October 8, 2008

On Thursday, Oct. 2, Todd Staples and his representatives presented a $150,000 check from the Texas Capital Fund to the City of Llano and Main Street Project Director, Sarah Franklin. The money will be used to continue improving the sidewalks and lighting downtown. Many representatives from Llano organizations attended the presentation.

The city council meeting opened up with a public comment about the current state of the Llano Police Department. John O’Connor made a few comments about how the police department needs more men on the force, more money for income, and new equipment to replace the outdated equipment already in use.

A whitsleblower lawsuit filed by a former Llano County Deputy was settled out of court last week for an undisclosed amount. 424th District Court Judge Dan Mills signed a letter to dismiss the lawsuit, but with prejudice, meaning the matter can never come back to the court. Former deputy Jason Doss filed the suit a little more than a year ago against Llano County Sheirff Nathan Garrett and Llano County claiming wrongful termination from his position. Filed in August of 2007, the suit claimed that after Doss witnessed a crash in Kingsland in July of that year, his report was interfered with by the sheriff.

Some people just have a way with words. It is in the way they spin a yarn. It is in the way they phrase a song or make a rhyme. Their gift to us is their unique ability to transport us to places we have never been. Three such people live and create among us.

Rosa Dyess, 95, died in Llano, Sunday, Sept. 7. Dyess was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur Johnnie Talley and Margaret Jane Johnson Talley; her husband, Ramon Claude Dyess; her sisters, Elva Dyess, Hester Watson and Vivian Violet Talley; her brother, Everett Talley; her daughter, Sarah Nadine Chapman; her granddaughters, Sharon Gayle Conner, Donna Conner, and Deborah Conner Wadkins; her grandsons, Billy Ray Bates and Michael Jay Allred; and her son-in-law, Lewis W.

Colonel (Ret.) Frederick Rimmer Fowler passed away Saturday, Sept. 27, while attending the Army vs. Texas A&M football game at Kyle Field. Col. Fowler was born July 17, 1954. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Prof. W.Y. and Mary Helen Fowler; his sister, Jane Ann Gover; his aunt, Jane Yates; his uncle, Colonel Jerry Green; and his second mom and dad, Edgar and Yvonne Leifeste. Survivors include his three daughters, Andrea Greenbaum and husband, Kevin, of Golden, Colo., Emily Carter and husband, Josh, of Abilene, and Cassidy Fowler, of Littleton, Colo.; his brother, the Rev.

James Martin Parizek, 81, passed away on Oct. 2. He was born on Oct. 19, 1926, in Deering, N.D. to Martin and Erna (Wolfe) Parizek. Mr. Parizek is survived by his loving wife, Marjorie Parizek, of Kingsland; his sisters, Jacqueline (Honey) Dailey, of Minneapolis, Minn., Jo Anne Serverson, of Bismarck, N.D., and Janis Smith, of Phoenix, Ariz; his daughters, Pam Tweten, of Minot, N.D., Sandy Parizek, of San Diego, Calif., and Terri Rush, of Austin; his grandchildren, Heather Tendvahl, of San Diego, Calif., Jessica Bruski, of San Diego, Calif., Valerie Tweten, of Minot, N.D., Tyler and Leah Rush, of Austin; his great-grandchild, Andrew Bruski, of San Diego, Calif. Mr.

Ella Mae Smathers, 99, of Llano, passed away Oct. 2, in Llano. She was born on July 24, 1909, to Ella (Grenwelge) and Herman Heven in Llano. Mrs. Smathers is preceded in death by her husband, Forrest Smathers; her parents; her sons, Lester Lyn Smathers and Marion Glen Smathers; her grandson, Bradley Roy Lange; two brothers and one sister. Survivors include daughters, Frances Barrack, of Lubbock, Harriet Lange and husband, Pug, of Mason, Marilyn Reid and husband, Jim, of Abilene; sons, James Smathers and wife, Pat, of Lufkin, Winfred “PeeWee” Smathers and wife, Mary Lou, of Valley Spring; daughters-in-Law, Carolyn Smathers, of Waco, Mayme Smathers, of Austin; thirteen grandchildren, sixteen great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Mrs.

The seventh grade Daubers traveled to Fredericksburg on Thursday and came home with two impressive wins. The White team got things going with a 16-12 victory over the Billies. Llano scored on the opening possession to take an early 8-0 lead. Blake Schulze had a 43 yard run before Dalton Johnson finished the drive with a 13-yard carry for the TD.

Oh, it was so tough; oh, it was so easy; oh, it was so tough, again--and finally, there was a magnificent 15-yard run to preserve the definitive hard-earned victory: 32-29, Llano over Fredericksburg, on the first Friday night in October. “We make it exciting; we want the people to get their money’s worth,” the relieved humorist and head coach, David Yeager, said, following the Jackets’ first triumph over the Battlin’ Billies since 1991.

The Eighth Grade Dauber football team won its District opener last Thursday night against Fredericksburg. The Billies used up most of the first quarter on their opening drive to take an early 6-0 lead. But it wouldn’t take the Daubers long to answer as Storey Tatsch took the first carry of the game 53 yards (PAT failed) for the Daubers first score.

So, here’s the deal: the coach tells his team, “Just go out and do your best; I know you’re against the 4A and 5A runners, but don’t worry how you finish.” So, his team doesn’t worry, and, and...his freshman finishes a fantastic second, and his junior dashes to a dazzling fourth, despite stumbling, and also receiving an extra helping of breakfast.

Maybe you read here a few weeks ago that a reporter thought Bandera was the best 0-3 team in the state. Ready for this? Burnet may be the best 1-5 squad in the land! “They’re the most talented team in the district,” David Yeager said after viewing tape of the Bulldogs.

One match went very well, while the other did not for the Lady Jackets’ volleyball team. Not wishing to leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, we'll begin with the medicine, then enjoy the fruits of victory. “The girls did all they could do,” assistant coach Vanessa Carter said, “but it wasn’t enough against a very good Fredericksburg team.

Capital Farm Credit, ACA and First Ag Credit, FCS merged Oct. 1, forming the largest rural financing institution in Texas. The merger of the two rural lending cooperatives was approved by their stockholder-customers in August and by their federal regulator, the Farm Credit Administration. The resulting organization, known as Capital Farm Credit, ACA, has combined assets of more than $5 billion, making it one of the largest lending organizations in the nationwide Farm Credit System. “This merger increases the commodity and geographic diversity in our loan portfolio,” said Ben Novosad, Capital Farm Credit chief executive officer.

October 18 is the date for the Cherokee Super Saturday. There will be around 40 booths offering everything from porcelain dolls to catfish plates to hand carved candles. Also offered are hand made purses, quilts, wooden items, Native American leather art, leather work, jewelry, pillows, blankets, dish towels, cacti, succulents, vintage items, shabby chic, Christmas decorations, dream catchers, Mary Kay, Shaklee & Aloe Vera Products, beading supplies, stamping supplies, European mounted heads, iron garden baskets and yard art, Cherokee history books, oil paintings by two local artists and much more.

“What’s New in North Carolina?” is the topic for the next meeting of the Kingsland Genealogical Society (KGS) on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m. at the Kingsland Branch Library, 125 West Polk. The speaker is longtime family history researcher Sue Ashby of Granite Shoals, who is also a professional genealogist.

On Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m., Dorothy MacInerney will present a program about Blue Bell Ice Cream at the Lakeshore Library. MacInerney wrote “Blue Bell Ice Cream: A Century at the Little Creamery in Brenham, Texas, 1907-2007” after eighteen months of researching the history of the company. The event includes complimentary ice cream donated by Blue Bell and silent auction items donated by the author.

The Frank Griggs American Legion Post #370 held their meeting on Sept. 25. The post saw the return of some faces not seen in a while. Thank you to Eugene Long with the City of Llano and the chairman of the Skateboard Committee for joining the meeting. It was proposed to the American Legion to locate the skateboard park next to the American Legion Hall. Mr.

The Llano Chamber of Commerce will be mailing out ballots for the five (5) available Director positions on Wednesday, Oct. 8. Please take a moment and read the following biographies for each candidate. This is the opportunity as a member of the chamber to have a vote. TONI MARIE ANDERSON I am candidate for Board membership in the Llano Chamber and want to contribute my time, energy and creativity to this very unique community.

If you are needing Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in order to maintain your pesticide applicators license, here is your chance to get 15 hours between now and the end of the year. On Oct. 14, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., a Parasite Control Clinic will be held at the Burnet County Fairgrounds meeting room.

Each October, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) holds a Student Activities’ Conference at the University of Texas to introduce high school students to the 23 different academic events in which they can compete. On Saturday, Oct. 4, 30 Llano High School students attended and came back to Llano excited about the upcoming academic competition season.

The following students from Llano Elementary earned “A’s” on their report cards for the first six weeks: First Grade – Celia Ashley, Bailey Barnett, Adrian Bertelson, Kyler Bordner, Torri Bray, Riley Brown, Trey Castelan, Lillian Christopher, Alexus Cotton, Kadie Culpepper, Brianna Desai, Hannah Devault, Peyton Foster, Quentin Franklin, Hali Gipson, Juna Glasscock, Autumn Harris, Clare Hoffman, Kennedy Holcombe, Callie Jernigan, Christopher Jones, Christian Kamradt, Kyndal Kelso, Marina Kingery, Cassidy Kirchner, Jacob Klotz, Jordan Koss, Justin Lange, Hannah Leeds, William Leismann, Justin Low, Savanna Morton, Jack Neff, Emily Perez, Taelor Ransom, Kimble Schuessler, Laramie Smith, Mallory Smith, Sadie Tarpley, Caeli Taylor, Jax Tedder, Jared Thomas, Lauren Tudyk, Isaac Ugarte, Blaine Upton, Allison White, Ashlyn Wilkinson, and Tyler Wootan.

The City of Llano is a member of the GO TEXAN Rural Community program with the Texas Department of Agricultures. GO TEXAN promotes the products, culture and communities that call Texas home. Llano Main Street has received a reimbursement grant from Boot Strap Bucks as part of this program. The money will be used for newspaper advertising for the Heritage Festival October 18 for up to $2500.00.

An old tradition will return to Llano High School this Fall after a ten-year absence. For the first time since the Fall of 1998, the Llano Yellowjackets will hold a bonfire on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at approximately 8:15 p.m. to help fire up the team and student body for Homecoming Week and the game against the Ingram Warriors.

The Llano Heritage Day Committee will have a period dress contest the day of the Festival, this Saturday, Oct. 18. The categories will be adult men and women; 13 and older, and youth boys and girls up to 12 years. First, second, and third place prizes will be awarded. The contest will be held in front of the courthouse gazebo at 2 p.m.

On Friday morning, Oct. 3, employees from LCRA lent the Friends of the Red Top Jail a cherry picker bucket to reach the jail’s roof to retrieve a cutting from the gallows, for Walt Zoch to do a microchemical analysis. Roofing consultants also took a ride up to evaluate the repairs needing to be done.