December 31, 2008

Editor’s Note: I think it is safe to say that the year 2008 was one for the proverbial record books. It was a time of change for our community, our state, for our country and for the world in general. As we say goodbye to 2008 and hello to 2009, the staff of The Llano News has gone back and compiled all of the major stories we covered here in these pages over the last 12 months.

When you look up the word “resolution” in the dictionary, there are literally 12 separate meanings that range from a term meaning political sanctions to optic views. However, in most dictionaries anyway, it is usually the third one that bears any thought or reflection at this time of the year. The one I’m speaking of has to do with “the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.” Yup, I’m talking about New Year’s Resolutions. They ...

The basketball boys certainly wouldn’t call December 29 the “Terrible Twos.” They took care of Johnson City in the afternoon and followed that with a win over Mason in the evening. These victories, as part of the Jackets’ round-robin tournament, provided a nice prologue to district play which begins at the holiday hour of 3 p.m., Friday, January 2, at Burnet.

“He had told me he thought he could make it around the right end; the play was called ’47,’ and I handed the ball to him.” One of the most unusal plays in College Football Bowl history was on the move. The spokesman of the first sentence just above is Leroy Fenstemaker.

Editor’s Note: Donald Clark is a 6th Generation Texan. At the age of three, in 1952, Don came down with Poliomyelitis. In 1993, he was diagnosed with “Post Polio Syndrome.” About forty years after the initial disease the person begins to feel the same symptoms. But these get worse and continue and until the person becomes bedridden once again.

Anna Mae Bailey, a resident of Llano since 2001, coming from Lanark Village, Fla., passed away on Sunday, December 28, 2008 in Llano at the age of 92. She was born on September 21, 1916 to Cynthia Marie (Brunette) and Harry Joseph Picov in Morgan City, Louisiana. Mrs. Bailey was a member of the First Christian Church.

Memorial Services for William S. “Sid” Bratton was held on December 29, 2008, at Trinity Episcopal Church, Longview, with the Reverend Kevin Wittmayer officiating. He was born March 21, 1937, in Itasca, to Will Eva and William Barton Bratton. Sid passed away on December 21, 2008, in Longview, after a lengthy illness. He is survived by his wife, Shirley Bratton of Longview; sister, Barbara Elliott of Horseshoe Bay, Texas; daughter and son-in law, Leticia Marie “Tish” Dickey and Sammy L ...

Johnny Joe Leach, a lifelong resident of Llano, passed away on December 23, 2008 at the young age of 48. Johnny was born on November 15, 1960. He was the son of the late Bill and Alice Leach of Llano and mother Louise Barrack of Llano. Johnny spent his life running Bill’s Exxon, the family owned business.

Fredericksburg-based Fischer & Wieser Specialty Foods, Inc. took top awards with three of its products during the recent 2008 Hot Pepper Awards. The annual spicy condiment and snack food competition is hosted by the Internet’s #1 chilihead forum, The Hot Pepper. The Hot Pepper is the only awards competition of its kind that does not allow artificial ingredients to be added. Fischer & Wieser Gourmet The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Vinaigrette Dressing won first (The “Hot Pepper Aw ...

A public memorial service for Rear Admiral Charles D. Grojean, USN, (Ret.), deeply respected Executive Director of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, in the Memorial Courtyard of the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg. Admiral Grojean touched innumerable lives in the course of his distinguished Naval career and his leadership of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

Our own Hill Country treasure Sue Kersey will present a program on the birds we can see in our own backyards at a meeting of the Kingsland Garden Club on Friday, January 9 at 1:15 p.m. at the Kingsland Library, 125 W. Polk St. Her presentation is entitled “Hill Country Birds – Our Treasures.” Sue is a past President of the Master Naturalists, expert quilter, Master Gardener, and superb photographer and speaker.

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Board of Directors approved four resolutions related to the LCRA-SAWS Water Project, giving guidance focused on protecting and benefitting the lower Colorado River basin. As work on the feasibility studies progresses, LCRA staff requested guidance on key policy assumptions related to: projections for firm municipal and industrial water needs in the lower Colorado River basin; planning for expected needs for agricultural irrigation; use of groundwater ...

Llano Fine Arts Guild will begin the year on Monday, January 5 at 10:00 a.m. with a program presented by bead artist Leora Krause. Leora will discuss and demonstrate various techniques of bead stringing and the use of old and or broken jewelry to create new and fashionable pieces of jewelry.