Brady, Elida Torres (Avelardo) of Hico, Amos C.

The large and distinctive black and yellow spiders go by many different common names: Yellow Garden Spider, Zipper Spider, Zigzag Spider, Writing Spider, and Banana Spider are among the names often used. Biologists know the spider as Argiope aurantia, which translates as “Gilded Silver-face.” Their large size, bright coloration, and distinctive webs make them among our most obvious and well-known local spiders.

A German geologist, Ferdinand Roemer, visited the Hill Country from early 1846 until the spring of 1847. He chronicled his observations in detail in a book, later translated into English by Oswald Mueller, called “Roemer’s Texas”. Roemer was actually employed to study the area by a German company interested in developing some German settlements in the Hill Country. Roemer described in detail the difficulty in traveling in Texas back then, which was just after Texas became a state.

Stop by the library this Friday to see our Puncher display. We have old photographs of Mason football teams as well as marching bands, cheerleaders, and pep squads. We also have some football programs on display in the foyer from the 1950s. We will also have a special guest reader at Storytime this Friday!

This recipe started out as a buttermilk biscuit recipe. The biscuits turned out so well I thought I’d see if there were other variations out there to try and, sure enough, this recipe popped up. Ingredients: 2 ½ cups self-rising flour ½ cup sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ cup unsalted butter 1 cup buttermilk (and add more if the dough doesn’t quite come together) Cinnamon-sugar (for the tops; mix ¾ cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons of cinnamon) 1 tablespoon melted butter (f ...

I have the urge to play with the names of Texas towns. Please indulge me. As I look through the towns listed in THE TEXAS ALMANAC, I am struck by how appropriate it would be for people with certain occupations, hobbies, and the like to live in a particular town. For example: Wouldn’t it be great to be a baker in Baker, a bishop in Bishop, or a shepherd in Shepherd? These are obvious.

Let’s dig into cruciferous vegetables because they are your stronghold for fall and winter gardening. Brassica oleracea, also classified as cruciferous vegetables, are part of the genus Brassicaceae. This is a very large family. Here are some of the names you may know: cabbage (green and red), Mustard, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Turnips, Rutabaga, Radish, Cauliflower, Kale, Collard greens, Wasabi and Horseradish, Kohlrabi, Watercress, and Arugula.

Welcome to September. Where did the summer go? We have had some dog days of summer but most days have been bearable. I learned at church that some in the Art Community have benefited from the scattered showers of the past few days. We are fortunate that it has only sprinkled in town.

Putting your home on the market is exciting. It can be nerve-wracking, too. How do you sort through all the decisions and options? Here are some considerations to keep in mind: Is It Worth Your Time and Money? Before you update your 1970s bathroom, know that you may not recoup all your remodeling costs when you sell.

Just in case you’re one of the few who still believes we can turn this thing around, salvage the country, and put America back on the road to prosperity, let me just offer this little prick to go with your optimistic bubble: Harvard University, the uppity Ivy League bastion of higher education in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just hired a new president of chaplains for its campus.

Last weekend the Mason Lions hosted a Lions’ District meeting for the 2-A1 District in Texas. This district covers a wide geographic area including Midland, Sweetwater, San Angelo, Mason, Ozona, and Rankin. There are well over 1,000 Lion members in district 2-A1. Mason has supplied several District Governors in the past, one of whom was John Gammill, who recently returned to our club.