May 21, 2008

Fredericksburg High School graduate, Hunter Winfrey obtained a place on the Fall 2007 St. Edwards University Dean’s List. He is the son of Lin and Jan Winfrey, of Fredericksburg, the grandson of Margaret and the late Crawford Winfrey, of Llano, and Marion and the late Allen Nelson, of Llano. Winfrey is also the nephew of Janice and the late Theo Crenwelge and Kirk and Marilyn Winfrey, of Llano. In making the dean’s list, Winfrey attained a GPA of 3.65.

Schreiner University has named Dominica Schroeder, of Llano to its Dean’s List. Schroeder, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jason Schroeder, was named to the roster of high-achieving students for the fall 2007 term. To qualify for the Dean’s List, full-time students must earn at least a 3.3 grade point average and have at least 12 hours credit for the term.

The new members of the city council started their terms by tackling a hot item on the agenda, the issue concerning the location of the Llano Skate Park. The skate park committee had narrowed suggestions to three locations; Grenwelge Park, Badu Park, and behind the Fire Hall. The committee had submited a list of pros and cons of each location hoping that their first choice would be approved by the council. Grenwelge Park is probably the best site for the skate park because it has the best terrain but right now the committee is willing to go with anything, just to give the kids a place to skate,” said Eugene Long, committee chairman. A couple of citzens voiced their concerns and suggestions about the prospective locations of the park. Mark Sewell voiced his concern that the park was too close to the bridge and would be dangerous for the skaters. He said for the kids to skate at Grenwelge Park, they would have to cross the street by Nailhead Spur, which is very dangerous. He also voiced that skateboarding is a dangerous sport and that people who pass by the park should not be the only supervision to the park. Nita Fields, who was asked to serve on the Llano Skate Park Committee, answered Sewell’s concerns about how the committee is considering the other locations suggested.

Special events Saturday and Monday will remember the sacrifice of U.S. service men and women. County Judge Wayne Brascom will be the speaker at an area-wide Memorial Day program at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 26 at the Kingsland Community Center. Memorial Day, a holiday that grew out of the Post-Civil War Decoration Day tradition, commemorates U.S.

The vision Llano County leaders had in taking steps to restore the historic Llano County Courthouse was recognized by First Lady Laura Bush recently with the nation’s highest award for historic preservation achievement. The Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, administered by the Texas Historical Commission (THC), recently received the 2008 Preserve America Presidential Award at a special White House ceremony on May 12.

Llano Memorial Healthcare System (LMHS) held its annual employee recognition and awards banquet Friday evening, honoring employees for their dedication and exceptional performance. According to Kevin Leeper, CEO, “This was a fitting end for celebration of Hospital Week and marks the third year for the recognition banquet.” He added Hospital Week is the perfect opportunity to recognize the employees celebrating “milestone anniversaries” as well as the LMHS Employee of the Year and LMHS Department Manager of the Year.

In the final paragraph of the Llano County Commissioners Court story in the May 14 issue of The Llano News, two quotes were incorrectly attributed. It was long-time Precinct 3 Commissioner Duane Stueven, who was in a position to observe closely problems that developed in his district when the sharing of equipment and manpower between Kingsland Water Supply and Kingsland Municipal Utility District were not carefully documented, who called for clarifications in an interlocal agreement for similar sharing between Llano County and the City of Llano.

Davis B. Blincoe, 67, of Kingsland passed away May 16, after a brief battle with cancer. He was born to Walker Brown Blincoe, Jr. and Dorothy John on January 7, 1941, in Borger. Mr. Blincoe is preceded in death by his mother; his father; his brother, Johnny Blincoe; and his sisters, Jeanie, Janis, and Susan. He is survived by his wife, Betty Blincoe; his son, Reece Blincoe; his daughters, Sharon Ragsdale, and Susan Kern; his step-daughters, Tammie Dunn, Becky Baker, Robin Hopper, Cathy Davidson, Cheryl Andrews; his sister, Mary Dot Hunziker; his brothers, Buddy Blincoe, Jimmy Blincoe; 22 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. Mr.

Cherry Gail Dickey, 73, of Buchanan Dam, passed away Monday, May 12, in Buchanan Dam. She was born on April 11, 1935, to Jean (Cook) and Raymond Kellar in Plainview. Mrs. Dickey is preceded in death by her parents; Jean and Raymond Kellar; her daughter, Donna Gail Dickey; and her great-grandson, Christopher Bailey Horn. She is survived by her beloved daughter, Robin Myers and husband, Wes Adams; her husband, Ira Dickey; her brother, Robert Kellar and wife, Anita; her grandchildren, Mark Lackey and wife, Lisa Hedges, John Horn and wife, Sarah; her great-grandchildren, Mark Lee Lackey, Scott Lee Horn and Haylee Gayle Horn; her aunt, Lela Bandy; and her nieces, Mary Dean and Diana Kasco. Mrs.

The Llano baseball Jackets’ two losses to Pleasanton in the region quarterfinals were anything but pleasant, but they cannot diminish an excellent season--20 wins and triumphs in the bidistrict and area rounds. The end came against a talented Eagles’ squad. May 15- Pleasanton 13, Llano 4 This one was much closer than the score indicates, and don't make any faces until you’ve read past the foreword. The Eagles scored three times in the first inning at St.

The Llano Junior Tennis Camp will be June 2 through June 5 at the Junior High Tennis Courts. Students will have fun and learn tennis instruction from Llano High School coaches and guests. There will be two groups receiving instruction, group one will be boys and girls upcoming 1st grade through upcoming 5th grade at 8:30 a.m.

The old timers at the Llano River Golf Course remember when there was a tournament on the first weekend of June coinciding with the Llano Rodeo. It’s been a while, but it’s back. Saturday and Sunday, June 7-8 marks the First Annual Llano River Blowout, a two-man low ball tournament. The tournament will pay cash prizes to the first four places in each flight, with teams being flighted according to handicaps, which must be provided by the players. An entry fee of $300 per team includes a Cooper’s Barbecue meal served Saturday.

U-6 On Saturday, May 10 the Orange team played the Red team at 9 a.m. and the Blue team played the Green team at 10 a.m. On Saturday, May 17 the Blue team played the Red team at 9 a.m. and the Orange team played the Green team at 10 a.m.

They make up the Honors Class of 2008--the Llano Lady Jackets’ softball nine has traveled the mythical journey to the All-District Team for 25-3A. It was well-deserved recognition for a bunch which made the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The Pitcher-of-the-Year is Cierra Thompson, who showed she could fire the smaller, yellow ball with as much talent as she could the bigger, brown one.

Brandon Walters, one of the most successful coaches in any sport in Llano High School history, is going home. He and his wife, Kara, and their two boys and a girl, will move to the Winnsboro area, in east Texas, to be closer to both sets of grandparents. Walters took over for near-legend, Jacquetta Brown, in 2003, and his girls’ basketball teams went out and won 145 games in five seasons.

The annual picnic of the Kingsland Genealogical Society, held May 13 in Granite Shoals, Texas was a chance for members to learn that the copies of the new, third edition of their book have arrived. The publication is entitled “Families of Early Kingsland, Texas and Nearby Communities in Llano and Burnet Counties”.

A fundraising event for the widow and baby of U.S. Army Specialist Jeffrey Nichols, killed May 1 near Baghdad, Iraq will be held Saturday, May 24. The barbecue and live music will begin at 11 a.m. at the Granite Shoals Neighborhood Association building on Phillips Ranch Road in Granite Shoals. Advance tickets are on sale for $10 at Texas Country Bank and the Internet Cafe, both located on RR 1431 in Granite Shoals. Texas Country Bank President Bill Pipkin is trustee of the fund established in honor of the fallen soldier from Granite Shoals.

Mary Kaplan may have stayed on the go as an Air Force nurse, but since she began running competitively, she has scarcely stopped. The 69-year-old Sunrise Beach resident calculates that she has run 573 races. As of April 12, when she crossed the finish line in St. George, Utah, she had taken blue ribbons in her age group in every state in the Union. From the time Kaplan graduated from Bethesda School of Nursing Cincinnati, Ohio in 1960, until about 1983, she didn’t have more on her athletic record than memories of high school softball. “In the Air Force, we were allowed each year to walk our aerobics, three miles, or run, one and a half miles,” she said.

The Mason Country Opry will be at the Odeon Theater in downtown Mason. The show is May 22 and will begin at 7:30 p.m. and admission is $8 per person. Tickets will be on sale at the door. Jody Nix’s Texas Championship Fiddler Robert Weeks will headline the show. Robert Weeks started playing fiddle when he was ten years old.

The leader of the state’s largest farm organization will join Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples on a historic trip later this month to Cuba, a country that has not been visited by state of Texas elected officials since the United State imposed an embargo against the Communist nation in 1962. Kenneth Dierschke, president of the Texas Farm Bureau, Staples and 23 others representing different facets of the state’s agricultural industry are part of a Texas trade delegation to the island nation.

The Friends of the Kingsland Library will have a meeting on Tuesday, May 27, at 2 p.m. in the Kingsland Library, located at 125 W. Polk. Officers for the 2008-2009 term will be installed. The program will be a slide show of the year’s activities. Hostesses for the meeting are Donna Merzi and Sherry Musgrove.

The Tow Volunteer Fire Department Fish Fry Fundraiser will join with the Scott & White Blood Center to sponsor a blood drive Saturday, May 24. “Saving Lives Texas Style” will be held at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and VFD volunteers will be serving up fried fish and the fixings 11 a.m.

Llano High School Library is encouraging summer reading by hosting a Half Price Scholastic Book Fair May 19 through May 27. It will be held in the High School Library daily from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Book Fair will also be open before and after the fabulous LHS Spring Band Concert and End of Year Art Exhibit on Thursday, May 22.

Llano County Clay Buster will host a sporting clays shoot this Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 24. Registration will open at 8:30 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m. The cost of the 50 bird shoot is $45 and includes a meal of ribs, sausage, sides and desserts. Scoring for the shoot will be Lewis class, which gives even beginners the chance to win.

Michael Williams, chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas, will the featured speaker at the Llano County Republican Club on Tuesday, June 3. Chairman Williams is a dynamic speaker who is able to keep his audience on the edge of their chairs. He was initially appointed to the Commission by George W.

There has never been much activity on the west side of the Courthouse Square, however, the rough-hewn marble slab building at 813 Berry Street in the early days was a busy place, known as BonTon Bath and Barber Shop, where dusty cowboys cleaned up with a hot bath and shave for a night on the town.

The Llano ISD Child Nutrition Department will be offering a summer feeding program beginning June 2 through July 3 at our elementary cafeteria. Lunch will be served Monday through Friday beginning June 2 and ending July 3. Mealtime begins at 11:00 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m. The program is open to anyone under the age of 18.