July 21, 2010

The Llano Economic Development Corporation and the City of Llano held budget workshops last Wednesday to discuss budget priorities, and City Manager Finley deGraffenried submitted a preliminary $10.5 million budget to city council at its regular meeting this Monday. A joint meeting of the Llano City Council and the Llano EDC was held at noon last Wednesday to discuss the EDC budget.

A Midland woman died and three others were injured in a boating accident that occurred in the early Sunday morning hours on Lake LBJ. The 21-foot Malibu crashed into an outcropping of granite rock near Inks Dam on the Colorado arm of Lake LBJ at about 12:30 am. The boat landed on top of the rocks and a crane had to be used to remove it. All four occupants were ejected.

The Llano County Commissioners Court held a special meeting Monday morning to take care of a few time-sensitive items, but much of the meeting was spent discussing procedures for meetings of the community panel, which was recently appointed by the court to hear appeals and variance requests related to the county’s floodplain ordinance. The first order of business was to approve payment of bills totaling $5,799, which had been left off the list of bills approved at the court&rsqu ...

The City of Llano will amend Ordinance No. 756, Chapter 5, Subsection 501.1, Allowable Outdoor Fires to consist of brush, trees and other plant growth. The new Ordinance No. 1159 will take effect on August 5, 2010. The new ordinance will require that any such fire may not be kindled or maintained until after an inspection and a permit are issued by the Llano Building Official.

Environmental and Emergency Services Administrator Ron Moore has received a letter from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Radiation Control Program, giving the new boat ramp at Llano County Park a clean bill of health after reports of dangerous radiation levels were published on the internet. The DSHS conducted radiation surveys in the park, on the boat ramp, and in the granite surrounding the boat ramp.

There was a time in the old days—I’ll NEVER say, “Back in the whatever”—when camp meant swimming, canoeing, and marshmallow roasting plus tennis and golf if you weren’t timid with your checkbook. Like a few thousand other ageless wonders, camp can now mean just about anything from legos to theater to, oh, of course, sports. And all of this brings us to the myriad of camps offered throughout Texas—heck, throughout Llano.

It isn’t too often one of Texas’ leading football families pays a visit to Llano for a game, and, oh, yes, the team they represent also happens to be a seven-time State Champion. Brownwood, coached by old nemesis Bob Shipley, will be the guest of the Jackets, September 17. His son will tag along, too: All-State wide receiver Jaxon Shipley. “Football means a great deal to the Lions’ community,” coach Shipley said.

Wikipedia says that “bypass of more than four coronary arteries is uncommon.” I know that Wikipedia is not always exactly right, but it knows a whole lot more than I do about heart surgery. That’s why it seems particularly alarming to hear that two people who I consider friends (one is musician Danny Brooks) have had five and six coronary arteries (respectively) bypassed this week. To my relief (although I don’t really understand how it could be true), Wikipedi ...

CITY OF HORSESHOE BAY, TEXAS PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The City of Horseshoe Bay Planning & Zonin Commission will conduct a public hearing at its Regular Meeting on August 10, 2010 beginning at 3:00 P.M. on a recommendation to City Council for an amendment to Ordinance No. 10-06-15C, Section IV(b) to change the wording regarding adding new Subsection 14.02.406(j)(2) for Conditional Uses, to adding new Subsection 14.02.406(j)(4) for Conditiona ...

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS OF PROPOSED TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (TxDOT) CONTRACTS Sealed proposals for contracts listed below will be received by TxDOT until the date(s) shown below, and then publicly read. CONSTRUCTION/MAINTENANCE BUILDING FACILITIES CONTRACT(S) ------------------------ Dist/Div: Austin Contract 0150-04-042 for CENTERLINE RUMBLE STRIPS in LLANO County, etc will be opened on August 10, 2010 at 1:00 pm at the State Office. ------ ...

Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the Estate of ALICE MAE RODE AARON, Deceased were issued on July 1, 2010, on Cause No. 06,574, pending in the County Court of Llano County, Texas to: Marvin Thomas Aaron, as Independent Executor. Claims may be presented in care of tha attorney for the Estate addressed as follows: Representative, Estate of ALICE MAE RODE AARON Yates Law Firm A Professional Corporation Attorneys at Law P.O.

There will be a public hearing concerning a replat to be known as “A REPLAT OF ENCINO COVE, LLANO COUNTY, TEXAS” at the regular scheduled Llano County Commissioners Court Meeting on July 26, 2010, followed by discussion and action on the same. The owners of Lots 1 and 2 are proposing to combine them into one (1) lot, the owners of Lots 3 and 4 are proposing to combine them into one (1) lot and the owner of Lot 5 is joining with the owners of Lots 1 through 4 in order to delete th ...

NOTICE TO ALL PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS AGAINST THE ESTATE OF MOLLY J. DENTON Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the Estate of Molly J. Denton, were issued on the 24th day of June, 2010, in Cause No. 06566 in the County Court of Llano County, Texas. The name and principal place of the Independent Executor are: Julia Fredeman Collins c/o Banker Phares 8141 Gladys, Suite 102 Beaumont, Texas 77706 (409) 866-2626 All ...

The Lower Colorado River Authority hereby gives notice pursuant to Texas Water Code section 49.226 (c), that the following property will be sold by private sale on or after August 4, 2010: Approximately 0.3472 acres of land out of the John Bratton Survey No. 2, Abstract No. 39; John Darlin Survey No.

Doris Cannon, age 80 of Tow passed away Tuesday, July 13, 2010. She was born on May 19, 1930 in Emporia, Kansas to Olive (Miller) and Chester Miles. She married Philip (Bud) Cannon, Sept. 8, 1948 in Madison, Kan. She was a member of the Llano First Christian Church, Llano Culture Club and the Lakeshore Book Club Survivors include her husband, Philip (Bud) Cannon of Tow; sons, Craig Cannon & wife Penny of Boerne and Lyle Cannon and wife Paula of Midland; six grandchildren: Justin, ...

Doris L. Gray died July 10, 2010 at the age of 73. Doris was born in Wellington, TX July 13, 1936. She Married William C. Gray in 1959 and they shared 51 years together. Doris is preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Rebecca Denton, and brothers Ray and Gene Denton.

Bobby Royce Locknane, Jr., 63, of Kingsland, passed away July 9, 2010. He was born to Bobby R. and Helen Danials Locknane on November 15, 1946 in Clovis, N.M. Mr. Locknane proudly served his country in the United States Navy during the Viet Nam era, after his discharge he worked as a plumbing contractor for many years.

Roger Dale Reynolds, age 63, passed away Friday, July 16, 2010. He was born Jan. 23, 1947 to Fredda (Price) & Eual C. Reynolds in Melton, W. Va. He married Janice (Mayfield) Reynolds Oct. 17, 1971 in Virginia. Roger and Janice moved to this area in 1995 coming from Kansas. Survivors include his daughters, Leslie Courtney of Granite Shoals and Hope Valentine of Greenville, Ohio; brother, Steve Mayfield of Grove, Okla.; sister Beatrice Ann Smith of San Marcos and four grandchildren. ...

Vola Dell Delz was born in Harper on May 20, 1933 to Claud and Nettie (Thuem) Sageser. She was baptized in the Devils River when she was about 8 or 9 years old. She has been a member of the Elisian Fields Methodist Church in New Orleans, La. for fifty three years.

Dr. William George Wilkerson M.D. of Bluffton passed away Sunday, July 18, 2010 at the age of 78 years. He was born January 26, 1932 to Mary (Kallen) and William Henry Wilkerson in Houston. William married Eulene on August 25, 1968 in Austin. They moved to Bluffton in 1993 coming from Austin and Lufkin.

Zachary James Hodges passed away Monday, July 12, 2010 at the age of ten years old. He was born September 17, 1999 and was the oldest son of Patrick and Stacy (Beasley) Hodges. Zachary loved to play football, basketball and LOVED the Texas Longhorns. He is survived by his parents, Patrick and Stacy, brother, Tyler Hayden Hodges, and sister Amy Lynn Krenek all of Galveston.

After hearing Norman Livingston’s story (told in last week’s history column), I decided to go back to copies of The Llano News from 1942 to see how those remaining in Llano handled the entrance of the U.S. into World War II. I found that, while the war affected everyone in many different ways, life went on, and Llano prospered in the months following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Headlines on January 1, 1942, told how donations for the Red Cross were 50 percent high ...

“Man at the pot!” Don’t worry... it’s just a way of ordering a cup of coffee at the 6th Annual Llano River Chuck Wagon Cook Off. This October our town will step back in history and belly up to the Old West. Join us along the banks of the beautiful Llano River on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 15-17, 2010 where fourteen or more authentic wagons will be circling and setting up living history campsites.

Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Lampasas, Burnet, and Llano Counties are pleased to announce the annual Central Texas Cow/Calf Clinic, which will be held on Aug. 17, 2010 at the Lampasas County Farm Bureau Building (1793 N HWY 281) in Lampasas. Registration will begin at 8:30 am, with the program starting promptly at 9:00.

Beat the summertime blues by stopping by one or all of your local Llano County libraries! Each library has plenty to offer and something for everyone! Llano Join Essie Mae on Wednesday, July 28th during her monthly appearance at the Llano Library. The “Essie Mae Game Day” program will begin at 10:30am.

Main Street presents ECLIPSE this Friday night, July 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 24, at 4:00 and 7:30 p.m. This is the third in the installments of The Twilight Saga, starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner. Once again Bella finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings.

In a quick, uneventful meeting Monday evening, the school board reviewed summer maintenance items, current bills and the tax collection report, voted to approve contracts for state attendance credits and special education service providers, and set dates for events of the upcoming school year. Youth pastor James Sanderson, of the Lutie Watkins Memorial United Methodist Church, opened the meeting with a prayer and thanked the board for its help with the recent MPACT project, in which 3 ...